In-school practice given OK

The Little Rock School District will reinstitute an in-school athletic period for football during the 2014-2015 school year, LRSD Athletic Director John Daniels said.

“It’s huge,” Daniels said.

Critics of the LRSD point to the elimination of an in school athletic period more than a decade ago as one reason for the district’s well documented football decline.

Daniels said principals at the LRSD’s five traditional high schools spent the past few months fitting an in school athletic period into their master schedules for the 2014-2015 school year.

“Everything is good,” Daniels said. “This had lots of support from downtown.”

Daniels said an in-school athletic period will allow schools to begin practice at approximately 2:30 p.m. daily, “like everybody else around the state.”

Football practice in the LRSD normally hasn’t started until after 4 p.m., Daniels said, because of block scheduling in place for many years.

Block scheduling is a system of organizing the middle and high school day into fewer but longer blocks of class time as compared to a traditional schedule of six or seven class periods a day of 50 to 60 minutes each.

Daniels said the in-school athletic period will allow students to “get home at a decent hour” after practice.

Daniels said the district also is reinstituting an in school athletic period for basketball in the 2014-2015 school year.

WEST MEMPHIS Dauksch’s new role

Incoming West Memphis Athletic Director Lanny Dauksch said the school could name its new coach this week.

Dauksch, 58, recently stepped down as coach after leading the Class 7A Blue Devils to a 116-41-1 record in 2001-2013. Dauksch said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go into administration after the position opened this spring.

“I may never get another chance,” Dauksch said.

Bill Cook is West Memphis’ business manager/ athletic director, but Dauksch said the school decided to split the positions.

Dauksch also coached McGehee to a 63-15-2 record in 1995-2000. He led the Owls to Class AAA state championships in 1998 and 1999.

Dauksch said he isn’t ruling out a return to coaching.

“I’m not going to put my whistle away,” Dauksch said.

“You never know.”

JACKSONVILLE McDonald honored

Jacksonville retired the number worn by Clinton McDonald, a former standout linebacker at the school, during an April 18 ceremony, said Jerry Wilson, Jacksonville’s athletic director.

McDonald wore No. 40 for the Red Devils, earning Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas honors at linebacker as a senior in 2004, when he recorded 74 unassisted tackles, 54 assisted tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions.

McDonald, 6-1, 240pounds as a senior, signed with Memphis and grew into a defensive lineman. He won a Super Bowl last season with the Seattle Seahawks before signing a four-year contract in March with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wilson said Jacksonville also plans to retire No.

99 worn during the 1970s by Dan Hampton, now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hampton became a standout defensive lineman at Arkansas and for the Chicago Bears after graduating from Jacksonville.

Wilson said the ceremony to retire Hampton’s number is scheduled for Sept. 5, when Jacksonville hosts Maumelle.

ARKANSAS BAPTIST Coaching change

Arkansas Baptist defensive coordinator Adam Acklin said he will not return in 2014 after being “laid off” because of budget cuts at the west Little Rock private school.

Acklin, 32, came to Class 4A Arkansas Baptist last summer after previously serving as defensive coordinator at Little Rock Central, his alma mater.

Acklin graduated from Central in 2000.

Acklin, who was also a social studies teacher at Arkansas Baptist, said he is actively pursuing another coaching job, although he might have to leave central Arkansas.

“I’ll find something,” he said.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK Landing spots

North Little Rock will play its home games this fall at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Athletic Director Gary Davis said.

The North Little Rock School Board, as expected, voted to move the games during a regularly scheduled meeting April 17, Davis said.

North Little Rock is building a new high school and stadium, but construction of the stadium won’t be complete in time for the 2014 season.

Because of construction, North Little Rock has moved its football operations to a former NLRSD elementary school, Bellwood, and will hold spring practice (May 16-30) at War Memorial Stadium and on a Burns Park soccer field in North Little Rock.

Practices at War Memorial will be in full pads. Practices at Burns Park will be in shorts.

North Little Rock will hold its spring intrasquad game May 30 at War Memorial.

Bolding said North Little Rock is planning to hold fall practice in its new stadium, barring any construction setbacks. Fall drills begin in August.

EXTRA POINTS

North Little Rock running back Deion Tidwell, 5-10, 210 pounds, will attend junior college powerhouse ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., this fall, Charging Wildcats Coach Brad Bolding said.

Tidwell, a three-year starter, rushed 230 times for 1,672 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall. ASA has sent players to Alabama and Florida State in recent years. Bolding said Lewis has fully recovered from ACL surgery. … Warren and Fort Smith Southside will open against each other Sept. 2 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. … Applications for the vacant Little Rock Fair coaching position close Monday, said Little Rock School District Athletic Director John Daniels.

Sports, Pages 31 on 04/27/2014