Benton and Sheridan have common bonds

Tamara Strawn didn't need a refresher course on the Benton and Sheridan softball rivalry when she took over the Lady Yellowjackets program in the summer of 2014, but today she'll get a chance to make her mark.

Sheridan (22-5) will be looking to win its first state title since 1999, but it'll have to knock off Benton (18-7) to do it in the Class 6A final. The game will mark the third consecutive championship game appearance for Sheridan, which lost to Greenwood (3-0) last year and Benton (4-2) in 2014. The Lady Yellowjackets and Lady Panthers split two games this season and will play the rubber match at 12:30 p.m. at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

The game not only features two rival schools separated by just 20 miles along Arkansas 35, but it also pits two of the state's more successful programs. Benton has reached at least the semifinals in each of the past seven seasons while Sheridan has been among the final four six times since 2011.

"We have so many similarities between our teams," Strawn said. "Benton is a strong, well-coached team. I love and admire [Benton Coach Heidi Cox] and her love for her girls and the sport. But it's all going to come down to the little things. We've got to play the way we're capable of playing, give our best and nothing less."

In two seasons, Strawn has compiled a 47-11 (81 percent) mark and guided the Lady Yellowjackets to back-to-back finals. Strawn, who'd never had any prior high-school coaching experience, guided Sheridan to 25 victories in her rookie season, and for an encore, led the team to 22 victories this year despite the loss of key personnel.

"Losing four seniors put a big hole in our roster because all four of them provided an offensive and defensive strength," Strawn said. "So we came into the season a little more determined. The girls wanted to get back to Bogle, and our game plan has been to take it one game at a time."

That approach has worked for Benton, too, according to Cox. The Lady Panthers finished a game ahead of Sheridan to win the 6A-South Conference and have reached the title game for the fourth time in the past seven years. Benton also lost players from a year ago, but Cox has a group that she said prides itself off putting the ball in play.

"That's what we try to do every time out," Cox. "One through nine, they all have the ability to do that, and it's been pretty successful for us. They've gotten key hits throughout the year, and that does a lot for a team's confidence."

Both teams got timely hits during last week's state tournament, particularly in the semifinals. Sheridan scored four runs on five hits in the seventh inning to beat Greenwood 5-1. For Benton, the Lady Panthers trailed 3-2 to Marion in the sixth before two home runs sent them to victory.

Neither coach intends to deviate today from what got them to this point.

"One pitch, one play, one inning at a time," Strawn said. "This team is so blessed. They're all team players, always offering encouragement. And they're confident in one another."

"We're gonna give it our best shot, that's for sure," Cox said. "We're gonna try to do what we always do. It's always been a friendly rivalry between the teams.

"The girls know one another, have played with each other. It's a great situation all around."

Sports on 05/21/2016

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