Holly Grove native Jim Sain is featured in this story from today's Sport section.
from the Sept. 28, 2007, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Season over for Barton; injuries cited
BY ROBERT YATES ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Not even tradition could help Barton beat this opponent. Only a decade removed from its eighth state championship, insufficient manpower has forced the famed small-school power to cancel its remaining six games this fall, Coach Jim Sain said. Sain said he and school officials agreed Wednesday that it was in the best interest of the Phillips County school to quit playing because just 11 healthy players remain on the team. Its just not feasible for us playing [Class] 3A football with only 11 kids, said Sain, who succeeded the legendary Frank Mc-Clellan after the 2005 season. At some point, youve got to face the facts and make the tough decision. We did that. Barton (2-2, 1-0 3-3A) was scheduled to play Friday night at Hoxie. In what will be its final game this season, Barton opened conference play last week with a 32-19 home victory over Brinkley. Sain said the Bears had only 13 players available, but one substitute was injured on a kickoff return. Not a single kid came out Friday night, Sain said. They have gone above and beyond ... since the first day of practice. I couldnt have asked for anything else from them. Its just not a good situation. To combat fatigue in games, Sain said the Bears would run a mile before each practice, then condition again after each workout. Sain said practice was held Tuesday, but officials decided that the risk of further injuries outweighed trying to continue playing. Barton began fall practice with 16 players, but an already paper-thin roster was whittled to 12, Sain said, because of serious knee, shoulder, back and neck injuries to four players. Trying to salvage the season by immediately elevating ninthgraders to the varsity wasnt an option, Sain said, because there are only six, and none was physically ready for Class 3A football. That would have wiped out our junior high team, Sain said. Barton had 39 varsity players last season and expected about 30 this fall. But the roster was gutted in the off-season when approximately 12 players transferred to three area private schools (DeSoto School in Helena-West Helena, Lee Academy in Marianna and Marvell Academy) and three other players were declared academically ineligible. Barton opened the season with a 28-25 home victory over Palestine-Wheatley before losing at Clarendon (30-8) and at Marvell (26-8). A Herculean effort by running back/linebacker Kareem Matthews, one of Sains five seniors, helped Barton beat Brinkley. Matthews carried 41 times for 310 yards and 5 touchdowns and had 2 interceptions and 8 tackles. But in the end, the program that gained national acclaim by winning 63 consecutive games and eight state championships between 1985-1997 found an opponent it couldnt beat. This was not the first time we had flirted with this, Sain said. In 2005, Coach McClellans last season, we only had about 14. In 2001, we finished the year with 16. Its been up and down. The difference between those two years and this year is the injuries. Sain, whose son Michael quarterbacked the 2001 team, is the only holdover from McClellans 1997 staff. McClellan retired with a state-record 367 victories, including 346 in 35 seasons at Barton. Sain said its too early to predict if Barton will have the numbers to field a team next year because of academics and players possibly moving to another district. The remainder of the fall, he said, will be spent focusing on the junior high team and off-season workouts. The best thing probably to do is get back to work, he said.
