TOP STORY > >Thompson is looking at life term

By STEPHEN STEED

Special to The Leader

George Wylie Thompson of Cabot will remain in federal custody and Sam Baggett resigned his seat on the North Little Rock City Council in the wake of their convictions Friday on federal firearms charges.

A jury deliberated about five hours before returning at 8:40 p.m. Friday with guilty verdicts on all eight charges against Thompson and on three of the six counts against Baggett.

The trial opened Dec. 7 in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson.

Thompson and Baggett will be sentenced May 17 after prosecutors complete pre-sentencing reports. Thompson is set for sentencing at 10 a.m., with Baggett to follow at 1:30 p.m.

Thompson, 65, has been in federal custody since his arrest in 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. Deemed a flight risk by the government, he will remain in federal custody. Among the charges he was convicted of last week: being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of unregistered silencers, operating an illegal gambling business, and aiding and abetting marriage fraud.

The total maximum penalty for those convictions normally is 45 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million, but Thompson – because of three prior felony convictions -- faces life in prison.

Baggett, 58, was convicted of conspiracy to dispose of ammunition to a felon, making false statements to federal agents and aiding and abetting a felon in the possession of a firearm. He faces total maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. Baggett, who was elected to the council in 2008, is free on bond.

Both will be sentenced after prosecutors complete probation reports.

John Wesley Hall of Little Rock, Baggett’s attorney, said he had encouraged Baggett to resign from the North Little Rock City Council. Hall also said he will appeal the verdict.

If Baggett had not resigned, the council could have voted him off and set a date for a special election to fill the vacancy. Or, a North Little Rock resident could have signed to petition a judge for Baggett’s removal.

The council’s next meeting is Dec. 27.

Thompson was convicted in 1989 and 2003 on drug charges and has served time for those convictions.

Last October, he was convicted in federal court in Little Rock on another drug charge. He faces another federal trial in Little Rock sometime next year on charges that he conspired with former North Little Rock Alderman Cary Gaines to rig bids on city contracts. Gaines pleaded guilty to that scheme two weeks ago and testified against Thompson and Baggett last week. He has yet to be sentenced.

Federal agents began investigating Thompson in 2007 for illegal bookmaking operations. That investigation spread to drug trafficking, federal firearms violations, and public corruption after agents obtained a court order to tap Thompson’s cell phone and record those calls.

Federal authorities in Boston, Mass., contend that Thompson has ties with the Columbo crime syndicate in New York, and charges against Thompson are pending there.

TOP STORY > >Groups spreading cheer

By JEFFREY SMITH

Leader staff writer

Cabot Christmas Alliance and Cabot Christmas for Kids teamed up on Saturday, turning the old Alford’s furniture store on West Main Street into a factory of giving.

The two charities assisted over 650 families living in the Cabot School District for Christmas. Cars snaked around the Alford’s parking lot in orderly lines as volunteers loaded boxes of food and toys into the vehicles of people on a list who were in need.

Pick-up locations were also at Austin City Hall and at the Ward First Baptist Church.

“I knew this existed but I was not aware of the scope and the magnitude of the program itself. I’m super impressed with the community effort. I’ll support it all I can. I think this is great. It’s well organized and running well,” Mayor-elect Bill Cypert said.

Ed Caldwell, chairman of the Cabot Christmas Alliance committee has been with the organization for the past 35 years.

Cabot Christmas Alliance had over 200 volunteers last week sorting foods and canned goods donated by the community, Knight’s Super Foods and Kroger. Many of the volunteers returned for Saturday’s distribution.

“I’m extremely proud to see the younger kids come out and help. I see teenagers have grown up and are still helping,” Caldwell said.

Ed Caldwell said the Christmas Alliance is 100 percent volunteers, with help from area churches, schools, businesses and restaurants.

“It is truly a community effort. Everybody just pitches in,” Caldwell said.

Shelley Montoya, vice president of Cabot Christmas for Kids, was with her daughter Oriana, 11, helping the organization and teaching a lesson in life.

“No matter how little we have, there are others with even less. You always pay it forward,” Shelley Montoya said.

Cassie Whitt and her family of Cabot received assistance from the two organizations.

“This helped me a whole lot. I’m a single mother with two kids, an autistic son and a newborn,” she said.

“They are very nice people; they are a blessing,” Whitt said.

After picking up food and toys, those needing clothing or coats were directed to the Cabot Public School’s custodial warehouse at 310 G.P. Murrell Drive.

By noon the warehouse was bare with racks of coat hangers and empty tables that were full earlier in the morning.

Melody Battles, a volunteer, said there were over 170 people who signed in for Coats for Christmas. The program collected coats for two months. Clothing was donated or came from the lost and found boxes at the schools. Volunteers spent several weeks washing hundreds of coats.

“It went fast. A lot of people were satisfied with the items they were needing. We appreciate Bill Holden (Cabot Christmas for Kids chairman) for helping and letting us use the custodial warehouse,” volunteer Bonnie Bennett said.

TOP STORY > >Housing on track at Air Force base

By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer

Senior Little Rock Air Force Base officers and their families are moved into 166 new houses where two years ago, a failed builder left only Tyvek-wrapped husks, abandoned on wind-blown streets.

Long-since bulldozed, all that remains of Carabetta Inc.’s failed American Eagle housing-privatization effort is the 25 homes completed over three years before the Air Force locked them out and the banks cut them off.

But in November 2008, Hunt-Pinnacle bought out American Eagle’s multi-million-dollar contract and set conscientiously about building 141 new stand-alone homes and renovating an additional 834 housing units. Of those, 570 are completed.

The contractors agreed to build the housing in return for rental income.

“All of the new construction is complete,” said Mary Holliday-Sopko, the Cabot native who manages the properties for Pinnacle. “We just received back (from the builders) the last 10 senior-leadership four-bedroom, beautiful homes,” she said. “Lakeside homes.”

“We are projected to be completed by the end of March. We’ve just turned over the 12th and last phase to be renovated.”

The final part will be the completion of the grading and drainage, she said.

“By the end of June, everything should be complete. (Hunt Construction) is still ahead of schedule,” she said.

Occupancy for the available units is 93 percent, she said. “When we got here it was 79 percent.

“Everything we’re renting is renovated or new. Everyone is much happier. I wish we had new homes for everyone. We just did our annual survey and it looks like we’re much higher in satisfaction with the quality of the homes—10 percent higher than last year.”

Holliday-Sopko said a dog park would be opening in January, acrosss from the welcome center.

At the time it took over the project, now dubbed The Landings at Little Rock, the Hunt-Pinnacle partnership had built 67,000 military housing units.

Pinnacle also managed 175,000 units nationwide, including 15,000 military units on 20 different bases.

The Little Rock Landings was part of a package deal that also included failed Carabetta projects at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, Hanscomb in Maryland and Patrick in Florida.

In 2003, American Eagle Communities won an Air Force privatization contract to demolish about 500 homes, build 468 new housing units and remodel 732.

But by May 2007, when the bankers pulled the plug on American Eagle for nonperformance, only the 25 homes had been completed, another 25 started and perhaps 50 concrete slabs poured.

Subcontractors and suppliers were owed millions of dollars at Little Rock AFB and the other three air Force bases where American Eagle had won privatization contracts.

TOP STORY > >PCSSD turmoil continues

By JOHN HOFHEIMER

Leader senior staff writer

Despite loud, unintelligible voices leaking from an executive session discussing Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Charles Hopson’s contract at the end of Monday night’s special board meeting, the board emerged, taking no action. His job apparently is safe for now.

New school board member Gloria Lawrence had sent harsh e-mails to the superintendent and at least some board members, questioning Hopson’s morals and making remarks some construed as having racial overtones.

She said later she had overreacted to the recent legislative-audit findings that included concerns over the superintendent’s moving expenses.

She said she made her comments before reading the audit or the superintendent’s contract.

“His job is not in jeopardy,” she said after the board meeting. “I have confidence in his leadership. He’s taking the district in the right direction.”

She said a conversation with former school board member Danny Gililland had assuaged her worries and helped her understand the situation more fully.

School Board president Bill Vasquez was quoted in a published report saying that Hopson’s job wasn’t in jeopardy. Some of the board members, particularly those elected with union help, seem antagonistic toward the superintendent and his cabinet.

Of Lawrence’s e-mails and the perceived antagonism by some, Hopson said, “I lead based on my conviction and desire for systemic equity.” He refused to speculate or comment on actions of those who some believe are trying to drive him off or fire him.

For three hours, Monday night, Vasquez led the board through many of the critical legislative audit findings, either allowing the board to satisfy itself that remedies had been taken or were being taken or else making and accepting motions and board action ordering corrective measures, sometimes requiring cabinet members to gather information and report back to the board.

Both Vasquez and Hopson said they had talked with state Education Department and Legislative Audit officials to determine what needed to be done to avoid the district being placed on fiscal distress, which would put it under the control of the Education Department. If the district were in fiscal distress again—like it was between 2005 and 2007--the Education Department could replace the superintendent, dismiss the board, or both. Many of the concerns of the auditors and the Education Department stemmed from lack of proper management, safeguards and controls, Vasquez told board members.

Of the matters of concern to the auditor concerning Hopson’s relocation expenses, “Most are IRS or Department of Revenue issues,” Vasquez summed up, “and whether or not his contract violated Arkansas code. That’s the overall context.”

Vasquez said letters from the Education Department regarding policy changes and financial oversight were complimentary of the job being done by Chief Financial Officer Anita Farver.

“We were cited for continuing deficiencies, but headed in the right direction,” Vasquez said. “The tone was we’re still not doing stuff great and (the joint legislative audit committee) is less and less tolerant of our actions as a board. We need to show that we will do the right thing to educate the children and stop wasting resources.”

Vasquez kept the meeting moving forward, wielding his authority and calling variously on Hopson, Farver, information technology director Derek Brown and others to answer or explain as necessary.

At the end of the meeting, Vasquez asked for the minutes to be transcribed and sent to the legislative auditors in an effort to show that the board was taking their concerns seriously.

Among the identified problems already rectified were elimination of blanket purchase orders and prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of a man who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of school property.

The board has approved new policy regarding travel by school employees and board members.

Yet to be resolved: the district apparently paid some new employees before they started the job. In at least one instance, the employee worked over the Internet from another state, stopping the district from making a bad $1.1 million purchase. A problem was identified with the way human resources put new hires on the books between pay periods, and Paul Brewer was ordered to fix that.

The board also discussed other issues of concern to the auditors, including:

DREAM, an after-school program vendor, still owes the county $21,000, auditors pointed out. PCSSD attorney Jay Bequette testified that DREAM is current on the monthly repayment schedule worked out mutually.

The district left $4 million in desegregation funds unspent. Farver explained that the district budgeted the $16 million in desegregation funds it was appropriated, but the district was sent another $4 million. She said new state ABSCAM coding would help the district keep track of that money—and all the rest—in the future.

“If we get that money again, will we be able to track it?” asked Vasquez.

“To the penny, yes,” Farver said.

Hopson and his staff bought $760,000 worth of used school buses without competitive bidding or even informing the board. “It was an emergency,” said Hopson, and the buses were bought legally through state procurement at a very good price.

The board set a $25,000 limit to the superintendent’s authority to make an emergency purchase without board approval.

Vasquez said the emergency could have been prevented if the superintendent hadn’t changed the school day so that high school and elementary school started at about the same time.

The board also asked that transportation manager Brad Montgomery make a full report on the condition and use of the district’s buses at the January meeting.

District property, including computers, sometimes “walks out of the warehouse.” Vasquez asked that an automated method of monthly inventory be implemented. Brown said it would be a large and involved task, requiring millions in expenditures, but that he would begin by inventorying the warehouse.

“We are building that capacity for the future,” said Hopson.

Auditors pointed out that board members acquire much more than the minimum annual training state requirement, at some cost to the district. The board implemented a new policy to cancel all out-of-district travel.

Vasquez pointed out the dilemma of board members being praised by the Association of School Boards for getting extra training hours and criticized by the legislative audit for accruing those same hours.

Auditors raised concerns about possible duplication of professional-development contracts, but Hopson explained that all three such contracts address different areas of development.

SPORTS>>Jacksonville, Mills help provide thrills

BY JASON KING

Leader sportswriter

The showdown between Jacksonville’s Jessica Jackson and Mills’ Jasmine Perkins ended in a virtual dead heat.

So did the game itself.

It took Mills two overtimes and a pair of missed Jacksonville free throws to beat the Lady Red Devils 62-57 in the Red Devil Classic at Jacksonville on Monday.

Perkins and Jackson each finished with 25 points to lead their teams. Jackson outrebounded Perkins 10-6 and each had three steals.

But Jacksonville’s Melissa Miller had to miss two free throws with no time left in the first overtime before Mills could pull away for the victory.

“Early on, from the start, we had trouble catching the ball,” Jacksonville coach Katrina Mimms said. “Finishing underneath the goal — blocks, layups – just missed opportunities I guess is what you would call it. Too many missed opportunities and not a very good free-throw percentage.”

Miller proved to be a competent free-throw shooter when she went 2 for 2 in the second quarter and hit 1 of 2 in the third, but she could not recapture the magic with the game on the line.

Jacksonville’s Tiffany Smith tied it 51-51 with 25 seconds left in the first overtime when she went up and under off a baseline drive, and a traveling call against Mills’ Sasha Carter gave Jacksonville a chance to set up the winning play.

The designed play was a toss from Jackson to Miller with the intent of Jackson pulling defenders out of position. The shot did not fall, but Carter committed her fifth foul to send Miller to the free-throw line with six seconds left.

Miller missed both shots but got her rebound. The officials called another inside foul against the Lady Comets just as the buzzer sounded, to the chagrin of the Mills bench.

Miller needed just one free throw to secure victory, but her first shot rolled off the side and Miller missed the rim on the second try.

Mills then outscored Jacksonville 11-6 in the second overtime to lock up the victory.

Jacksonville (6-5) experienced letdowns at the free throw line throughout. The Lady Red Devils finished 15 of 33 while Mills was more efficient at 18 of 27.

Smith was a spark off the bench for the Lady Red Devils with eight points and five rebounds. Half of her points came in the first overtime period.

“She played pretty well,” Mimms said. “She’s coming on, she’s a ninth-grader. She’s going to have some nights where she plays well and nights where she’s not going to do as well just from being a ninth-grader.”

Jackson scored her first points with 4:08 left in the first quarter off a backdoor assist from junior post player Nichole Bennett.

The Lady Comets played Jackson soft in the first eight minutes and most of the second quarter, and Jackson piled up 10 first-half points as a result.

“It was kind of surprising because we had played them before and she had a really good game against them last time,” Mimms said.

“Once they kind of came up on her, she was dishing to the right people, we just couldn’t finish what we needed to finish.”

SPORTS>>Colson strikes twice to lift Falcons past Lions

By JASON KING

Leader sportswriter

Bryan Colson appeared to feel so good about saving the day he decided to do it again during the first round of the Red Devil Classic on Monday night.

North Pulaski’s senior forward made a shot from the lane with four seconds left in overtime to give the Falcons a 57-55 victory over Little Rock McClellan at the Devil’s Den. Colson tied the game 53-53 with a step-back three- pointer on an inbounds play with two seconds left in regulation to force the overtime.

The Falcons’ defense allowed just two points in the extra period and Colson reprised his hero role in the final four seconds for the victory.

It was the last of three overtime games during Monday’s first round, and from start to finish it was the closest of all six. Colson’s 18-point, seven-rebound performance countered strong games by McClellan’s Gregg Easter and Rod Harris, who each finished with 15 points.

“I’m just proud that we gutted it out,” North Pulaski coach Raymond Cooper said. “In the past, a lot of times, we’ve been our own worst enemy. But other than making free throws, I thought we executed and we gave ourselves a chance to win.”

McClellan’s early 17-8 lead was the largest of the game. The Falcons (3-5) rallied quickly in the third quarter with an 11-0 run over the first 3:18.

The Lions (3-5) controlled the inside in the first half before Colson, reserve center Jeremiah Hollis and guard Shyheim Barron got to work inside for the Falcons in the second.

Hollis, a 6-6 junior, had six rebounds and a pair of blocks, but it was the undersized Barron, 5-11, who led North Pulaski with eight rebounds.

“We talked about the effort that they were giving,” Cooper said. “And what our effort level was as opposed to theirs, and they were just scrapping for the ball more than we were.

“If we wanted to give ourselves a chance to win, we had to control that. And they did a great job of responding and coming out in the second half and doing it by committee.”

Hollis clogged the lane and took the Lions out of their rhythm, which resulted in only four McClellan baskets in the second half.

“Jeremiah Hollis stepped up tonight,” Cooper said of Hollis’ defense. “He really grew for a guy that’s in his first season, I think he’s starting to figure it out, and he had an impact on this game.”

McClellan held a 51-50 lead in the final minute and decided to run the clock down for one final play. That resulted in a trip to the free-throw line for Harris, who hit both shots to put the Lions up 53-50 with 14 seconds left.

The Falcons got the ball to the sideline in front of the North Pulaski bench with seven seconds remaining. Braylon Spicer passed to Colson with two seconds left, and the buzzer sounded as Colson’s arching shot went through the net.

Spicer also had the assist on Colson’s winner in overtime.

“You want to be in an atmosphere where it’s exciting and the crowd is loud,” Cooper said. “There are always good crowds here, and this gym for some reason makes a lot of noise. So, that’s where you want to be. “

SPORTS>>Red Devils get most of roster in first round

By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter

Fans got to see the Jacksonville Red Devils in action against Brinkley in the first round of the Red Devil Classic on Monday.

In fact, they got to see every single one of them in action.

The bench cleared early and often during the Red Devils’ 78-39 rout over the Tigers, as all 16 players on the Jacksonville roster saw adequate playing time.

Starters Jamison Williams, Tirrell Brown, Justin McCleary, Dewayne Walker and Raheem Appleby played the first four minutes and built a 12-2 lead before giving way to the reserves.

“That’s three games in a row that we’ve been able to rest our main

guys, which is a good thing,” Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner said. “Another thing is, we hadn’t played since Friday. We didn’t get a chance to work on timing and execution, and that could be a detriment, I don’t know.

“You have to get out there and play the game.”

The Tigers were severely outmanned in a tournament that did not look to get any better for them with a Tuesday game against Little Rock McClellan and today’s matchup against either Little Rock Catholic or a rematch with Jacksonville.

The Red Devils (9-0) performed their first-round clubbing in typical fashion with a flurry of three pointers and crowd-pleasing dunks.

McCleary got things started with a three-pointer with 6:34 left in the first quarter, and Williams followed with a dunk. Brown scored on a putback on the next possession to make it 7-0, then Walker got in on the action with a three-pointer.

Appleby set up his dunk from half court when he stole the ball and passed to McCleary, who tossed it back for the dunk from the baseline that got the Jackson-ville fans out of their seats.

Jonathan Patterson extended the lead with a basket and free throw, followed by a steal he took all the way for a dunk with 3:48 left in the first quarter to make it 17-2.

The starters made another appearance in the last four minutes of the third quarter, when Appleby hit a three-pointer and one last dunk to make it 53-23 and start the continuously running clock under the sportsmanship/timing rule.

Walker, Appleby and Dustin House each had eight points to lead Jacksonville.

The rout capped off an entertaining night that featured three overtime games.

Catholic beat Little Rock Christian in the first boys game, followed by an overtime thriller between North Pulaski and Little Rock McClellan.

The Falcons and Crimson Lions had already split two games, but North Pulaski came from behind to tie the game in regulation and eventually won 57-55.

The tournament, sponsored by Southern Floor and Blinds and John Johnson attorney-at-law, had just two boys teams the past two years but increased the field with an earlier start date this year.

“It was outstanding,” Joyner said. “There was some pretty good support. There was a history there with Catholic and Christian, and those two wanted to play again. Then, in the North Pulaski game, they had already split one game apiece, and their fan base was interested in seeing the conclusion of that.

“Of course, the Jacksonville people turned out, and that’s always nice to see.”

SPORTS>>Jones, Goodwin shine in showcase

By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor

If Jamal Jones and Archie Goodwin keep living up to expectations as they did Saturday night, they are poised to have fine college basketball careers.

Searcy’s Jones and Sylvan Hills’ Goodwin were among the stellar cast of major-college prospects in the 10-team, five-game Arkansas Hoops Challenge at Little Rock Hall High School.

And if the scouts and fans came to see the individuals do their thing, they weren’t disappointed, at least not by Searcy’s 73-68 victory over Sylvan Hills.

Jones, a 6-8 senior forward who has signed with Ole Miss, scored 27 points before fouling out in the final minute. Goodwin, an unsigned, 6-5 junior two-guard touted as one of the top recruits in the nation at his position, led all scorers with 32.

“Hey I would have loved to have been sitting in the stands and just watched him and Archie go back and forth,” Searcy coach Jim Summers said of Jones and Goodwin. “Because it was probably pretty fun to watch.”

Jones and Goodwin weren’t the only stars of the showcase. The trio of Arkansas Razorback signees Aaron Ross (Little Rock Parkview), Rashad Madden (East Poinsett County) and Hunter Mickelson (Jonesboro Westside) would have been enough to get most basketball fans to forget their Christmas shopping for one night.

But when it was their turn on the stage, Jones and Goodwin hit all the right notes.

Jones scored his team’s first five points and then dunked from a standing start over Sylvan Hills’ 6-5 post Devin Pearson for the 13-10 Searcy lead, and he made it 16-13 with a three-pointer seconds later.

“It was fun and it was a great game,” Jones said. “Archie is a good player. He’s just a junior so he’s going to be a great player next year so it was just good to go up against another good talent in Arkansas.”

Goodwin was a little slower starting, missing two free throws to open the game, but he made a pair for his first points and cut it to 11-10 with 11:29 left in the first half. He had a dunk waved off because of an offensive foul but got a defensive rebound after Jones missed a three-pointer and put back his own miss to cut it to 16-14.

Goodwin then stole a pass leading to a bank shot and three-point play when Jones fouled him with 10:01 to go.

That was pretty much the tone of the night as each player had his moments. Jones dunked twice more and pulled in a high bounce pass with one hand and made a reverse layup for a 54-47 lead with 9:32 left in the game.

Goodwin continued to come up with steals and force turnovers and he hit two free throws to pull Sylvan Hills within 68-64 with 1:49 left and got a steal and a layup to cut it to 68-66, as close as the Bears would get the rest of the way.

Each player showed his range as Jones hit three three-pointers and Goodwin made two.

“He’s very athletic and very long,” Goodwin said of Jones. “I’m glad I played against him. I thought he was just a jumper but he shot the ball pretty good today.”

If there was a blot for Jones, it was foul trouble as he committed his fourth and had to take a seat with 4:40 left, then fouled out with 27.8 seconds to go. For Goodwin the shooter, the weakness may have been free throws as he made 9 of 14.

But such mishaps were minor as Jones and Goodwin made their value to their teams clear.

“Archie made some plays that he’s fully capable of making,” Davis said. “Archie is still growing. He’s growing physically; he’s growing mentally. But that kid works and works and works at the game.”

Their teammates, far from standing around and watching Jones and Goodwin play, showed that they thrive with the prospects on the court.

With Jones drawing a crowd, Casey Wilmath made five three-pointers and scored 19 points for Searcy and Chris Blakley had 11.

“I feel good my team got invited to this and got to play in front of this crowd,” Jones said.

Larry Ziegler scored 14 for Sylvan Hills and Trey Smith added 11.

Davis said that as long as his players know their roles, there should be plenty of work for everyone.

“Archie is such a great player in that two-guard spot for us pitching ahead in the open floor,” Davis said. “He can do some just amazing things and that’s where he’s best. So we just allow our system to come to him and keep teaching that team concept.”

For Goodwin, who has been courted by the biggest names in college basketball — North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas to name a few — it was a chance to raise his already high profile.

Goodwin hopes to have his choices whittled to 10 by the end of the school year.

“I got to perform in front of a lot of coaches and just let them know I haven’t fallen off,” Goodwin said.

“I’m still working hard in the gym every day and hopefully they’ll keep coming for me and hopefully one day I’ll get to the final decision where I’m going to go.”

For Jones, with his scholarship to Ole Miss locked up, it was a chance to get in yet another game with his teammates in his last high school season and sharpen his skills for what Searcy hopes is a 6A state championship run.

“Now that that’s all over I can focus on my last year of high school,” Jones said. “This is great.

This is like the teams that we’re going to play in our conference every night.”

SPORTS>>Searcy holds off Sylvan Hills

By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor

They showed up for the showcase.

A near capacity crowd at Little Rock Hall’s George Cirks Gymnasium watched Searcy beat Sylvan Hills 73-68 in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge on Saturday.

The game was one of five featuring 10 teams in the showcase tournament designed to put Arkansas’ top college recruits and potential recruits on display.

That meant there were as many scouts and casual fans as partisans from the two schools, which led to an odd quiet for a game in which no team led by more than 10. But Ole Miss signee Jamal Jones, of Searcy, and major-college prospect Archie Goodwin, of Sylvan Hills, generated a little noise with a few resounding dunks and blocked shots.

“We told the guys ‘Archie is going to be a heck of a player but they have other guys out there that can play and Jamal or Archie are not going to win the game by themselves,’” Searcy coach Jim Summers said. “It’s going to be a team effort in what we do. We do so much stuff playing off the pressure Jamal takes and opens those other guys up.”

Goodwin and Jones helped put the show in the showcase, scoring 32 and 27 points, respectively, but there was no way they were going to steal all the attention.

Also on hand were Nebraska signee David Rivers, of host Hall, and Arkansas signees Aaron Ross, of Little Rock Parkview, Rashad Madden of East Poinsett Co. and Hunter Mickelson of Jonesboro Westside.

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey is calling his trio of high school signees “Triplets 2.0” in deference to late 1970s Razorback stars Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer and Marvin Delph.

Unsigned prospects included shooting guard Dusty Hannah of Pulaski Academy; forward Stetson Billings and sophomore guard Alex Howell of Strong-Huttig; 6-10 center Hooper Vint of Van Buren; Goodwin and senior forward Darion Griswold of Dumas.

All have competed in the all-star AAU programs, which put them and their high school teams on the radar for invitations to Saturday’s showcase.

The tournament came about partially through the cooperation of the high school coaches and Arkansas’ AAU guru Ron Crawford, sponsor of the acclaimed Arkansas Wings program that won the 17-and-under national championship at Orlando in the summer.

“All these kids. This is a great event,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “Because if you’re coming, you get to see not only maybe the best of the best but also other kids who do an outstanding job and they work and they put all their time and effort into it and it presents a showcase for them to be seen.”

Though the individual names were the drawing card, coaches still had to make sure they got a team effort, and Summers was happy with the Lions’ output in the victory.

Each team proved it was more than a one-man show as Casey Wilmath scored 19 points for Searcy and Chris Blakley added 11 while Larry Ziegler scored 14 points for Sylvan Hills and Trey Smith had 11.

“I said, ‘That’s getting us ready for conference,’ ” said Summers, whose team plays in the rugged 6A-East. “With Parkview, Hall, Jacksonville — the one we play in — we need to see that kind of pressure and stuff. It was a good experience.”

Sylvan Hills plays in the 5A-Southeast.

Searcy survived losing Jones to fouls late in the game and a Sylvan Hills rally that cut a 10-point deficit to 68-66 when Goodwin got a steal and made a layup with 1:20 left in the game.

Jonathon Powell converted a three-point play to give Searcy the 71-66 lead with 36.8 seconds left and Jones fouled out with 27.5 seconds to go.

Goodwin followed up his miss to cut it to 71-68 with 20 seconds left, but Ziegler fouled Wilmath with 11.3 seconds left and Wilmath made both free throws. Goodwin missed Sylvan Hills’ last shot and Blakley rebounded and drew Goodwin’s fourth foul with 3.7 seconds to go, and though Blakley missed his free throw time ran out on Sylvan Hills.

“We were right in the ballgame at the end. I don’t think it ever got away from us,” Davis said.

“Those kids battled and Searcy, you have to give them credit because outside of Wilmath and Jones they still had kids hitting big shots.

“We had a chance for a couple big shots that didn’t go down for us; that was it.”

There were six ties and eight lead changes. Searcy took its biggest lead when Blakley scored to make it 52-42 with 11:12 left in the game, which was played under the two-half, collegiate format.

Jones committed his fourth foul and took a seat with 4:40 left, and Sylvan Hills took advantage, cutting a 65-58 deficit to 68-66.

“We came down and we took a couple quick shots and then they turned us over a couple times with that trap,” Summers said of Sylvan Hills’ halfcourt defense. “They started jumping in a half on that first pass and I think we had some guys up there that weren’t ready for it.

“Plus, once Jamal had to go to the bench, that changes us quite a bit. When you put a 6-8 out there he’s easy to find when people are trapping and it kind of alleviates a lot of problems.”