Redmond Emerges From Crowded Backcourt

Har-Ber High school's Paige Redmond drives to the hoop past Pea Ridge defender Mikheala Cochran during Tuesday nights game at Har-Ber High School in Springdale.
Har-Ber High school's Paige Redmond drives to the hoop past Pea Ridge defender Mikheala Cochran during Tuesday nights game at Har-Ber High School in Springdale.

SPRINGDALE - The Springdale Har-Ber girls were the top pick in an NWA Media poll to win the 7A/6A-West Conference this season.

That’s not surprising considering Har-Ber’s 10-3 start against some tough competition. But the Lady Wildcats will have to prove themselves beginning tonight in the conference opener against Siloam Springs, which is 10-2 on the year. Har-Ber was predicted first and Siloam Springs fifth in a poll conducted by sports writers who regularly cover the league.

“Picking us to win conference adds more pressure, but I think we can handle that,” said Paige Redmond, a junior guard.

Har-Ber still revolves around forward Bailey Schalk, who made all-state as a sophomore. But Schalk has been bothered in nonconference play by pain in her lower back. Redmond is one of the players who has emerged to pick up the slack.

The junior guard is averaging 9.4 points per game and she led the team with15 points in a victory over Harrison.

“Paige is really fast,” Har-Ber coach Sandy Wright said. “If she gets ahead of you on the break, you’re not going to catch her. We’ll be relying on her heavily this year. She just needs to get better defensively.”

Har-Ber is deep at guard and Redmond shares time in the backcourt with senior Samantha Webber, juniors Carlye Bohannan, Anna Francis Chancellor, and Evie Cannon and freshman Jacie Higgins. Redmond played sparingly last year for a Har-Ber team that reached the semifinals of the Class 7A state tournament before losing to Fort Smith Southside.

She made improvements during the summer whileplaying with an Arkansas Hawks team that included girls from Springdale, Fayetteville and Rogers.

“We played in tournaments in Chicago and Lexington, Kentucky,” Redmond said. “I got to go inside Rupp Arena at Kentucky and that was a great experience. I think I got much better playing against some really good players. I just need to work on my consistency.”

Redmond (5-foot-8) alsofaced some top competition during Har-Ber’s annual trip to Mansfield, Texas. The Lady Wildcats finished 1-2 in a large fi eld that includes some of the top teams in Texas and Oklahoma.

“We lost a couple of games, but we never gave up,” Redmond said. “The trip was fun and it brought us closer together. I’ve never played on a team where the girls treat each other so well. I think that’ll be very important in helping us win.”

Har-Ber was supposed to have a final nonconference tuneup against Fort Smith Southside, a former league member, on Tuesday. Winter weather intervened again and the game was changed to Wednesday before finally being cancelled.

Har-Ber got to practice on Wednesday, but school was out again on Thursday because of icy road conditions.

“It’s been tough with the weather, but we’re ready to get the conference season started,” Redmond said. “Siloam Springs is really good and we need to play well to win.”

Sports, Pages 6 on 01/10/2014

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