By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Sylvan Hills boys basketball team bounced back from an initial setback at the Russellville tournament to win its last two games and the consolation bracket. The Bears beat Sheridan 53-50 in the second round and hammered Arkadelphia 70-37 on Saturday to claim the consolation prize.
Sylvan Hills had struggled in its previous three games away from home, but showed signs of getting over its road weariness in the last two games.
“Certainly you need to start hitting your stride and getting comfortable on the road with conference coming up quickly,” Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said. “I think getting some football guys acclimated helped. Weadded Marlon (Clemmons) and Trajan (Doss) from football, and we got Nate (Burchett) back from injury. When we didn’t play well on the road before, we were without those three guys. Having them in there helps our depth, and gets everybody back full-time at their natural positions. I think all that shows. The Arkadelphia game was certainly our best one up to this point as far as execution goes.”
The Bears controlled the Badgers from the start, building a 20-11 lead by the end of the first quarter, and extending it to a 13-point margin by halftime. The lead was all the way up to 56-31 by the end of three quarters, and shortly into the fourth, the sportsmanship rule kicked in and the clock ran continuously.
“Sometimes you hear coaches say things like their players bought in, but I just think I have buy-in guys,” Davis said. “They went out and executed our game plan, and played the game the way we’re trying to play it. Sometimes the game gets at a quick pace and you have to make quick decisions. I thought our guys did a great job of execution in that situation.”
Senior Ronnie Hinton and sophomore Cordy Winston each scored 22 points to lead the Bears offensively. No one else scored in double figures, but 10 players broke into the scorebook.
“That’s a sign that our depth is developing,” Davis said. “Hopefully it keeps getting better from here.”
The win over Sheridan wasn’t as easy. The game was tied at 39 after three quarters, but Sylvan Hills’ man-to-man defense began producing several stops, and eventually the Bears eased out to an eight-point lead.
Hinton blocked three shots after coming over from help-side defense, and the Bears managed to add points after each block.
“He came through in a big way for us,” Davis said of Hinton. “We didn’t really have anyone that matched up with their big man at 6-foot-9. So we had to play good team defense and Ronnie came over and made three huge plays for us.”
Hinton also led the team in scoring against the Yellowjackets, dropping in 13 points while Winson and Armani Armond added 11 each.
The Bears, along with the Lady Bears, played a makeup at home against Watson Chapel last night after Leader deadlines. Look for details of those matchups in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
The Sylvan Hills boys will play in the Mountain Home tournament Dec. 26-28, while the Lady Bears will be at the Beebe tournament on the same dates.
Friday, December 20, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot girls place first in tourney
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Panthers withstood Vilonia’s comeback efforts in the fourth quarter of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament championship game on Monday to win 42-34, and leave Panther Arena with the tournament title.
Monday’s matchup was a rematch of last year’s Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament championship game. In the 2012 title game, the Lady Eagles stunned the Lady Panthers with a 46-28 blowout victory.
Cabot wasn’t able to pull away like Vilonia did last year, but the host team brought the first-place trophy back home, no less.
There wasn’t much action in the first three quarters as Vilonia (8-2) struggled to make field goals, especially from three-point range, and as a result, Cabot appeared to be on its way to an easy victory. The Lady Panthers pushed their fourth-quarter lead to double digits with 5:50 to play on an and-one by sophomore CoCo Calhoon, which put the host team up 28-16.
It wasn’t long after that, though, when the Lady Eagles’ shots started to fall. Vilonia trailed Cabot 32-19 late in the game, but senior guard Audrey Moran scored five-straight points for the Lady Eagles on a three-pointer and mid-court steal that led to a layup at the other end, which cut the deficit to 32-24 with 2:19 remaining.
Cabot failed to score on the ensuing possession, and Moran drained another three-pointer with 1:34 to play, trimming the Lady Panthers’ lead to 32-27. Ten seconds later, Calhoon was fouled, and she calmly sank both free throws to push Cabot’s lead to 34-27. Calhoon then stole the ball on Vilonia’s following possession, and she took it the distance, scoring on a highly-contested turnaround layup with 1:07 remaining that put the host team up nine with the score 36-27.
Vilonia made a free throw on its next possession to make it an eight-point game, but had to foul and hope Cabot missed its free throws. That didn’t happen, though, as junior guard Danielle McWilliams hit both free throws to put the Lady Panthers back on top by double digits, leading 38-28.
Lady Eagles’ junior guard Cassidy McNespey then hit another Vilonia three-pointer on its next possession, and after Cabot failed to score on its next possession, Moran drained another Vilonia three to make it a four-point game, trailing the Lady Panthers 38-34 with 19 seconds remaining.
That was as close as Vilonia would get, however, as Cabot sophomore point guard Leighton Taylor made two free throws with 14.2 ticks remaining, and junior forward Alyssa Hamilton sank two more with 00.3 on the clock to set the final score.
Cabot led 4-0 at the start of the game, and 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter. Vilonia couldn’t even manage a single field goal in the second quarter.
Senior forward McKenzie Morris made two free throws at the beginning of the second quarter, but those were the only points the Lady Eagles would score for the remainder of the half, as Cabot ended the second period with a 7-0 run to lead 17-9 at halftime.
The first points of the third quarter weren’t scored until the 3:23 mark, when Calhoon scored on a driving layup to make the score 19-9 in the Lady Panthers’ favor. At the end of three, Cabot led 23-14.
The Lady Panthers outrebounded the Lady Eagles 26-17, but Cabot finished the game with 18 turnovers, 11 of which came in the second half. Vilonia committed 11 turnovers in the game, but just four in the final two quarters.
Both teams were close percentage-wise at the free-throw line. Cabot made 15 of 21 shots for 71 percent, while Vilonia made 9 of 14 attempts from the line for 64 percent.
The biggest difference-making statistic in the game was the three-point shooting.
Cabot didn’t make a single three, but had just four attempts. Vilonia, a team known for airing it out from long distance, was 5 for 20 from beyond the arc for 25 percent. However, the Lady Eagles were just 1 for 11 from three-point range in the first half, and 4 for 9 in the second.
Calhoon led all scorers with 19 points. Hamilton and McWilliams scored eight points apiece. Hamilton also had a game-high nine rebounds. Taylor scored four points for Cabot, all of which came in the second half and at the free-throw line.
Moran led Vilonia with 11 points, all of which were scored in the second half, while McNespey finished with 10 points.
The Lady Panthers are scheduled to play again at a tournament in Mansfield, Texas the day after Christmas. Their next home game won’t be until Jan. 14 when they host Marion in the second week of 7A/6A East Conference action.
Leader sportswriter
The Lady Panthers withstood Vilonia’s comeback efforts in the fourth quarter of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament championship game on Monday to win 42-34, and leave Panther Arena with the tournament title.
Monday’s matchup was a rematch of last year’s Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament championship game. In the 2012 title game, the Lady Eagles stunned the Lady Panthers with a 46-28 blowout victory.
Cabot wasn’t able to pull away like Vilonia did last year, but the host team brought the first-place trophy back home, no less.
There wasn’t much action in the first three quarters as Vilonia (8-2) struggled to make field goals, especially from three-point range, and as a result, Cabot appeared to be on its way to an easy victory. The Lady Panthers pushed their fourth-quarter lead to double digits with 5:50 to play on an and-one by sophomore CoCo Calhoon, which put the host team up 28-16.
It wasn’t long after that, though, when the Lady Eagles’ shots started to fall. Vilonia trailed Cabot 32-19 late in the game, but senior guard Audrey Moran scored five-straight points for the Lady Eagles on a three-pointer and mid-court steal that led to a layup at the other end, which cut the deficit to 32-24 with 2:19 remaining.
Cabot failed to score on the ensuing possession, and Moran drained another three-pointer with 1:34 to play, trimming the Lady Panthers’ lead to 32-27. Ten seconds later, Calhoon was fouled, and she calmly sank both free throws to push Cabot’s lead to 34-27. Calhoon then stole the ball on Vilonia’s following possession, and she took it the distance, scoring on a highly-contested turnaround layup with 1:07 remaining that put the host team up nine with the score 36-27.
Vilonia made a free throw on its next possession to make it an eight-point game, but had to foul and hope Cabot missed its free throws. That didn’t happen, though, as junior guard Danielle McWilliams hit both free throws to put the Lady Panthers back on top by double digits, leading 38-28.
Lady Eagles’ junior guard Cassidy McNespey then hit another Vilonia three-pointer on its next possession, and after Cabot failed to score on its next possession, Moran drained another Vilonia three to make it a four-point game, trailing the Lady Panthers 38-34 with 19 seconds remaining.
That was as close as Vilonia would get, however, as Cabot sophomore point guard Leighton Taylor made two free throws with 14.2 ticks remaining, and junior forward Alyssa Hamilton sank two more with 00.3 on the clock to set the final score.
Cabot led 4-0 at the start of the game, and 10-7 at the end of the opening quarter. Vilonia couldn’t even manage a single field goal in the second quarter.
Senior forward McKenzie Morris made two free throws at the beginning of the second quarter, but those were the only points the Lady Eagles would score for the remainder of the half, as Cabot ended the second period with a 7-0 run to lead 17-9 at halftime.
The first points of the third quarter weren’t scored until the 3:23 mark, when Calhoon scored on a driving layup to make the score 19-9 in the Lady Panthers’ favor. At the end of three, Cabot led 23-14.
The Lady Panthers outrebounded the Lady Eagles 26-17, but Cabot finished the game with 18 turnovers, 11 of which came in the second half. Vilonia committed 11 turnovers in the game, but just four in the final two quarters.
Both teams were close percentage-wise at the free-throw line. Cabot made 15 of 21 shots for 71 percent, while Vilonia made 9 of 14 attempts from the line for 64 percent.
The biggest difference-making statistic in the game was the three-point shooting.
Cabot didn’t make a single three, but had just four attempts. Vilonia, a team known for airing it out from long distance, was 5 for 20 from beyond the arc for 25 percent. However, the Lady Eagles were just 1 for 11 from three-point range in the first half, and 4 for 9 in the second.
Calhoon led all scorers with 19 points. Hamilton and McWilliams scored eight points apiece. Hamilton also had a game-high nine rebounds. Taylor scored four points for Cabot, all of which came in the second half and at the free-throw line.
Moran led Vilonia with 11 points, all of which were scored in the second half, while McNespey finished with 10 points.
The Lady Panthers are scheduled to play again at a tournament in Mansfield, Texas the day after Christmas. Their next home game won’t be until Jan. 14 when they host Marion in the second week of 7A/6A East Conference action.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Tigers better, but Panthers can be proud
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Based on how competitive the first half was between Cabot and Bentonville in Friday night’s class 7A state football championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, a thrilling second half would have been expected.
Instead, the last two quarters were very one-sided, as the Tigers took complete control of the second half to win its fourth state title in school history, and third under head coach Barry Lunney’s tenure by the final score of 39-28.
Bentonville (11-2) trailed the previously unbeaten Panthers (12-1) 14-13 at the end of the first half, but in the second half, the Tigers outscored Cabot 26-14 to secure the victory. But even those scoring totals do not accurately reflect how dominant the perennial 7A West power was in the final two quarters of play.
The Tigers received the opening kickoff of the second half, and after a return to the Bentonville 25-yard line, running back Dylan Smith ran for 14 yards on the first play of the drive. The second play of that drive alone told the story of the entire second half.
On that play, quarterback Kasey Ford completed a deep, 41-yard pass to Chris Scroggins. Scroggins was brought down at the Cabot 20, and six plays later Bentonville took its first lead since early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by running back Hekili Keliiliki. (Have fun trying to pronounce that name.)
Keliiliki’s score was one of three unanswered touchdowns the Tigers scored in the second half, two of which came in the third quarter. Cabot dug itself into a hole during that stretch as two costly fumbles gave the ball back to Bentonville’s potent offense.
The second fumble by Cabot star fullback Zach Launius wasn’t actually a fumble though, as his knee was clearly down before the ball came loose.
Still, mistakes are to be expected in a high school game that doesn’t have the luxury of instant replay like college and professional games provide. It’s always going to be a judgment call, and the officials did their best to call a fair game, and should in no way be blamed for the Panthers’ loss.
If any blame should be cast for Bentonville leaving Little Rock with the class 7A state championship trophy, it should be, well, Bentonville who deserves all the blame. The Tigers deserve the blame for having the bigger, stronger, faster and more diverse athletes.
The Tigers were also helped by the fact that Cabot’s secondary didn’t play its best game Friday night, to say the least. The Panther defense repeatedly left the 5-to-10-yard outs and hooks open all game, especially in the second half. Cabot was clearly showing respect to the taller, faster Tigers receivers.
But in addition to giving up those short pass plays, the Panther defense gave up the big pass plays in the second half as well. Add that to the fact that Ford was given plenty of time to throw thanks to his massive offensive linemen who easily outweighed the Cabot defensive line across the board, and the results showed on the scoreboard.
In the third quarter alone, Ford, the 6-foot-5 sophomore, completed 7 of 14 pass attempts for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game 11 of 18 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns.
That’s just over 24 yards per completion, which is a very surprising statistic considering it rained nonstop the entire game. As far as who Ford’s favorite targets were Friday, Scroggins and fellow receiver Jimmie Jackson each caught four passes for over 100 yards and one touchdown.
Nationally recruited tight end Jack Kraus, who’s 6-foot-6 and weighs 234 pounds, caught two of Ford’s passes for 25 yards and one touchdown.
Since it rained throughout all four quarters, which meant a soaking wet ball no matter how many towels were used to dry them, it would’ve been reasonable to think Cabot would have the offensive advantage with their run-heavy, Dead-T attack.
Instead, Cabot finished the game minus two in the turnover category.
When Cabot fell into that multi-score deficit in the second half, its Dead-T attack, which is designed to control the clock, became almost a benefit for the Tigers, since it took too much time for Cabot to add its two second-half scores.
Even though the Panthers’ highly successful season ended in disappointment, it was still a great season for a team that not many people outside of Cabot believed would win its conference outright or be a serious contender once the playoffs began five weeks ago.
The unfortunate ending may sting now and will probably continue to sting the Panther players, coaches and fans in the community, at least for a little while.
But in time, the sting will eventually give way to looking back on a season with great pride and appreciation for what the team accomplished. Congratulations to the 2013 Cabot Panthers on one heck of a season. You’ve made your community very proud.
Leader sportswriter
Based on how competitive the first half was between Cabot and Bentonville in Friday night’s class 7A state football championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, a thrilling second half would have been expected.
Instead, the last two quarters were very one-sided, as the Tigers took complete control of the second half to win its fourth state title in school history, and third under head coach Barry Lunney’s tenure by the final score of 39-28.
Bentonville (11-2) trailed the previously unbeaten Panthers (12-1) 14-13 at the end of the first half, but in the second half, the Tigers outscored Cabot 26-14 to secure the victory. But even those scoring totals do not accurately reflect how dominant the perennial 7A West power was in the final two quarters of play.
The Tigers received the opening kickoff of the second half, and after a return to the Bentonville 25-yard line, running back Dylan Smith ran for 14 yards on the first play of the drive. The second play of that drive alone told the story of the entire second half.
On that play, quarterback Kasey Ford completed a deep, 41-yard pass to Chris Scroggins. Scroggins was brought down at the Cabot 20, and six plays later Bentonville took its first lead since early in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by running back Hekili Keliiliki. (Have fun trying to pronounce that name.)
Keliiliki’s score was one of three unanswered touchdowns the Tigers scored in the second half, two of which came in the third quarter. Cabot dug itself into a hole during that stretch as two costly fumbles gave the ball back to Bentonville’s potent offense.
The second fumble by Cabot star fullback Zach Launius wasn’t actually a fumble though, as his knee was clearly down before the ball came loose.
Still, mistakes are to be expected in a high school game that doesn’t have the luxury of instant replay like college and professional games provide. It’s always going to be a judgment call, and the officials did their best to call a fair game, and should in no way be blamed for the Panthers’ loss.
If any blame should be cast for Bentonville leaving Little Rock with the class 7A state championship trophy, it should be, well, Bentonville who deserves all the blame. The Tigers deserve the blame for having the bigger, stronger, faster and more diverse athletes.
The Tigers were also helped by the fact that Cabot’s secondary didn’t play its best game Friday night, to say the least. The Panther defense repeatedly left the 5-to-10-yard outs and hooks open all game, especially in the second half. Cabot was clearly showing respect to the taller, faster Tigers receivers.
But in addition to giving up those short pass plays, the Panther defense gave up the big pass plays in the second half as well. Add that to the fact that Ford was given plenty of time to throw thanks to his massive offensive linemen who easily outweighed the Cabot defensive line across the board, and the results showed on the scoreboard.
In the third quarter alone, Ford, the 6-foot-5 sophomore, completed 7 of 14 pass attempts for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game 11 of 18 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns.
That’s just over 24 yards per completion, which is a very surprising statistic considering it rained nonstop the entire game. As far as who Ford’s favorite targets were Friday, Scroggins and fellow receiver Jimmie Jackson each caught four passes for over 100 yards and one touchdown.
Nationally recruited tight end Jack Kraus, who’s 6-foot-6 and weighs 234 pounds, caught two of Ford’s passes for 25 yards and one touchdown.
Since it rained throughout all four quarters, which meant a soaking wet ball no matter how many towels were used to dry them, it would’ve been reasonable to think Cabot would have the offensive advantage with their run-heavy, Dead-T attack.
Instead, Cabot finished the game minus two in the turnover category.
When Cabot fell into that multi-score deficit in the second half, its Dead-T attack, which is designed to control the clock, became almost a benefit for the Tigers, since it took too much time for Cabot to add its two second-half scores.
Even though the Panthers’ highly successful season ended in disappointment, it was still a great season for a team that not many people outside of Cabot believed would win its conference outright or be a serious contender once the playoffs began five weeks ago.
The unfortunate ending may sting now and will probably continue to sting the Panther players, coaches and fans in the community, at least for a little while.
But in time, the sting will eventually give way to looking back on a season with great pride and appreciation for what the team accomplished. Congratulations to the 2013 Cabot Panthers on one heck of a season. You’ve made your community very proud.
SPORTSSTORY >> Lonoke dominant in second half at CSJ
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
It took a week longer than it was supposed to, but the Lonoke Jackrabbits brought home the first-place trophy in the Conway St. Joseph tournament on Saturday, beating the host team 43-28 after struggling in the first half.
After taking a slim 19-17 lead into intermission, the Jackrabbits were utterly dominant on defense in the second half after making some adjustments.
“We finally decided to defend better,” said Lonoke coach Dean Campbell of his team’s second half effort. “I thought we gambled a little too much in our last game because we could get away with it. I was worried that we would do that again, and we did to start. We overplayed and gambled, and they got us with the back door stuff. We were a lot more disciplined in the second half and it turned out a lot better.”
The margin stayed between two and four points for the first five minutes of the third quarter. With Lonoke leading 23-21, guard Jamel Rankin hit a three pointer with 3:05 on the clock to kick start 10-0 Jackrabbit run that ended with a slam dunk out of the half-court set that put Lonoke up 33-21 with 7:02 left in the game.
Brenton Bryant drained a three pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, and Mack’s dunk firmly established control for Lonoke.
At one point, St. Joseph had four-straight possessions end in Lonoke steals, and six-straight possessions that ended in turnovers without the Bulldogs getting a shot into the air.
The Bulldogs finally got a three-point play to get back to within nine points, but Lonoke scored the next five and the margin remained between 13 and 15 the rest of the way.
Lonoke, 5-0, also committed to getting the ball inside on offense. Mack had just three points at halftime, but finished with 11, scoring all eight of his second-half points in the fourth quarter.
“We settled in and ran the offense a lot better in the second half,” Campbell said. “When we got the lead we only wanted good shots, and we were patient and did that for the most part. We got a lot of steals in the second half, but we didn’t rush anything in transition. It was just a lot better half than the first one. We played much better.”
Rankin led Lonoke with 13 points.
Leader sports editor
It took a week longer than it was supposed to, but the Lonoke Jackrabbits brought home the first-place trophy in the Conway St. Joseph tournament on Saturday, beating the host team 43-28 after struggling in the first half.
After taking a slim 19-17 lead into intermission, the Jackrabbits were utterly dominant on defense in the second half after making some adjustments.
“We finally decided to defend better,” said Lonoke coach Dean Campbell of his team’s second half effort. “I thought we gambled a little too much in our last game because we could get away with it. I was worried that we would do that again, and we did to start. We overplayed and gambled, and they got us with the back door stuff. We were a lot more disciplined in the second half and it turned out a lot better.”
The margin stayed between two and four points for the first five minutes of the third quarter. With Lonoke leading 23-21, guard Jamel Rankin hit a three pointer with 3:05 on the clock to kick start 10-0 Jackrabbit run that ended with a slam dunk out of the half-court set that put Lonoke up 33-21 with 7:02 left in the game.
Brenton Bryant drained a three pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter, and Mack’s dunk firmly established control for Lonoke.
At one point, St. Joseph had four-straight possessions end in Lonoke steals, and six-straight possessions that ended in turnovers without the Bulldogs getting a shot into the air.
The Bulldogs finally got a three-point play to get back to within nine points, but Lonoke scored the next five and the margin remained between 13 and 15 the rest of the way.
Lonoke, 5-0, also committed to getting the ball inside on offense. Mack had just three points at halftime, but finished with 11, scoring all eight of his second-half points in the fourth quarter.
“We settled in and ran the offense a lot better in the second half,” Campbell said. “When we got the lead we only wanted good shots, and we were patient and did that for the most part. We got a lot of steals in the second half, but we didn’t rush anything in transition. It was just a lot better half than the first one. We played much better.”
Rankin led Lonoke with 13 points.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot boys outplay Rams
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Panthers played perhaps their best overall game of the season in the semifinals of the third annual Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament on Saturday, beating previously undefeated Paragould 51-41 at Panther Arena.
As was to be expected between the two evenly-matched teams, there was very little separation on the scoreboard after the first half of play. Cabot (4-1), who’s reeled off four wins in a row, jumped out to an early 10-4 lead at the start of the game, but Paragould (3-1) answered with an 8-0 run to lead 12-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Cabot sophomore Hunter Southerland made a free throw at the beginning of the second quarter to cut the Rams’ lead to one, and Nick Thomas hit a three-pointer at the5:33 mark of the quarter to give the Panthers a 14-12 lead.
Matt Paynter gave Paragould the lead again with 1:49 to play in the opening half on a basket inside the paint, which made the score 19-18. But the Panthers closed the first half with a 4-0 run to lead 23-19 at the break.
Cabot carried its momentum from the end of the first half into the second, as it opened the third quarter with a 10-4 run to push its lead to double digits with the score 33-23. By the end of the quarter, though, Paragould cut the Panther lead to seven, trailing 35-28.
Sophomore Garrett Rowe pushed Cabot’s lead back to 10 with a three-pointer at the start of the fourth and final period, but the Rams steadily chipped away at the host team’s lead. With two-and-a-half minutes to play, Paragould trimmed the deficit down to 43-39.
Two free throws by Hunter York gave Cabot a six-point cushion, but it was Thomas who made the most crucial plays for the Panthers down the stretch. In the last two minutes, Thomas made two game-changing steals, the second of which came with 1:34 remaining, and resulted in an and-one by Thomas at the other end that put Cabot up 48-39 with 1:31 to play.
“Man, I’ll tell you something,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges after the game. “Nick Thomas doesn’t show up in the stat sheets scoring 15, 20 points a game, but Nick Thomas is such an important part of our team because he keeps that extra pass going sometimes, and he keeps us rolling. And he can defend better than people think.
“I put Nick on their best player (Brandon Clifford), and I thought Nick did a good job on 20 (Clifford). Twenty had 22 (points) the other night. Nick accepted the challenge, and those steals were big; his and-one was real big. That sort of pushed that cushion, and then they become more one dimensional, offensively.
“It’s easier to defend one dimension, but I’m just proud of Nick because, like I said, you don’t read his name a lot in the papers, but we’re not 4-1 if he’s not on our team.”
The biggest differences between the two evenly-matched teams in the second half came down to free throws, three-pointers and turnovers.
Cabot finished the game 10 of 16 from the free-throw line for 63 percent, but made 7 of 12 three-pointers for a stellar 58 percent. The Panthers also cut down on their turnovers in the second half. They finished the game with 12, but committed just four in the final two quarters of play.
Conversely, Paragould committed 10 turnovers in the second half, and 19 for the game. The Rams made 8 of 15 free throws in the four quarters played for 53 percent, but went just 3 for 10 from the stripe in the second half (30 percent).
They were 2 for 3 from three-point range in the first half, but 1 for 6 the rest of the game for an overall percentage of 33.
The Panthers also outrebounded Paragould, but just barely, with the margin at 18-16.
York led the Panthers with 13 points. Southerland scored 10. Michael Smith had nine, all of which came in the second half. Thomas scored seven and had a game-high five steals, while Rowe scored all six of his points in the second half.
Chase Brittingham led the Rams with 13 points. Cabot’s Thomas held Clifford, who scored 22 points against Little Rock Catholic in the first round of the Pre-Holiday Tournament, to just four points.
Cabot played Benton, last year’s Pre-Holiday Tournament champions, in the 2013 championship game Monday night after deadlines. Look for details of the boys’ title game in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
Leader sportswriter
The Panthers played perhaps their best overall game of the season in the semifinals of the third annual Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament on Saturday, beating previously undefeated Paragould 51-41 at Panther Arena.
As was to be expected between the two evenly-matched teams, there was very little separation on the scoreboard after the first half of play. Cabot (4-1), who’s reeled off four wins in a row, jumped out to an early 10-4 lead at the start of the game, but Paragould (3-1) answered with an 8-0 run to lead 12-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Cabot sophomore Hunter Southerland made a free throw at the beginning of the second quarter to cut the Rams’ lead to one, and Nick Thomas hit a three-pointer at the5:33 mark of the quarter to give the Panthers a 14-12 lead.
Matt Paynter gave Paragould the lead again with 1:49 to play in the opening half on a basket inside the paint, which made the score 19-18. But the Panthers closed the first half with a 4-0 run to lead 23-19 at the break.
Cabot carried its momentum from the end of the first half into the second, as it opened the third quarter with a 10-4 run to push its lead to double digits with the score 33-23. By the end of the quarter, though, Paragould cut the Panther lead to seven, trailing 35-28.
Sophomore Garrett Rowe pushed Cabot’s lead back to 10 with a three-pointer at the start of the fourth and final period, but the Rams steadily chipped away at the host team’s lead. With two-and-a-half minutes to play, Paragould trimmed the deficit down to 43-39.
Two free throws by Hunter York gave Cabot a six-point cushion, but it was Thomas who made the most crucial plays for the Panthers down the stretch. In the last two minutes, Thomas made two game-changing steals, the second of which came with 1:34 remaining, and resulted in an and-one by Thomas at the other end that put Cabot up 48-39 with 1:31 to play.
“Man, I’ll tell you something,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges after the game. “Nick Thomas doesn’t show up in the stat sheets scoring 15, 20 points a game, but Nick Thomas is such an important part of our team because he keeps that extra pass going sometimes, and he keeps us rolling. And he can defend better than people think.
“I put Nick on their best player (Brandon Clifford), and I thought Nick did a good job on 20 (Clifford). Twenty had 22 (points) the other night. Nick accepted the challenge, and those steals were big; his and-one was real big. That sort of pushed that cushion, and then they become more one dimensional, offensively.
“It’s easier to defend one dimension, but I’m just proud of Nick because, like I said, you don’t read his name a lot in the papers, but we’re not 4-1 if he’s not on our team.”
The biggest differences between the two evenly-matched teams in the second half came down to free throws, three-pointers and turnovers.
Cabot finished the game 10 of 16 from the free-throw line for 63 percent, but made 7 of 12 three-pointers for a stellar 58 percent. The Panthers also cut down on their turnovers in the second half. They finished the game with 12, but committed just four in the final two quarters of play.
Conversely, Paragould committed 10 turnovers in the second half, and 19 for the game. The Rams made 8 of 15 free throws in the four quarters played for 53 percent, but went just 3 for 10 from the stripe in the second half (30 percent).
They were 2 for 3 from three-point range in the first half, but 1 for 6 the rest of the game for an overall percentage of 33.
The Panthers also outrebounded Paragould, but just barely, with the margin at 18-16.
York led the Panthers with 13 points. Southerland scored 10. Michael Smith had nine, all of which came in the second half. Thomas scored seven and had a game-high five steals, while Rowe scored all six of his points in the second half.
Chase Brittingham led the Rams with 13 points. Cabot’s Thomas held Clifford, who scored 22 points against Little Rock Catholic in the first round of the Pre-Holiday Tournament, to just four points.
Cabot played Benton, last year’s Pre-Holiday Tournament champions, in the 2013 championship game Monday night after deadlines. Look for details of the boys’ title game in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
SPORTS STORY >> A second quarter surge lifts JHS ladies
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
After a close first quarter, Jacksonville separated itself from Watson Chapel in the second, and the Lady Red Devils built on their lead from there, winning 71-43 Saturday in the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament at Panther Arena.
It was the only game Jacksonville (2-4) played in the third annual tournament, as the Lady Red Devils took the place of Greene County Tech, who was forced to drop out of the tournament last Tuesday because of the winter weather conditions in northeast Arkansas.
Greene County Tech was originally scheduled to play Cabot last Tuesday. Jacksonville played at Mount St. Mary Academy that day. So because of the scheduling conflict, Cabot received a first-round bye and the Lady Red Devils replaced GCT in the losers’ bracket.
In Saturday’s game, Jacksonville opened with an 11-4 lead, but the Lady Wildcats (2-5) closed the first quarter with a 6-0 run that cut the Lady Red Devils’ lead to 11-10 by the start of the second.
Watson Chapel took a 13-11 lead less than a minute into the second period on a three-pointer by Kierra Cox, but Jacksonville’s Keke Alcorn answered with a three on the ensuing possession to put the Lady Devils back up 14-13.
The two teams traded leads again until Ashli Evans drained another Jacksonville three-pointer, which sparked a 15-0 run for the Lady Red Devils. Jacksonville led 31-17 at that point, and went into halftime with a comfortable 36-19 lead.
“This is two (wins) in a row,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree, whose team beat Mount St. Mary 63-39 for its first win of the season. “The kids are starting to play a lot better. We’re getting better defensively.
“(Watson Chapel) went to a zone, and we just kind of stood around. That slowed us down. We’re not a good slow down operation, and when we slowed down on offense we didn’t get back on defense.”
Jacksonville’s pressure got to the Lady Wildcats throughout the second quarter and deep into the second half. As a result, Watson Chapel had 28 turnovers in the game. Conversely, Jacksonville took better care of the ball as the game progressed. The Lady Devils had 15 turnovers in the game, but just five in the second half.
“We took care of the ball better and we scored in transition,” Rountree said of the second half.
The Lady Devils upped their lead to 20 with 5:36 to play in the third quarter on a layup by Tiffany Smith. At the end of three, Jacksonville led 56-31. Just over the midway point of the final period, the Lady Devils went up 30 on a midrange jumper by Alcorn, which invoked the sportsmanship rule with the score 70-40 with 3:53 remaining.
With the continuous clock in effect, only four more points were scored the rest of the way, and Evans set the final score in the waning seconds on a free throw.
Markela Bryles led the Lady Red Devils offensively. She finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds – both team highs. Smith scored 15 points. Antrice McCoy scored 13. Alcorn had 11, while Sacha Richardson and Evans added six apiece.
If the Lady Red Devils want to make it three wins in a row, they’ll have to do it against the most talented team in the state, as they’ll host top-ranked North Little Rock on Friday.
Leader sportswriter
After a close first quarter, Jacksonville separated itself from Watson Chapel in the second, and the Lady Red Devils built on their lead from there, winning 71-43 Saturday in the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament at Panther Arena.
It was the only game Jacksonville (2-4) played in the third annual tournament, as the Lady Red Devils took the place of Greene County Tech, who was forced to drop out of the tournament last Tuesday because of the winter weather conditions in northeast Arkansas.
Greene County Tech was originally scheduled to play Cabot last Tuesday. Jacksonville played at Mount St. Mary Academy that day. So because of the scheduling conflict, Cabot received a first-round bye and the Lady Red Devils replaced GCT in the losers’ bracket.
In Saturday’s game, Jacksonville opened with an 11-4 lead, but the Lady Wildcats (2-5) closed the first quarter with a 6-0 run that cut the Lady Red Devils’ lead to 11-10 by the start of the second.
Watson Chapel took a 13-11 lead less than a minute into the second period on a three-pointer by Kierra Cox, but Jacksonville’s Keke Alcorn answered with a three on the ensuing possession to put the Lady Devils back up 14-13.
The two teams traded leads again until Ashli Evans drained another Jacksonville three-pointer, which sparked a 15-0 run for the Lady Red Devils. Jacksonville led 31-17 at that point, and went into halftime with a comfortable 36-19 lead.
“This is two (wins) in a row,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree, whose team beat Mount St. Mary 63-39 for its first win of the season. “The kids are starting to play a lot better. We’re getting better defensively.
“(Watson Chapel) went to a zone, and we just kind of stood around. That slowed us down. We’re not a good slow down operation, and when we slowed down on offense we didn’t get back on defense.”
Jacksonville’s pressure got to the Lady Wildcats throughout the second quarter and deep into the second half. As a result, Watson Chapel had 28 turnovers in the game. Conversely, Jacksonville took better care of the ball as the game progressed. The Lady Devils had 15 turnovers in the game, but just five in the second half.
“We took care of the ball better and we scored in transition,” Rountree said of the second half.
The Lady Devils upped their lead to 20 with 5:36 to play in the third quarter on a layup by Tiffany Smith. At the end of three, Jacksonville led 56-31. Just over the midway point of the final period, the Lady Devils went up 30 on a midrange jumper by Alcorn, which invoked the sportsmanship rule with the score 70-40 with 3:53 remaining.
With the continuous clock in effect, only four more points were scored the rest of the way, and Evans set the final score in the waning seconds on a free throw.
Markela Bryles led the Lady Red Devils offensively. She finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds – both team highs. Smith scored 15 points. Antrice McCoy scored 13. Alcorn had 11, while Sacha Richardson and Evans added six apiece.
If the Lady Red Devils want to make it three wins in a row, they’ll have to do it against the most talented team in the state, as they’ll host top-ranked North Little Rock on Friday.
SPORTS STORY >> Falcons topple Fayetteville
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski Falcons got one of their biggest wins under third-year coach Roy Jackson on Saturday, beating defending class 7A runner-up Fayetteville 61-59 in overtime in the third-place game of the John Stanton Memorial Classic at Conway High School. The Falcons showed patience and poise to pull off the win after trailing by two with 1.7 seconds left in regulation and by three with 58 seconds left in overtime.
“This is an important win for us,” said Jackson. “Fayetteville may not be as talented as they were last year, but they still got that size and they’re still an excellent team. I see them going a long way in that 7A.”
Trailing 52-50, point guard RaShawn Langston was fouled with 1.7 seconds left in regulation. The 6-foot-3 sophomore coolly stepped up and dropped both free throws into the bottom of the net to send the game into overtime.
Fayetteville scored first in overtime and got a defensive stop with a chance to extend the lead. But senior Fred Thomas stole the ball and passed to Langston, who attacked the rim, drew two defenders and dished to Steven Farrior for a layup and a 55-54 North Pulaski lead.
Fayetteville then scored the next four points, taking a 58-55 lead when 6-7 post player C.J. O’Grady picked up a loose ball and scored with 1:20 left in overtime.
North Pulaski’s Aaren Scruggs was fouled on the next possession and hit both free throws, something Fayetteville was not able to do down the stretch, to make it 58-57.
O’Grady was fouled on the Bulldogs’ next possession but missed both free throws, air-balling the second one to give the Falcons possession with 55 seconds left.
That possession was pivotal. North Pulaski ran its offense to perfection, making five passes while keeping the ball moving. It paid off when Scruggs gave it up to Langston at the top of the key, then cut to the basket unguarded. Langston spotted the open man and hit Scruggs for an uncontested layup that put the Falcons up 69-58 with 35 seconds on the clock.
“That’s something we’ve been drilling and drilling and working on in practice,” Jackson said. “Slowing down, being patient and letting the offense work for you instead of you forcing the offense. And then look what happens.”
With 14 seconds left, Fayetteville guard Payton Willis went to the line for two shots. He made the first, but missed the second, leaving it tied at 59. Thomas got the rebound for the Falcons and called timeout with 10.4 seconds left.
Jackson told his team to spread the floor and let Langston attack the basket, and the strategy worked. Langston faked left, crossed over to his right and hit a scooping layup with two seconds remaining. Fayetteville, without any timeouts left, wasn’t able to inbound the ball and get a shot off before time expired.
“They had been in man defense so I felt like we could get to the rim if we spread it out,” Jackson said. “Langston made a great play.”
The win was all the more impressive since the Falcons won the game without leading scorer and Division I signee Joe Aikens, who left the game after rolling his ankle just before halftime. He was walking on it and jogging up and down the bench shortly after leaving the game, but was held out in the second half just as a precaution.
“He’s the leader of the team, so for us to put things together and get a win like this without him is even better,” Jackson said. “The two games we’ve lost, we didn’t play as a team. This game right here, we played team basketball. There wasn’t any one player that stepped up, everybody stepped up. Scruggs hit some big shots and some big free throws. Shawn made that great play and hit those two free throws. I thought Fred and Steven battled hard on the boards with those big guys. De’Marik Brown hit some huge shots for us in the second half. It was just a team effort.”
Brown and Scruggs shared leading scoring honors with 13 points each. All 13 of Brown’s came in the second half, when he went 5 for 6 from the floor, including 3 for 3 from three-point range. His 25-footer at the buzzer to end the third quarter put the Falcons in front 36-33. He added another one to start the fourth quarter that put the Falcons up six before the Bulldogs began to battle back.
Fayetteville didn’t try to utilize its considerable size advantage, instead relying heavily on outside shooting. The Bulldogs took 40 shots, 20 of them from beyond the arc. They made 21 of their 40 shot attempts, but only seven three pointers.
The Falcons were 23 of 46 from the floor, and made four of their seven three-point attempts. Fayetteville hit 10 of 17 free-throw attempts while North Pulaski made 11 of 17. The Falcons outrebounded the much bigger Bulldogs 21-16.
The task grows even bigger this week, when North Pulaski hosts overall No. 1 ranked Parkview on Friday.
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski Falcons got one of their biggest wins under third-year coach Roy Jackson on Saturday, beating defending class 7A runner-up Fayetteville 61-59 in overtime in the third-place game of the John Stanton Memorial Classic at Conway High School. The Falcons showed patience and poise to pull off the win after trailing by two with 1.7 seconds left in regulation and by three with 58 seconds left in overtime.
“This is an important win for us,” said Jackson. “Fayetteville may not be as talented as they were last year, but they still got that size and they’re still an excellent team. I see them going a long way in that 7A.”
Trailing 52-50, point guard RaShawn Langston was fouled with 1.7 seconds left in regulation. The 6-foot-3 sophomore coolly stepped up and dropped both free throws into the bottom of the net to send the game into overtime.
Fayetteville scored first in overtime and got a defensive stop with a chance to extend the lead. But senior Fred Thomas stole the ball and passed to Langston, who attacked the rim, drew two defenders and dished to Steven Farrior for a layup and a 55-54 North Pulaski lead.
Fayetteville then scored the next four points, taking a 58-55 lead when 6-7 post player C.J. O’Grady picked up a loose ball and scored with 1:20 left in overtime.
North Pulaski’s Aaren Scruggs was fouled on the next possession and hit both free throws, something Fayetteville was not able to do down the stretch, to make it 58-57.
O’Grady was fouled on the Bulldogs’ next possession but missed both free throws, air-balling the second one to give the Falcons possession with 55 seconds left.
That possession was pivotal. North Pulaski ran its offense to perfection, making five passes while keeping the ball moving. It paid off when Scruggs gave it up to Langston at the top of the key, then cut to the basket unguarded. Langston spotted the open man and hit Scruggs for an uncontested layup that put the Falcons up 69-58 with 35 seconds on the clock.
“That’s something we’ve been drilling and drilling and working on in practice,” Jackson said. “Slowing down, being patient and letting the offense work for you instead of you forcing the offense. And then look what happens.”
With 14 seconds left, Fayetteville guard Payton Willis went to the line for two shots. He made the first, but missed the second, leaving it tied at 59. Thomas got the rebound for the Falcons and called timeout with 10.4 seconds left.
Jackson told his team to spread the floor and let Langston attack the basket, and the strategy worked. Langston faked left, crossed over to his right and hit a scooping layup with two seconds remaining. Fayetteville, without any timeouts left, wasn’t able to inbound the ball and get a shot off before time expired.
“They had been in man defense so I felt like we could get to the rim if we spread it out,” Jackson said. “Langston made a great play.”
The win was all the more impressive since the Falcons won the game without leading scorer and Division I signee Joe Aikens, who left the game after rolling his ankle just before halftime. He was walking on it and jogging up and down the bench shortly after leaving the game, but was held out in the second half just as a precaution.
“He’s the leader of the team, so for us to put things together and get a win like this without him is even better,” Jackson said. “The two games we’ve lost, we didn’t play as a team. This game right here, we played team basketball. There wasn’t any one player that stepped up, everybody stepped up. Scruggs hit some big shots and some big free throws. Shawn made that great play and hit those two free throws. I thought Fred and Steven battled hard on the boards with those big guys. De’Marik Brown hit some huge shots for us in the second half. It was just a team effort.”
Brown and Scruggs shared leading scoring honors with 13 points each. All 13 of Brown’s came in the second half, when he went 5 for 6 from the floor, including 3 for 3 from three-point range. His 25-footer at the buzzer to end the third quarter put the Falcons in front 36-33. He added another one to start the fourth quarter that put the Falcons up six before the Bulldogs began to battle back.
Fayetteville didn’t try to utilize its considerable size advantage, instead relying heavily on outside shooting. The Bulldogs took 40 shots, 20 of them from beyond the arc. They made 21 of their 40 shot attempts, but only seven three pointers.
The Falcons were 23 of 46 from the floor, and made four of their seven three-point attempts. Fayetteville hit 10 of 17 free-throw attempts while North Pulaski made 11 of 17. The Falcons outrebounded the much bigger Bulldogs 21-16.
The task grows even bigger this week, when North Pulaski hosts overall No. 1 ranked Parkview on Friday.
EDITORIAL >> Budget deal helps LRAFB
The budget compromise that passed the House of Representatives last week and is now in the Senate could mean more funding for Little Rock Air Force, where an avionics modernization program for older C-130s could resume sometime next year.
The costly modernization program was put on hiatus earlier this year and appeared doomed after Congress approved automatic across-the-board budget cuts — or sequestration — that hit the military the hardest. Half the cuts would have come from the military, but the congressional budget deal now calls for restoring $62 billion in spending over the next two years. As much as $30 billion will go to the Pentagon, which still leaves $23 billion in cuts in place. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who lead the negotiations in the House with Senate conferees, insists that 92 percent of the sequestration cuts will still go into effect.
That would still leave billions for much needed programs. Easing sequestration could mean millions of dollars spent on the C-130 modernization program for older planes at the air base and elsewhere.
A handful of those older C-130Hs were refitted at the Jacksonville air base before budget cuts ended the program, especially because Boeing, the program’s contractor, has struggled to contain costs. The company’s original bid, which included extensive rewiring of the old C-130s, was originally $5 million for each plane. Even before the program was canceled, the Pentagon warned Boeing that cost overruns are unacceptable.
The avionics modernization program costs about $9 million per plane, or almost double Boeing’s original $5 million bid. Boeing is trying to bring the cost down, but even the higher figure is still much lower than the cost of a new C-130J, which sells for about $70 million. Many of the older planes, especially those in the Air National Guard, can no longer fly because their avionics are out of date.
The Air Force will probably opt for a less expensive communications, navigation and surveillance air-traffic management system.
The latest program can be installed for about $2.5 billion on 184 airplanes, which would be a tremendous boost for the 314th Airlift Wing, the National Guard’s 89th Airlift Wing and the Reserves’ detachment wing, which train C-130 crews at LRAFB. The 19th Airlift Wing, the combat mission at the base, is transitioning to an all-C130J fleet.
Sweden has successfully refitted its C-130s, improving navigation and fuel economy and access to air space as new rules in Europe will restrict older planes in civilian air space starting in 2015.
As funds become available, a dozen or so C-130s could see their avionics upgraded early in 2014 and perhaps another 20 or so at the end of the year. Initially, the program called for improving as many as 200 old planes. Modernizing 100 of them would go a long way toward making America’s C-130 fleet more up to date.
The C-130 still has many friends in Washington. Reconfiguring the aging fleet is a good way to move forward in a tight budget environment. Remember, the airmen at Little Rock Air Force Base and elsewhere are flying their grandfathers’ airplanes.
The modernization program will keep them flying for several more generations, which would be a fitting testament to the durability of the greatest cargo plane in aviation history.
The costly modernization program was put on hiatus earlier this year and appeared doomed after Congress approved automatic across-the-board budget cuts — or sequestration — that hit the military the hardest. Half the cuts would have come from the military, but the congressional budget deal now calls for restoring $62 billion in spending over the next two years. As much as $30 billion will go to the Pentagon, which still leaves $23 billion in cuts in place. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who lead the negotiations in the House with Senate conferees, insists that 92 percent of the sequestration cuts will still go into effect.
That would still leave billions for much needed programs. Easing sequestration could mean millions of dollars spent on the C-130 modernization program for older planes at the air base and elsewhere.
A handful of those older C-130Hs were refitted at the Jacksonville air base before budget cuts ended the program, especially because Boeing, the program’s contractor, has struggled to contain costs. The company’s original bid, which included extensive rewiring of the old C-130s, was originally $5 million for each plane. Even before the program was canceled, the Pentagon warned Boeing that cost overruns are unacceptable.
The avionics modernization program costs about $9 million per plane, or almost double Boeing’s original $5 million bid. Boeing is trying to bring the cost down, but even the higher figure is still much lower than the cost of a new C-130J, which sells for about $70 million. Many of the older planes, especially those in the Air National Guard, can no longer fly because their avionics are out of date.
The Air Force will probably opt for a less expensive communications, navigation and surveillance air-traffic management system.
The latest program can be installed for about $2.5 billion on 184 airplanes, which would be a tremendous boost for the 314th Airlift Wing, the National Guard’s 89th Airlift Wing and the Reserves’ detachment wing, which train C-130 crews at LRAFB. The 19th Airlift Wing, the combat mission at the base, is transitioning to an all-C130J fleet.
Sweden has successfully refitted its C-130s, improving navigation and fuel economy and access to air space as new rules in Europe will restrict older planes in civilian air space starting in 2015.
As funds become available, a dozen or so C-130s could see their avionics upgraded early in 2014 and perhaps another 20 or so at the end of the year. Initially, the program called for improving as many as 200 old planes. Modernizing 100 of them would go a long way toward making America’s C-130 fleet more up to date.
The C-130 still has many friends in Washington. Reconfiguring the aging fleet is a good way to move forward in a tight budget environment. Remember, the airmen at Little Rock Air Force Base and elsewhere are flying their grandfathers’ airplanes.
The modernization program will keep them flying for several more generations, which would be a fitting testament to the durability of the greatest cargo plane in aviation history.
TOP STORY >> Accused in killing appears in court
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Marcus Israel, 23, withdrew $20 Friday night at First Arkansas Bank’s ATM on West Main Street, according to Jacksonville police. The commonplace act was his last.
The Jacksonville man may have selected the “fast cash” shortcut many automatic-teller machines prompt customers to use.
Fast cash is what 19-year-old Lerome Deshawn Kelley was looking for before he allegedly shot Israel several times with a semi-automatic pistol, according to Capt. Kenny Boyd of the Jacksonville Police Department.
The victim died Saturday at UAMS.
Kelley is charged with capital murder, four counts of aggravated robbery, committing a terroristic act and three counts of theft of property.
Although he pleaded not guilty on Monday at Jacksonville District Court to the murder, one robbery charge and the terrorist act charge, Kelley confessed to killing Israel after he was arrested on Sunday, according to police.
Boyd added that Kelley admitted to robbing three others at gunpoint on the same day as the murder, on Nov. 30 and on Nov. 28.
District Judge Robert Batton is scheduled to hear Kelley’s pleas on the rest of the charges at 9 a.m. today in a video conference call from the Pulaski County jail. No bond has been set.
Kelley is set to appear at 9 a.m. Friday in Batton’s courtroom at 1412 W. Main St. for a bond hearing. He will re-enter pleas later at Pulaski County Circuit Court, which tries felony cases.
The homeless teen who stayed with different people in Jacksonville told police he shot at Israel because he got “scared” when the other man tried to drive away.
Boyd said Kelley and Israel never spoke to each other.
He added, “I learned a long time ago not to attempt to get into these people’s heads. They don’t think like me and you do.”
Israel was found inside his green Dodge Ram, which he crashed into a vacant building.
A surveillance video shows Kelley parking his bicycle in a nearby alley, according to reports. He walked out of camera view until 10:39 p.m., one minute after Israel pulled up to the ATM.
Kelley was wearing a camouflage jacket when he fled the scene. He was seen Sunday wearing the same jacket and riding a bike on Stevenson Street.
Boyd said Monday that the department, at this time, is not releasing how Kelley was found because information related to that is being followed up on.
But, he said of investigators, “They worked diligently over the weekend.”
Reports of the previous robberies were not released because police didn’t want to alert Kelley to their investigation, Boyd said.
“We don’t want to give all of our clues out so quickly,” he explained.
Kelley covered his face completely, with the exception of his eyes, during all of the robberies. All of the locations had security cameras.
On the day of the murder, Kelley allegedly robbed a Sonic employee at 1808 West Main St. when the employee went outside by the dumpster to smoke, according to a report.
A pack of Marlboro red cigarettes, a coin holder and a Sonic wallet containing $100.64 were stolen.
On Nov. 30, a man was robbed at Bank of America at 101 Gregory Place off North First Street. A cell phone was stolen from the man, who said he didn’t have any money on him, according to a report.
A man was robbed at Bank of America on Nov. 28. A cell phone and $240 were stolen.
TOP STORY >> Interest limited for new signups
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
If you want new health insurance under the Affordable Care Act to take effect Jan. 1, you must enroll by Dec. 23, according to two in-person assisters whose job it is to help people through the process.
The two, Joyce Hardy and Stephen Marshall, are sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System. They were on hand to help at Sherwood’s Amy Sanders Library last Thursday evening.
Perhaps because the state General Assembly turned their thumbs down on a $5 million advertising and informational campaign for the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — no one showed up for the two-hour enrollment opportunity.
As the enrollment deadline nears for those wanting Affordable Care Act health-care coverage by the Jan. 1 startup, scores of in-person assisters are available in Pulaski, Lonoke and White counties.
The cost of health care varies by the extent of coverage sought, family size, income and smoking status, Marshall said.
Hardy said most of the people they helped are finding the new health coverage better and less expensive than their current policy, if they have one.
Despite concerns that they don’t qualify because they don’t make enough money, don’t have a job or do have a pre-existing condition, those are precisely the people that the Affordable Care Act was designed for, Hardy said.
Most days, she answers questions or helps one to three people enroll. In Pulaski County, there are 13 groups sponsoring in-person assisters, including people at all Central Arkansas Library branches, Hardy said.
Those enrolling can do so by phone, in person, on paper or through the website, according to Hardy. She said that she has helped 38 people enroll. Another in-person assistor, Stephen Foster, said he had helped about 30.
According to Heather Haywood of the state Insurance Department, “Arkansas Health Connector is holding enrollment events throughout the state.” Consumers are applying, shopping and enrolling in health-insurance plans through www.healthcare.gov, Haywood said. “The website improvements have allowed consumers to ha ve better shopping experience,” she noted.
As of Dec. 2, 58,203 Arkansans had completed enrollment, according to Amy Webb, spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services. Another 5,432, based on their answers, were told they would be better served in the traditional Medicaid program.
Rice said between 200,000 and 250,000 Arkansans are eligible for Affordable Care Act insurance.
For eligibility, a person or family would have to have taxable income of 138 percent of the poverty level. So a single person earning up to $15,850 a year would be eligible .
Marshall said eligibility is determined by these simple criteria:
• You must live in the U.S.
• You must be lawfully present in the U.S.
• You must not be incarcerated due to a conviction.
• All Arkansans between 19 and 65 years old are required by law to have health insurance by March 15 or face a penalty that increases every year.
• All insurance policies, whether through the website, Medicaid expansion or regular private insurance, are now required to accept people younger than 19 who have preexisting conditions, allow parents to carry their children on their plans until they are 26, provide free preventative care and lift lifetime limits on health insurance payout. All health insurance plans must provide:
• Outpatient services, including primary-care physician office visits; specialist office visits, outpatient surgical services, outpatient diagnostics, including advanced diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans; and outpatient physical and occupational therapy.
• Emergency services, including after-hours clinic or urgent-care center visits; observation services, transfer to in-network hospital and ambulance services.
• Hospitalization, including hospital services; physician hospital visits, inpatient services, including surgical services; physical and occupational therapy and organ transplant services.
• Maternity and newborn care.
• Mental health and substance abuse services, including professional services; diagnostics and inpatient and outpatient care at a hospital or other covered facility.
• Prescription drugs.
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy and developmental services.
• Laboratory services — testing and evaluation.
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, including case- management communications made by primary-care physician.
• Preventive health services, including routine immunizations and pediatric services, including dental and vision care.
Locations where help with enrollment is available include:
PULASKI COUNTY
• Local Health Department units, including the one in Jacksonville, 501-982-7477.
• Arkansas Health Care Access Foundation, 501-221-3033 and 501-951-5330.
• Arkansas Minority Health Commission, 501-686-2720.
• Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind, 501-366-3647.
• Better Community Development, Inc., 501-663-9181, 501-580-4269.
• Central Arkansas Library, 501-918-3031.
• Central Arkansas Volunteers in Medicine, doing business as Harmony Health Clinic, 501-375-4400.
• Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc., 501-374-8225.
• Future Builders, Inc., 501- 897-5566.
• Hope, Restoration and Wellness Learning Center, 501-240-2795
• IN Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
• Mental Health Council of Arkansas, 501-372-7062.
• The Living & Affected, 877-902-7448.
• Women’s Council on African American Affairs, Inc., 501-372-3800.
LONOKE COUNTY
• Cabot Health Unit, 501- 843-7561.
• Lonoke Health Unit, 501- 676-2268.
• Central Arkansas Library, 501-918-3031.
• Future Builders, Inc., 501-897-5566.
• In Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
WHITE COUNTY
• Beebe Health Unit, 501- 882-5128.
• IN Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
• Mental Health Council of Arkansas, 501-372-7062.
Connector website is http://www.arhealthconnector.org/homepage.html. For help enrolling or to find assisters in your area, call 855-283-3483.
Leader senior staff writer
If you want new health insurance under the Affordable Care Act to take effect Jan. 1, you must enroll by Dec. 23, according to two in-person assisters whose job it is to help people through the process.
The two, Joyce Hardy and Stephen Marshall, are sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System. They were on hand to help at Sherwood’s Amy Sanders Library last Thursday evening.
Perhaps because the state General Assembly turned their thumbs down on a $5 million advertising and informational campaign for the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — no one showed up for the two-hour enrollment opportunity.
As the enrollment deadline nears for those wanting Affordable Care Act health-care coverage by the Jan. 1 startup, scores of in-person assisters are available in Pulaski, Lonoke and White counties.
The cost of health care varies by the extent of coverage sought, family size, income and smoking status, Marshall said.
Hardy said most of the people they helped are finding the new health coverage better and less expensive than their current policy, if they have one.
Despite concerns that they don’t qualify because they don’t make enough money, don’t have a job or do have a pre-existing condition, those are precisely the people that the Affordable Care Act was designed for, Hardy said.
Most days, she answers questions or helps one to three people enroll. In Pulaski County, there are 13 groups sponsoring in-person assisters, including people at all Central Arkansas Library branches, Hardy said.
Those enrolling can do so by phone, in person, on paper or through the website, according to Hardy. She said that she has helped 38 people enroll. Another in-person assistor, Stephen Foster, said he had helped about 30.
According to Heather Haywood of the state Insurance Department, “Arkansas Health Connector is holding enrollment events throughout the state.” Consumers are applying, shopping and enrolling in health-insurance plans through www.healthcare.gov, Haywood said. “The website improvements have allowed consumers to ha ve better shopping experience,” she noted.
As of Dec. 2, 58,203 Arkansans had completed enrollment, according to Amy Webb, spokeswoman for the state Department of Human Services. Another 5,432, based on their answers, were told they would be better served in the traditional Medicaid program.
Rice said between 200,000 and 250,000 Arkansans are eligible for Affordable Care Act insurance.
For eligibility, a person or family would have to have taxable income of 138 percent of the poverty level. So a single person earning up to $15,850 a year would be eligible .
Marshall said eligibility is determined by these simple criteria:
• You must live in the U.S.
• You must be lawfully present in the U.S.
• You must not be incarcerated due to a conviction.
• All Arkansans between 19 and 65 years old are required by law to have health insurance by March 15 or face a penalty that increases every year.
• All insurance policies, whether through the website, Medicaid expansion or regular private insurance, are now required to accept people younger than 19 who have preexisting conditions, allow parents to carry their children on their plans until they are 26, provide free preventative care and lift lifetime limits on health insurance payout. All health insurance plans must provide:
• Outpatient services, including primary-care physician office visits; specialist office visits, outpatient surgical services, outpatient diagnostics, including advanced diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans; and outpatient physical and occupational therapy.
• Emergency services, including after-hours clinic or urgent-care center visits; observation services, transfer to in-network hospital and ambulance services.
• Hospitalization, including hospital services; physician hospital visits, inpatient services, including surgical services; physical and occupational therapy and organ transplant services.
• Maternity and newborn care.
• Mental health and substance abuse services, including professional services; diagnostics and inpatient and outpatient care at a hospital or other covered facility.
• Prescription drugs.
• Rehabilitative and habilitative services, including physical, occupational and speech therapy and developmental services.
• Laboratory services — testing and evaluation.
• Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, including case- management communications made by primary-care physician.
• Preventive health services, including routine immunizations and pediatric services, including dental and vision care.
Locations where help with enrollment is available include:
PULASKI COUNTY
• Local Health Department units, including the one in Jacksonville, 501-982-7477.
• Arkansas Health Care Access Foundation, 501-221-3033 and 501-951-5330.
• Arkansas Minority Health Commission, 501-686-2720.
• Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind, 501-366-3647.
• Better Community Development, Inc., 501-663-9181, 501-580-4269.
• Central Arkansas Library, 501-918-3031.
• Central Arkansas Volunteers in Medicine, doing business as Harmony Health Clinic, 501-375-4400.
• Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc., 501-374-8225.
• Future Builders, Inc., 501- 897-5566.
• Hope, Restoration and Wellness Learning Center, 501-240-2795
• IN Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
• Mental Health Council of Arkansas, 501-372-7062.
• The Living & Affected, 877-902-7448.
• Women’s Council on African American Affairs, Inc., 501-372-3800.
LONOKE COUNTY
• Cabot Health Unit, 501- 843-7561.
• Lonoke Health Unit, 501- 676-2268.
• Central Arkansas Library, 501-918-3031.
• Future Builders, Inc., 501-897-5566.
• In Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
WHITE COUNTY
• Beebe Health Unit, 501- 882-5128.
• IN Affordable Housing, Inc., 501-221-2203, 501-954-0017 (mobile).
• Mental Health Council of Arkansas, 501-372-7062.
Connector website is http://www.arhealthconnector.org/homepage.html. For help enrolling or to find assisters in your area, call 855-283-3483.
TOP STORY >> Sherwood opposes PCSSD deal
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Twenty-five words — just two lines, only one sentence — caused the Sherwood City Council to take a stand Monday night against the state-proposed desegregation settlement.
“The desegregation case is 35 years old and it needs to end,” said City Attorney Steve Cobb, “but, in the process, we want to be treated like everyone else.”
The sentence in the proposed settlement causing the consternation is: “The state will oppose the creation of any other school district (besides Jacksonville) from PCSSD’s territory until PCSSD is declared fully unitary and released from court supervision.”
The council unanimously approved a resolution calling on Cobb to prepare the objection.
If the settlement is approved, it will end — in about four years — the state’s annual payments of more than $70 million split between Little Rock, north Little Rock and Pulaski County school districts.
State Rep. Jim Nickels (D-Sherwood), who found the added sentence in the attorney general’s final proposal, said it would throw Sherwood under the proverbial school bus.
He told the council Monday night that it wasn’t right to insert that sentence at this point in Sherwood’s efforts. “You were doing everything that was asked of you, following the law, playing by the rules, doing what you were supposed to do, and then the state decides to change rules.”
Linda Remele, who co-chairs with Beverly Williams the group that is laying the foundation for a separate school district, said Sherwood supporters have two choices — throw their hands up and wait until the district does reach unitary state and is released from court supervision, or push forward and raise concerns and objections now.
She said the education foundation is meeting in the next few days. Remele and Williams will recommend the panel file a letter of objection just like the council voted to do.
Cobb said he would start drafting the city’s objection immediately and once reviewed by the mayor and other city officials, he will send it to U.S District Judge G. Price Marshall.
According to the attorney general, any objections to the proposed settlement agreement must be submitted in writing to the court by Dec. 23.
In pushing for the resolution, Alderman Charlie Harmon said, “It is very evident that Sherwood residents want their own school district. We represent the 30,000 people of the city; no one else does.”
Remele said, “We agree with most Arkansans that this long overdue settlement agreement is needed in Arkansas, but we are profoundly disappointed with a last-minute change to the proposed desegregation settlement.”
She told the council she and the foundation were “shocked when we found out, as it was not in the original proposal.”
Remele said she and Williams met with the governor and the attorney general, but got no promises of a change.
Williams told the council that, even though the feasibility study was not complete, the racial and economic numbers were available. They showed that a Sherwood district would not upset the racial balance of PCSSD, she said.
The proposed Sherwood district — one high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools — would be whiter than PCSSD, but it would also be blacker and socio-economically disadvantaged.
Williams pointed out, “PCSSD is 44.5 percent white; the proposed Sherwood district would be 45.5 percent white. PCSSD is 43.5 percent black; the proposed Sherwood district would be 44 percent black. And PCSSD is 6.5 percent Hispanic; Sherwood would be 6 percent Hispanic.”
She continued, “PCSSD enrollment has 55.5 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch; Sherwood would have 58 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Both PCSSD and the proposed Sherwood district have 12 percent enrolled in special education.”
Remele added, “We are supportive of that opportunity for our neighboring city, and we had no problems with that paragraph (allowing Jacksonville its own district) until that sentence was added. It has unfair, negative consequences for our community.”
She said, “It begs the obvious question: Why is it allowable for one community to create its own school district, yet not for Sherwood?”
Sherwood has been working toward its own district since 2004 and has made major strides in the past year.
In 2004, Sherwood residents determined that a community-based and community-run school district would be in the best interest of the city and its students.
Earlier this year, the council passed a resolution establishing the Sherwood Public Education Foundation with the mayor appointing its members. The foundation has been pursuing the process outlined by Arkansas law to create a Sherwood Public School District. The process included holding public meetings and initiating a feasibility study.
Williams told the council Monday that Sherwood is the 14th largest city in the state, yet doesn’t have its own school district. If it gets its own district, it will be in the top 20 in size — between Benton and El Dorado school districts.
Attorneys for the Joshua Intervenors and the Pulaski County Special School District have agreed on two more areas in which the district is unitary — that’s desegregated — and have asked Judge Marshall to appoint a magistrate to help oversee compliance and agreement on the final seven areas.
“PCSSD has substantially complied with its obligations in Plan 2000 regarding 1) student Assignment and 2) talented and assignment, gifted, advanced placement and honors programs,” according to a stipulation filed Monday with the district clerk’s office over the signatures of attorneys John Walker and Allen Roberts.
Leader staff writer
Twenty-five words — just two lines, only one sentence — caused the Sherwood City Council to take a stand Monday night against the state-proposed desegregation settlement.
“The desegregation case is 35 years old and it needs to end,” said City Attorney Steve Cobb, “but, in the process, we want to be treated like everyone else.”
The sentence in the proposed settlement causing the consternation is: “The state will oppose the creation of any other school district (besides Jacksonville) from PCSSD’s territory until PCSSD is declared fully unitary and released from court supervision.”
The council unanimously approved a resolution calling on Cobb to prepare the objection.
If the settlement is approved, it will end — in about four years — the state’s annual payments of more than $70 million split between Little Rock, north Little Rock and Pulaski County school districts.
State Rep. Jim Nickels (D-Sherwood), who found the added sentence in the attorney general’s final proposal, said it would throw Sherwood under the proverbial school bus.
He told the council Monday night that it wasn’t right to insert that sentence at this point in Sherwood’s efforts. “You were doing everything that was asked of you, following the law, playing by the rules, doing what you were supposed to do, and then the state decides to change rules.”
Linda Remele, who co-chairs with Beverly Williams the group that is laying the foundation for a separate school district, said Sherwood supporters have two choices — throw their hands up and wait until the district does reach unitary state and is released from court supervision, or push forward and raise concerns and objections now.
She said the education foundation is meeting in the next few days. Remele and Williams will recommend the panel file a letter of objection just like the council voted to do.
Cobb said he would start drafting the city’s objection immediately and once reviewed by the mayor and other city officials, he will send it to U.S District Judge G. Price Marshall.
According to the attorney general, any objections to the proposed settlement agreement must be submitted in writing to the court by Dec. 23.
In pushing for the resolution, Alderman Charlie Harmon said, “It is very evident that Sherwood residents want their own school district. We represent the 30,000 people of the city; no one else does.”
Remele said, “We agree with most Arkansans that this long overdue settlement agreement is needed in Arkansas, but we are profoundly disappointed with a last-minute change to the proposed desegregation settlement.”
She told the council she and the foundation were “shocked when we found out, as it was not in the original proposal.”
Remele said she and Williams met with the governor and the attorney general, but got no promises of a change.
Williams told the council that, even though the feasibility study was not complete, the racial and economic numbers were available. They showed that a Sherwood district would not upset the racial balance of PCSSD, she said.
The proposed Sherwood district — one high school, two middle schools and six elementary schools — would be whiter than PCSSD, but it would also be blacker and socio-economically disadvantaged.
Williams pointed out, “PCSSD is 44.5 percent white; the proposed Sherwood district would be 45.5 percent white. PCSSD is 43.5 percent black; the proposed Sherwood district would be 44 percent black. And PCSSD is 6.5 percent Hispanic; Sherwood would be 6 percent Hispanic.”
She continued, “PCSSD enrollment has 55.5 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch; Sherwood would have 58 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Both PCSSD and the proposed Sherwood district have 12 percent enrolled in special education.”
Remele added, “We are supportive of that opportunity for our neighboring city, and we had no problems with that paragraph (allowing Jacksonville its own district) until that sentence was added. It has unfair, negative consequences for our community.”
She said, “It begs the obvious question: Why is it allowable for one community to create its own school district, yet not for Sherwood?”
Sherwood has been working toward its own district since 2004 and has made major strides in the past year.
In 2004, Sherwood residents determined that a community-based and community-run school district would be in the best interest of the city and its students.
Earlier this year, the council passed a resolution establishing the Sherwood Public Education Foundation with the mayor appointing its members. The foundation has been pursuing the process outlined by Arkansas law to create a Sherwood Public School District. The process included holding public meetings and initiating a feasibility study.
Williams told the council Monday that Sherwood is the 14th largest city in the state, yet doesn’t have its own school district. If it gets its own district, it will be in the top 20 in size — between Benton and El Dorado school districts.
Attorneys for the Joshua Intervenors and the Pulaski County Special School District have agreed on two more areas in which the district is unitary — that’s desegregated — and have asked Judge Marshall to appoint a magistrate to help oversee compliance and agreement on the final seven areas.
“PCSSD has substantially complied with its obligations in Plan 2000 regarding 1) student Assignment and 2) talented and assignment, gifted, advanced placement and honors programs,” according to a stipulation filed Monday with the district clerk’s office over the signatures of attorneys John Walker and Allen Roberts.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Devils earn their first win at Mt. St. Mary
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lady Red Devils put one in the win column Tuesday night, taking a short trip and beating Mount St. Mary Academy 63-39 in Little Rock.
Jacksonville, 1-3, came out trapping on defense and it troubled the Belles. The Lady Red Devils quickly jumped out to a 15-5 lead and continued to stretch the lead throughout the first three quarters.
“I give our kids a lot of credit,” Jacksonville coach William Rountree said. “They’ve played an extremely tough schedule. They lost a game to the weather and have had a big gap in between games. For them to come out like they did and then to keep it rolling, that’s a credit to them and their focus. They did a really good job.”
Rountree alternated between fullcourt and half-court traps out of man-to-man defense, but foul trouble forced the Lady Devils into a zone at times.
That created many of Jacksonville’s first-quarter points, but it wasn’t the only way Jacksonville created offensive success.
“I thought we had good balance,” Rountree said. “We got the ball inside a little better. Scoring was very balanced. Tiffany (Smith) and Keke (Alcorn) shot the ball well. And we got good play from Ashli Evans, Sacha Richardson and Jerika Hardaway as well. I’m really very encouraged.”
Getting the ball inside hasn’t been much of an option for Jacksonville until recently. Junior post player Markela Bryles, who started last year but didn’t join the team until last week, added an inside presence that the guard-heavy Lady Devils were lacking.
“She’s not big for a post player, but she’s the biggest one we’ve got and she can play down there,” Rountree said. “She’s got good touch from close range and she can score. She gives us another piece to the puzzle, which makes everybody better.”
The Lady Red Devils led 29-14 at halftime and 47-22 at the end of three quarters. Rountree used the fourth quarter to get several players more game experience.
Three Lady Devils shared leading scorer honors. Smith, Alcorn and Antrice McCoy each scored 13 points while Bryles added 12.
Jacksonville will play at 1 p.m. today in the Cabot Pre-Holiday tournament. The Lady Devils weren’t originally scheduled to appear in the tournament.
With northeast Arkansas still covered in ice on Tuesday, when Greene County Tech was supposed to play Cabot, the Lady Eagles had to drop out of the event. Cabot took a bye in the first round, and Jacksonville will replace Tech in the losers’ bracket on Saturday against Watson Chapel, a first-round loser to Bryant on Thursday.
Leader sports editor
The Lady Red Devils put one in the win column Tuesday night, taking a short trip and beating Mount St. Mary Academy 63-39 in Little Rock.
Jacksonville, 1-3, came out trapping on defense and it troubled the Belles. The Lady Red Devils quickly jumped out to a 15-5 lead and continued to stretch the lead throughout the first three quarters.
“I give our kids a lot of credit,” Jacksonville coach William Rountree said. “They’ve played an extremely tough schedule. They lost a game to the weather and have had a big gap in between games. For them to come out like they did and then to keep it rolling, that’s a credit to them and their focus. They did a really good job.”
Rountree alternated between fullcourt and half-court traps out of man-to-man defense, but foul trouble forced the Lady Devils into a zone at times.
That created many of Jacksonville’s first-quarter points, but it wasn’t the only way Jacksonville created offensive success.
“I thought we had good balance,” Rountree said. “We got the ball inside a little better. Scoring was very balanced. Tiffany (Smith) and Keke (Alcorn) shot the ball well. And we got good play from Ashli Evans, Sacha Richardson and Jerika Hardaway as well. I’m really very encouraged.”
Getting the ball inside hasn’t been much of an option for Jacksonville until recently. Junior post player Markela Bryles, who started last year but didn’t join the team until last week, added an inside presence that the guard-heavy Lady Devils were lacking.
“She’s not big for a post player, but she’s the biggest one we’ve got and she can play down there,” Rountree said. “She’s got good touch from close range and she can score. She gives us another piece to the puzzle, which makes everybody better.”
The Lady Red Devils led 29-14 at halftime and 47-22 at the end of three quarters. Rountree used the fourth quarter to get several players more game experience.
Three Lady Devils shared leading scorer honors. Smith, Alcorn and Antrice McCoy each scored 13 points while Bryles added 12.
Jacksonville will play at 1 p.m. today in the Cabot Pre-Holiday tournament. The Lady Devils weren’t originally scheduled to appear in the tournament.
With northeast Arkansas still covered in ice on Tuesday, when Greene County Tech was supposed to play Cabot, the Lady Eagles had to drop out of the event. Cabot took a bye in the first round, and Jacksonville will replace Tech in the losers’ bracket on Saturday against Watson Chapel, a first-round loser to Bryant on Thursday.
SPORTS STORY >> Bison fall in semifinals to Junction City
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Junction City Dragons intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to seal a 38-28 class 2A semifinal victory over Carlisle on Friday in El Dorado.
The pick six came with 39 seconds remaining, and put an end to a comeback by the Bison after falling behind 30-14.
Carlisle mounted a comeback and put up offensive numbers like no team has against the Dragons.
With 4:04 left in the third quarter, Junction City took advantage of Carlisle’s third turnover and scored to go up by 16.
The Bison got one back before the quarter ended.
Fullback DeRon Ricks completed a long drive with a 2-yard run with 1:08 remaining in the third. The two-point conversion failed after an illegal procedure penalty moved the ball back to the 8-yard line. It was the second time in the game that Carlisle got a penalty before a two-point conversion, and they failed to convert both times.
The Bison defense then stopped Junction City, and didn’t take long to score again. This time it was halfback Bo Weddle who carried for the final 6 yards with 9:06 remaining in the game. He also got the two-point conversion to make it a two-point game.
Carlisle’s defense got another stop, but the offense grew ineffective when Ricks went down with 2:42 remaining with a hyper extended knee.
Facing third and long, Carlisle had to try to pass, and it resulted in the game-ending interception.
Carlisle threw three passes and completed none. The Bison ran for 242 yards, with Ricks getting 198 of those on 38 carries and scoring three touchdowns.
The Dragons had 241 total yards with 175 rushing. They will face Des Arc, who beat Bearden 8-0 in the other semifinal, in next Saturday’s championship game.
Leader sports editor
The Junction City Dragons intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to seal a 38-28 class 2A semifinal victory over Carlisle on Friday in El Dorado.
The pick six came with 39 seconds remaining, and put an end to a comeback by the Bison after falling behind 30-14.
Carlisle mounted a comeback and put up offensive numbers like no team has against the Dragons.
With 4:04 left in the third quarter, Junction City took advantage of Carlisle’s third turnover and scored to go up by 16.
The Bison got one back before the quarter ended.
Fullback DeRon Ricks completed a long drive with a 2-yard run with 1:08 remaining in the third. The two-point conversion failed after an illegal procedure penalty moved the ball back to the 8-yard line. It was the second time in the game that Carlisle got a penalty before a two-point conversion, and they failed to convert both times.
The Bison defense then stopped Junction City, and didn’t take long to score again. This time it was halfback Bo Weddle who carried for the final 6 yards with 9:06 remaining in the game. He also got the two-point conversion to make it a two-point game.
Carlisle’s defense got another stop, but the offense grew ineffective when Ricks went down with 2:42 remaining with a hyper extended knee.
Facing third and long, Carlisle had to try to pass, and it resulted in the game-ending interception.
Carlisle threw three passes and completed none. The Bison ran for 242 yards, with Ricks getting 198 of those on 38 carries and scoring three touchdowns.
The Dragons had 241 total yards with 175 rushing. They will face Des Arc, who beat Bearden 8-0 in the other semifinal, in next Saturday’s championship game.
SPORTS STORY >> North Pulaski upends Trojans
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski boys won their third-straight game on Wednesday, beating the Hot Springs Trojans 63-50 at the Conway Invitational and improving to 4-1 this season. The game went back-and-forth throughout the first half, which ended with the Falcons leading 31-27.
North Pulaski then scored six points in the first minute of the third to take a 10-point lead, and never relinquished control from that point.
“I think we did pretty well,” said North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson. “The first half I thought we came out a little sluggish. But once we got going I thought we picked it up. They never did take off from school and kept practicing and playing games. They were able to prepare for us and we weren’t able to do that. I was real pleased with my kids. On the defensive end I was pleased with the effort the whole game. Offensively, I thought we were off with our timing from the layoff, so it took a minute to adjust.”
Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter. North Pulaski made just two shots from the floor, but hit six of eight free throws and took a 10-7 lead into the second frame. Things picked up from there as the Falcons began focusing on its interior game. Fred Thomas scored eight points in the paint in the second quarter and Steven Farrior added four more. That opened up the outside, where the Falcons hit their only two three pointers of the night. They were 2 of 15 from beyond the three-point line in the game, and the two that went in required a little luck.
“I think we banked in both the ones we made,” Jackson said. “I think some of that has to do with playing in an open arena for the first time this year. That backdrop is nothing like playing in a regular gym. I think we’ll probably do better than 2 for 15 the rest of the tournament.”
Rebounding was the only area in which Hot Springs won the battle, outrebounding the Falcons 40-28, but Jackson felt better about the second half effort on the boards.
“I thought we did a lot better job of it in the second half,” Jackson said. “They’re just as athletic as we are and a little bigger, so we’re not going to just jump higher than them. We came out in the second half with a better focus on boxing out.”
The numbers bear out Jackson’s observation. Hot Springs held a 23-13 advantage on the boards at halftime, but only a 17-15 advantage in the second half.
North Pulaski’s defensive pressure forced 23 Trojan turnovers, 12 of which were steals by seven different Falcons. DeMarik Brown came off the bench to lead the team with three takeaways. North Pulaski only turned it over 11 times.
Sophomore RaShawn Langston led the Falcons with 16 points while Thomas added 14 and a team-high six rebounds. Jackson was impressed by Thomas’ presence inside, being that he is only 5-foot-9.
“He’s really an athletic kid and he’s just got a motor,” Jackson said. “Rebounding is a mindset. It’s an attitude. He’s buying into what we’re trying to do. He’s hungry, and hopefully he’ll keeping coming with it the rest of the season.”
Joe Aikens scored 10 points and had five assists and four rebounds.
Trey Lenox led Hot Springs with 11 points.
North Pulaski lost 58-50 to tournament host Conway on Friday night and will face Harrison at 5:30 p.m. today in the third-place game. The Goblins lost to Fayetteville in the other semifinal.
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski boys won their third-straight game on Wednesday, beating the Hot Springs Trojans 63-50 at the Conway Invitational and improving to 4-1 this season. The game went back-and-forth throughout the first half, which ended with the Falcons leading 31-27.
North Pulaski then scored six points in the first minute of the third to take a 10-point lead, and never relinquished control from that point.
“I think we did pretty well,” said North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson. “The first half I thought we came out a little sluggish. But once we got going I thought we picked it up. They never did take off from school and kept practicing and playing games. They were able to prepare for us and we weren’t able to do that. I was real pleased with my kids. On the defensive end I was pleased with the effort the whole game. Offensively, I thought we were off with our timing from the layoff, so it took a minute to adjust.”
Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter. North Pulaski made just two shots from the floor, but hit six of eight free throws and took a 10-7 lead into the second frame. Things picked up from there as the Falcons began focusing on its interior game. Fred Thomas scored eight points in the paint in the second quarter and Steven Farrior added four more. That opened up the outside, where the Falcons hit their only two three pointers of the night. They were 2 of 15 from beyond the three-point line in the game, and the two that went in required a little luck.
“I think we banked in both the ones we made,” Jackson said. “I think some of that has to do with playing in an open arena for the first time this year. That backdrop is nothing like playing in a regular gym. I think we’ll probably do better than 2 for 15 the rest of the tournament.”
Rebounding was the only area in which Hot Springs won the battle, outrebounding the Falcons 40-28, but Jackson felt better about the second half effort on the boards.
“I thought we did a lot better job of it in the second half,” Jackson said. “They’re just as athletic as we are and a little bigger, so we’re not going to just jump higher than them. We came out in the second half with a better focus on boxing out.”
The numbers bear out Jackson’s observation. Hot Springs held a 23-13 advantage on the boards at halftime, but only a 17-15 advantage in the second half.
North Pulaski’s defensive pressure forced 23 Trojan turnovers, 12 of which were steals by seven different Falcons. DeMarik Brown came off the bench to lead the team with three takeaways. North Pulaski only turned it over 11 times.
Sophomore RaShawn Langston led the Falcons with 16 points while Thomas added 14 and a team-high six rebounds. Jackson was impressed by Thomas’ presence inside, being that he is only 5-foot-9.
“He’s really an athletic kid and he’s just got a motor,” Jackson said. “Rebounding is a mindset. It’s an attitude. He’s buying into what we’re trying to do. He’s hungry, and hopefully he’ll keeping coming with it the rest of the season.”
Joe Aikens scored 10 points and had five assists and four rebounds.
Trey Lenox led Hot Springs with 11 points.
North Pulaski lost 58-50 to tournament host Conway on Friday night and will face Harrison at 5:30 p.m. today in the third-place game. The Goblins lost to Fayetteville in the other semifinal.
SPORTS STORY >> Tigers air it out, deflate Panthers
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The clouds never broke and the rain never stopped pouring at War Memorial Stadium on Friday, a fitting setting for a class 7A championship game that turned into a battle to see which team would break first. It took an entire half for one team to flinch, and that team was Cabot.
The Bentonville Tigers took advantage of two Cabot fumbles and a secondary that continuously gave up deep passes en route to a 39-28 victory, earning BHS its fourth state championship and depriving Cabot of its fourth.
The two teams slugged it out for a half, with the Panthers taking a 14-13 lead into intermission, but the way the first half ended turned out to be a preview of the final two quarters.
Cabot, 12-1, scored with 54 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead, but Bentonville, 11-2, went deep for the first time in the game on the ensuing possession, and connected for 52 yards from quarterback Kasey Ford to receiver Jimmie Jackson to the Cabot 10-yard line with 22 seconds remaining.
Cabot defensive end Brian Marshall sacked Ford on the next play, forcing the Tigers to settle for a field goal, but the play gave the Tigers the confidence to come out passing in the second half despite the dreadful conditions.
“We wanted to throw the ball from the start, but we thought with the conditions we might ought to keep it conservative,” said Bentonville coach Barry Lunney. “But that just wasn’t getting us where we needed to be. So we decided we were just going to throw the ball regardless of the conditions. Kasey is going to be a great quarterback. One thing that helps him is he has huge hands, so he can still get a good grip on that ball. He made some great throws tonight.”
The Tigers got the ball to start the second half and wasted little time going over the top again. On the second play of the third quarter, Ford found Cody Scroggins 41 yards downfield to the Panther 20-yard line.
It took six plays to score from there, but the Tigers just got it in on fourth and 1 when junior Hekili Keliiliki plowed forward after running into the back of his linemen for the touchdown.
Still, the Panthers only trailed 20-14, and the game had gone back and forth since the Tigers kicked a field goal for the first score of the game with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
But Cabot would never lead again, thanks to fumbles on back-to-back possessions.
The Panthers gave the ball up on downs after a 44-yard drive to start the game, and went three and out on their second possession. From that point, they scored on every drive on which they didn’t fumble.
After the Tigers’ touchdown in the third quarter, Cabot drove 33 yards into Bentonville territory on seven carries by fullback Zach Launius. The ball came loose during a scrum after a 3-yard gain, and Bentonville’s Tyler Nichols came out of the pile with the ball.
Bentonville went 48 yards in seven plays, converting a third down and 12 from the 19-yard line into a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ford to Scroggins with 3:31 left in the third quarter. The Tigers faked the extra point and attempted to convert for two, but were stopped, leaving the score 26-14.
Cabot returned the kickoff to the 29-yard line, then drove 51 yards before Launius fumbled again at the 19-yard line. Nichols again came out of the pile with the ball while Launius argued that he was down before being stripped of the ball.
The officials took a long time to signal Bentonville’s ball, and the replay on the stadium jumbotron seemed to verify Launius’ claim, but Bentonville took over on its own 22, and the Cabot defense continued to have no answer for the Tiger passing attack.
After a 3-yard run, Scroggins made a 19-yard catch to the 44. Three more running plays gained 12 yards before another big scoring strike from Ford to Jackson.
Jackson was running a post route the whole way, but a simple shoulder pump by Ford was enough to make Cabot cornerback Jordan Burke bite hard and allow Jackson to run past him. Jackson made the catch with no defender within 15 yards for an easy six with 8:43 left in the game.
Cabot blocked the extra point, leaving the score 32-14.
The Panthers scored easily on their next drive, starting with a 52-yard run by halfback Chris Henry that set the Panthers up at the Bentonville 28-yard line. Dylan Thompson then went 12 yards and Launius scored his second touchdown five plays later with 6:17 remaining.
Trevor Reed’s extra point made it 32-21. But Cabot couldn’t stop the Tigers.
The Panther defense forced three third downs of 4 yards or more, but the Tigers converted each time. They failed to convert on their fourth third down, but went for it on fourth and 2 from the Cabot 18, and Keliiliki got all 18 on a run off right tackle for a 39-21 lead with 1:47 remaining in the game.
Cabot’s final drive went 72 yards in eight plays, and Launius broke 2,000 yards rushing for the season on the last carry of his career, a 5-yard run for his third touchdown that gave him 179 for the game and 2,001 yards this season. Launius fell just short of the school record, but became just the second player in school history to top the 2,000-yard mark.
“We had a good season running the ball,” said Cabot coach Mike Malham. “We moved the ball all year long. We moved it this game except for those two drives where we fumbled it. That turned out to be the difference. If we go in and score on those two drives it’s a different looking game.”
Launius also threw a touchdown pass in the first half, a half in which every touchdown drive involved some form of trick play. Cabot’s opening touchdown came on a fullback pass from Launius to Henry for 14 yards on third and 10.
That gave Cabot a 7-3 lead with 7:05 left in the first half. Bentonville then scored on a rollout right, throwback left to tight end Jack Kraus. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound Razorback signee caught the ball at the 3-yard line, and had only 5-8, 150-pound sophomore Holdyn Barnes to beat. Barnes went low and hit Kraus thigh-high at the 1, but couldn’t keep him out of the end zone.
Cabot’s last touchdown of the first half was set up by a common play, but still caught Bentonville off guard because the Tigers were not expecting a fade pass to the end zone by the run-oriented Panthers.
Quarterback Kason Kim-brell threw a perfect pass to receiver Jake Ferguson, who made a phenomenal catch a yard deep in the end zone, but the official ruled he went out of bounds at the 1. The call was wrong, but academic. Launius went in untouched on the very next play to put the Panthers ahead 14-10 with 54 seconds on the clock.
Bentonville finished with 431 total yards. Ford completed 11 of 18 pass attempts for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson and Scroggins each caught four passes. Jackson totaled 114 yards and Scroggins 110. Tailback Dylan Smith carried 22 times for 107 yards.
Cabot gained 418 yards, with 332 coming on the ground. Launius carried 39 times for 179 yards and three touchdowns, and threw one pass for 14 yards and a score. Kimbrell completed 6 of 7 pass attempts for 72 yards. Henry had 127 total yards, carrying eight times for 76 yards and catching three passes for 51 yards and a score.
Leader sports editor
The clouds never broke and the rain never stopped pouring at War Memorial Stadium on Friday, a fitting setting for a class 7A championship game that turned into a battle to see which team would break first. It took an entire half for one team to flinch, and that team was Cabot.
The Bentonville Tigers took advantage of two Cabot fumbles and a secondary that continuously gave up deep passes en route to a 39-28 victory, earning BHS its fourth state championship and depriving Cabot of its fourth.
The two teams slugged it out for a half, with the Panthers taking a 14-13 lead into intermission, but the way the first half ended turned out to be a preview of the final two quarters.
Cabot, 12-1, scored with 54 seconds left in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead, but Bentonville, 11-2, went deep for the first time in the game on the ensuing possession, and connected for 52 yards from quarterback Kasey Ford to receiver Jimmie Jackson to the Cabot 10-yard line with 22 seconds remaining.
Cabot defensive end Brian Marshall sacked Ford on the next play, forcing the Tigers to settle for a field goal, but the play gave the Tigers the confidence to come out passing in the second half despite the dreadful conditions.
“We wanted to throw the ball from the start, but we thought with the conditions we might ought to keep it conservative,” said Bentonville coach Barry Lunney. “But that just wasn’t getting us where we needed to be. So we decided we were just going to throw the ball regardless of the conditions. Kasey is going to be a great quarterback. One thing that helps him is he has huge hands, so he can still get a good grip on that ball. He made some great throws tonight.”
The Tigers got the ball to start the second half and wasted little time going over the top again. On the second play of the third quarter, Ford found Cody Scroggins 41 yards downfield to the Panther 20-yard line.
It took six plays to score from there, but the Tigers just got it in on fourth and 1 when junior Hekili Keliiliki plowed forward after running into the back of his linemen for the touchdown.
Still, the Panthers only trailed 20-14, and the game had gone back and forth since the Tigers kicked a field goal for the first score of the game with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
But Cabot would never lead again, thanks to fumbles on back-to-back possessions.
The Panthers gave the ball up on downs after a 44-yard drive to start the game, and went three and out on their second possession. From that point, they scored on every drive on which they didn’t fumble.
After the Tigers’ touchdown in the third quarter, Cabot drove 33 yards into Bentonville territory on seven carries by fullback Zach Launius. The ball came loose during a scrum after a 3-yard gain, and Bentonville’s Tyler Nichols came out of the pile with the ball.
Bentonville went 48 yards in seven plays, converting a third down and 12 from the 19-yard line into a 19-yard touchdown pass from Ford to Scroggins with 3:31 left in the third quarter. The Tigers faked the extra point and attempted to convert for two, but were stopped, leaving the score 26-14.
Cabot returned the kickoff to the 29-yard line, then drove 51 yards before Launius fumbled again at the 19-yard line. Nichols again came out of the pile with the ball while Launius argued that he was down before being stripped of the ball.
The officials took a long time to signal Bentonville’s ball, and the replay on the stadium jumbotron seemed to verify Launius’ claim, but Bentonville took over on its own 22, and the Cabot defense continued to have no answer for the Tiger passing attack.
After a 3-yard run, Scroggins made a 19-yard catch to the 44. Three more running plays gained 12 yards before another big scoring strike from Ford to Jackson.
Jackson was running a post route the whole way, but a simple shoulder pump by Ford was enough to make Cabot cornerback Jordan Burke bite hard and allow Jackson to run past him. Jackson made the catch with no defender within 15 yards for an easy six with 8:43 left in the game.
Cabot blocked the extra point, leaving the score 32-14.
The Panthers scored easily on their next drive, starting with a 52-yard run by halfback Chris Henry that set the Panthers up at the Bentonville 28-yard line. Dylan Thompson then went 12 yards and Launius scored his second touchdown five plays later with 6:17 remaining.
Trevor Reed’s extra point made it 32-21. But Cabot couldn’t stop the Tigers.
The Panther defense forced three third downs of 4 yards or more, but the Tigers converted each time. They failed to convert on their fourth third down, but went for it on fourth and 2 from the Cabot 18, and Keliiliki got all 18 on a run off right tackle for a 39-21 lead with 1:47 remaining in the game.
Cabot’s final drive went 72 yards in eight plays, and Launius broke 2,000 yards rushing for the season on the last carry of his career, a 5-yard run for his third touchdown that gave him 179 for the game and 2,001 yards this season. Launius fell just short of the school record, but became just the second player in school history to top the 2,000-yard mark.
“We had a good season running the ball,” said Cabot coach Mike Malham. “We moved the ball all year long. We moved it this game except for those two drives where we fumbled it. That turned out to be the difference. If we go in and score on those two drives it’s a different looking game.”
Launius also threw a touchdown pass in the first half, a half in which every touchdown drive involved some form of trick play. Cabot’s opening touchdown came on a fullback pass from Launius to Henry for 14 yards on third and 10.
That gave Cabot a 7-3 lead with 7:05 left in the first half. Bentonville then scored on a rollout right, throwback left to tight end Jack Kraus. The 6-foot-6, 234-pound Razorback signee caught the ball at the 3-yard line, and had only 5-8, 150-pound sophomore Holdyn Barnes to beat. Barnes went low and hit Kraus thigh-high at the 1, but couldn’t keep him out of the end zone.
Cabot’s last touchdown of the first half was set up by a common play, but still caught Bentonville off guard because the Tigers were not expecting a fade pass to the end zone by the run-oriented Panthers.
Quarterback Kason Kim-brell threw a perfect pass to receiver Jake Ferguson, who made a phenomenal catch a yard deep in the end zone, but the official ruled he went out of bounds at the 1. The call was wrong, but academic. Launius went in untouched on the very next play to put the Panthers ahead 14-10 with 54 seconds on the clock.
Bentonville finished with 431 total yards. Ford completed 11 of 18 pass attempts for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Jackson and Scroggins each caught four passes. Jackson totaled 114 yards and Scroggins 110. Tailback Dylan Smith carried 22 times for 107 yards.
Cabot gained 418 yards, with 332 coming on the ground. Launius carried 39 times for 179 yards and three touchdowns, and threw one pass for 14 yards and a score. Kimbrell completed 6 of 7 pass attempts for 72 yards. Henry had 127 total yards, carrying eight times for 76 yards and catching three passes for 51 yards and a score.
EDITORIAL >> Grandkids a special joy
My oldest grandson was born 15 years ago on Dec. 7. No one asked me then if I wanted to be a grandmother. If they had, I might have told them, “Not quite yet.”
I was actually taken aback when the kids asked what version of grandmother I wanted for my new name. I didn’t like any in common use but begrudgingly settled for Gran. That worked well until the second grandchild couldn’t quite pronounce it and started calling me Joanie. And it mutated to Noanie with the third.
When the babies were very small, their mothers took care of them. When they went back to school or to work, I did. During many long summers, I waited for phone calls from public officials while frying huge batches of chicken strips and potato logs for the grandkids, who were old enough to stay by themselves since our houses are virtually in the same yard but not old enough to make their own lunch.
Once, I rushed through a phone call with a congressman because one of the twins seemed to need to talk to me more than I needed to talk to him. I like to think he didn’t notice.
We already had seven of the 10 by the time my husband and I added onto the house out of sheer necessity. I envisioned a cozy sitting room for the adults in the old living room. But, before I could even start on it, the grandkids claimed it as their own. It was the kids’ room, they told me, and so it was.
I bought them bean bags, which I tossed behind the catty-cornered couch. Sometimes they sat on them, but just as often they were the base of a playhouse behind the couch that usually also included every pillow in the room.
When I repainted that room, I also had to replace the knobs on the TV cabinet that had been inadvertently removed by a grandson who fiddled with them with his bare toes while lying on the floor.
They all knew that the Band-aids and antibiotic cream were on the bottom shelf of the cabinet in the bathroom across the hall and that they didn’t have to ask for popsicles. But they did have to put the wrappers in the basket I bought for the kids’ room.
It was a crazy time, but I realized during the ice storm last week that it had come to an end.
I actually looked forward to snow and ice days when my house was the place to get warm, dry gloves and drink hot chocolate. But this weekend, for the first time, the kids stayed at their own houses. My house was clean with no clutter or puddles from icy boots. But it was so very quiet.
The interesting thing about ice storms is that they give you time that you might not have ordinarily — time to talk, make chili, reconnect. Just ask any delivery-room nurse about the brisk business they do nine months after a big winter event.
For me, it was time to try to remember who I was before the grandkids came along and decide if I want to go back to that or try something different for the next 20 years. Frankly, I’m more than a little upset that it’s come to that. But, just like no one asked me if I was ready to be a grandmother, no one asked me if it was OK with me if they grew up. If they had, I might have told them, “Not quite yet.”
— Joan McCoy
I was actually taken aback when the kids asked what version of grandmother I wanted for my new name. I didn’t like any in common use but begrudgingly settled for Gran. That worked well until the second grandchild couldn’t quite pronounce it and started calling me Joanie. And it mutated to Noanie with the third.
When the babies were very small, their mothers took care of them. When they went back to school or to work, I did. During many long summers, I waited for phone calls from public officials while frying huge batches of chicken strips and potato logs for the grandkids, who were old enough to stay by themselves since our houses are virtually in the same yard but not old enough to make their own lunch.
Once, I rushed through a phone call with a congressman because one of the twins seemed to need to talk to me more than I needed to talk to him. I like to think he didn’t notice.
We already had seven of the 10 by the time my husband and I added onto the house out of sheer necessity. I envisioned a cozy sitting room for the adults in the old living room. But, before I could even start on it, the grandkids claimed it as their own. It was the kids’ room, they told me, and so it was.
I bought them bean bags, which I tossed behind the catty-cornered couch. Sometimes they sat on them, but just as often they were the base of a playhouse behind the couch that usually also included every pillow in the room.
When I repainted that room, I also had to replace the knobs on the TV cabinet that had been inadvertently removed by a grandson who fiddled with them with his bare toes while lying on the floor.
They all knew that the Band-aids and antibiotic cream were on the bottom shelf of the cabinet in the bathroom across the hall and that they didn’t have to ask for popsicles. But they did have to put the wrappers in the basket I bought for the kids’ room.
It was a crazy time, but I realized during the ice storm last week that it had come to an end.
I actually looked forward to snow and ice days when my house was the place to get warm, dry gloves and drink hot chocolate. But this weekend, for the first time, the kids stayed at their own houses. My house was clean with no clutter or puddles from icy boots. But it was so very quiet.
The interesting thing about ice storms is that they give you time that you might not have ordinarily — time to talk, make chili, reconnect. Just ask any delivery-room nurse about the brisk business they do nine months after a big winter event.
For me, it was time to try to remember who I was before the grandkids came along and decide if I want to go back to that or try something different for the next 20 years. Frankly, I’m more than a little upset that it’s come to that. But, just like no one asked me if I was ready to be a grandmother, no one asked me if it was OK with me if they grew up. If they had, I might have told them, “Not quite yet.”
— Joan McCoy
TOP STORY >> Ward approves $1.39M budget
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The Ward City Council this week passed a $1.39 million general fund budget for 2014 and a $2.7 million budget for water and wastewater.
General fund revenue is up slightly from 2013, when the council passed a $1.35 million budget. But the budget for water and wastewater is the same.
The general fund budget includes 3 percent pay raises for hourly workers and 4 percent raises for department heads.
Mayor Art Brooke’s salary was increased from $30,000 to $32,500. The mayor said, when his salary was raised from $25,312 to $30,000 in 2012, he didn’t intend to run for a fifth term and that the increase was necessary to attract a good replacement. But supporters have asked him to run again, Brooke said, so that is what he will do.
The council also approved a $1,000 pay raise for part-time Clerk-Treasurer John Barclay, bringing his salary to $13,000.
In a breakdown by department, the budget includes $546,500 for the police department, $208,200 for the fire department, $77,700 for parks and $451,700 for the street department.
The council also unanimously approved changes in the city’s 1995 zoning ordinance to include three distinct development districts – the downtown area, an area near Ward Central Elementary and an area in the southern part of the city – that would include mixed-use commercial and residential with no barriers to separate the two.
The plan for the districts was created by Metroplan. The council adopted the plan after three separate readings during three successive council meetings to ensure that the public was aware of the changes.
Now that the changes are part of the city’s zoning ordinance, all development in the districts — which are one-quarter mile in radius — must comply with the plan.
All the houses built inside the three districts must have front porches. All parking for businesses and houses must be in the rear.
There will be no parking on the streets in the three districts, and there will be no driveways leading to garages attached to the sides of houses. Both front and side setbacks will be narrower. So buildings will be closer together and closer to streets.
When they are built on, the three new districts will be similar to neighborhoods during the 1800s or early 1900s, when people walked between houses and visited with neighbors sitting on their front porches.
The design would create a sense of place for the people who live there, Metroplan deputy director Richard Magee and Metroplan GIS planner Jeff Runder told the city council when they introduced the changes during the October council meeting.
Crime could potentially go down as residents get to know their neighbors, they claimed. And speeders would likely slow down because the close proximity of buildings and streets is conducive to lower speeds, the Metroplan representatives said.
Leader staff writer
The Ward City Council this week passed a $1.39 million general fund budget for 2014 and a $2.7 million budget for water and wastewater.
General fund revenue is up slightly from 2013, when the council passed a $1.35 million budget. But the budget for water and wastewater is the same.
The general fund budget includes 3 percent pay raises for hourly workers and 4 percent raises for department heads.
Mayor Art Brooke’s salary was increased from $30,000 to $32,500. The mayor said, when his salary was raised from $25,312 to $30,000 in 2012, he didn’t intend to run for a fifth term and that the increase was necessary to attract a good replacement. But supporters have asked him to run again, Brooke said, so that is what he will do.
The council also approved a $1,000 pay raise for part-time Clerk-Treasurer John Barclay, bringing his salary to $13,000.
In a breakdown by department, the budget includes $546,500 for the police department, $208,200 for the fire department, $77,700 for parks and $451,700 for the street department.
The council also unanimously approved changes in the city’s 1995 zoning ordinance to include three distinct development districts – the downtown area, an area near Ward Central Elementary and an area in the southern part of the city – that would include mixed-use commercial and residential with no barriers to separate the two.
The plan for the districts was created by Metroplan. The council adopted the plan after three separate readings during three successive council meetings to ensure that the public was aware of the changes.
Now that the changes are part of the city’s zoning ordinance, all development in the districts — which are one-quarter mile in radius — must comply with the plan.
All the houses built inside the three districts must have front porches. All parking for businesses and houses must be in the rear.
There will be no parking on the streets in the three districts, and there will be no driveways leading to garages attached to the sides of houses. Both front and side setbacks will be narrower. So buildings will be closer together and closer to streets.
When they are built on, the three new districts will be similar to neighborhoods during the 1800s or early 1900s, when people walked between houses and visited with neighbors sitting on their front porches.
The design would create a sense of place for the people who live there, Metroplan deputy director Richard Magee and Metroplan GIS planner Jeff Runder told the city council when they introduced the changes during the October council meeting.
Crime could potentially go down as residents get to know their neighbors, they claimed. And speeders would likely slow down because the close proximity of buildings and streets is conducive to lower speeds, the Metroplan representatives said.
TOP STORY >> Lonoke mulls water, sewer hike
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke City Council discussed raising water and sewer rates during its meeting this week, after members received the preliminary 2014 budget.
Alderman Koy Butler said the city’s rates are lower than those of several nearby cities.
Lonoke has a minimum charge of $11 for 1,000 gallons of water. A residential rate comparison showed that the charges for a minimum of 1,000 gallons are $10 in Hazen, $10.86 in Carlisle, $12.09 in England, $14.71 in Ward and $15.64 in Beebe. Lonoke is the third lowest of those. Cabot, Jacksonville and Grand Prairie Bayou Two have a minimum charge for 2,000 gallons. The rates are $8.70 in Jacksonville, $16.70 in Cabot and $21 in Grand Prairie Bayou Two.
The minimum charge to Lonoke residents for sewer is $6.61 per 1,000 gallons. The other minimum rates for 1,000 gallons are $5.10 in Cabot, $7.40 in Carlisle, $8 in Hazen, $8.53 in England, $9.07 in Beebe and $14.63 in Jacksonville. Lonoke is the second lowest.
The city with the lowest minimum combined rate is Hazen with $18. Lonoke comes in second with a combined minimum rate of $17.61 among the cities who have the same 1,000-gallon minimum for both water and sewer.
The council’s discussion was sparked by a Budget and Finance Committee recommendation that the city consider giving 20 percent of the county tax revenue back to the police department. That portion was given to the water and sewer fund in 2012.
If the committee’s recommendation is approved, how the one-cent county tax money is distributed will change but the projected total revenue figure will not. The 2014 budget lists that total as $432,000. By comparison, the city’s 2013 budget projected there would be $424,000 in revenue from the county, and Lonoke had collected $328,157 as of September.
The breakdown of that money is that police receive 22 percent, which includes 3 percent for the library and 5 percent for the depot. The fire department gets 5 percent, animal control’s piece of the pie is 3 percent, the street department receives 25 percent and the water and sewer budget sees 45 percent. The water and sewer fund had $397,894 on Nov. 30, according to the recommendation.
Butler — a committee member — said, if the recommendation weren’t approved, the police department would be out of money by the end of next year. They would also have to use all of their reserves, he said.
“They’re scrimping by,” Butler added.
Alderman Pat Howell disagreed. He explained that the council has provided for police since the county tax distributions were adjusted. “We have never, ever turned them down on anything they’ve asked for…I don’t know where they’ve had to cut back,” Howell said.
He asked the council to give an example of something police have had to do without, but no one gave him one.
Howell also explained that money in the water and sewer fund could be used elsewhere, while funds in the police department’s budget cannot be used for anything but the police department. He also said, “They will be provided for whether we raise water rates or not.”
Alderman Janie Derning agreed with Howell. “We’re not going to let them do without something that they need,” she said.
Alderman Wendell Walker explained that, in 2011, water rates were raised by $2.40.
He said, “in the same sentence” that was approved with, employees received raises.
Walker said, “We cannot make the citizen pay for everything that we need done.”
Butler pointed out that the water and sewer rates are the only income source the city has, with the exception of a bond issue. The council has also talked about pushing for a bond issue at recent meetings.
The city is not coming up with enough revenue to cover a $70,000 water and sewer bond payment, Butler continued.
He said, while water and sewer rate revenues cover some of the payments, Lonoke’s one-cent county tax funds pay whatever is leftover.
The alderman suggested upping the charge for the minimum 1,000 gallons, but Mayor Wayne McGee said the increase should be on the rate for additional usage.
Lonoke’s charge for additional usage is $3.35 for water and $1.57 for sewer. But Butler said there are fewer residents who need additional water and sewer.
Alderman Michael Florence said the city should get a rural water company to conduct a water and sewer rate study. McGee said the study could be done for free.
No consensus was reached, although many on the council agreed that rates should be looked at.
The mayor said more information on what it costs to provide water to Lonoke residents would also be available at the council’s next meeting.
In other business:
The council was told that the Budget and Finance Committee has suggested raising pay for firefighters from $15 per fire run to $20 per fire run.
Firefighters already receive $20 for drills, according to the recommendation. There is enough revenue in the budget to cover the $5 increase, but the current rate is in the fire department’s handbook that was adopted by ordinance, it states.
That means the ordinance must be amended to make the change. The rest of the budget was not discussed, and it was not voted on.
The council voted 6-1 to name Antujuan Terry as assistant director of the Lonoke Community Center. Terry already worked for the center, and the promotion does not come with a pay raise.
Alderman Janie Derning voted against the measure because none of the other departments have assistant directors and, she said, the center doesn’t need one.
Community center director Mike Brown said he wanted someone to be able to make decisions while he was away.
City Attorney Camille Bennett supports the idea because the community center is open when city hall is not. The mayor explained that he or the city clerk have to make decisions when Brown in unavailable.
Leader staff writer
The Lonoke City Council discussed raising water and sewer rates during its meeting this week, after members received the preliminary 2014 budget.
Alderman Koy Butler said the city’s rates are lower than those of several nearby cities.
Lonoke has a minimum charge of $11 for 1,000 gallons of water. A residential rate comparison showed that the charges for a minimum of 1,000 gallons are $10 in Hazen, $10.86 in Carlisle, $12.09 in England, $14.71 in Ward and $15.64 in Beebe. Lonoke is the third lowest of those. Cabot, Jacksonville and Grand Prairie Bayou Two have a minimum charge for 2,000 gallons. The rates are $8.70 in Jacksonville, $16.70 in Cabot and $21 in Grand Prairie Bayou Two.
The minimum charge to Lonoke residents for sewer is $6.61 per 1,000 gallons. The other minimum rates for 1,000 gallons are $5.10 in Cabot, $7.40 in Carlisle, $8 in Hazen, $8.53 in England, $9.07 in Beebe and $14.63 in Jacksonville. Lonoke is the second lowest.
The city with the lowest minimum combined rate is Hazen with $18. Lonoke comes in second with a combined minimum rate of $17.61 among the cities who have the same 1,000-gallon minimum for both water and sewer.
The council’s discussion was sparked by a Budget and Finance Committee recommendation that the city consider giving 20 percent of the county tax revenue back to the police department. That portion was given to the water and sewer fund in 2012.
If the committee’s recommendation is approved, how the one-cent county tax money is distributed will change but the projected total revenue figure will not. The 2014 budget lists that total as $432,000. By comparison, the city’s 2013 budget projected there would be $424,000 in revenue from the county, and Lonoke had collected $328,157 as of September.
The breakdown of that money is that police receive 22 percent, which includes 3 percent for the library and 5 percent for the depot. The fire department gets 5 percent, animal control’s piece of the pie is 3 percent, the street department receives 25 percent and the water and sewer budget sees 45 percent. The water and sewer fund had $397,894 on Nov. 30, according to the recommendation.
Butler — a committee member — said, if the recommendation weren’t approved, the police department would be out of money by the end of next year. They would also have to use all of their reserves, he said.
“They’re scrimping by,” Butler added.
Alderman Pat Howell disagreed. He explained that the council has provided for police since the county tax distributions were adjusted. “We have never, ever turned them down on anything they’ve asked for…I don’t know where they’ve had to cut back,” Howell said.
He asked the council to give an example of something police have had to do without, but no one gave him one.
Howell also explained that money in the water and sewer fund could be used elsewhere, while funds in the police department’s budget cannot be used for anything but the police department. He also said, “They will be provided for whether we raise water rates or not.”
Alderman Janie Derning agreed with Howell. “We’re not going to let them do without something that they need,” she said.
Alderman Wendell Walker explained that, in 2011, water rates were raised by $2.40.
He said, “in the same sentence” that was approved with, employees received raises.
Walker said, “We cannot make the citizen pay for everything that we need done.”
Butler pointed out that the water and sewer rates are the only income source the city has, with the exception of a bond issue. The council has also talked about pushing for a bond issue at recent meetings.
The city is not coming up with enough revenue to cover a $70,000 water and sewer bond payment, Butler continued.
He said, while water and sewer rate revenues cover some of the payments, Lonoke’s one-cent county tax funds pay whatever is leftover.
The alderman suggested upping the charge for the minimum 1,000 gallons, but Mayor Wayne McGee said the increase should be on the rate for additional usage.
Lonoke’s charge for additional usage is $3.35 for water and $1.57 for sewer. But Butler said there are fewer residents who need additional water and sewer.
Alderman Michael Florence said the city should get a rural water company to conduct a water and sewer rate study. McGee said the study could be done for free.
No consensus was reached, although many on the council agreed that rates should be looked at.
The mayor said more information on what it costs to provide water to Lonoke residents would also be available at the council’s next meeting.
In other business:
The council was told that the Budget and Finance Committee has suggested raising pay for firefighters from $15 per fire run to $20 per fire run.
Firefighters already receive $20 for drills, according to the recommendation. There is enough revenue in the budget to cover the $5 increase, but the current rate is in the fire department’s handbook that was adopted by ordinance, it states.
That means the ordinance must be amended to make the change. The rest of the budget was not discussed, and it was not voted on.
The council voted 6-1 to name Antujuan Terry as assistant director of the Lonoke Community Center. Terry already worked for the center, and the promotion does not come with a pay raise.
Alderman Janie Derning voted against the measure because none of the other departments have assistant directors and, she said, the center doesn’t need one.
Community center director Mike Brown said he wanted someone to be able to make decisions while he was away.
City Attorney Camille Bennett supports the idea because the community center is open when city hall is not. The mayor explained that he or the city clerk have to make decisions when Brown in unavailable.
TOP STORY >> Tough cuts balance city budget
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday received a proposed balanced budget for 2014 that is about the same as 2013 and includes $40,000 in revenue from an increase in the sales tax on alcoholic beverages and more than $157,000 in cuts to employee benefits.
Finance director Cheryl Erkel said she would bring the $22 million budget to the council for approval at its next meeting, which is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at city hall.
The council passed the sales tax increase on alcohol, with an emergency clause that makes it effective immediately, at Tuesday’s meeting. The tax was increased to 10 percent of a business’ gross profits, the same rate several surrounding cities have, according to Mayor Gary Fletcher.
Erkel reported that, if the proposed budget were approved, there would be no cost-of-living or annual raises for city employees.
On the chopping block are a $20,246 clothing allowance, $20,000 in tuition reimbursement, $88,000 in longevity pay and $28,800 in degree-incentive pay.
If the budget is approved, the employee portion of free health insurance will also increase to $72 for individuals and from $115 to $150 for families.
But there will be no furloughs or layoffs, Erkel said.
Jacksonville won’t fill six positions that will be open after the beginning of the year. Alderman James Bolden warned, “That doesn’t mean the workload changes.”
The mayor said the positions are across the city. He continued, “Our intention is always to take care of our employees, but again, it’s that $1 million deficit. That census count killed us. It’s followed us…We’ve done an awful lot with as little as we have. The truth of the matter is it’s a very tight budget.”
Fletcher was referring to the city’s loss of $1 million in federal turnback revenue, which happened when the 2010 census — certified in 2011 — showed Jacksonville had lost about 1,500 of its population. The population drop can be attributed to airmen who wereoverseas or elsewhere while homes were being renovated on Little Rock Air Force Base, the mayor has said previously.
Alderman Terry Sansing thanked Fletcher and the department heads for working hard on the budget. “I know this was a very, very difficult year to deal with,” he said.
Erkel presented an unbalanced budget to the council early last month that included all funding requests from every department.
It showed that Jacksonville had to make up for a $2.95 million shortfall by making cuts or generating more revenue. On Tuesday, the council did both.
Of the department heads, Erkel said, “They cut as much as they possibly could.”
The increase in sales tax on alcoholic beverages was passed after local banker Phillip Carlisle and Amy Mattison, the chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the council about the wet/dry petition.
Carlisle and Mattison are members of the Jacksonville Wet/Dry Campaign Com-mittee, which has collected about 13,000 signatures to put to a vote whether nearly 90 percent of the city should go wet or stay dry. The group must collect approximately 4,400 signatures, or 38 percent of registered voters in the dry area.
Carlisle said the most effective way to gather signatures is canvassing 41 neighborhoods.
“The numbers are not astronomical to get the percentage. They’re not. What is astronomical is getting the volunteers to do it,” the banker said.
He urged the aldermen to volunteer and to encourage Jacksonville employees to the same. But the banker acknowledged that he understood they couldn’t canvas on city time.
Carlisle pointed out that city officials and employees are going to see the most benefit if the city goes wet and gets thousands more in sales tax revenue.
Gesturing toward the council and department heads who attended the meeting, he continued, “We can’t get enough volunteers. So I look up and think ‘Who benefits? Who is the No. 1 benefactor who can help me get the most signatures? Here you go, right here…Everybody wins.”
Alderman Reedie Ray said people outside the city limits could sign the petition because they live in the dry area — the defunct Gray Township.
Bolden said, “(It’s) very controversial because of the fact I am a pastor. I want to really hit the issue. The issue is tax dollars…I don’t care how saved you are, how much you speak in tongues or shout, you go to a restaurant. And, when you go to a restaurant, there’s alcohol in the restaurant. Now I don’t drink. I preach against drinking. If you were to see me on TV (Bolden has a show on CW Arkansas on Sunday mornings), I’m very bold about it.
“But these tax dollars are needed, and I understand there are people who are drinking, sitting in the church, working in the church. Let’s get their tax dollars. We’ve got to realize that everybody has a vice. Why can’t Jacksonville make money off the vice? Why is North Little Rock getting all the new stuff? Why is Cabot getting all the new stuff? Why? If we don’t get this petition signed, we’re going to have problems.”
Applause followed his statement, but none of the aldermen announced at the meeting their intention of volunteering to collect signatures.
Carlisle also said the committee has $20,000 in donations to spend on the effort. The group is paying canvassers $2 for each valid signature they collect.
If wet supporters succeed and voters agree to go wet, restaurants, convenience and grocery stores will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages without an expensive private-club license.
In addition to money from the 10 percent sales tax on alcoholic beverages, at least one other increase in revenue was included in the budget Erkel presented on Tuesday.
The city has received $850,000 in donations from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the shooting range.
Jacksonville also refinanced the city’s loan for 911 equipment from Motorola to increase cash flow.
Other changes to and details of the proposed budget were:
The fire department applied for a $687,201 FEMA grant to purchase a new fire engine. It is expected to cost $692,351 with the $98,941 difference coming from the capital equipment fund. Erkel said the expenditure would not occur if the department doesn’t receive the grant.
County sales tax revenues are estimated to increase by 0.5 percent.
City sales tax revenues are estimated to increase by 1.8 percent.
The city will transfer $290,000 to emergency medical services to increase cash flow and transfer $200,000 to capital improvement to replenish the transfer of funds to balance the 2013 budget.
The debt service department includes loan payments of $417,863 to Motorola for 911 equipment, $732,693 for capital improvements and $720,178 for the shooting range.
The city will use $740,197 in fund balance. A fund balance is revenue leftover after expenditures are subtracted from the total revenues.
The street fund is $2.17 million that includes revenue from a Safe Routes to School grant and an increase in expenditures for sidewalk and drainage projects.
The estimated revenues for the sanitation fund are $1.81 million. The estimated expenditures are $1.78 million. The increase in revenues will come from sanitation fees, Erkel said.
The estimated revenues for the emergency medical services fund are $1.2 million. The estimated expenditures are $1.18 million. The increase in expenses is the planned purchase of new software and training, Erkel said.
Finance director Cheryl Erkel said she would bring the $22 million budget to the council for approval at its next meeting, which is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at city hall.
The council passed the sales tax increase on alcohol, with an emergency clause that makes it effective immediately, at Tuesday’s meeting. The tax was increased to 10 percent of a business’ gross profits, the same rate several surrounding cities have, according to Mayor Gary Fletcher.
Erkel reported that, if the proposed budget were approved, there would be no cost-of-living or annual raises for city employees.
On the chopping block are a $20,246 clothing allowance, $20,000 in tuition reimbursement, $88,000 in longevity pay and $28,800 in degree-incentive pay.
If the budget is approved, the employee portion of free health insurance will also increase to $72 for individuals and from $115 to $150 for families.
But there will be no furloughs or layoffs, Erkel said.
Jacksonville won’t fill six positions that will be open after the beginning of the year. Alderman James Bolden warned, “That doesn’t mean the workload changes.”
The mayor said the positions are across the city. He continued, “Our intention is always to take care of our employees, but again, it’s that $1 million deficit. That census count killed us. It’s followed us…We’ve done an awful lot with as little as we have. The truth of the matter is it’s a very tight budget.”
Fletcher was referring to the city’s loss of $1 million in federal turnback revenue, which happened when the 2010 census — certified in 2011 — showed Jacksonville had lost about 1,500 of its population. The population drop can be attributed to airmen who wereoverseas or elsewhere while homes were being renovated on Little Rock Air Force Base, the mayor has said previously.
Alderman Terry Sansing thanked Fletcher and the department heads for working hard on the budget. “I know this was a very, very difficult year to deal with,” he said.
Erkel presented an unbalanced budget to the council early last month that included all funding requests from every department.
It showed that Jacksonville had to make up for a $2.95 million shortfall by making cuts or generating more revenue. On Tuesday, the council did both.
Of the department heads, Erkel said, “They cut as much as they possibly could.”
The increase in sales tax on alcoholic beverages was passed after local banker Phillip Carlisle and Amy Mattison, the chief executive officer of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the council about the wet/dry petition.
Carlisle and Mattison are members of the Jacksonville Wet/Dry Campaign Com-mittee, which has collected about 13,000 signatures to put to a vote whether nearly 90 percent of the city should go wet or stay dry. The group must collect approximately 4,400 signatures, or 38 percent of registered voters in the dry area.
Carlisle said the most effective way to gather signatures is canvassing 41 neighborhoods.
“The numbers are not astronomical to get the percentage. They’re not. What is astronomical is getting the volunteers to do it,” the banker said.
He urged the aldermen to volunteer and to encourage Jacksonville employees to the same. But the banker acknowledged that he understood they couldn’t canvas on city time.
Carlisle pointed out that city officials and employees are going to see the most benefit if the city goes wet and gets thousands more in sales tax revenue.
Gesturing toward the council and department heads who attended the meeting, he continued, “We can’t get enough volunteers. So I look up and think ‘Who benefits? Who is the No. 1 benefactor who can help me get the most signatures? Here you go, right here…Everybody wins.”
Alderman Reedie Ray said people outside the city limits could sign the petition because they live in the dry area — the defunct Gray Township.
Bolden said, “(It’s) very controversial because of the fact I am a pastor. I want to really hit the issue. The issue is tax dollars…I don’t care how saved you are, how much you speak in tongues or shout, you go to a restaurant. And, when you go to a restaurant, there’s alcohol in the restaurant. Now I don’t drink. I preach against drinking. If you were to see me on TV (Bolden has a show on CW Arkansas on Sunday mornings), I’m very bold about it.
“But these tax dollars are needed, and I understand there are people who are drinking, sitting in the church, working in the church. Let’s get their tax dollars. We’ve got to realize that everybody has a vice. Why can’t Jacksonville make money off the vice? Why is North Little Rock getting all the new stuff? Why is Cabot getting all the new stuff? Why? If we don’t get this petition signed, we’re going to have problems.”
Applause followed his statement, but none of the aldermen announced at the meeting their intention of volunteering to collect signatures.
Carlisle also said the committee has $20,000 in donations to spend on the effort. The group is paying canvassers $2 for each valid signature they collect.
If wet supporters succeed and voters agree to go wet, restaurants, convenience and grocery stores will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages without an expensive private-club license.
In addition to money from the 10 percent sales tax on alcoholic beverages, at least one other increase in revenue was included in the budget Erkel presented on Tuesday.
The city has received $850,000 in donations from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the shooting range.
Jacksonville also refinanced the city’s loan for 911 equipment from Motorola to increase cash flow.
Other changes to and details of the proposed budget were:
The fire department applied for a $687,201 FEMA grant to purchase a new fire engine. It is expected to cost $692,351 with the $98,941 difference coming from the capital equipment fund. Erkel said the expenditure would not occur if the department doesn’t receive the grant.
County sales tax revenues are estimated to increase by 0.5 percent.
City sales tax revenues are estimated to increase by 1.8 percent.
The city will transfer $290,000 to emergency medical services to increase cash flow and transfer $200,000 to capital improvement to replenish the transfer of funds to balance the 2013 budget.
The debt service department includes loan payments of $417,863 to Motorola for 911 equipment, $732,693 for capital improvements and $720,178 for the shooting range.
The city will use $740,197 in fund balance. A fund balance is revenue leftover after expenditures are subtracted from the total revenues.
The street fund is $2.17 million that includes revenue from a Safe Routes to School grant and an increase in expenditures for sidewalk and drainage projects.
The estimated revenues for the sanitation fund are $1.81 million. The estimated expenditures are $1.78 million. The increase in revenues will come from sanitation fees, Erkel said.
The estimated revenues for the emergency medical services fund are $1.2 million. The estimated expenditures are $1.18 million. The increase in expenses is the planned purchase of new software and training, Erkel said.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
SPORTS STORY >> Falcons, Red Devils tipping off in Conway
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The winter storm that spread across the state last week led to a brief halt in the high school sports schedule, but the Jacksonville and North Pulaski boys’ basketball teams will take the floor for the first time since the unscheduled break in today’s opening rounds of the annual John Stanton Wampus Cat Invitational at Conway High School.
The tournament was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, but was moved to today in order to better accommodate the traveling teams and their fans.
Jacksonville (4-1) will play an improved Harrison team in its first-round game tonight at 5:30, while North Pulaski (3-1) is scheduled to take on tournament newcomer Hot Springs in the nightcap at 8:30.
Red Devils’ coach Vic Joyner got to see Harrison in action earlier this season, and says the Golden Goblins look better than they did a year ago, especially at the guard positions.
“I saw them play Searcy,” said Joyner, “and they’ve got five or six guys that can shoot it. They were kind of a one-man show last year. They had one guard that some nights might score 30 (points), and would kind of exclude other people from shooting. But this year they have more of a well-rounded team, and that makes them a lot more dangerous.”
Jacksonville started the season red hot with four-straight wins, but suffered its first loss in its most recent game to date against West Memphis on Dec. 3. The Red Devils narrowly beat that same Blue Devils team in the season opener, but lost 70-57 in the rematch.
Joyner said his team can be its own worst enemy at times, and would like to see his players play with more cohesiveness when they take the floor this evening.
“I just want them to come out and be unified – everybody pulling for each other. I just want them to come out and execute,” Joyner said. “Right now we’re not finishing off defensive series. After the West Memphis game, we realized we’ve got stuff to fix. We’ve got a whole new cast of characters, and this team is far from being a team right now.”
North Pulaski won its last game played, which was Nov. 30 against Maumelle at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. The Falcons were scheduled to play at Lonoke last Friday, but that game was canceled because of the icy weather.
“I think we’re all kind of in the same boat,” said Falcons’ coach Roy Jackson about the unexpected break. “I don’t know about Hot Springs. I’m sure they’ve probably been in school and have probably been practicing, but we’re going to see how it goes.
“As always, any time you’ve got time off like this, you’re always eager to get back in the gym. The kids want to get back in and get some shooting in, get their rhythm down – get back out (on the court) and get their rhythm down. As a coach, you never want your kids off too long, because they lose a lot of things they’ve been working on.”
The Falcons have had their struggles at times on the defensive end of the court since their season began in November, but they’ve more than made up for it on offense more times than not, as they’ve lit up the scoreboard in their four games played with their fast-pace, uptempo style.
This is Jackson’s third year as the head Falcon, and he’s entered his North Pulaski teams into this tournament all three years. Jackson said participating in this tournament is always a great opportunity to test his players against some stellar competition in a great playoff-style atmosphere.
“Overall, I think it’s a good tournament and a good test,” Jackson said. “I love going up there because you’ve got good teams. It’s a good atmosphere, because it gives you that playoff-type of atmosphere. When you go up there, it gives you a good gauge on how your team will be later on in the year.”
The other four teams participating in the tournament are Fayetteville, Pine Bluff, Bryant and the host team. Fayetteville will open the tournament against Pine Bluff. The winner of that game will play the Jacksonville/Harrison winner on Friday.
In the top part of the bracket, Conway will compete against Bryant, and the North Pulaski/Hot Springs winner will battle the winner of that game, also on Friday. Each team will play three games in the invitational, and barring any setbacks, the tournament is scheduled to wrap up on Saturday with the championship game scheduled to be played at 8:30 that evening.
Leader sportswriter
The winter storm that spread across the state last week led to a brief halt in the high school sports schedule, but the Jacksonville and North Pulaski boys’ basketball teams will take the floor for the first time since the unscheduled break in today’s opening rounds of the annual John Stanton Wampus Cat Invitational at Conway High School.
The tournament was originally scheduled to begin on Monday, but was moved to today in order to better accommodate the traveling teams and their fans.
Jacksonville (4-1) will play an improved Harrison team in its first-round game tonight at 5:30, while North Pulaski (3-1) is scheduled to take on tournament newcomer Hot Springs in the nightcap at 8:30.
Red Devils’ coach Vic Joyner got to see Harrison in action earlier this season, and says the Golden Goblins look better than they did a year ago, especially at the guard positions.
“I saw them play Searcy,” said Joyner, “and they’ve got five or six guys that can shoot it. They were kind of a one-man show last year. They had one guard that some nights might score 30 (points), and would kind of exclude other people from shooting. But this year they have more of a well-rounded team, and that makes them a lot more dangerous.”
Jacksonville started the season red hot with four-straight wins, but suffered its first loss in its most recent game to date against West Memphis on Dec. 3. The Red Devils narrowly beat that same Blue Devils team in the season opener, but lost 70-57 in the rematch.
Joyner said his team can be its own worst enemy at times, and would like to see his players play with more cohesiveness when they take the floor this evening.
“I just want them to come out and be unified – everybody pulling for each other. I just want them to come out and execute,” Joyner said. “Right now we’re not finishing off defensive series. After the West Memphis game, we realized we’ve got stuff to fix. We’ve got a whole new cast of characters, and this team is far from being a team right now.”
North Pulaski won its last game played, which was Nov. 30 against Maumelle at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. The Falcons were scheduled to play at Lonoke last Friday, but that game was canceled because of the icy weather.
“I think we’re all kind of in the same boat,” said Falcons’ coach Roy Jackson about the unexpected break. “I don’t know about Hot Springs. I’m sure they’ve probably been in school and have probably been practicing, but we’re going to see how it goes.
“As always, any time you’ve got time off like this, you’re always eager to get back in the gym. The kids want to get back in and get some shooting in, get their rhythm down – get back out (on the court) and get their rhythm down. As a coach, you never want your kids off too long, because they lose a lot of things they’ve been working on.”
The Falcons have had their struggles at times on the defensive end of the court since their season began in November, but they’ve more than made up for it on offense more times than not, as they’ve lit up the scoreboard in their four games played with their fast-pace, uptempo style.
This is Jackson’s third year as the head Falcon, and he’s entered his North Pulaski teams into this tournament all three years. Jackson said participating in this tournament is always a great opportunity to test his players against some stellar competition in a great playoff-style atmosphere.
“Overall, I think it’s a good tournament and a good test,” Jackson said. “I love going up there because you’ve got good teams. It’s a good atmosphere, because it gives you that playoff-type of atmosphere. When you go up there, it gives you a good gauge on how your team will be later on in the year.”
The other four teams participating in the tournament are Fayetteville, Pine Bluff, Bryant and the host team. Fayetteville will open the tournament against Pine Bluff. The winner of that game will play the Jacksonville/Harrison winner on Friday.
In the top part of the bracket, Conway will compete against Bryant, and the North Pulaski/Hot Springs winner will battle the winner of that game, also on Friday. Each team will play three games in the invitational, and barring any setbacks, the tournament is scheduled to wrap up on Saturday with the championship game scheduled to be played at 8:30 that evening.
SPORTS STORY >> Ex Badger going for third title as a Tiger
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
When Cabot takes the field at War Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday in the class 7A state championship game, there will be more local flavor than just the players in the red home uniforms. Across the way, on the Bentonville sideline, will be one of best running backs to come out of Beebe High School.
David Pollard was a star for the Badgers in the late 80s while playing for Barry Lunney Sr. He had scholarship offers from smaller in-state schools and invitations to walk-on and Division I universities.
He played college ball for a year at Ouachita Baptist and three years at UCA. He is now in his 17th year of working for Lunney, starting in 1996 as an assistant coach at RamseyJunior High in Fort Smith. He is the associate head coach and running backs’ coach for the Bentonville Tigers, and has been on Lunney’s high-school staff for three of his six state championships.
Pollard, now 42 years old, has been with Lunney, officially, for his entire coaching career, and has designs on someday becoming a head coach, but if not for a minor delay concerning an opening at Jacksonville in 1996, his career path could have been very different.
As a senior at UCA, Pollard did his practice teaching at Jacksonville for then basketball coach Jerry Wilson. After graduation, he took a job at JHS as a health teacher and volunteered in athletics wherever he could, but he wanted to be a coach.
“There was actually an opportunity there at Jacksonville that I wanted to apply for, but it was one of those situations where I had to wait and see,” said Pollard. “There was also an opportunity at Fort Smith. I contacted coach Lunney and ended up being offered the job as an assistant on the junior high staff. The Jacksonville job would’ve been a high-school position if I could have waited on it, but I had an offer, so I took it.”
After one year as an assistant at Ramsey, he became the head coach. After five years of leading Ramsey, he became one of Lunney’s assistants at Fort Smith Southside, and coached defense for 15 years before being moved to the offensive side of the ball this season.
In that time, he coached every aspect of defense, even though he considered himself an offensive player in high school and college.
“I played running back and linebacker, but I always considered myself an offensive guy,” Pollard said. “Coach Lunney put me on defense when I first moved to the high-school position, and I did that for 15 years. After a while, it’s just what you do. I’ve learned a lot about defense over the years.”
Ironically, the sudden change this season, which Pollard admits caught him off guard, has not only made him a more knowledgeable offensive coach, but also a better defensive coach.
“At first I wasn’t too sure about it, but then I started thinking I’d like to do offense,” Pollard said. “And it’s made me a more well-rounded coach. The more I learned about offense made me better at defense.”
Pollard has learned to trust the coach he’s been loyal to for 16 years. He trusted Lunney when he put him in charge of one of the junior-high programs.
He trusted him when he brought him to the high-school staff. He trusted him when the move was made to Bentonville, and most recently, he trusted Lunney when the mentor told the apprentice he was ready to be a head coach. Pollard applied for the opening at Rogers recently, and was one of the five finalists who interviewed for the job. That opportunity didn’t pan out, but being a head coach is in his plans.
One thing Pollard has learned, though, is to not force it.
“It’s going to have to be the right place at the right time,” Pollard said. “I’ve seen guys that wanted to be a head coach jump in and take a job, and it wasn’t the right job. There’s going to be a lot more that goes into the decision other than just being a head coach. Coach Lunney told me I was ready, and I appreciate that and I trust him. But I want it to be the right situation.”
Jerry Wilson remembers Pollard well, and the two occasionally touch base. The Jacksonville athletic director believed 18 years ago that Pollard would be successful.
“David was a guy that came early and stayed late,”Wilson said. “He was a good person. He worked well with kids, had good relationships with the staff. I rarely turned my classes over to practice teachers right away, but I trusted David. Some people have a gift for this job and he’s got it.”
Pollard looked into the Jacksonville head job when it came open the last time, but several factors kept him from applying. A return to central Arkansas, however, is not out of the question, but it will have to accommodate the new family.
Pollard got family life started later in life than most. He and wife Martine welcomed their first child Denise on Jan. 2, 2010. Son Nelson was born just 14 weeks ago, on Aug. 29.
A lengthy long-distance relationship finally became a marriage once Martine found a job in northwest Arkansas. The Pulaski Robinson graduate relocated, and now has a job she enjoys very much.
“One of the things that will have to happen for me to take a job that requires a move, is that there will have to be an opportunity for Martine as well,” Pollard said.
“She has a good job at Mercy Hospital that she loves and she’s good at. So everything will have to be just right. I’m going to be patient. Coach Lunney used to always say that good things come to good people, and I believe that. The right opportunity will come along when it’s time for it to happen.”
Leader sports editor
When Cabot takes the field at War Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday in the class 7A state championship game, there will be more local flavor than just the players in the red home uniforms. Across the way, on the Bentonville sideline, will be one of best running backs to come out of Beebe High School.
David Pollard was a star for the Badgers in the late 80s while playing for Barry Lunney Sr. He had scholarship offers from smaller in-state schools and invitations to walk-on and Division I universities.
He played college ball for a year at Ouachita Baptist and three years at UCA. He is now in his 17th year of working for Lunney, starting in 1996 as an assistant coach at RamseyJunior High in Fort Smith. He is the associate head coach and running backs’ coach for the Bentonville Tigers, and has been on Lunney’s high-school staff for three of his six state championships.
Pollard, now 42 years old, has been with Lunney, officially, for his entire coaching career, and has designs on someday becoming a head coach, but if not for a minor delay concerning an opening at Jacksonville in 1996, his career path could have been very different.
As a senior at UCA, Pollard did his practice teaching at Jacksonville for then basketball coach Jerry Wilson. After graduation, he took a job at JHS as a health teacher and volunteered in athletics wherever he could, but he wanted to be a coach.
“There was actually an opportunity there at Jacksonville that I wanted to apply for, but it was one of those situations where I had to wait and see,” said Pollard. “There was also an opportunity at Fort Smith. I contacted coach Lunney and ended up being offered the job as an assistant on the junior high staff. The Jacksonville job would’ve been a high-school position if I could have waited on it, but I had an offer, so I took it.”
After one year as an assistant at Ramsey, he became the head coach. After five years of leading Ramsey, he became one of Lunney’s assistants at Fort Smith Southside, and coached defense for 15 years before being moved to the offensive side of the ball this season.
In that time, he coached every aspect of defense, even though he considered himself an offensive player in high school and college.
“I played running back and linebacker, but I always considered myself an offensive guy,” Pollard said. “Coach Lunney put me on defense when I first moved to the high-school position, and I did that for 15 years. After a while, it’s just what you do. I’ve learned a lot about defense over the years.”
Ironically, the sudden change this season, which Pollard admits caught him off guard, has not only made him a more knowledgeable offensive coach, but also a better defensive coach.
“At first I wasn’t too sure about it, but then I started thinking I’d like to do offense,” Pollard said. “And it’s made me a more well-rounded coach. The more I learned about offense made me better at defense.”
Pollard has learned to trust the coach he’s been loyal to for 16 years. He trusted Lunney when he put him in charge of one of the junior-high programs.
He trusted him when he brought him to the high-school staff. He trusted him when the move was made to Bentonville, and most recently, he trusted Lunney when the mentor told the apprentice he was ready to be a head coach. Pollard applied for the opening at Rogers recently, and was one of the five finalists who interviewed for the job. That opportunity didn’t pan out, but being a head coach is in his plans.
One thing Pollard has learned, though, is to not force it.
“It’s going to have to be the right place at the right time,” Pollard said. “I’ve seen guys that wanted to be a head coach jump in and take a job, and it wasn’t the right job. There’s going to be a lot more that goes into the decision other than just being a head coach. Coach Lunney told me I was ready, and I appreciate that and I trust him. But I want it to be the right situation.”
Jerry Wilson remembers Pollard well, and the two occasionally touch base. The Jacksonville athletic director believed 18 years ago that Pollard would be successful.
“David was a guy that came early and stayed late,”Wilson said. “He was a good person. He worked well with kids, had good relationships with the staff. I rarely turned my classes over to practice teachers right away, but I trusted David. Some people have a gift for this job and he’s got it.”
Pollard looked into the Jacksonville head job when it came open the last time, but several factors kept him from applying. A return to central Arkansas, however, is not out of the question, but it will have to accommodate the new family.
Pollard got family life started later in life than most. He and wife Martine welcomed their first child Denise on Jan. 2, 2010. Son Nelson was born just 14 weeks ago, on Aug. 29.
A lengthy long-distance relationship finally became a marriage once Martine found a job in northwest Arkansas. The Pulaski Robinson graduate relocated, and now has a job she enjoys very much.
“One of the things that will have to happen for me to take a job that requires a move, is that there will have to be an opportunity for Martine as well,” Pollard said.
“She has a good job at Mercy Hospital that she loves and she’s good at. So everything will have to be just right. I’m going to be patient. Coach Lunney used to always say that good things come to good people, and I believe that. The right opportunity will come along when it’s time for it to happen.”
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers stifle Sheridan
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers picked up their second win of the young basketball season on Thursday, beating Sheridan 54-37 in front of a sparse crowd at Panther Arena. Impending winter storms kept many fans away, and they missed a solid performance as the Panthers won their second-straight game after dropping the season opener.
The Cabot defense stifled the athletic and tall Yellowjackets for most of the game, but the Panthers still had to overcome a late scoring lull to hold on for the victory.
“Sheridan is a lot better than they looked tonight, and I think our defense had something to do with that,” Cabot coach Jerry Bridges said. “You saw flashes of how athletic they are, but my kids came out and played hard. They defended hard, they hit the boards hard, and that’s what won this game for us.”
The Panthers’ defense was especially smothering in the first and third quarters, while the offense came out firing early in the third to take command of the game.
Patience was also a big key for Cabot. The Panthers set the tone for the game on their opening possession. After a Sheridan miss to start the game, Cabot passed the ball 12 times on its opening possession before a skip pass from Hunter Southerland to Hunter York resulted in a three pointer.
Sheridan didn’t get a field goal through the first four minutes of the game, but did make scoring difficult for Cabot. The Panthers held a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Yellowjackets never led, but they did briefly tie the game at 14 midway through the second period. But the last half of the second and first half of the third quarters were the difference in the game.
Cabot closed the first half with a 12-2 run, and opened the second half with a 10-0 run, taking a commanding 36-16 lead with 4:19 on the clock.
Sophomore Garrett Rowe, who had two steals in the first quarter, added two more in the third. He also scored four points in the third-quarter run. Southerland, another sophomore, added a steal and four assists in the win.
“I like my sophomores,” Bridges said. “They’ve got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but they’re great kids to coach and they work hard. They’re high-character kids and they’re going to be good players.”
Sheridan’s first points of the third quarter came off two free throws with 4:07 left that made it 36-18. Cabot scored five more after that to take a 41-18 lead, but from that point, the Panthers began having their own trouble finding the bottom of the net.
The Yellowjackets’ first basket of the period came with 57 seconds on the clock and made it 41-20. Sheridan went on to score 10 in a row and cut Cabot’s lead to 41-28 with 6:10 remaining in the game.
Cabot went almost six minutes without scoring, but the defense managed to keep Sheridan at bay. Finally, the Panthers dropped in four quick points to take a 45-28 lead with 5:03 left in the game. Sheridan got it back down to a 14-point margin, but four more quick points gave the Panthers a 50-32 lead with three minutes left and Sheridan’s coach conceded by calling timeout and putting five reserves on the floor.
“Going that long without a basket is not fun,” Bridges said. “The same thing happened to us against Conway. I think this team will be able to score better than that down the road, and we did have some good moments. But again, our defense I thought was really good, and that kept us out front when we weren’t able to score the basketball.”
Sophomores did many of the little things, seniors did the scoring. York and post player Michael Smith combined for 34 points, with Smith leading the way with 18. York also led the team in rebounds with seven, as the Panthers outrebounded the larger Yellowjackets 23-16. The Panthers were 20 of 43 from the floor while Sheridan made just 12 of 43. Both teams made 10 free throws, Cabot in 15 attempts and Sheridan in 13.
The Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament starts today, and the Panthers will host Hot Springs Lakeside at 7 p.m. at Panther Arena.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers picked up their second win of the young basketball season on Thursday, beating Sheridan 54-37 in front of a sparse crowd at Panther Arena. Impending winter storms kept many fans away, and they missed a solid performance as the Panthers won their second-straight game after dropping the season opener.
The Cabot defense stifled the athletic and tall Yellowjackets for most of the game, but the Panthers still had to overcome a late scoring lull to hold on for the victory.
“Sheridan is a lot better than they looked tonight, and I think our defense had something to do with that,” Cabot coach Jerry Bridges said. “You saw flashes of how athletic they are, but my kids came out and played hard. They defended hard, they hit the boards hard, and that’s what won this game for us.”
The Panthers’ defense was especially smothering in the first and third quarters, while the offense came out firing early in the third to take command of the game.
Patience was also a big key for Cabot. The Panthers set the tone for the game on their opening possession. After a Sheridan miss to start the game, Cabot passed the ball 12 times on its opening possession before a skip pass from Hunter Southerland to Hunter York resulted in a three pointer.
Sheridan didn’t get a field goal through the first four minutes of the game, but did make scoring difficult for Cabot. The Panthers held a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Yellowjackets never led, but they did briefly tie the game at 14 midway through the second period. But the last half of the second and first half of the third quarters were the difference in the game.
Cabot closed the first half with a 12-2 run, and opened the second half with a 10-0 run, taking a commanding 36-16 lead with 4:19 on the clock.
Sophomore Garrett Rowe, who had two steals in the first quarter, added two more in the third. He also scored four points in the third-quarter run. Southerland, another sophomore, added a steal and four assists in the win.
“I like my sophomores,” Bridges said. “They’ve got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but they’re great kids to coach and they work hard. They’re high-character kids and they’re going to be good players.”
Sheridan’s first points of the third quarter came off two free throws with 4:07 left that made it 36-18. Cabot scored five more after that to take a 41-18 lead, but from that point, the Panthers began having their own trouble finding the bottom of the net.
The Yellowjackets’ first basket of the period came with 57 seconds on the clock and made it 41-20. Sheridan went on to score 10 in a row and cut Cabot’s lead to 41-28 with 6:10 remaining in the game.
Cabot went almost six minutes without scoring, but the defense managed to keep Sheridan at bay. Finally, the Panthers dropped in four quick points to take a 45-28 lead with 5:03 left in the game. Sheridan got it back down to a 14-point margin, but four more quick points gave the Panthers a 50-32 lead with three minutes left and Sheridan’s coach conceded by calling timeout and putting five reserves on the floor.
“Going that long without a basket is not fun,” Bridges said. “The same thing happened to us against Conway. I think this team will be able to score better than that down the road, and we did have some good moments. But again, our defense I thought was really good, and that kept us out front when we weren’t able to score the basketball.”
Sophomores did many of the little things, seniors did the scoring. York and post player Michael Smith combined for 34 points, with Smith leading the way with 18. York also led the team in rebounds with seven, as the Panthers outrebounded the larger Yellowjackets 23-16. The Panthers were 20 of 43 from the floor while Sheridan made just 12 of 43. Both teams made 10 free throws, Cabot in 15 attempts and Sheridan in 13.
The Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament starts today, and the Panthers will host Hot Springs Lakeside at 7 p.m. at Panther Arena.
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