I'm focused on high school basketball, especially with tournament play rapidly approaching in the lower classifications.
That's my excuse, anyway, for a segmented version of our weekly Fires-side chat.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Tuesday was a big night for Audrey Culpepper, who scored 20 points to help the Farmington girls to a 69-50 victory over Berryville.
That wasn't all.
At halftime of the boys game, the public address announcer alerted fans there was a car in the parking lot with its lights on, a car registered to Audrey Culpepper. That was news to Audrey, who didn't know she had a car.
Audrey's parents had conspired with Farmington coach Brad Johnson to surprise their daughter at the game with her first car. The senior forward ran to the scorers' table, where Johnson stood dangling the keys to a Dodge Charger. Audrey then rushed out a side door and into the night with a few of her friends to locate her car.
It is moments like this -- more so than who won and who lost -- I've enjoyed most while covering high school sports for more than three decades.
Congratulations, Audrey. Buckle up, and drive safely.
HONORING '34'
Friday will be "Corliss Williamson Night" in Russellville, where the former high school, college and NBA player will be honored by the athletic department at Russellville High School.
Anyone remotely familiar with basketball in Arkansas knows about Williamson, who led the Razorbacks to the national championship in 1994. I first watched Williamson play as a sophomore for Russellville, and he was already chiseled and more athletic than the juniors and seniors who tried to guard him.
Russellville was playing at Bentonville one night when Williamson broke away and slammed the ball into the net for two points. A woman sitting behind me near press row shouted "He can't do that. That's illegal."
"Yes, ma'am, he can," I said, "and you're probably going to see a lot more of it."
Williamson was a three-time all-state selection and a McDonald's All-American selection as a senior at Russellville in 1992. Few athletes in the history of high school sports in Arkansas are more deserving to have his No. 34 jersey hanging in a gym more than Williamson, who is now 46 years old with a son playing in high school at Little Rock Christian.
REMEMBER THE DRAGONS
My thoughts shifted quickly to the Overall Tournament while reading that Danny Ebbs is among the former coaches who'll be inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in July.
I met Ebbs when he coached the Blytheville Chickasaws in the 1980s. Ebbs had already cemented his place in Arkansas sports history when he led the Parkdale Dragons to the Overall Tournament championship in 1979.
Parkdale was Arkansas' version of "Hoosiers," a Class B school that beat the largest schools when the event was played inside the Farris Center at the University of Central Arkansas. Parkdale finished 42-2 that year with a team led by Ronald Claiborne, a 5-foot-9 guard.
Parkdale High School and the Overall Tournament no longer exist. Parkdale consolidated with Hamburg in 1994, and the high school coaches killed the Overall Tournament after the 1992 season because they didn't want to end the season as losers after winning state championships in their own classification.
MOVING MONK?
It's hard to figure out what's going on in Charlotte, where former East Poinsett County and Bentonville High star Malik Monk currently resides.
Charlotte has mostly been disappointed in the inconsistent play of Monk, who was selected by the Hornets in the first round of the NBA draft in 2017. But Monk exploded for 22 points then followed with a career-high 31 points in consecutive games last week after having his playing time reduced.
There is speculation the Hornets are dangling Monk as trade bait, and the New York Knicks have been mentioned as a possible destination. If that happens, Monk will join Bobby Portis, the former University of Arkansas and Little Rock Hall star who is averaging 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Knicks.
Monk is still only 21 years old, but his play before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6 appears critical to his future.
Preps Sports on 01/25/2020