GUY -- Growing up in the small Delta town of St. Charles, John Hutchcraft admits the majority of his childhood was spent consorting with many unsavory characters who were involved in a large number of dubious deeds.
Hutchcraft's father was a duck hunting guide, who also dabbled in making and selling whiskey. It was not an uncommon existence for the poverty-stricken inhabitants to make their livelihoods on or near the banks of the White River.
"Moonshiners, bootleggers. Not only did we make it, we sold it at our house just like a liquor store," said Hutchcraft, who grew up with five adopted brothers and one sister. "It was an interesting time. I was around a lot of drunks ... and I sat many a night by a whiskey still."
Fortunately for Hutchcraft, distilled beverages did not become his passion. Instead, the 6-7 framed young man developed an enthusiasm for the game of basketball.
"I don't think he's ever forgotten where he's come from," said Ashley Nance, Hutchcraft's daughter and current girls coach at Conway High School. "If it hadn't have been for basketball, he'd probably be in prison or dead, one of the two."
Hutchcraft, a 42-year high school coaching veteran who spent all but two years at small school powerhouse Guy-Perkins, will be one of nine inductees into the 2018 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The annual induction banquet is set for April 6 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
St. Charles had earned a notorious reputation long before Hutchcraft's childhood days.
On June 17, 1862, St. Charles became the site of the most deadly single shot of the Civil War when a Confederate cannon blew a hole through a Union ironclad gunboat, the USS Mound City. That one shot resulted in an explosion that killed 129 men.
In March of 1904, 13 black men were lynched and an investigation into their murders was all but nonexistent. The killers were never identified and no one was arrested, tried or interviewed.
In the 1960s, St. Charles still had its share of ruffians and troublemakers. Hutchcraft says he was lucky he did not fall into the wrong crowd.
"I don't think I'd be alive today if it hadn't been for basketball," Hutchcraft said. "Arkansas County was a rough county and I didn't make good decisions in those days."
Hutchcraft says he often was absent from school, showing up on days when the St. Charles Wildcats were scheduled to play, but rarely any other day.
"We had a rule ... if you didn't go to school that day you didn't play that night," Hutchcraft said. "I did not make very good grades."
Despite his aversion to the education process, Hutchcraft became a favorite of one of the school's administrators -- Bob Broach, who is scheduled to speak at Hutchcraft's induction ceremony.
"[Broach] took me under his wing," Hutchcraft said.
As a senior high player, Hutchcraft never participated in a state tournament, but his height and ability drew the attention of some college programs, most notably Louisiana Tech.
"Too far," Hutchcraft said.
State Teachers College, now the University of Central Arkansas, was closer to home and a logical choice for the 17-year-old.
Hutchcraft's main mode of transportation, however, was by foot.
"I did hitchhike the first weekend I was supposed to be there," Hutchcraft said. "It wasn't so bad. ... I can tell you that I really appreciated my first automobile because I was so used to walking."
Hutchcraft earned a starting role immediately, despite being told before the season started that freshmen did not often see the court.
"I told them this freshman was going to play," Hutchcraft said. "And I did."
Hutchcraft started his first game as a freshman in 1971 and set school records along the way. Hutchcraft grabbed 1,162 career rebounds -- a school record that stands to this day. His career rebounding average of 10.7 is second on the career list. He is also fourth in career free throws made (424) and second in career free throws attempted (651).
Nicknamed "Catfish" by his college professors, Hutchcraft attended class, took advantage of tutors and earned his degree.
In his first year as a high school coach, Hutchcraft's senior girls team at Hazen won two games. His career took off from there. After one season at Hazen and another year at Grubbs, Hutchcraft found himself back in Faulkner County, coaching at what he eventually called "The Basketball Capital of Arkansas."
Hutchcraft coached Guy-Perkins to 21 state championship games, winning 11 of them. His career record: 2,013 victories and 617 losses. At the start of this school year, Hutchcraft announced the 2017-2018 season would be his last, and he capped his coaching career in March with his sixth boys title, a 71-66 victory over Izard County on what was his 65th birthday.
Nance said it should be no surprise that her father remained at Guy-Perkins -- a community that resembled St. Charles in size and racial makeup -- for 40 years.
"I think that's one of the reasons he stayed at Guy for so long," Nance said. "He was comfortable. He was accepted there. It fits him. When you go to a school you have to fit the school. ... It's a country school and he's a country boy."
Hutchcraft made Guy-Perkins a basketball force by being one of the first coaches to use an uptempo style. His teams often averaged 80 or more points.
"My philosophy has been I'm just going to try and outscore you," Hutchcraft said. "I don't like watching slow-down basketball. It takes away from the game a little bit and the kids like [playing uptempo] so much more. I have been beaten many times by coaches who play slow-down basketball, so I'm not saying low scoring basketball is not good. But my philosophy has always been a little different than most coaches."
Hutchcraft -- an avid collector of historical artifacts, military antiques and state tournament programs to name a few -- may be heading off to retirement but he has no plans of slowing down. Basketball will remain a major part of his life. Hutchcraft plays on a senior men's team that travels the nation and the world. He also plans to follow his daughter's teams at Conway.
Hutchcraft's advice to his successor is simple: Let the kids have fun.
"You can overwork kids these days," Hutchcraft said. "I always tried to make our practices competitive. ... Was I ever hard on them? I might have been at one time, but I'm not that way anymore. I wanted to look out my window and see the kids running toward the gym and laughing rather than see them walking and dreading practice. You want them to enjoy the game."
Hutchcraft at a glance
Birthdate March 10, 1953 (65)
Hometown St. Charles
Alma mater Central Arkansas (1976)
Position Post player
Noteworthy The son of Elmer and Betty Hutchcraft. … Won 11 state high school titles (6 boys, 5 girls) in 42 years of coaching, the last 40 of which came at Guy-Perkins. He has been to the state finals 20 times. … Career coaching record of 2,013-617. … Holds a UCA record for 1,162 career rebounds. … Coached the West girls team to a victory in the McDonald’s All-American Game (2015). … Received the Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award for girls this year. … Coached all three of his children — daughters Charlotte Sober and Ashley Nance and stepson Jason McGinty — and his grandson, Wyatt Spires. … At the age of 64, he led “Team USA 60s” to the gold medal in the Federation of International Masters Basketball Association World Championship in Italy.
The third in a series profiling the nine newest members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is April 6 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Sports on 03/30/2018