EL DORADO, Ark. — The El Dorado Lady Cats continued their strong start to the golf season Wednesday at Mystic Creek Golf Course, earning a team victory while placing all four golfers in the top four individually.

El Dorado posted a team score of 286 to win the girls competition, finishing ahead of Nashville at 355. Sylvan Hills did not qualify a team score.

Lucy Whitten led the way for the Lady Cats, earning medalist honors with an 83. El Dorado dominated the top of the leaderboard, with all four of its golfers finishing among the top four.

Emma Cheatham finished as the runner-up with a 98, followed by Carolina Sneed with a 105 and Avelyn Chen with a 106.

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On the boys side, the El Dorado Wildcats finished fourth with a team score of 366.

Tate Meadows paced the Wildcats with a sixth-place finish, carding an 84. Brett Nash followed with a 91, while Tanner Smart shot a 92 and Zane Walker finished with a 94. Mason Moore carded a 97, followed by Ford Wilson with a 98.

Bryant captured the boys team title with a score of 333, followed by Sylvan Hills at 337 and Nashville at 350.

Sylvan Hills’ Cooper Harris earned boys medalist honors after shooting a 74.

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El Dorado JV Competes in Nine-Hole Match

El Dorado’s junior varsity teams also competed Wednesday, taking part in a nine-hole match against Parkers Chapel and Junction City.

The El Dorado JV boys finished second with a team score of 212, behind Parkers Chapel’s 193. Junction City finished with a 242.

JD Carelock earned individual medalist honors with a 45, while El Dorado’s Levi Grieff finished as the runner-up with a 48.

The remaining El Dorado golfers finished with Cooper Wilson at 52, Zachery Tissue at 53, Jackson Lee at 55, Canyon Wilson at 57, Carson Mills at 59 and Liam Beebe at 64.

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The strong showing from the Lady Cats, including four golfers occupying the top four spots, highlighted another successful day on the course for El Dorado’s golf program.

EL DORADO, AR – The Boys & Girls Club of Union County is gearing up for another season of youth athletics, with registration now open for its 2026 Flag Football League and Girls Volleyball Season. Both programs are designed to give local children an opportunity to participate in organized sports while developing teamwork, sportsmanship and other skills that extend beyond the playing field.

Flag Football Registration Open

The Boys & Girls Club’s 2026 Youth Flag Football League will feature three co-ed age divisions:

• Kindergarten through 2nd grade
• 3rd and 4th grade
• 5th and 6th grade

The registration fee is $80 per player, and registration closes September 19, 2026. The regular season is scheduled to run from October 12 through November 19, with playoff dates to be announced. The league offers young athletes the opportunity to get on the gridiron in a non-contact environment while building skills and learning the fundamentals of football.

Girls Volleyball Season

Registration is also underway for the Boys & Girls Club’s 2026 Girls Volleyball Season. Volleyball will be offered in three age groups:

• Kindergarten through 2nd grade
• 3rd and 4th grade
• 5th and 6th grade

The registration fee is $80, with registration also closing September 19, 2026. The regular volleyball season is scheduled for October 12 through November 19, with playoff information to be announced at a later date. The program gives girls an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of volleyball while developing teamwork, confidence and sportsmanship in a competitive but youth-focused environment.

How to Register

Parents and guardians can register their children using the QR codes included on the Boys & Girls Club promotional materials. For additional information about either program, contact Club Athletic Director Dominique Turner at (870) 863-8753, ext. 106. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County – Arkansas is an equal opportunity provider.

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El Dorado Girls Golf Wins Relyance Bank Classic; Boys Finish Fifth

PINE BLUFF, Ark. – The El Dorado High School girls golf team continued its strong start to the 2026 season Thursday, winning the Relyance Bank Classic at Pine Bluff Country Club.

The tournament provided an early-season look at the 5A South, with every team from the conference competing.

El Dorado finished atop the girls leaderboard with a team score of 271, a 19-stroke difference from second-place Benton, which finished with a 290. Lake Hamilton placed third at 309, followed by Lakeside at 312 and Sheridan at 316.

Senior Lucy Whitten led the way for the Lady Wildcats, earning individual medalist honors after shooting an 83.

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El Dorado also had two golfers finish tied for fifth individually. Senior Avelyn Chen and sophomore Carolina Sneed each carded a 94.

The victory continues what has been an impressive early stretch for the El Dorado girls team and provides an encouraging early measuring stick against the rest of the 5A South.

The El Dorado boys team also competed Thursday, finishing fifth with a team score of 353.

Senior Tate Meadows paced the Wildcats, shooting an 80 to finish seventh individually.

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Benton claimed the boys team title with a 310, followed by Lakeside at 323. Lake Hamilton finished third at 348, while Sheridan placed fourth at 351 and El Dorado finished fifth at 353. White Hall rounded out the field with a 357.

With the Relyance Bank Classic bringing the entire 5A South together early in the season, both El Dorado teams got an opportunity to see where they stand within the conference. The Lady Wildcats emerged as the top team Thursday, while the boys will look to build on their fifth-place finish as the season continues.

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas University football is back on the practice field as the Muleriders prepare for the 2026 season, and Head Coach Brad Smiley believes his team is building toward something special both on and off the field.

Smiley recently invited South Arkansas Now to take a look at the Muleriders during fall camp and spoke about his expectations for the upcoming season, his players’ commitment to the community, and his goal of making sure every student-athlete has the best possible experience at SAU.

One of the points Smiley takes particular pride in is the Muleriders’ commitment to serving the community. Last season, the program was recognized as the national champion in community service, following back-to-back runner-up finishes the previous two years.

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For Smiley, however, success extends well beyond what happens between the lines.

“I want to give every single one of our players the best experience possible at SAU,” Smiley emphasized, while also stressing the importance of helping his players grow academically and developmentally during their time in Magnolia.

On the field, the Muleriders enter the 2026 campaign following a strong 8-3 season in 2025. Southern Arkansas dominantly closed last season, defeating the University of Arkansas at Monticello 49-10 in the annual Battle for the Timberlands.

New Quarterback Leads New Faces

One of the biggest changes heading into this season comes at quarterback, where the Muleriders have added transfer quarterback CJ Montes.

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Montes began his collegiate career at New Mexico before transferring to Fordham University. During his time with the Rams, he threw for more than 3,000 yards, 26 touchdowns and just one interception. He recorded five games with more than 300 passing yards, including a 400-yard performance, and led the Patriot League in passing touchdowns. His impressive season earned him recognition as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.

Montes later transferred to Kent State, where he was named the team’s Week 1 starter and appeared in two games, completing 10 of 19 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown before suffering a season-ending injury. 

The Muleriders will also look to Arkez Gomez to provide production in the backfield. Gomez served as the team’s starting running back last season while sharing carries with multiple players. He finished 2025 with 103 rushing attempts for 562 yards and three touchdowns.

Gomez was also a factor in the passing game, catching 19 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. He even added a passing touchdown to his stat line.

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El Dorado’s JJ Samuel Joins the Muleriders

Among the familiar names on the Muleriders’ roster is El Dorado High School alumnus JJ Samuel.

Samuel comes to Magnolia after an impressive 2025 season with the Wildcats, rushing for more than 1,100 yards on fewer than 200 carries while accounting for more than 20 total touchdowns.

His addition gives SAU another local product with proven production at the high school level.

Wilkins Stadium Set for Major Facelift

While the Muleriders prepare for the season, changes are also coming to their home field.

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SAU has announced a three-phase facilities enhancement project for the football program, with the first two phases already funded through private gifts and pledges from alumni and friends of the university.

The first phase will focus on revitalizing Wilkins Stadium’s exterior, including new metal, brick and signage designed to give the facility a more modern appearance.

The second phase will bring a significant change to the playing surface. SAU plans to remove the existing artificial turf and install Pivot Performance Turf, a newer turf technology designed to provide grass-like performance while offering consistent traction and controlled release for athletes. According to the university, Southern Arkansas will be among the first universities in the country to utilize the technology.

The final phase of the project will be announced at a later date as details continue to be finalized.

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The renovations will be completed by GeoSurfaces, a Tencate Company that has previously worked on several SAU athletic facilities, including Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field, Dawson Field at the Margaret Downing Softball Complex, the Dawson Athletic Complex and the Mulerider Track and Field Complex.

The project is being funded entirely through private support, with donors set to receive recognition, including select facility naming opportunities, once all phases are completed.

Muleriders Open at Home in September

The Muleriders will open their 2026 home schedule on Saturday, September 12, at 6 p.m., when they welcome Southern Nazarene to Wilkins Stadium.

With a strong returning core, several new additions to the roster, a new quarterback and major improvements coming to their home facility, Smiley and the Muleriders enter the season looking to build on last year’s 8-3 campaign.

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But for Smiley, the measure of the program will continue to be bigger than wins and losses.

The Muleriders will once again look to compete on the field while representing Southern Arkansas University through academics, player development and service to the Magnolia and surrounding communities.

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PARIS, TN – One week after two South Arkansas youngsters represented the Natural State at the Bassmaster Junior National Championship, another local duo is making plenty of noise on the national stage.

Kolby Michael, a junior at El Dorado High School, and Nash Taylor, a junior at Lakeside High School, have earned a coveted spot in the final day of the Bassmaster High School National Championship on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee, after surviving one of the largest and most competitive fields in high school bass fishing.

The pair qualified for the national championship by finishing fifth at the Arkansas Youth Bass Nation High School State Tournament. While only the top three teams typically advance to nationals, two of the teams ahead of them had already secured national berths, allowing Kolby and Nash to receive an invitation.

“You know, there were 64 boats in the state tournament and to come in the top five was great,” Taylor said. “Then getting a berth in the national tournament was even better.”

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Although this is their second trip to the national championship, the team knew they had an opportunity to accomplish something few Arkansas anglers ever have.

“In all the years of this tournament, we are only the third team from Arkansas to ever qualify for fishing the final day,” Kolby said.

Unlike the junior division, where all teams fish multiple days, the high school championship features a dramatic cut after the second day. Of the 216 teams that began the tournament, only the top 25 would earn the right to compete on Championship Saturday.

Leading up to the event, practice had been anything but predictable.

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“It was like nothing, nothing, nothing… and then BAM, we’re catching them,” Nash said. “And then it would just shut off.”

That unpredictable pattern carried into the opening day of competition.

“We didn’t get to our spot until about 7:20 that morning,” Michael explained. “We had a late boat number, like 168 or something, so it took a long time to get there. We didn’t get a bite until about 9:30, and then we got our first keeper in the boat. We caught the rest of our keepers between then and about noon.”

At the Day One weigh-in, the pair brought three largemouth bass, the tournament limit, to the scales for a total of 11 pounds, 4 ounces, placing them inside the tournament’s top 15.

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Still, neither angler felt comfortable. Knowing, in a tournament like this, one or two fish can completely change everything.

Day Two brought more of the same roller coaster.

“Kolby lost a good one… and I mean a real good one this morning around 9:30,” Nash said. “But shortly after that we got our first keeper in the boat, and then we kept catching them until about 12:30. After that, there was nothing.”

As teams gathered for the second weigh-in, the tension was unmistakable. Only 25 teams would survive the cut.

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When Kolby and Nash stepped onto the stage, their three-fish limit weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces, giving them a two-day total of 20 pounds, 11 ounces.

When the final standings were posted, the team found themselves tied for 15th place, comfortably inside the cut line and officially headed to Championship Saturday.

Beyond the tournament itself, the week has also provided an opportunity to pursue their future goals. Both young men hope to continue their fishing careers at the collegiate level on scholarship.

They said numerous college fishing coaches have attended the national championship throughout the week, and Nash plans to continue showcasing his skills by attending the College Fishing Combine in September.

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Before turning their attention to the tournament’s final day, both anglers made it clear they didn’t reach this stage alone.

They expressed their appreciation to Lakeside Fishing Team sponsor Christy Culbreath and Arkansas Youth Bass Nation State Director, Luci Johnson for their continued support and encouragement.

With a spot in the championship round already secured, Michael and Taylor have already made Arkansas bass fishing history. Now, they’ll spend Saturday chasing something even bigger: a Bassmaster High School National Championship.

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