Scrimmage? What scrimmage?

Scrimmage? What scrimmage?

WM all business against Forrest City

WM School District Billy Elmore wonders what in the world folks around West Memphis were so alarmed about.

After his Blue Devils played sluggishly and got beat on the scoreboard in a preseason scrimmage before the home crowd against Class 5A Batesville, Elmore said he heard the cries around town.

So, after his Blue Devils mercy-ruled Forrest City 42-20 last Friday night at Hamilton-Shultz Field, Elmore was vocal with his response.

'Everybody gets so worked up over a scrimmage,' Elmore stated.

'You gotta compare it to the NFL. What's the Dallas Cowboys' preseason record? Nobody knows.

Other people put more stock in preseason games than coaches do. I got the feeling from talking to folks that, gosh, we were going to go 0-10.'

The Blue Devils made sure that wasn't going happen very quickly against the Mustangs, who haven't beaten West Memphis since 1997.

On the first play from scrimmage, West Memphis senior linebacker Jerry Edwards picked up a fumbled exchange and scored from 21 yards out. With Denver Burton's extra point, the Blue Devils led 7-0 only 17 seconds into the contest.

The Mustangs, who beat Jonesboro in a preseason scrimmage a week earlier, kept the West Memphis offense from touching the ball for the first 12 minutes of the game.

Their second possession ended up much better than their first one, with Deviunta Foster, who split time at quarterback and running back, scored a 4yard touchdown to cut West Memphis' lead to 7-6, much like last year's game at Sam Smith Stadium in Forrest City.

But also like last year, the Blue Devils answered back with authority.

The hosts reeled off 35 unanswered points, punctuated by speedy sophomore Desmond Howard's 87yard second-half kickoff return for a touchdown to make it 42-6 in the opening seconds of the second half.

'It kind of snowballed on (Forrest City),' Elmore admitted.

For Forrest City head coach Rich Trail, he bemoaned his team's mistake- ridden first half that featured 87 yards in penalties.

'You hate to boil it down to penalties, but what else can you say?' Trail said.

West Memphis' Martavious Thomas scored two first-half touchdowns and junior Amaurius Stinnett made his first varsity start at quarterback after standing on the sidelines with crutches for most of last year after he injured his knee in junior varsity ball.

He said there were butterflies before the game.

'But they went away after the first snap of the game,' Stinnett said.

Elmore broke the shifty 5foot-7, 155-pounder in slowly during the game.

Stinnett finally broke through midway through the third quarter with a 9- yard touchdown and he followed that with a perfectly lofted 28-yard touchdown pass to Steven Stone to close out the firsthalf scoring, making it 356 at halftime.

'I just wanted everything to be like it was before the injury,' Stinnett added. 'I had six months since my surgery before I could play again. It was tough. It feels great now. We took home the (Cotton Bale) trophy.

The Devils are happy.

Elmore's happy. We're good.'

West Memphis senior running back Devonte Dean was an early strength, rushing for 36 yards on only 6 carries. Like the rest of the starters, though, Dean sat for the entire second half after Howard's TD set the mercy rule in motion.

The Blue Devils make their first road trip of the year this Friday night at Blytheville.

By Billy Woods