JONESBORO — Preparations for the 2021 football season officially begin Monday with the start of practice for Arkansas high school teams.

JONESBORO — The Ralvis Raptors Track Club will be well represented when the AAU Junior Olympic Games begin this weekend in Humble, Texas.

JONESBORO — Jabari White became an all-conference basketball player as a senior at Nettleton High School after playing only a few minutes per game as a junior.

JONESBORO — Arkansas State will enjoy the home court advantage often as Sun Belt Conference play begins in women’s basketball, but the Red Wolves will spend plenty of time on the road at the end of their league schedule.

JONESBORO — Arkansas State will open Sun Belt Conference play in men’s basketball against the last two teams the Red Wolves faced in the 2020-21 season.

JONESBORO — Valley View soccer coach Ron Teat can’t remember many Lady Blazers, maybe three or four, who have finished a season with statistics similar to those Micah McMillan produced as a sophomore.

JONESBORO — Yajaira Alvarado believes the Jonesboro Lady Hurricane surprised some observers with its success during the 2021 soccer season.

JONESBORO — Jonesboro emerged as one of the state’s best Class 5A girls’ soccer teams in J.D. Williams’ first season as head coach.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Arkansas State’s Norchad Omier produced another double-double in points and rebounds Tuesday night to help lead Nicaragua to a 76-73 victory over Paraguay in the FIBA World Cup Americas Pre-Qualfiers.

JONESBORO — Thirteen-time Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Jim Patchell has agreed to a new three-year contract to lead the Arkansas State track and field and cross country programs, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Bowen announced Tuesday.

JONESBORO — The Texas Rangers selected Arkansas State junior catcher Liam Hicks in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday.

JONESBORO — Jonesboro needed a victory over Batesville to pull into a tie atop the 5A-East conference soccer standings and a healthy margin to claim a tiebreaker edge when the teams met on a blustery April evening at Cooksey-Johns Field.

JONESBORO — Liam Hicks is keeping expectations to a minimum as he awaits the Major League Baseball Draft.

JONESBORO — Ron Teat says Josh Nwokeji made a greater impact this season than any other freshman he’s had in 13 years as boys’ soccer coach at Valley View.

JONESBORO — Coach Ron Teat looks at the variables involved when he reflects on Valley View’s 2021 boys’ soccer season.

JONESBORO — David Daniel describes the recognition he will receive later this week as humbling.

JONESBORO — Nettleton soccer standout Juan Hernandez recently signed a letter of intent to play for Williams Baptist University.

JONESBORO — Tuckerman coach Matt Dillon points to MaKaylie Gist’s final at-bat of the Class 2A state softball final as an example of Gist’s calm demeanor on the field.

JONESBORO — Tuckerman won the Class 2A state softball championship with a dramatic finish in May, scoring three runs over the final two innings to defeat Mansfield 4-3 before a big crowd in Benton and a statewide audience on Arkansas PBS.

JONESBORO — A walk isn’t what Lexi Davis has in mind when she steps to the plate, although there are times when the opponent doesn’t give her a choice.

JONESBORO — Statistics from Norchad Omier’s first tournament with the Nicaraguan national team looked much like the numbers he put up in his first basketball season at Arkansas State.

JONESBORO — The reality of being a state champion is still sinking in for Valley View baseball coach Josh Allison.

JONESBORO — The Class 4A state championship game was scoreless in the fourth inning when Valley View’s Slade Caldwell worked Magnolia pitcher Seth Edwards for a one-out walk.

JONESBORO — Jake Henry Williams began his senior baseball season at Jonesboro High School in March with high expectations of himself.

JONESBORO — Mike Balado’s fourth summer basketball camp at Arkansas State is the largest yet, even with limited time for promotion.

JONESBORO — Nettleton’s Kyle Tolley celebrated his birthday Tuesday by signing a letter of intent to play baseball for South Arkansas Community College next spring.

JONESBORO — Arkansas State’s offensive statistics stacked up fairly well among Sun Belt Conference baseball teams this spring.

JONESBORO — Trey Harding and Dale Schenk weren’t surprised to learn their schools will face different competition during the Arkansas Activities Association 2022-24 classification cycle.

JONESBORO — The Xtra Innings Summer Classic is all about being seen.

EUGENE, Ore. — A routine Oregon rain shower couldn’t stop Arkansas State’s Bennett Pascoe in Wednesday evening’s 3,000 steeplechase semifinal at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

JONESBORO — Emotions took hold of Nettleton’s Daylin Goodlow after a successful tryout with Central Baptist College’s basketball team.

JONESBORO — Centennial Bank Stadium will be a busy place this evening.

JONESBORO — Head coach Mike Balado said Arkansas State has already seen some benefits from Desi Sills’ decision to play basketball for the Red Wolves.