REGIONAL REPORT
GREENWOOD
Lady Bulldogs adapting to interim coach
The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs return all but one starter from last year's state runner-up team, but as 5A-West Conference play begins they will be without another key member of their team.
Coach Clay Reeves made the decision to step away from his coaching duties for health reasons in early December, and Matt Bryant, who was an assistant boys' basketball coach, assumed the reins.
Reeves said he is scheduled to undergo a procedure in early February to correct the issue and hopes to return to his duties in the future, but not this season.
Bryant is in his first year at Greenwood but guided Latta, Okla., to a Class 2A state boys' basketball title in 2017 and a state runner-up finish a year ago. Bryant said he's just happy to help out in a tough situation.
"The girls have done a great job; they haven't really bucked at anything," Bryant said. "I talked to them about how true character comes out when adversity hits. To me coaching is about relationships and trust. We've kinda had to put that in hyperdrive a little bit. All they've seen of me is coaching the boys a little bit.
"I told them the greatest sports memory of my life was watching a group dogpile and celebrate winning a state championship. I can't guarantee we're gonna do something like that or get there. But I said I'd slide over and help the girls see if we could do something like that for them."
The Lady Bulldogs (8-4) play host to 12-1 Little Rock Christian tonight to open conference play in H.B. Stewart Arena.
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
ROGERS HIGH
Young Mounties off to strong start
Rogers High has already won more games this year than in any of the last five seasons.
The Mounties (10-2) hadn't won more than nine games since their 12-17 finish in the 2012-13 season, but a group that has only one senior in their top eight is off to a great start. They are coming off winning the Siloam Springs Holiday Classic last week, knocking off 6A-West Conference foe Springdale High in the finals.
Rogers will try to wipe out another obstacle tonight when it opens conference play by hosting Van Buren. The Mounties will try to stop a 28-game conference losing streak, which spans exactly two seasons.
Mounties coach Lamont Frazier, who is in his second season, said the team's youth could be a positive since they haven't gotten caught up in any of the previous failures.
"The fact we're relatively young has always been a concern to get ourselves prepared for the upcoming grind," Frazier said. "We've tried to expose our guys to the challenges their gonna face when January rolls around. Only two of those top eight are what you could call conference veterans.
"Given our situation, I'm not so sure that that's not a good thing. They don't have that preconceived notion of 'We're not supposed' because it's always been this way."
Junior Drew Miller is the only player averaging in double figures at 12.8 points per game, followed by classmate Elliot Pascal at 8.5. A pair of newcomers is also making significant contributions.
Derek Hobbs and Joseph Park both moved from out-of-state. Hobbs, a 5-10 junior guard, came from Indiana and didn't get to Rogers until late October. But he's averaging more than seven points per game.
Park, a 6-2 junior, came the first week of school and has also contributed, despite missing the first seven weeks of the season with a fractured wrist.
"We're still learning about each other, and that's a good thing," Frazier said.
-- Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
SPRINGDALE HIGH
Lady Bulldogs turn up defensive intensity
Springdale High will carry the momentum of a tournament championship into its 6A-West Conference opener at home against Rogers Heritage.
The Lady Bulldogs (7-4) downed conference foe Rogers High 62-50 in the finals of the Siloam Springs tournament over the holidays. Springdale coach Heather Hunsucker said defense was the key to winning the tourney title. The Lady Bulldogs also knocked off host Siloam Springs 56-37.
"We did not finish well right before the Christmas break," she said, referring to a 52-49 road loss to Webb City, Mo., on Dec. 21. "So we had a long film session and saw a lot of things we needed to clean up, then we carried that on to the practice floor and into the tournament.
"I thought we came out and started better, especially against Siloam Springs. From the opening tip, it seemed like we were just more focused."
Senior Marquesha Davis, an Arkansas signee, is always going to be the focus of attention for Springdale opponents, but Hunsucker said the team has gotten a boost from a number of players like seniors Jeniya Gause and Ashlyn Minchew, sophomore Alondra Bahena and junior Alexa Bersi.
"We've been able to blend in some new faces, and they have played well for us," Hunsucker said. "The better they are, the better we are because of the depth they give us, especially on defense, and we're going to need that."
Tonight's game will be the first home game of the season for the Lady Bulldogs.
-- Chip Souza • @NWAChip
FORT SMITH NORTHSIDE
Lady Bears victorious despite break
Northside dominated its competition last week as the Lady Bears won the White Division title during the Pink and White Tournament at Springfield, Mo.
While Northside (12-0) won each game by at least 15 points, what made it more significant was the Lady Bears did it with little preparation time. Northside, like all Arkansas schools, had to observe a three-day "dead period," and the Lady Bears took their time off Sunday through Tuesday before its first tournament game Wednesday.
"That was an adjustment," Northside coach Rickey Smith said. "We've always tried to work with our kids and work around the schedule but not given them three consecutive days off. We came in the morning of the 26th, had a little light practice, then loaded the bus for Missouri and played that night.
"It was a very, very strange position to be in -- to play four straight days after being away from them for three straight days. As a coach, you follow the rules and do what you're told. I was very concerned about the first basketball game."
Smith said Northside's coaches committed to a platoon system and had five new players on the floor after the 5-minute mark. That allowed the starters to catch a breath and provided the other players with extra incentive when they entered the game, and the Lady Bears cruised to a 68-35 victory over Springfield (Mo.) Catholic.
"It didn't affect us as much as I thought it would," Smith said. "Now, it wasn't a tight basketball game where conditioning came into play, and we played a lot of kids. Our timing, though, was just off a little bit, but we quickly got it back.
"It took the second game to get back into the flow. We used the first game as a hard practice, and we went through a lot of things. We even changed some things at halftime to try to simulate some of the things at practice and went from there."
Northside opens 6A-Central play today at Bryant.
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
4A-1 CONFERENCE
League undergoes divisional split
The 4A-1 Conference has a few new looks this season, including a split into two divisions.
The league now has nine teams instead of the normal eight, which led to a decision by the schools' athletic directors to split them into two divisions. The West Division consists of Farmington, Gentry, Gravette, Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, while Berryville, Harrison, Huntsville and Shiloh Christian form the East Division.
Instead of the usual double round-robin format, each team plays the teams in their division twice and plays one game against each of the teams in the other division. All conference games will still count in the standings.
"With nine teams, that means there would have been 16 conference games under the regular format," Pea Ridge athletic director Kevin Ramey said. "The Arkansas Activities Association only allows 20 regular-season games with two tournaments or 18 games with three tournaments.
"By going to the two divisions, it reduces the number of conference games and gives coaches a little flexibility as far as scheduling goes. It also makes it a little better for coaches to develop their teams before conference play starts."
Ramey pointed out that, under the normal format, the 4A-1 might have had to start scheduling conference games in November. That would have made things difficult on teams who rely on players who also play football, and those teams make deep runs into the playoffs, such as Shiloh Christian or Harrison.
"It's certainly different," Gravette boys coach Matt Busch said. "We still had to schedule second games against Shiloh Christian and Huntsville to fill our schedule. It's a bit confusing at times because we still have fans wondering if games against certain schools are still conference games or not."
-- Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
VALLEY SPRINGS
Tigers off to the races with hot start
Valley Springs is off to a blazing start to the season as the Tigers were 22-1 after routing Alpena 72-49 on Wednesday in the NorthArk Tournament.
The Tigers' only loss came to Stafford, Mo., 77-75 in the NorthArk Border War on Dec. 15. Valley Springs will travel to Huntsville next Tuesday for a nonconference game.
Last year's leading scorer Lawson Jenkins is now at Springdale Har-Ber, but Valley Springs has not missed a beat with the transfer of scoring leader Isaac Ragland from Marshall. Ragland, a 6-3 junior, is averaging 22 points and almost 7 rebounds per game.
"He's doing a good job for us," Valley Springs coach Blake Hanney said.
The Tigers also start 6-6 senior Ethan Flud, who averages around 16 points and 10 rebounds per game and provides solid interior defense, Hanney said.
"We've got good size, and we've got shooters," Hanney said. "We had four junior high kids from last year who moved up, and they have played well."
Trell Trammell is one of those players, and the 6-4 sophomore has provided even more inside length for the Tigers.
Valley Springs has played a tough nonconference schedule that includes narrow wins over Warren, Vilonia and Clinton.
-- Chip Souza • @NWAChip
CHARLESTON
Defending champs Lady Tigers still rolling
There's been no letup up with the defending girls champions in Class 3A.
The Charleston Lady Tigers continue to roll after finishing 25-8 last season with a 67-58 victory over Mountain View in the championship game at Hot Springs. Charleston began this season with 14 consecutive wins before losing to Russellville, 57-50, on Dec. 29.
"Our success starts with our defense," Charleston coach Jason Rucker said. "Besides the Russellville game, we've had only two opponents score 40 points or more on us."
Charleston retains plenty of firepower on offense after graduating Hattie Newhart, who scored 27 points in the state championship game and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
"We've had five different girls lead us in scoring through 15 games," Rucker said. "They're all averaging between 9-11 points per game. I've been very pleased with our unselfish play, because they're all capable."
Charleston returns to 3A-1 West Conference play Tuesday at Waldron.
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
ELKINS
Elks on the mend after rash of injuries
Elkins has the night off, which will allow two starters more time to recover from injuries.
Elkins (15-2, 4-0 3A-1 West) lost its first two games of the season while playing in the Airedale Classic at Alma. Elkins lost 60-57 to Pea Ridge in a game where Paxton Barnett and Caden Vaught were both injured. The injuries were a major factor in the outcome, when Pea Ridge outscored Elkins 35-21 in the second half.
Barnett and Vaught did not play the following night when Elkins lost 55-48 to Lavaca, and they are questionable for Tuesday's home game against Lincoln.
"We love playing in the Alma Airedale Classic against good competition," Elkins coach Jared Porter said. "We had two players get hurt when we had the lead, but we hope to get them back for Tuesday's conference game against Lincoln. They're resting, which gives other guys a chance for some practice time and experience."
Balanced scoring has been the key to Elkins' fast start this season. Barnett averages 17.5 points per game to lead the Elks. He's followed by Chad Graham (15.2), Vaught (13.4), and Quinn McClain (11.1).
"It's an advantage when everyone can score, so teams can't key on one player," Porter said. "We've shot so well that teams can't really zone us. They play us straight up, and we've been able to take advantage of it."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
STATE REPORT
State teams fare well in holiday tournaments
Little Rock Central completed the nonconference portion of its schedule with a 10-2 record and a third-place finish in the Ardmore (Okla.) Holiday Festival Tournament during the holiday break.
The Tigers' confidence is soaring, says Central coach Brian Ross.
"We got to play some great competition," Ross said. "We competed really well against some quality teams that I think resemble what we'll see in conference play. We're 10-2, and we've already won more games than we won all of last year with basically the same players. I think our confidence is very high right now. I can tell you we've got some high expectations."
That may be true of a lot of Arkansas teams after their performances in last week's tournaments.
Consider:
• West Memphis won the Neosho (Mo.) Holiday Classic behind the MVP efforts of junior Chris Moore, who posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks in a 61-50 championship game victory over Memphis Mitchell.
• Jonesboro handed Humboldt, Tenn., its first loss of the season in the semifinals of the Poplar Bluff (Mo.) Shootout. The Hurricane suffered a 69-68 loss to the host team in the finals.
• Jacksonville came into the King Cotton Classic as the No. 8 seed but finished as the runner-up. The Titans knocked off top-seed Houston Math and Science in the first round.
• North Little Rock earned the fourth-place trophy 38th annual Beachball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C, a 16-team nationally renowned classic.
Arkansas' girls teams also enjoyed some success.
• Conway completed the 68th annual Sandra Meadows Classic by winning four of five games, losing in overtime to Cedar Hill, Texas, in the championship game.
"We had a good week," Conway coach Ashley Nance said. "We played five games in three days, and that will test you both mentally and physically, but we proved we had the stamina to do it. Overall, I was pleased with our competitiveness. We played really well."
Senior Asiyha Smith Conway was selected as the Most Valuable Offensive Player in the tournament, averaging 17 points a game.
"Every team we played had a big-time player," Nance said. "But every single game I thought Asiyha was the best player on the court. ... She was big-time for us."
Junior Jada Pickens and senior Myia Yelder were also selected to the all-tournament team.
Conway (14-2) plays at Fort Smith Southside in its league opener.
6A powers square off tonight
Central opens up conference play at North Little Rock (12-3) tonight. The Tigers lost to North Little Rock twice last season by a combined six points.
"I don't see a weak team in our conference," Ross said. "It's all going to come down to who weathers the storm and who can survive the ups and downs of a tough league."
Junior guard Spencer Simes was a consistent force for North Little Rock (12-3) at the Beach Ball Classic, averaging 12.8 points a game and scoring at least 10 points in all four games. Senior guard Shawn Fudge averaged 12.3 points a game and senior Collin Moore averaged 10.5 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds a game.
In winning the Arkansas Pride Tournament which was held the weekend before Christmas, North Little Rock won four games in three days. At the Beach Ball Classic, the Charging Wildcats played four games in six days. The 'Cats left for Myrtle Beach on Christmas night and played their final game of the tournament on New Year's Eve.
"I think our guys have responded really well," North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice said. "Our first practice back from Myrtle Beach, the guys were bouncing around the gym and were very energetic. They seem to be very resilient."
Central senior Rajhon McIntosh came up with two 18-point efforts during the Ardmore tournament. He also pulled down 15 rebounds in an opening-round victory over Putnam City, Okla.
"Ray has been Mr. Consistent for us," Ross said. "He's been there for us every single night."
Senior Jakaylyn Jackson scored 11 points in victories over Putnam City, Okla., and Palestine, Texas.
-- Tim Cooper • Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Sports on 01/04/2019