By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Beebe is staying in the 5A East when play begins in the next conference alignment cycle next season. On Thursday, the Arkansas Activities Association voted to deny Helena-West Helena Central’s appeal that would have swapped HWHC and Beebe. The actual vote was a 9-9 tie, but a simple majority was needed for the appeal to be approved. One board member, Andrew Tolbert of Warren, was absent from the meeting.
The newest alignment, as it was originally drawn up by the AAA and as it will remain, has HWHC in the new 5A Central conference along with seven Pulaski County schools, including Jacksonville, North Pulaski, Sylvan Hills, LR McClellan, Mills, Little Rock Christian Academy and Pulaski Academy.
Beebe will play in the East with Batesville, Forrest City, Wynne, Nettleton, Greene County Tech, Paragould and Blytheville.
Geographically, the alignment isn’t as logical as Helena’s proposal, but it’s the one that Beebe wanted for reasons other than a geographical fit.
The AAA has moved Beebe to a different conference in each of the last three alignments, which take place every two years. To the Badger coaches and administrators, developing some consistency and athletic rivalries was a larger issue than saving some money on travel.
Beebe superintendent Belinda Shook actively lobbied the voting board members at the meeting to keep the Badger sports programs in the 5A East.
Shook cited several reasons for wanting to remain in the East, including the need for school rivalries and conference stability. Shook also noted that Beebe would like to remain in a conference with schools of similar academic test scores.
Beebe athletic director Jerry Jordan spoke with The Leader on Friday about the board’s vote.
“We’re glad we’re where we are,” Jerry Jordan said. “It’s never good when you have to move from one spot to the other over and over again. Four years ago they moved us to the Southeast and that disrupted our junior high programs quite a bit. We struggled for two years there and finally found some stability in the East the last two years, so we’d like to stay where we are.”
Besides stability, Jordan believes gate revenue will be greater in the East conference than in the new Central, which would offset the added travel costs.
“We figured that up,” Jordan said. “Dr. Shook and Mr. Crisco (assistant superintendent Hal Crisco), looked at those numbers and the travel expenses came to about $100 more per trip. It wasn’t anything staggering. And the gate product we will generate will more than offset that.”
Board members who voted to approve Helena’s request were Wesley Berry of West Memphis, Bobby Acklin of North Little Rock, John Ciesla of Greenwood, Carl Easley of Wynne, Nathan Gills of Glen Rose, Alfred Hogan of Marion, Frank Holman of Lincoln, Jimmy Floyd of Paris and Jerry Newton of Poyen.
Those who voted to deny Helena’s request were Joe Couch of Bergman, Howard Morris of Riverview, Rick McLaughlin of Hot Springs Lakeside, Max Adcock of Mineral Springs, Gary Hines of Emerson-Taylor, Albert Murphy of Genoa Central, Mickey Pierce of East Poinsett County, Fred Walker of Izard County and Suzanne Bailey of Waldron.
There were 10 appeals by 10 different schools. Seven were approved.
Siloam Springs’ proposal to restructure the 6A and 7A classifications was denied, but the boarded voted 16-2 to allow the proposal to go out in a mail ballot to the 33 schools in those classifications. The ballot vote deadline is Oct. 19.
Pine Bluff Dollarway’s request to be moved to a different conference was denied because Dollarway sent in its request after the deadline. All other appeals were approved, including requests by Catholic High, Deer, Dermott, Lavaca, Magazine, Southside Bee Branch and Johnson County Westside.
