May 24, 2017
Jim Harris Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine
In less than ideal conditions because of off-and-on rain, Weston Adcock was a perfect 50-for-50 for the Jonesboro Westside Senior Red team, helping his squad edge the Gosnell Trap Team Trap Hogs for the East Region title in Saturday’s Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program competition at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Range in Jacksonville.
Westside’s win, which had to be determined by a card-off after the five-shooter teams finished deadlocked at 238 (out of 250 shots), completed a sweep of the East Region tournaments. While not having a perfect shooter among its junior squad Friday, Westside’s Junior Red used balance among its five members and 23 of 25 shooting from three shooters to win the regional over the Gosnell Trap Team Junior Trap Hogs, 111-109.
“We got a little bit of rain on Saturday morning. I don’t think it affected the scores any. They are all great shooters and it looked like the scores came out about what we usually see,” Chuck Woodson, the AYSSP coordinator, said.
Joining Adcock with a perfect shooting day Saturday were Reece Thraxton of the Gosnell Trap Team and Chase Richardson from Green County 4H.
The Cabot Panthers’ Doyle’s Dust Donkeys were third in the senior division, missing out on the card-off with Westside and Gosnell by one target. Those three teams and 13 other squads from Saturday’s last of four regional tournaments advance to the senior state finals on Saturday, June 3, in Jacksonville. The junior state finals are Friday, June 2.
For the second straight Friday, the junior shooters barely beat the rain but were able to finish just as a light sprinkle became a downpour. The trophy presentations, though, were forced under the cover of the east pavilion area of the Witt Stephens Jr. main building at the shooting complex. Corning Trap Team’s Gold squad, led by the day’s only perfect shooting, Dalton Thompson’s 25-for-25 clays, was third behind Westside and Gosnell with a score of 108.
“I had a hard time settling the team down,” said Westside Coach Ryan Tolbert of his juniors, who went off among the first shooters just after 9 a.m., then had to wait three hours to know if their score would hold up. “I didn’t think we were shooting as well as we normally do. But the kids were wanting to win.”
Westside’s Connor Nottingham, Maddox Tarvin and Cameron Cox each hitting 23 of 25 targets, while teammates William Hutchison (22) and Mason Burris (20) rounded out the solid Westside scoring among its five shooters.
Tucker LaRue and Ty Ketchum each hit 24 of 25 targets for Gosnell, and Korey McKenney connected on 23 of 25. Jace Clark hit 23 of 25 for Corning.
Both finals June 2-3 will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature head-to-head competition among the teams, with the 64 advancing teams in both junior and senior divisions being seeded 1 through 64 based on regional results. A team will have to win six matches to claim the 2017 state title.
There is no admission charge to watch the competitions, and food and drinks are available from vendors. The shooting complex is at 2800Graham Road east of downtown Jacksonville.
Top 16 Finishers
East Region Senior Division
Westside Trap Team Red
Gosnell Trap Team Trap Hogs
Cabot Panthers Doyle's Dust Donkeys
Corning Trap Team Gold
Brookland Bearcats A Team
Jackson County FFA Squad
Corning Team Trap Gray
Jonesboro Shooting Stars Lead Poison
Five Rivers Trap Club Eleven Point River
Greene Co. 4-H Shooting Sports No. 2
Central Arkansas Young Guns No. 1
Greene Co. 4-H Shooting Sports No. 3
Corning Team Trap White
NLR Charging Wildcat Trapshooters Gold
Cabot Panthers Kimberly's Lead Heads
Cabot Panthers BA's Beauty and the Beasts
East Region Junior Division
Westside Trap Team Red
Gosnell Trap Team Trap Hogs
Corning Trap Team Gold
Corning Trap Team Gray
Hillcrest Sharp Shooters The Skeet Assassins
Cabot Panthers Randy's Hard Right Wreckers
Westside Trap Team White
Jonesboro Shooting Stars Smokin' Aces
Gunnin Greyhounds Squad 4
Cabot Panthers Stephen's Seed Spitters
Wildcats No. 1
Brookland Bearcats A Team
Cabot Panthers Brad's Single Barrel Boys
Jacksonville Youth Shooting Sports Red
Baptist Prep Trap Team Ashes to Ashes – Clays to Dust
Greene Co 4-H Shooting Sports No. 1