Needing a victory in their final regular season game, Blytheville held on to stop Forrest City on senior night and earned a berth into the Class 5A state playoffs behind a 40-0 “mercy rule” victory over the Mustangs. The win, combined with Nettleton’s 27-7 loss to Wynne, helped set up a four-way tie for the 5A-East conference championship. According Blytheville athletic director David Hixson, the Chicks will have the top seed going into the playoffs, while Wynne will take the second seed, Valley View the third and Nettleton the fourth. The Mustangs, with the loss, will miss the playoffs for a second straight year ending at 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the conference. Joining Forrest City and missing the playoffs will be Paragould, Greene County Tech and Batesville. Blytheville controlled the first half of Friday’s game at Forrest City and led 20-0 at the half, using a pair of rushing touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game and a passing touchdown just before the half. Forrest City on the other hand, was never able to find their running game in the opening half and remained anemic for the remainder of the game as the Blytheville defense keyed on stopping junior running back Kadarius Akins who came into the game just short of 1,500 rushing yards for the year. The Chickasaws took the opening kickoff and put together a time consuming drive to put up the first points of the game on a touchdown run and two-point conversion run by Jermel Woods for an 8-0 lead. Blytheville added a second touchdown with 1:39 left in the opening quarter on an eight-yard touchdown run by Woods. The two-point play failed leaving the Chickasaws in front 14-0. The touchdown was set up by a long pass from quarterback to Jaheim Carter to Corey Weatherspoon as well as two big runs by Woods and Weatherspoon. Blytheville’s first possession of the second quarter resulted in three downs and out and the Mustangs took control at their own 23. The nine-play possession stalled with six minutes to play and the Mustangs punted. Taking the kickoff to begin the second half, the Mustangs completed a pass to J.J. Brown before two running plays were stuffed by the Blytheville defense and an incomplete pass on fourth and eight following the loss of Mustangs punter Donald Williams at the end of the first half. Turning the ball over to Blytheville, Carter found his receiver for a 36-yard touchdown pass and a 26-0 lead after the two-point conversion by Carter came up short. The Mustangs ensuing possession ended with an incomplete pass on fourth and 17 giving Blytheville possession at their own 31 late in the third quarter which ended in a punt. Blytheville recovered a Mustang fumble at the Forrest City seven-yard line late in the third quarter. Needing just one play Woods turned the fumble into points scoring from seven-yards out pushing the Chicks lead to 34-0 after a two-point conversion pass. Putting together their most serious drive of the game, the Mustangs completed three consecutive passes to Brown to get to the Blytheville 12 and Moore’s scramble put the ball just inches from the Blytheville end zone for a second and goal where Akins was hit in the backfield for a loss back to the Blytheville six yard line with 2:10 showing. Moore’s pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone and on third down, his pass was batted away with 1:37 to play in the third quarter and turning the ball over on downs on fourth down. With just over two minutes left in the game, Blytheville added a late touchdown to push the lead to 40-0 and invoked the mercy rule.