Hot shooting highlights regionals; junior and senior YSS state tourneys set

Four weeks of terrific trap shooting in regional tournament competition at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville have led to this: 64 junior and 64 senior teams in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Youth Shooting Sports program competing for a state championship in those divisions, plus a horde of shooters vying for the crown of Champion of Champions this weekend.

The junior teams have Friday to themselves in a 64-team, single-elimination bracket format to determine the best team in Arkansas. The winning team will have to be at its best for six matches (think the NCAA basketball tournament as a format) in head-to-head competition, with each squad shooting at 125 clays per matchup. The action starts at 9 a.m.

The seniors will run that format back again Saturday, starting at 9 a.m. Following the team tournaments, the juniors on Friday and the seniors on Saturday will line up the perfect shooters from regional competition (25 for 25 for the juniors, 50 for 50 for the seniors) in their Champion of Champions shoot-offs. In both shoot-offs, all shooters will have a try at a clay target from designated spots until only one shooter remains. The overall senior winner will receive $2,500 in scholarship money to apply to college.

Members of the first-, second- and third-place senior teams — $7,500 to the winner, $5,000 to the runner-up and $2,500 to third place.

Both divisions appear wide open, according to Steve Johnson, the YSS coordinator.

“This weekend looks to be very competitive,” he said. “I believe it could be so close that I would not even venture a guess on the possibilities for the outcome. We have some of the best scores posted in recent years, and each year just keeps getting better. I think we are close to seeing perfect team scores being posted for the rounds in bracket play, so I am very excited for this weekend!”

Corning from the East Region, Foreman Maroon from the South, Berryville’s Crosseyed Crickets and Bald Knob Bulldogs Camo are the four top senior seeds by virtue of winning their region tournaments. Bald Knob’s program produced the senior state champion last year. Corning’s squad this spring recorded maybe the highest regional score in the YSS tournament’s 19-year history, missing just six shots in posting a 244 total. And that was just one clay better than Bald Knob Camo in the North Region. Foreman Maroon scored 240 to win its region.

“Performance is up across the board,” Jose Jiminez, chief of the AGFC’s Shooting and Recreational Access Division. “Scores for the top teams increased at every regional tournament this year, with the highest team score reaching a phenomenal 244 out of 250 in the (East Region).

“Our individual shooters are also improving. Last year, between the junior and senior divisions, we had a total of 14 perfect shooters qualify for the Champion of Champions shoot-off. This year, we have more than doubled that number, with 33 perfect shooters participating! There’s a lot to be excited about, and it looks like the season is going to close out with quite the bang.”

Twenty-six of the perfect shooters were produced by the senior regionals, with each competitor hitting all 50 clays to earn a spot in Saturday’s shoot-out. They are Austin Anselmi and Stephen Anselmi, Bald Knob Camo; Carson Brock, Faulkner County Youth Shooting Sports Red; Caul DuVall, Wonderview Squad 2; Everett Melton and Lucas Reynolds, White County Central Bears 1; Houston Clark, Southside Shooters 1; Mason Trivitt, Highland White; Caleb Richardson, Booneville Bearcat White; Colter Goforth, Berryville Velocity Trappers,; Kolten McCutcheon, Hector 1; Trooper Shankle, Shiloh Christian Reapers; Alden Forrest, Foreman Maroon; Collin Green, Horatio Red; Kenneth Bailey, Ashdown 2; Lucas Norment, Texarkana Pigeon Pounders; Aiden Geisler, Palestine Wheatley 1; Braden Willis and Madox Cline, Jonesboro Westside Red 3; Corbit Hiser, Westside Red 4; Eli Norton, Jonesboro Blue; Eli Wright, Corning Squad 2; Emery Mason, Des Arc Smokin’ Jokers; Hunter Haselhuhn, Cabot Red; Isaac Hensley, Marmaduke Hounds Gray; and Warner Anderson, Lonoke Jackrabbits Squad 2.

Jonesboro Trap Team Blue (East), Smackover Shooting Sports 1 (South), Shiloh Christian School Trap Reapers (West) and Bergman 1 (North) were regional winners and top seeds into Friday’s junior tournament.

Seven junior shooters advanced to Friday’s Champion of Champions shoot-off with perfect 25-for-25 scores in regional competition. They are Case Hardin, Mountain Home Bomb Squad; Gauge Kuhn, Bald Knob White; Joshua Henry Semmler, Dierks 1; Chandler Waldrup, Westside Red 4; Libby Camp, Lonoke Jackrabbits Squad 2; Parker Reese, Marmaduke Hounds Gray; and Sebastian Sifuentes, Jonesboro Blue.

Inclement weather is in the forecast, particularly for Friday, but the shooting will go on as scheduled even in the rain. If there is lightning, however, that will cause delays until it is out of the area. There is no admission charge to watch the action, and food and drink vendors will be on hand, along with other merchandise sellers. Both days should wrap up in midafternoon with the tourney finals and the Champion of Champions shoot-offs.

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CUTLINES:

HUG
Bald Knob and coach Aaron Throckmorton (foreground, following last year’s win) go for a repeat senior state championship in the Youth Shoot Sports tournament at Jacksonville on Saturday.

LOW FIVE
Bald Knob won the title last year and returns some experience in seeking its second straight senior YSS title.

HANDOFF
Jonesboro Westside is deep and is always a contender, and this year features Corbit Hiser (left), who qualified for the Champion of Champions shoot-off with a perfect 50-for-50 in the East Region tournament.

SHOOTING
Lots of shells and clay pigeons will be dispensed Friday and Saturday at the Youth Shooting Sports state championships at Jacksonville.