1. GEBHART ARREST STUNS COMMUNITY
Barry Gebhart, Fayetteville athletic director, was arrested on Oct. 23 by Benton County deputies on suspicion of internet stalking of a child. The story, which sent shockwaves through the Fayetteville
school district and surrounding communities, is the NWA Media No. 1 sports story of 2013.
Gebhart, 50, who spent 18 years as boys basketball coach at Fayetteville and guided the Bulldogs to a perfect 30-0 record in 2008-09, took over as athletic director in December 2009. On the evening of Oct. 22, he was arrested as the result of an undercover operation by the Benton County Sheriff ’s Oftce cyber crimes unit.
Gebhart was put on administrative leave immediately following his arrest, and resigned from his athletic director position on Oct. 25. “We have taken every step available to us under Arkansas law to deal with this situation and have followed the procedures to the letter, including the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act,” Fayetteville superintendent Vicki Thomas said in a statement following Gebhart’s resignation. “It is now a police matter, and we are cooperating with them fully.” His resignation was approved by the Fayetteville school board at the November board meeting. The Fayetteville school district has since hired Heber Springs athletic director/football coach Steve Janski as its new athletic director, with Janski’s hiring approved by the board on Dec. 19.
— VERNON TARVER
@NWAVERNON
2. BENTONVILLE FOOTBALL WINS TITLE
It has almost become a yearly tradition for Bentonville’s football team to end its season with a trip to Little Rock and play for the Class 7A State Championship.
The Tigers made their fourth consecutive appearance at War Memorial Stadium earlier this month, even though they had to wait an extra week because of the winter storm that hit much of Arkansas. The wait was well worth it as Bentonville, which had fallen short to Fayetteville the previous two seasons, won its second state title in four years with a 39-28 victory over previously undefeated Cabot.
“It’s always sweet,” said Tigers coach Barry Lunney, who won his seventh overall state title and third with Bentonville. “I think you appreciate it more the older you get. Sometimes, you win them early on and you don’t really realize how hard it is to do it.
“The last two years reminded me of how hard it is to do it. I don’t know if I’ll enjoy one any more than I do this.”
Sophomore quarterback Kasey Ford earned most valuable player honors as he completed 11 of 18 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Junior tailback Hekili Keliiliki also ran for two touchdowns, including an 18-yard run on fourth down that sealed the win with 1 minute, 47 seconds left to play.
Keliiliki’s other touchdown, a 1-yard run that also came on fourth down, gave Bentonville a 20-14 lead with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter. Outside linebacker Tyler Nichols provided the Tigers with two key fumble recoveries in the the second half, and Ford helped the offense convert those turnovers into points.
Ford connected with Cody Scroggins on a 19-yard touchdown pass later in the third quarter, then hit a wide-open Jimmie Jackson with a 44-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter for a 32-14 lead. Jackson fi nished with 114 yards on four receptions, while Scroggins added 110 yards on four catches.
— HENRY APPLE
@NWAHENRY
3. MALZAHN LEADS AUBURN TO TOP
Former Shiloh Christian and Springdale High football coach Gus Malzahn is still in the midst of a dream first season as Auburn head coach.
Malzahn has led the Tigers to a 12-1 record, a Southeastern Conference championship and a berth in the Jan. 6 BCS national title game against No. 1 Florida State, a remarkable turnaround for a program which went 3-9 overall and winless in SEC play the year before, Auburn’s worst record since 1952. Malzahn was named The Associated Press national coach of the year for the quick rebuilding job.
“It’s very humbling,” he said to The Associated Press after winning the award. “Any time you get awards like this, it’s a team thing, as far as our staff and our players. It’s been fun to be a part of this year.”
Malzahn enjoyed the successful year at an Auburn program where he served as offensive coordinator for three seasons, including on the 2010 national championship team.
He took the Tigers head coaching job after going 9-3 and winning the Sun Belt Conference at Arkansas State in his fi rst year as a college head coach.
Malzahn also enjoyed success during stints as an offensive coordinator at Arkansas (2006) and Tulsa (2007-08). He has a career college record of 61-21 as a offensive coordinator and 21-4 as a head coach.
Malzahn was a high school coach for 14 seasons in Arkansas, highlighted by winning state championships in 1998 and 1999 at Shiloh Christian, then in 2005 at Springdale.
He led four other teams to state runner-up f inishes and was a July inductee into the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame.
— JIMMY CARTER
@NWAJIMMY
4. LINCOLN WOLVES RUN WILD
Tyler Cummings covered up the ball with both arms and slowed down to allow the Malvern defenders to catch up.
The Lincoln senior running back was simply too tired to run any farther. The ground brought at least a few sec0nds of rest. If he hadn’t run out of steam on a couple of runs, he might have gone for 500 yards that night as the Wolves steamrolled their secondround playoff opponent.
Cummings finished the game with 415 yards and 6 touchdowns that night, and Lincoln continued its historic season by winning its school record 11th game. A week earlier the Wolves had hosted their fi rst playoff game ever, and won their fi rst playoff game ever.
The magical season ended a week later in a shutout loss to eventual Class 4A state champion Booneville, but not before the team captured the entire community of Lincoln as hundreds of vuvuzela-blowing students trumpeted the team’s meteoric rise.
Lincoln coach Brad Harris’ smile could not have been wiped off with a dozen towels as he basked in the glow of this season. Even on a bone-chilling, rainy night in Malvern, Harris soaked it all in among a throng of fans and players.
“I’m numb right now, honestly,” Harris said that night in Malvern. “It’s not because of the weather. It’s because of the feeling right now. These kids have played their rear ends off, and that’s all we asked of them from day one. They’ve done everything that we’ve ever asked them to do.”
Cummings returned from a major knee injury last season to rush for more than 2,000 yards. Quarterback Drew Harris, the coach’s son who was literally thrown to the Wolves the season before when injuries and a transfer thrust the sophomore in the starting role, emerged as one of the area’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. And a solid group of seniors came together to create a season that will be remembered for a long time.
— CHIP SOUZA
@NWACHIP
5. POLDBERG ERA ENDS WITH NATURALS
Brian Poldberg left big shoes to fill with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
Poldberg was named Northwest Arkansas’ first manager after the team moved to Springdale from Wichita in 2008, and earlier this month the Naturals’ parent-club, the Kansas City Royals, announced that the only manager Northwest Arkansas has ever known would become the new manager at Triple-A Omaha, Neb.
“There was a mixed reaction,” Poldberg said. “The last six years have been outstanding. Coming to a brand-new ballpark the first year, going to the playoffs the first four years, the championship game twice, everything was outstanding. The fan following was great.”
Indeed the skipper of 14 minor league seasons leaves behind a legacy at Arvest Ballpark, but a rare coincidence makes the new post a somewhat familiar one for both the outgoing and incoming Naturals manager. Former New York Mets and Detroit Tigers catcher Vance Wilson is the new Naturals manager.
Wilson lives in Har-Ber Meadows just a couple of miles from Arvest Ballpark.
He even played for the Naturals in 2009 while attempting a comeback from Tommy John ligament surgery on his right arm.
Wilson retired in 2010. Six months later, he joined the Royals organization as manager at Class A Kane County in Illinois. He coached at Class A-Advanced Wilmington in Delaware last season.
— PAUL BOYD
@NWAPAULB