LITTLE ROCK — Few schools in Arkansas can say it won boys and girls basketball state championships in the same season. Only Fayetteville can claim it had two teams that went through the same season with unblemished records.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs completed that unlikely feat in March by winning their respective state titles at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs. The boys capped a 30-0 season with a 40-34 victory over Rogers while the girls ended their 32-0 season with a 72-61 victory over North Little Rock.
“I don’t know a coach alive in his right mind who would ever in his right mind think they’d go undefeated in a year,” boys coach Barry Gebhart said. “It’s a testament to our kids. ... They never looked beyond who’s next. Whoever was next, they got ready for. That’s a very difficult thing to do. The best team doesn’t always win. You figure in 30 games, a team isn’t going to show up and play and win every time.”
With state tournament MVP and Mr. Basketball for 2009 Fred Gulley leading the way, the Bulldogs won 25 games by 14 points or more, and finished the season ranked No. 18 in the country by USA Today and No. 4 in the South.
The Lady Bulldogs were rarely challenged and very few Arkansas teams managed to stay close. Of their 20 victories over Arkansas opponents, only one game was decided by fewer than 10 points. Rogers came within 63-57 of the Lady Bulldogs on Feb. 17. Fayetteville’s average margin of victory for the season was 23.3 points a game.
The Lady Bulldogs went through the season without a superstar, but they did have four seniors who averaged nine points a game or better. Forward Cassie Clarke, who was the state tournament MVP, led the group, averaging 14.3 points a game.
“I think that made all the difference for us,” girls coach Bobby Smith said. “We had six kids score at least 20 points one time during the season. It made us very difficult to defend.”
In its final poll, USA Today ranked the Lady Bulldogs No. 8 and the No. 1 team in South.
Sports, Pages 33 on 12/27/2009