LITTLE ROCK — Burnett looking for effort
Springdale Har-Ber Coach Eric Burnett said his team’s successes in the past have rarely been based on the level of talent on the team.
That’s why it irked him so much when he saw Har-Ber (3-6) playing listlessly against Jenks, Okla., on Friday night.
Midway through the third quarter, Burnett pulled his starters and sat them the rest of the way in Har-Ber’s 58-27 loss.
“They didn’t perform,” Burnett said. “I gave them 2 1 /2 quarters, and it was like they were in La-La Land. I thought I’d sit them down and let the other kids play.”
Burnett said the bench played as well he expected in the loss.
“They came in and played hard,” Burnett said. “They’re not as good as my first team, but I was pleased to see them go out there and give 110 percent.”
The Wildcats (3-6) don’t play again until their holiday tournament Dec. 28, and Burnett said he hopes they learn their lesson by then.
Burnett said the Wildcats have to play smart and hard to have a chance to be successful.
“My program is built on that,” Burnett said. “I’m not putting a lot of talent on the floor, so it is all about effort. That’s why I’ve been successful.”
FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE
Record ‘deceiving’
Fort Smith Northside opened Monday night’s nonconference game against Greenwood with a 21-2 run and went on to a 62-51 victory.
The victory ensured that Northside (6-5) will carry a winning record into next week’s annual Coca-Cola Classic at Arkansas Fort-Smith. The Grizzlies will open tournament play against Pulaski Academy.
“We’re 6-5 on the year, but our record is deceiving,” Northside Coach Johnny Mason said. “If there were a [Ratings Percentage Index] for high school, we’d be right up there because we’ve played a very strong schedule. We played in an elite tournament in Topeka, Kan., that was especially good.”
Corey Copeland scored 23 points to help Northside dominate from the outset at Greenwood (6-4). Ian Carter added 16 points and Denzel Releford 10.
“We shot the ball well and got off to a great start against Greenwood,” Mason said.
“It was a good performance and something we needed heading into the Coke Classic.” ALMA Welcome back
Standout junior point guard Isaac McCoy missed Alma’s first six games of the season with a sprainedright ankle he sustained during football season, but he hardly looked like he’d missed any time last week.
McCoy scored 22points against Van Buren last Tuesday and 21 points against Springdale on Friday.
“He’s a great player,” Alma Coach Stan Flenor said. “He’s a catalyst both offensively and defensively.
He makes everyone else better.
“We’re certainly excited about having him back.”
Flenor said there were benefits to McCoy’s early absence because other players got a chance to play bigger roles.
“Obviously we missed him as our point guard and leader on the floor, but we had other guys step up and gain experience,” Flenor said. “Our record is not indicative, but we got some good experience. It has been good for our younger guys.”
The Airedales won the 5A-West Conference title last year before suffering a disappointing loss in the first round of the state tournament.Alma has the talent to make another run, as shown by its 58-54 victory at Springdale.
“That game was a good barometer,” Flenor said. “We played pretty well and fought through some adversity.” SHILOH CHRISTIAN Rolling along
The Lady Saints are doing just fine without Megan Herbert.
Herbert, the state’s girls high school player of the year last year, is now a freshman at the University of Central Arkansas, but the Lady Saints haven’t experienced too much of a drop-off this year.
Shiloh Christian, which is playing in the Heaven’s Best tournament in Little Rock, was 6-3 going into Tuesday and won a tournament in Van Buren earlier this year.
“We’re still trying to find an identity after losing so many seniors,” Lady Saints Coach Vic Rimmer said. “We are a good team. It’s more of a team effort this year.”
Point guard Lindsay Roe is averaging 14 points a game and post player Kami Garrison 13, but four other players average at least eight points a game. While Shiloh Christian doesn’t have a goto star, it does have plenty of balance.
“We’re not down. We don’t have anybody who can’t play,” Rimmer said. “We just don’t have a star this year.”
Rimmer said the Lady Saints will be ready to play their best ball as soon as they work out some defensive hiccups.
“Our half-court defense is getting better,” Rimmer said.
“When that comes around, we’ll reach the top of our game.” GRAVETTE
Making progress
Coach Dustin Peters had enough negatives to focus on but preferred to concentrate on the positives he saw Friday night.
Gravette (2-9) lost 45-42 to Elkins at home thanks in large part to a rash of turnovers.
The Lions committed 26 turnovers in the game, including eight in a stretch of 12 possessions in the second quarter and eight consecutive in the last four minutes of the game.
Peters said the Lions have had problems with turnovers all year, but he was proud of the effort his team showed and how well Gravette played defensively. Gravette held Elkins to 34 percent fieldgoal shooting (18 of 53) and allowed only three secondchance baskets in the game.
“Our kids are getting better,” Peters said.
“Defensively, we played pretty good. The defensive board game, which is very important, we played pretty good.”
Peters said it would have been a great boost if the Lions had been able to pull the victory out, but winning isn’t the only goal.
“They’re doing what they need to do to get better,” Peters said. “I don’t judge success by wins and losses.
It’s the progress you make to get to where you need to be.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 12/23/2009