Mustangs take perfect conference record on road to eStem.

Forrest City Mustang coach Marcus Britt was never a part of a perfect 14-0 Mustang conference season mark.

Britt did come close to reaching that perfection as a senior during the 2006-07 season when that Mustang team finished 13-1 in the 5A-East and reached the Class 6A state championship, losing to Jonesboro 83-72 and finishing as the state runners-up.

Britt graduated and signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Six seasons later, the Mustangs, under then head coach Dwight Lofton, did manage to run the conference table during the 201314 and 2015-16 seasons, which resulted in a pair of 14-0 conference seasons punctuated by a pair of state titles for the school.

Britt was already graduated during those two 14-0 perfect seasons.

The Mustangs fell one game short of perfect conference seasons three times finishing 13-1.

Fast forward to the current 2021-22 season which finds Britt's Mustangs in the midst of a sevengame conference road swing.

Having to ride out a sevengame road schedule is something most prep basketball coaches would rather not face.

Britt, however, does not fall into that category. In fact, during a recent interview, Britt appeared to be embracing it.

As has the state newspaper, since the majority of the road swing has taken the Mustangs to the Little Rock area, a hotbed for prep basketball.

"We are getting more notice because of that," Britt said. "The kids love it because once they get to the Little Rock area, they have developed the mindset that no one knows who they really are."

The Mustangs are 7-0 and a win tonight over eStem, would take them to 8-0, just six games away from the elusive perfect conference season.

Britt's Mustangs, one of the hottest basketball teams in the state right now, are almost at the end of that seven-game road trip which began on Jan. 11 and will end on Feb. 1.

The Mustangs have won all five of the road games so far and will play the sixth one tonight at eStem. Next Tuesday's road trip to Wynne is a much shorter ride for the team, but nevertheless, it is still a road trip.

Britt's Mustangs have already faced both eStem and Wynne, winning both and are taking their perfect 7-0 mark in the conference with them.

A win tonight will push the Mustangs to 8-0 in the conference, more than halfway to attaining a perfect 14-0 conference mark.

The last five conference games of the season will be played at Dwight Lofton Mustang Arena on Bill Baxter Court, a place Britt's team has not seen much of since the Jan. 7 home game against Wynne.

"That would be a great way to win out and finally get that 14-0 mark," Britt added.

And that would get the Mustangs the top seed from the 4A-5 into the regional conference tournament for a shot at getting to state.

While trying to remain low key about the possibility of completing a perfect run through the conference, Britt knows it won't be easy, especially the second time against the other conference teams.

"It's all about having fun for all the players," Britt said during a recent interview. "I want the guys to have fun winning."

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The Forrest City Lady Mustangs will also take on eStem tonight and undefeated Wynne on Tuesday to end their portion of the seven-game conference road trip.

The Lady Mustangs are trying to hold on to fourth place in the conference standings.

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The Palestine-Wheatley junior girls gave themselves a chance to make some noise in the 3A-6 conference by holding off HelenaWest Helena 26-25 Thursday night at Patriot Arena.

With just seven roster girls dressed for the game, Shelby Fowler led with six points while Emmaleigh Spencer finished with four points.

The PW girls drained three, three-pointers in the game and move to 3-1 in the conference.

Helena-West Helena had just six roster players available for the game.

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There were no stats available from last night's Forrest City Junior Lady Mustangs game played at Little Rock's eStem Downtown campus.

The Junior Lady Mustangs won the game easily 40-11.

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The P-W Junior Patriots fell to Helena West Helena 48-38 in their game dropping to 11-7 in the conference.

The P-W senior Patriots were not able to play due to covid 19 concerns.

Palestine-Wheatley will host a seventh-grade jamboree on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. at Patriot Arena.

DeWitt and Jacksonville Lighthouse seventh grade teams will be participating.

The P-W seventh grade girls will face the DeWitt seventh grade girls at 10 a.m., while the P-W seventh grade boys will take on DeWitt's seventh graders at 10:45.

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There Forrest City Junior Mustangs won big Thursday in their conference game against eStem Downtown played in Little Rock.

The Junior Mustangs won the game 51-31 and now stand at 16-1 overall and 9-0 in the conference.