Win over Mustangs gives Blytheville state’s top spot

Two days after keeping their season record perfect, with a Saturday's 66-56 win over Forrest City at Dwight Lofton Mustang Arena, Blytheville moved into the top spot in the Arkansas Sports Media overall state basketball rankings and kept their 4A-3 conference mark perfect as well.

Blytheville, 20-0 overall and 9-0 in the conference, appears to be well on their way to the 4A-3 conference title and quite possibly the Class 4A state title. Blytheville finished with 150 points, including 16 first-place votes, in the balloting by a statewide sports media panel. Little Rock Central, at 18-3, is second in the overall poll.

Blytheville is also ranked first in the statewide overall boys' poll by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Saturday's loss ended Forrest City's nine game winning streak leaving the Mustangs at 15-10 overall and 6-3 in the conference standings, behind Blytheville and second place Brookland.

Saturday's win over the Mustangs gave Blytheville the conference sweep over Forrest City. The Mustangs have played Brookland twice already this season, the first time a loss to the Bearcats at Mustang Arena and the second time in the finals of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament to claim the Division II title.

Brookland will host Forrest City Friday as the two teams square off for the third time this season and the second conference meeting.

Following Friday's game at Brookland, the Mustangs have six regular season conference games remaining, three away and three at home.

Brookland is coming off a 64-35 conference victory over Wynne, getting three-point scoring from six different Brookland players.

Blytheville's Rashaud Marshall, who is rapidly making his mark as probably the season's most underrated player, scoring 32 points against the Mustangs and grabbing 22 rebounds to record a key double-double to help the Chickasaws build a 48-41 lead headed into the fourth quarter of Saturday's game.

Blytheville guard and former Forrest City Mustang Kesean Washington helped with 11 points.

In other 4A-3 conference games played Friday, Westside handed Pocahontas a 57-53 setback, using four, three-pointers to take a 47-29 after three quarters.

The 4A-3 district tournament is scheduled to be played Feb. 13-18 with the 4A-3 East Regional scheduled for the week of Feb. 2225. The Class 4A state basketball tournament will be played at Blytheville.

Submitted Photo Forrest City Mustang running back/linebacker Willie Murphy will continue his football journey as a running back with the NAIA based Southwestern College Builders, signing his National Letter of Intent Friday to play at Southwestern, located in Winfield, Kansas. Murphy is the first college signee for Forrest City first-year head coach Ronald Lewis. Murphy was named to the Class 5A All-Conference Honorable Mention team at the conclusion of the 2022 prep football season and led the Mustangs in rushing yards with more than 400 yards on the ground.