By JONATHAN FELDMAN
Leader editor
Next month, Jacksonville Guitar will mark its 38th year in business, and it may be the best guitar shop in the country.
J’ville Guitar is as respected by local musicians today as it has been for nearly four decades. Though it faces stiff competition from the Web, and teenagers seem more interested in video games and other gadgets, the store’s great deals, quality selection and conviviality keep it going.
Steve Evans opened the store in 1975 when he was just out of high school. Only 18 years old, and inspired to open the shop having grown up listening to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and James Taylor, Evans got some help from his father, who taught him how to rent a building and get the power turned on.
Twenty-six years ago, he built the current store at 1105 Burman Drive. The business was originally on Dupree Drive. It is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Evans’ two full-time employees, Bob Tanner and Bobby Appleby, have worked for him for almost 20 years.
“I think we’re doing it right here. And us three who work here want to stock the things that are smart buys. There are some things that are a little too much for what you’re getting. We try to stock the things that people should buy whether they know it or not,” Evans said.
The store’s walls are lined with photographs of mostly bygone local bands, but several are professional musicians like Evanescence, the Little Rock band that’s found success nationally and internationally, and Kris Allen, the American Idol winner from Jacksonville.
If visitors look closely, they will see a picture of Thunderstorm performing at the Sherwood Recreation Center in the late 1970s. The band included Butch Hale, now district judge in Sherwood, and Sherwood City Attorney Steve Cobb and Michael Connelly, who later became a bomber pilot.
Evans pointed to another photograph. “Gibraltar, they were a super local rock band back in 1979. A member, Keith Stewart, became successful” as a music producer in Asia, he said. Stewart has masterminded some of the biggest hits in Taiwan, Singapore and China with top record labels.
Then Evans points out, “Sanctuary Woods, Dan Hampton went on to play football for the Chicago Bears.” The NFL defensive lineman and Jacksonville native was also an enthusiastic bassist.
Evans recalls Hampton buying two Fenders while he was still playing for the Bears. Keith Van Horn, a Bears teammate of Hampton’s, bought a guitar from Jacksonville Guitar by mail.
More photos include the band Nothing to Lose from 1991 with Neil Allen, father of Kris Allen. Evans said Neil Allen’s other band, Maxzoid, was particularly memorable.
Evans remembered when Chris Allen, a few years before competing on American Idol, came into the shop to try out a Martin acoustic guitar that his mother was buying as a gift for his father.
A 1989 photograph shows Evans with Rick Nelson of Cheap Trick during an autograph session to promote the shop.
One photo shows a few young smiling fellows in a heavy metal band posing in a cemetery in 1984. “I tease this fellow here. See they’re obviously a heavy metal band, and he’s in a graveyard posed for this picture. But today he plays in church. I tease him about this picture, and I say ‘when your preacher comes in, I’m gonna take him over and show him this picture,” Evans said.
“A lot of the old rock band guys now play in church. They became family men.”
VIDEO GAMES AND OTHER GADGETS
J’ville Guitar has seen a lot of changes the over years, but a more recent trend may be the most troubling of all.
“The teenage boys have lost interest. I realize that by going home. My 20-year-old son, he and his buddies have a command base in our living room, they got TVs going, and they’re playing video games. He has no interest in hearing guitar,” Evans said.
“It used to be that was our main customer. When school (got out) at 3:30 or whatever, we’d get a bunch of them in here looking at guitars. But there are more females interested than ever and I think it has to do with their not doing the video games. And they have people like Taylor Swift and role models like that,” he said.
Churches have a lot of guitar music too, which may be helping beat back the video game craze and mail-order onslaught.
Of online competitors, Evans said, “We’re losing business to mail order not necessarily because they’re cheaper. We’re getting the shaft because there’s no sales tax charged by the mail order places. Nine percent sales tax is what we have to charge so that’s a bad deal. I heard mail order has gone up 12 percent this year over last year. I’ve added up our numbers, and we’re exactly down 12 percent over last year. I’m not saying we’re closing up because I really love what I do,” Evans said.
“Maybe 8 years ago, a bunch of the big box stores like Walmart were starting to put in guitars, and I felt like they took some business from me. But there must not have been enough mark-up in it because they’re basically out of that now. So that’s good that I’m not competing with Walmart,” he said.
And shopping online or at a big box store can’t match the experience of visiting an independent community guitar shop. A website doesn’t have the photos on the walls or people strumming or chatting about things. As Tanner put it, “If there wasn’t a guitar shop (Jimi Hendrix) might have played an accordion,” he said.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING, WHAT TO BUY
The store gets some of its best inventory in December for holiday shoppers. “If someone needs a guitar, we have it here,” Evans said.
Beginner guitars start at about $100; and a $99 Fender acoustic has been a big seller for Christmas.
For 6 or 7 year olds, a half-sized electric Stratocaster for $100 would be perfect to learn rock or blues, Evans said. An amplifier to go with it is about $60. Acoustic guitars for kids start at $80.
“You might get a lesson on DVD. We sell them for $10, an hour-long lesson. Get a little nimbleness on where to put your fingers, how to operate your fingers and then sign up for lessons after you get your fingers a little toughened up and get a little dexterity,” Evans said.
Others may want to try a Mexican-made Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster for about $500. A more patriotic option with top-shelf quality would be the made in the USA Fenders that cost about $1,000. One of those is a cream-colored Telecaster from the company’s road-worn series. It looks like it’s toured the world a few times with Merle Haggard or George Harrison.
An acoustic standout, is a $2,200 Martin like what Eric Clapton plays with on tour.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Jacksonville Guitar’s private lessons have been known to pay off.
“About 20 years ago, a mom came in and wanted to sign up her son for guitar lessons. The boy was 5 years old, and we told her that probably won’t work. About 10 years old, that’s when they’ll sit down and practice and their fingers are stronger. But she told us, ‘he really wants to do it,’ and the teacher was willing to try. He’s kind of a superstar today. Seth Freeman is his name. He’s not rich from playing, but he does some touring across the country, and he’ll stop and play in Little Rock often,” Evans said.
(Freeman will perform at the Blue Chair Studio in Austin on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17.)
There’s one lesson room, two teachers and with about 25 students who are mostly beginners. Lessons are $18 for a 30-minute private lesson.
Andy Fullerton has been teaching guitar for 40 years. He’s played for 47 years, since he was 11. He’s been with Jacksonville Guitar for eight months, teaching guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle, mandolin and resonator.
Matt Emfinger teaches guitar and bass on Saturdays.
Fullerton has 10 or 11 students now — kids and adults. “I have an 83-year-old lady who’s taking guitar lessons. She doesn’t seem 80 though, I was surprised when she told me,” Tanner said.
The students come from Jacksonville, Cabot and Sherwood.
Fullerton’s old band, the St. James Group, toured with Olivia Newton John in Mississippi in the 1970s. The band also opened for Bad Finger and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
“I met Jim Croce three weeks before he died” in a plane crash in Natchitoches, La., on Sept. 20, 1973.
BOBBY APPLEBY
Appleby started working at the shop in 1993. “I was barely 21 at the time. Now I’m an old bald guy with gray whiskers,” he said.
“I’d been coming here as a kid and I was trying to find a job. I think I was in buying strings. Steve called me and said ‘hey, if you want to (work here) you need to learn how to work the register,’ which was a trick because it was really ‘clean all these photos’” that had collected some spider eggs and cobwebs, Appleby said.
He bought his first guitar at the shop around Christmas of 1984. “It was a Peavey Patriot made of ash, natural wood. Probably the only guitar I have left that’s unscarred. It looks brand new still.” He still has it, but doesn’t play it any more to keep it in mint condition.
“I originally wanted to be a saxophone player. My parents took me down to Bean Music, and immediately turned around and came over here. It was too expensive,” he said.
The store’s address, 1105, is the same as his birthday. What he calls “the real creepy tie-in.” He feels connected to the place.
It’s a lot busier today compared to his first day on the job.
“Going through a daily routine of cleaning and adjusting, restringing. Doing a lot of repair work, maybe putting a bridge on, leveling the fret wire, trimming the edges so there’s nothing sharp on the edge of the finger board,” Appleby said.
He says “the word of mouth for the shop is real good, too. Being around as long as Steve has.”
“A lot of people go for the online thing just because it’s a good deal. But, heaven forbid, if shops like this go away, it’s like losing the garage down the road. I don’t even know how to change oil, same with guitar strings. I take it for granted because I’ve done it for so long,” he said.
He’s proud to be a part of J’ville. “Not very many of these places left. The good old music store is dwindling down. Last of the Mohicans it seems like,” he said.
“We help (our customers) out. It’s not fair to the little guy. The free shipping, no tax sounds great, but it comes down on the little guy,” Appleby said.
“It’s kind of like the song ‘Video Killed the Radio Star,’ (Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club, 1979). Technology takes out the human element.”
Appleby studied jazz guitar and religion at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He’s as comfortable talking about Ornette Coleman, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, or any number of Miles Davis’ sidemen as he is about Hank Williams, John Prine or heavy metal.
He’s in the bands Moses Tucker — outlaw country Southern rock — and Stereo Down — Soundgarden meets the Allman Brothers.
Moses Tucker recently played in Brinkley for the Tri-County Farmers Association, a two-hour gig. They played some originals, George Strait covers and threw in some Jimi Hendrix, who he says “is like jello, there’s always room for him.”
But the bands don’t perform much these days though. “There is no money to be made in this gig of life that we call music. It’s just a matter of loving it and doing it,” Appleby said.
He graduated from North Pulaski High School and lives outside of Gravel Ridge. He plays a Telecaster, a Les Paul and an acoustic with a steel resonator. He plays every day.
BOB TANNER
In March, Tanner will mark his 20th year at the guitar shop. He played professionally in Memphis before Jacksonville Guitar, touring the Southwest and Southeast with the Café Racers, a new wave dance rock band.
He grew up in Jacksonville and in Little Rock, where he now lives. He plays either the bass guitar, keyboards or drums every day.
As a student at Warren Dupree Elementary, he participated in the Strings in Schools program, an orchestral education program for primary students.
It was the first year for the program to be offered in the Pulaski County Special School District. He credits that with helping him appreciate music and learn music. That program was canceled by PCSSD long ago.
Tanner earned a music scholarship to attend the University of Memphis and study music performance for the upright bass. He found the program to be too intense and eventually got a degree in radio, TV and film at UALR.
Now he plays in a band called Blue Wave, which covers everything from Elvis to the Police. They recently performed in Walnut Ridge at the Rock and Roll Highway/Beatles at the Ridge Festival.
He talked about the time when the Beatles visited Walnut Ridge during a short break in their tour of America during the 1960s. Late one night, the band’s plane touched down in the town they knew as the hometown of rockabilly music. The stars rode horses, shot pistols at a ranch owned by the tour’s promoter.
Tanner looks forward to the next big direction for American music. “We’re 20 years past something big happening (with music). I’m afraid right now it’s like canned cheese. They call rap music, I don’t call rap music. I think it’s an art form or an expression, but it is not music. If you can chart out rap then you can prove to me that it’s music.”
He thinks it might even happen in China or Thailand. “Maybe there are some kids over there that are going to put their spin on American rock and roll just like the Beatles. You never know,” Tanner said. “Somewhere out there, there are some kids right now rewriting rock and roll.”
But musicians don’t need to worry about breaking new ground. “My philosophy is the Mel Bay philosophy. It’s not how well you play, it’s how much you enjoy it. I just enjoy people experiencing it and making it a life-long journey,” Tanner said.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
TOP STORY >> More safety promised at local schools
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Six central Arkansas school districts scrutinized and adjusted safety procedures this week after Friday’s shooting at a Connecticut elementary school put the nation on edge.
Twenty children and six staff members, including the principal, were killed when 20-year-old Adam Lanza open fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. He is believed to have also shot his mother, Nancy, who was found dead at their home.
Lanza committed suicide as police were closing in on him at the school campus.
PCSSD
Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Jerry Guess sent out an email telling principals to be extra vigilant and “take extra safety precautions immediately and through next week. Please make sure your school follows all established safety/security procedures. Please ensure that all exterior doors are locked and that you keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.
“If you have Watch Dog groups or volunteer security, you may want to ask them for extra assistance.”
The district did not add extra safety officers or counselors.
Gary Beck, the principal of Bayou Meto Elementary School in north Pulaski County, said parents have called the office with concerns.
He is planning to hold a meeting after school the week of Jan. 7, when the students return from their holiday break.
“Hopefully if we can put our heads together we can make it safer,” Beck said, adding that he hopes the meeting will turn into a forum where parents and others can offer suggestions about how to enhance security at the school.
He said Bayou Meto would go into lockdown if something like the Connecticut shooting happened there.
That means all of the doors would be locked, the children would stay in their classrooms and police would be notified immediately, Beck said.
He said visitors have to check in at the office and the only door left unlocked at the school is the front door. Anyone coming into Bayou Meto would be seen from the office, Beck said.
He said the staff calls a student’s parent if someone who isn’t on an approved list is checking the child out of classes.
Beck continued, “If someone really wants to do you harm and plans for it, you can take all the precautions you can but it’s hard to prepare for something out of the blue like that. You do everything you can to make it as safe as you can.”
SHERWOOD SCHOOLS
Shyrel Lee, the principal of Cato Elementary School in Sherwood, said the shooting upset several students.
“A lot of kids had been watching the news. We caution parents that it might not be the best idea to let kids watch CNN. We need to shield them some. Some of them understand. Some of them do not understand,” she said.
Lee said the Cato counselors have been working with the students who have been upset.
She has also received calls from concerned parents.
Lee said, “We have plans and we consider ourselves to be very safe. We have been double checking throughout the day to make sure doors are locked.”
Until recently, all doors except for the front door were kept locked. Lee said she sent a memo to parents letting them know that the front door will also be locked from now on. Any visitors will have to call the office to request that someone let them inside the school.
Lee said, “The way our school is laid out, it’s open space. It’s hard to manage everything.”
But a sticker on the doors instruct visitors that they must check in at the office and there are locations where the children can go to be safe in case an intruder enters the school.
“We have to go over emergency plans every year. No. 1 on the priority list is an intruder. We’re telling kids what they need to do if there is a situation. We’re communicating with older kids. We want to be proactive,” Lee said.
Kathy Kemp, the principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood, also said PCSSD requires a crisis prevention meeting at the beginning of each school year.
She said, “We know who’s going to do what, what’s going to happen during an bomb threat or whatever.”
The school has tornado, fire and lockdown drills once a month and security cameras at every door, Kemp said.
She said the staff just started locking all of the doors. Before, there was a note on them telling visitors to go to the front door and check in at the office.
Kemp sent a letter to parents this week about safety at Oakbrooke. She said the fact that the school is located behind the Sherwood Police Department is a comfort.
Teachers are told to carry their cell phones on campus, Kemp added.
“We’ve got the technology. We need to use it,” she said.
Kemp said she is hoping that President Barack Obama’s speech in response to the Connecticut shootings means the federal government will help schools with funding for more measures to keep students safe.
“It’s very traumatizing,” Kemp said about the attack.
Kirk Freeman, the principal of Northwood Middle School in Sherwood, said, “We are emphasizing (safety more).”
He added that Sherwood police are at the school constantly since the property was annexed into the city in November.
Freeman said a lot of parents know the teachers because they have taught several generations of their families. So, those parents may not always go through proper channels when visiting the school.
But he is encouraging everyone to check in at the office and get name badges. Freeman said many people have been very understanding about that.
Sherwood Alderman Tim McMinn opened Monday night’s city council meeting with, “Our hearts are grieving tonight for the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, EMTs and police officers of Newtown, Conn. They need our prayers. This shows us how fragile life is and what is really important — our children, grandchildren, our community and our schools and our teachers.”
In discussing an increase in franchise fees, Alderman Charlie Harmon asked that the money be dedicated to adding school resources officers to all city schools and increasing their security.
JACKSONVILLE SCHOOLS
Janice Walker, the principal of Warren Dupree Elementary School in Jacksonville, said district officials came out recently to review the school’s safety procedures and the placement of security cameras.
She said they determined that the cameras were in good positions, but one additional camera could be added to enhance the view of the outer entrance. Another suggestion the officials made was to install a bigger monitor for the office personnel to view visitors, staff members and students going in and out of the building.
Walker spoke with parents about the school safety at a parent-teacher organization meeting Tuesday night.
She said, “I think there are things the parents can do to help.”
Walker said parents who drop their children off in the morning should remember that the doors open at 7:20 a.m. She said they shouldn’t leave students at the school before then.
The doors at Dupree are unlocked because it is an open space school, according to Walker.
“It’s secured as much as possible,” she said.
Walker said parents have not called her with concerns. “That tells me parents are confident in the safety procedures we have,” she added.
Walker said all schools are looking at locking their doors and adding a buzzer system that would better control access.
She said the district sent out a call to alert parents about safety protocols all its schools have to follow.
Don Booth, principal of the Jacksonville Middle School, said, “My kids know they are safe when they come on the campus.”
He said administrators and security guards walk the campus, being vigilant about anyone who appears to be suspicious and making sure the school is secure.
Booth said no one has called with concerns. The school will conduct a lockdown drill when students return from the holiday break.
There are cameras and monitors at Jacksonville Middle, Booth said. He added that they are working to make sure the school’s gates are also secure.
Jeff Senn, the principal of North Pulaski High School in Jacksonville, said he has requested more security officers, but people without ID badges are stopped immediately and there is a crisis plan in place.
“We’re just double checking ourselves right now,” he said.
No parents have called and students don’t seem to be talking about the shooting, Senn said.
He added that teachers are encouraged to lock their doors and buzz the office if they see someone they don’t recognize walking around.
Security cameras are up and running at the school.
Lisa Peeples, the principal of Homer Adkins Preschool in Jacksonville, said they train teachers every year in safety protocols. Doors at the school are locked.
Parents have called and visited since the tragedy.
“Most of them have stated they know their (children are) safe here and the sadness they feel for the families in Connecticut. We had a security guard for a couple of days. We just hold our kids a little closer and love them a little bit more,” Peeples said.
The preschool also has to meet additional childcare licensing requirements because its students are younger than school age. “We have to be really careful anyway,” Peeples explained.
NEARBY DISTRICTS
In North Little Rock, the approach after the Connecticut shooting was low key, with no extra personnel added, but the principals were told to increase security.
By Monday afternoon many elementary schools that had been easily accessed were locked tight except for single doors by the main offices.
The Little Rock district increased security and made 25,000 automated calls to parents to explain the district’s safety procedures.
CABOT
Cabot Superintendent Tony Thurman said, “We had a few students request to visit with counselors regarding the incident.”
“We received several suggestions from parents and school staff regarding safety that will be taken into consideration. I encourage our parents to provide ongoing feedback to our building and district administrators in regard to school safety and security,” Thurman said.
Schools will be practicing emergency lockdown drills in the upcoming weeks.
“There is a lot of emphasis today on securing our schools. We do not want to lose this focus as time passes and we begin to return our regular routines and the events of last week are not as fresh on our minds,” he said.
“We have full-time police officers based at the high school and both junior high schools and will be requesting their feedback as well,” Thurman said.
A meeting with local law enforcement, medical and fire personnel was already planned for January before news of Friday’s shooting broke.
In an e-mail to faculty and staff members Thurman said building administrators would review and explain the importance of following lock down procedures. He said that Sandy Hook Elementary’s lock down protocol more than likely saved lives.
“Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to totally stop an emotionally unstable person intent on doing bad things,” Thurman wrote.
He said the priority is to put as many obstacles as possible in front of a person trying to hurt people and be able to secure the campus and classrooms as quick and effective as possible.
BEEBE
“The shooting in Connecticut is one of the saddest things I have seen in my educational career. I believe educators feel such a sense of protection for their students, and this example just shows that some things are out of our control,” Beebe School Superintendent Belinda Shook said.
She continued, “The educators at that school who died protecting their students are true heroes. I don’t know if there are security measures to keep someone as mentally unstable as that shooter from acting.”
Shook said, “I still believe schools are safe places and that this was a random act of violence by a very disturbed individual. Unfortunately, we are hearing of these things way too often in shopping malls, churches and schools.”
She continued, “The Beebe School District has crisis plans, security measures and we are going to revisit them all. We will do everything possible to keep our students and staff safe.”
Shook will be meeting with the administrators to review the district’s disaster and crisis plans this week. Shook has e-mailed the staff and asked for suggestions. She has already received several for consideration.
Shook said concerned parents have also contacted her. She said parents with concerns, questions or suggestions should contact their child’s building administrator.
Beebe schools practice limited access into buildings. Visitors are required to sign in and wear a visitor badge. Staff members supervise designated student pick-up areas.
“It is incomprehensible to those who care for children how anyone could deliberately cause harm to innocent young lives. Senseless violence is difficult to grasp and it is important to understand the big difference between possibility and probability. Safety is, and will always be, the first priority of the Beebe School District,” Shook said.
LONOKE
Lonoke Superintendent Suzanne Bailey wrote a report on student safety that was posted on the district’s website.
The report reads, “Our primary responsibility and top priority each day is to do our best as employees of the school system to keep our children safe. When someone is mentally unstable and/or enters the campus armed and with intent to cause harm to others, it does create an atmosphere in our learning environment to which we may or may not be able to control the outcome, no matter how much we practice or provide preventative measures.”
The report continues, “With this said, we, as educational leaders are guarded with the important task of providing a safe learning environment for every student, must do our best to ensure that we have put in place the necessary preventative action steps that we have available at the current date.”
The report goes on to say that administrators met on Monday to discuss school safety, which was set as a district goal at the beginning of this year and has been set as a goal every school year.
School resource officers were planning to visit each campus to provide more safety training to teachers and staff members.
Doors at the schools should be locked at all times, the report states.
School board member Matt Boyles said at Monday night’s school board meeting that he was comfortable with the high school’s security.
“I think you pretty much have to go through the office to get in, but at our other three buildings that isn’t the case,” he said.
Boyles suggested putting in glass doors at the elementary and primary schools that would force visitors to go to the office.
“I know millage is a dirty word. But I think our community (would support it) if we had to have a millage or something, he said.
Bailey said she knows some schools have buzzer systems. She said that would be quicker and less expensive than doing things like putting up walls.
Boyles and other board members said their churches have that kind of setup. Bailey asked them to give her contact information for the companies that installed those.
Boyles also suggested a panic button that would alert police if a situation like the shooting in Connecticut occurred.
Staff writers Jeffrey Smith and Rick Kron contributed reporting for this story.
Leader staff writer
Six central Arkansas school districts scrutinized and adjusted safety procedures this week after Friday’s shooting at a Connecticut elementary school put the nation on edge.
Twenty children and six staff members, including the principal, were killed when 20-year-old Adam Lanza open fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. He is believed to have also shot his mother, Nancy, who was found dead at their home.
Lanza committed suicide as police were closing in on him at the school campus.
PCSSD
Pulaski County Special School District Superintendent Jerry Guess sent out an email telling principals to be extra vigilant and “take extra safety precautions immediately and through next week. Please make sure your school follows all established safety/security procedures. Please ensure that all exterior doors are locked and that you keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.
“If you have Watch Dog groups or volunteer security, you may want to ask them for extra assistance.”
The district did not add extra safety officers or counselors.
Gary Beck, the principal of Bayou Meto Elementary School in north Pulaski County, said parents have called the office with concerns.
He is planning to hold a meeting after school the week of Jan. 7, when the students return from their holiday break.
“Hopefully if we can put our heads together we can make it safer,” Beck said, adding that he hopes the meeting will turn into a forum where parents and others can offer suggestions about how to enhance security at the school.
He said Bayou Meto would go into lockdown if something like the Connecticut shooting happened there.
That means all of the doors would be locked, the children would stay in their classrooms and police would be notified immediately, Beck said.
He said visitors have to check in at the office and the only door left unlocked at the school is the front door. Anyone coming into Bayou Meto would be seen from the office, Beck said.
He said the staff calls a student’s parent if someone who isn’t on an approved list is checking the child out of classes.
Beck continued, “If someone really wants to do you harm and plans for it, you can take all the precautions you can but it’s hard to prepare for something out of the blue like that. You do everything you can to make it as safe as you can.”
SHERWOOD SCHOOLS
Shyrel Lee, the principal of Cato Elementary School in Sherwood, said the shooting upset several students.
“A lot of kids had been watching the news. We caution parents that it might not be the best idea to let kids watch CNN. We need to shield them some. Some of them understand. Some of them do not understand,” she said.
Lee said the Cato counselors have been working with the students who have been upset.
She has also received calls from concerned parents.
Lee said, “We have plans and we consider ourselves to be very safe. We have been double checking throughout the day to make sure doors are locked.”
Until recently, all doors except for the front door were kept locked. Lee said she sent a memo to parents letting them know that the front door will also be locked from now on. Any visitors will have to call the office to request that someone let them inside the school.
Lee said, “The way our school is laid out, it’s open space. It’s hard to manage everything.”
But a sticker on the doors instruct visitors that they must check in at the office and there are locations where the children can go to be safe in case an intruder enters the school.
“We have to go over emergency plans every year. No. 1 on the priority list is an intruder. We’re telling kids what they need to do if there is a situation. We’re communicating with older kids. We want to be proactive,” Lee said.
Kathy Kemp, the principal of Oakbrooke Elementary School in Sherwood, also said PCSSD requires a crisis prevention meeting at the beginning of each school year.
She said, “We know who’s going to do what, what’s going to happen during an bomb threat or whatever.”
The school has tornado, fire and lockdown drills once a month and security cameras at every door, Kemp said.
She said the staff just started locking all of the doors. Before, there was a note on them telling visitors to go to the front door and check in at the office.
Kemp sent a letter to parents this week about safety at Oakbrooke. She said the fact that the school is located behind the Sherwood Police Department is a comfort.
Teachers are told to carry their cell phones on campus, Kemp added.
“We’ve got the technology. We need to use it,” she said.
Kemp said she is hoping that President Barack Obama’s speech in response to the Connecticut shootings means the federal government will help schools with funding for more measures to keep students safe.
“It’s very traumatizing,” Kemp said about the attack.
Kirk Freeman, the principal of Northwood Middle School in Sherwood, said, “We are emphasizing (safety more).”
He added that Sherwood police are at the school constantly since the property was annexed into the city in November.
Freeman said a lot of parents know the teachers because they have taught several generations of their families. So, those parents may not always go through proper channels when visiting the school.
But he is encouraging everyone to check in at the office and get name badges. Freeman said many people have been very understanding about that.
Sherwood Alderman Tim McMinn opened Monday night’s city council meeting with, “Our hearts are grieving tonight for the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, EMTs and police officers of Newtown, Conn. They need our prayers. This shows us how fragile life is and what is really important — our children, grandchildren, our community and our schools and our teachers.”
In discussing an increase in franchise fees, Alderman Charlie Harmon asked that the money be dedicated to adding school resources officers to all city schools and increasing their security.
JACKSONVILLE SCHOOLS
Janice Walker, the principal of Warren Dupree Elementary School in Jacksonville, said district officials came out recently to review the school’s safety procedures and the placement of security cameras.
She said they determined that the cameras were in good positions, but one additional camera could be added to enhance the view of the outer entrance. Another suggestion the officials made was to install a bigger monitor for the office personnel to view visitors, staff members and students going in and out of the building.
Walker spoke with parents about the school safety at a parent-teacher organization meeting Tuesday night.
She said, “I think there are things the parents can do to help.”
Walker said parents who drop their children off in the morning should remember that the doors open at 7:20 a.m. She said they shouldn’t leave students at the school before then.
The doors at Dupree are unlocked because it is an open space school, according to Walker.
“It’s secured as much as possible,” she said.
Walker said parents have not called her with concerns. “That tells me parents are confident in the safety procedures we have,” she added.
Walker said all schools are looking at locking their doors and adding a buzzer system that would better control access.
She said the district sent out a call to alert parents about safety protocols all its schools have to follow.
Don Booth, principal of the Jacksonville Middle School, said, “My kids know they are safe when they come on the campus.”
He said administrators and security guards walk the campus, being vigilant about anyone who appears to be suspicious and making sure the school is secure.
Booth said no one has called with concerns. The school will conduct a lockdown drill when students return from the holiday break.
There are cameras and monitors at Jacksonville Middle, Booth said. He added that they are working to make sure the school’s gates are also secure.
Jeff Senn, the principal of North Pulaski High School in Jacksonville, said he has requested more security officers, but people without ID badges are stopped immediately and there is a crisis plan in place.
“We’re just double checking ourselves right now,” he said.
No parents have called and students don’t seem to be talking about the shooting, Senn said.
He added that teachers are encouraged to lock their doors and buzz the office if they see someone they don’t recognize walking around.
Security cameras are up and running at the school.
Lisa Peeples, the principal of Homer Adkins Preschool in Jacksonville, said they train teachers every year in safety protocols. Doors at the school are locked.
Parents have called and visited since the tragedy.
“Most of them have stated they know their (children are) safe here and the sadness they feel for the families in Connecticut. We had a security guard for a couple of days. We just hold our kids a little closer and love them a little bit more,” Peeples said.
The preschool also has to meet additional childcare licensing requirements because its students are younger than school age. “We have to be really careful anyway,” Peeples explained.
NEARBY DISTRICTS
In North Little Rock, the approach after the Connecticut shooting was low key, with no extra personnel added, but the principals were told to increase security.
By Monday afternoon many elementary schools that had been easily accessed were locked tight except for single doors by the main offices.
The Little Rock district increased security and made 25,000 automated calls to parents to explain the district’s safety procedures.
CABOT
Cabot Superintendent Tony Thurman said, “We had a few students request to visit with counselors regarding the incident.”
“We received several suggestions from parents and school staff regarding safety that will be taken into consideration. I encourage our parents to provide ongoing feedback to our building and district administrators in regard to school safety and security,” Thurman said.
Schools will be practicing emergency lockdown drills in the upcoming weeks.
“There is a lot of emphasis today on securing our schools. We do not want to lose this focus as time passes and we begin to return our regular routines and the events of last week are not as fresh on our minds,” he said.
“We have full-time police officers based at the high school and both junior high schools and will be requesting their feedback as well,” Thurman said.
A meeting with local law enforcement, medical and fire personnel was already planned for January before news of Friday’s shooting broke.
In an e-mail to faculty and staff members Thurman said building administrators would review and explain the importance of following lock down procedures. He said that Sandy Hook Elementary’s lock down protocol more than likely saved lives.
“Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to totally stop an emotionally unstable person intent on doing bad things,” Thurman wrote.
He said the priority is to put as many obstacles as possible in front of a person trying to hurt people and be able to secure the campus and classrooms as quick and effective as possible.
BEEBE
“The shooting in Connecticut is one of the saddest things I have seen in my educational career. I believe educators feel such a sense of protection for their students, and this example just shows that some things are out of our control,” Beebe School Superintendent Belinda Shook said.
She continued, “The educators at that school who died protecting their students are true heroes. I don’t know if there are security measures to keep someone as mentally unstable as that shooter from acting.”
Shook said, “I still believe schools are safe places and that this was a random act of violence by a very disturbed individual. Unfortunately, we are hearing of these things way too often in shopping malls, churches and schools.”
She continued, “The Beebe School District has crisis plans, security measures and we are going to revisit them all. We will do everything possible to keep our students and staff safe.”
Shook will be meeting with the administrators to review the district’s disaster and crisis plans this week. Shook has e-mailed the staff and asked for suggestions. She has already received several for consideration.
Shook said concerned parents have also contacted her. She said parents with concerns, questions or suggestions should contact their child’s building administrator.
Beebe schools practice limited access into buildings. Visitors are required to sign in and wear a visitor badge. Staff members supervise designated student pick-up areas.
“It is incomprehensible to those who care for children how anyone could deliberately cause harm to innocent young lives. Senseless violence is difficult to grasp and it is important to understand the big difference between possibility and probability. Safety is, and will always be, the first priority of the Beebe School District,” Shook said.
LONOKE
Lonoke Superintendent Suzanne Bailey wrote a report on student safety that was posted on the district’s website.
The report reads, “Our primary responsibility and top priority each day is to do our best as employees of the school system to keep our children safe. When someone is mentally unstable and/or enters the campus armed and with intent to cause harm to others, it does create an atmosphere in our learning environment to which we may or may not be able to control the outcome, no matter how much we practice or provide preventative measures.”
The report continues, “With this said, we, as educational leaders are guarded with the important task of providing a safe learning environment for every student, must do our best to ensure that we have put in place the necessary preventative action steps that we have available at the current date.”
The report goes on to say that administrators met on Monday to discuss school safety, which was set as a district goal at the beginning of this year and has been set as a goal every school year.
School resource officers were planning to visit each campus to provide more safety training to teachers and staff members.
Doors at the schools should be locked at all times, the report states.
School board member Matt Boyles said at Monday night’s school board meeting that he was comfortable with the high school’s security.
“I think you pretty much have to go through the office to get in, but at our other three buildings that isn’t the case,” he said.
Boyles suggested putting in glass doors at the elementary and primary schools that would force visitors to go to the office.
“I know millage is a dirty word. But I think our community (would support it) if we had to have a millage or something, he said.
Bailey said she knows some schools have buzzer systems. She said that would be quicker and less expensive than doing things like putting up walls.
Boyles and other board members said their churches have that kind of setup. Bailey asked them to give her contact information for the companies that installed those.
Boyles also suggested a panic button that would alert police if a situation like the shooting in Connecticut occurred.
Staff writers Jeffrey Smith and Rick Kron contributed reporting for this story.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Devils’ best game beats Patriots
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Jacksonville ladies picked up another hard-fought win this season, handing Little Rock Parkview, the defending Class 6A state champion, its first loss with a 56-48 victory Friday at the Devil’s Den.
Jacksonville went 0-3 against last year’s Lady Patriots, including a 31-point loss in the Class 6A semifinal. Lady Red Devils coach Katrina Mimms remembers it all too well, and was glad to be on the other side of the fence this time around.
“After last year, (losing) three times, it’s good to get a little revenge at least,” Mimms said. “Overall, I thought that’s probably one of the best overall games we’ve played. Offensively we did some good things. Defensively, we slowed them down. We didn’t do everything right, but as far as a whole game, that’s one of the best games we’ve played all year.”
It took a few minutes for the two respective teams to settle into the game. Senior standout and University of Arkansas signee, Jessica Jackson, scored Jacksonville’s first pair of points at the free throw line at the 5:17 mark of the opening quarter. Once each side put points on the board, it was back and forth for the remainder of the quarter.
The score was knotted up at 14-14 after a bank three pointer by Parkview’s Christyal Holloway with 50 seconds to play in the quarter. Junior two guard Tiffany Smith countered with a three of her own on the Lady Devils’ next possession to give Jacksonville (6-4) a 17-14 lead at the end of the first.
Parkview (5-1) took a three-point lead early in the second after a 6-0 scoring run. Smith ended Jacksonville’s scoreless streak with another three pointer that tied the score at 20 apiece with 4:24 left in the half. After Smith’s game-tying three, the Lady Devils went on a 12-0 run to take a 32-20 lead at the break.
“I thought we did a good job of getting them in foul trouble,” Mimms said. “They got in foul trouble and that helped us, because 34 (Sausha Davey) got in foul trouble early. And when they take her out of the game, that kind of negates their inside game.
“Our plan offensively, we knew they were going to do two things. They would run man-to-man or they would run a matchup, and we were ready for both. We knew that we had to come down and be a little more patient than we’ve been in a half-court set. And we knew defensively that we had to cover shooters and box out.”
Jacksonville pushed its lead to 16 near the end of the third. Parkview’s Taylor Boles was able to cut the deficit to 14 by the end of the quarter on a basket inside the paint with 8 seconds on the clock. In the final quarter, the Lady Patriots did all they could to make a run.
Parkview’s press defense gave Jacksonville problems in the final eight minutes. The Lady Patriots forced nine Jacksonville turnovers in the quarter while committing just one. With 1:18 to play, Parkview’s Derriel Banyard scored an easy layup after a Jacksonville turnover, which cut the Lady Devils’ lead to eight.
The Lady Patriots cut the deficit down to six with another two pointer, but sophomore point guard Shakyla Hill put the game away in the final seconds as she scored the last four points for Jacksonville. It was Hill’s only points of the game, and they couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time.
“Today is her birthday, so a much-needed birthday present,” Mimms said of Hill.
Although neither team shot great from the free-throw and three-point lines, Jacksonville had the better percentage in each category. The Lady Devils shot 60 percent from the free throw line and 30.7 percent beyond the perimeter. Parkview made 26 percent of its shots from downtown on 23 attempts, and made a less than stellar 30.7 percent of its free throws.
Jacksonville’s 24 turnovers were 10 more than Parkview totaled, but the Lady Devils dominated the rebounding statistics with 38 boards compared to the Lady Patriots’ 19.
Jackson finished with a double-double as she led all scorers with 24 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Markela Bryles finished a board shy of a double-double as she scored 10 points and had nine rebounds. Smith scored eight points, all in the first half.
Hill added six rebounds and seven assists to her four points. Roshunda Johnson, an Oklahoma State signee, led Parkview with 15 points and six steals.
The Lady Devils will play again Dec. 26 in a tournament at Springfield, Mo.
Leader sportswriter
The Jacksonville ladies picked up another hard-fought win this season, handing Little Rock Parkview, the defending Class 6A state champion, its first loss with a 56-48 victory Friday at the Devil’s Den.
Jacksonville went 0-3 against last year’s Lady Patriots, including a 31-point loss in the Class 6A semifinal. Lady Red Devils coach Katrina Mimms remembers it all too well, and was glad to be on the other side of the fence this time around.
“After last year, (losing) three times, it’s good to get a little revenge at least,” Mimms said. “Overall, I thought that’s probably one of the best overall games we’ve played. Offensively we did some good things. Defensively, we slowed them down. We didn’t do everything right, but as far as a whole game, that’s one of the best games we’ve played all year.”
It took a few minutes for the two respective teams to settle into the game. Senior standout and University of Arkansas signee, Jessica Jackson, scored Jacksonville’s first pair of points at the free throw line at the 5:17 mark of the opening quarter. Once each side put points on the board, it was back and forth for the remainder of the quarter.
The score was knotted up at 14-14 after a bank three pointer by Parkview’s Christyal Holloway with 50 seconds to play in the quarter. Junior two guard Tiffany Smith countered with a three of her own on the Lady Devils’ next possession to give Jacksonville (6-4) a 17-14 lead at the end of the first.
Parkview (5-1) took a three-point lead early in the second after a 6-0 scoring run. Smith ended Jacksonville’s scoreless streak with another three pointer that tied the score at 20 apiece with 4:24 left in the half. After Smith’s game-tying three, the Lady Devils went on a 12-0 run to take a 32-20 lead at the break.
“I thought we did a good job of getting them in foul trouble,” Mimms said. “They got in foul trouble and that helped us, because 34 (Sausha Davey) got in foul trouble early. And when they take her out of the game, that kind of negates their inside game.
“Our plan offensively, we knew they were going to do two things. They would run man-to-man or they would run a matchup, and we were ready for both. We knew that we had to come down and be a little more patient than we’ve been in a half-court set. And we knew defensively that we had to cover shooters and box out.”
Jacksonville pushed its lead to 16 near the end of the third. Parkview’s Taylor Boles was able to cut the deficit to 14 by the end of the quarter on a basket inside the paint with 8 seconds on the clock. In the final quarter, the Lady Patriots did all they could to make a run.
Parkview’s press defense gave Jacksonville problems in the final eight minutes. The Lady Patriots forced nine Jacksonville turnovers in the quarter while committing just one. With 1:18 to play, Parkview’s Derriel Banyard scored an easy layup after a Jacksonville turnover, which cut the Lady Devils’ lead to eight.
The Lady Patriots cut the deficit down to six with another two pointer, but sophomore point guard Shakyla Hill put the game away in the final seconds as she scored the last four points for Jacksonville. It was Hill’s only points of the game, and they couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time.
“Today is her birthday, so a much-needed birthday present,” Mimms said of Hill.
Although neither team shot great from the free-throw and three-point lines, Jacksonville had the better percentage in each category. The Lady Devils shot 60 percent from the free throw line and 30.7 percent beyond the perimeter. Parkview made 26 percent of its shots from downtown on 23 attempts, and made a less than stellar 30.7 percent of its free throws.
Jacksonville’s 24 turnovers were 10 more than Parkview totaled, but the Lady Devils dominated the rebounding statistics with 38 boards compared to the Lady Patriots’ 19.
Jackson finished with a double-double as she led all scorers with 24 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Markela Bryles finished a board shy of a double-double as she scored 10 points and had nine rebounds. Smith scored eight points, all in the first half.
Hill added six rebounds and seven assists to her four points. Roshunda Johnson, an Oklahoma State signee, led Parkview with 15 points and six steals.
The Lady Devils will play again Dec. 26 in a tournament at Springfield, Mo.
SPORTS STORY >> Falcons rally from deficit, beat ’Rabs
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
North Pulaski trailed most of the game, but a pair of second-half technical fouls on Lonoke and some clutch shooting by the home team lifted the Falcons to a 74-66 victory over the Jackrabbits on Friday in Jacksonville.
The Falcons got evenly-distributed scoring in a huge fourth quarter that saw the home team complete a comeback from an 11-point deficit earlier in the game.
“We needed a win in the worst way,” North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson said. “We lost some tough, hard-fought games in that Conway tournament. Lost three in a row down there, and we just needed to win one. Lonoke’s a great program, some state championships, great tradition. It was a great win for us, especially coming back from behind like that. These kids don’t quit. I’m so proud of them right now.”
Lonoke held a lead of between seven and 11 for most of the first half. North Pulaski put together an 8-0 run at the end of the half to cut it to 33-31. Lonoke’s Jamel Rankin drained a jumper just before halftime to end NP’s run and send the Jackrabbits into intermission with a 35-31 lead. Lonoke assistant coach Heath Swiney was hit with a technical foul as the team’s were heading to the locker room.
North Pulaski’s Joe Aikens drained two free throws before the second half began to make it 35-33. Halfway through the third quarter, North Pulaski got its first lead of the game at 44-43 when Aikens completed an old-fashioned three-point play with a bucket and a free-throw. But the lead didn’t last long. Lonoke forced three turnovers on North Pulaski’s next three possessions and scored after each one. The Jackrabbits led 50-44 on a Blake Mack scoop shot with 1:38 left in the third.
Jackson called timeout and his team hit the floor with renewed spark. The Falcons scored the next five points of the game. Senior Daniel Drone drained a high-arching three pointer over Mack’s outstretched arm. Aikens then got a steal and a lay-in before Lonoke’s Darrius McCall hit a shot to end the North Pulaski run.
North Pulaski freshman RaShawn Langston added a bucket to make it 52-51 heading into the fourth quarter.
The wheels then began to come off for Lonoke. The Jackrabbits committed turnovers on their first six possession of the fourth quarter. After the first turnover, Aikens hit a 17-footer. He then intercepted the inbounds pass and found Drone streaking to the basket for a layup. Lonoke threw it away on its next two possession and Langston hit a floater to give the Falcons a 57-52 lead with 5:09 left in the game. Lonoke then scored five straight to tie it up in just 25 seconds. Jamel Rankin hit two free throws and McCall got an and-one to make it 57-57 with 4:46 left. Then came a key turning point.
North Pulaski’s Aaren Scruggs missed a three pointer. Drone and Lonoke’s Reid McKenzie went up for the high-bouncing rebound. McKenzie had box-out position, but Drone got higher. The NP guard caught the ball and shot it in one motion. The basket putback went in and McKenzie was called for a foul. Lonoke head coach Dean Campbell, who was confined to his seat the entire second half because of the bench technical at halftime, yelled his disapproval of the call at the other end of the floor, and was hit with a technical foul. North Pulaski made two of three free throws for a 61-57 lead with 4:18 left in the game.
“We had opportunities after that so I’m not going to say it decided the game,” Campbell said. “But I think the official was pretty thin-skinned to give a technical in that situation. I was doing what I was supposed to do. I didn’t get up. I just said it was a horrible call. In a game like this, at this level with two programs with so much tradition, a call like that, it cheapens it.”
North Pulaski’s lead grew to 63-58 with three minutes left before Rankin hit a three pointer with 2:46 remaining. Lonoke called timeout right after Rankin’s shot, but North Pulaski came out of the break to score the next six points to all but seal the game. Aikens, Steven Farrior and Langston got the three buckets that put the Falcons ahead by eight and in control of the game with 1:08 left.
North Pulaski still made it harder than it should’ve been by inexplicably fouling on consecutive Lonoke possessions. Rankin hit four-straight free throws to make it 69-65 with 48 seconds remaining. North Pulaski held the ball and forced Lonoke to foul. Langston and Drone hit five-straight free throws to lock up the victory.
Aikens led all scorers with 25 points and added seven rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Drone scored 17, including seven each to lead the comeback efforts in the second and fourth quarters.
“Drone hit some big, crucial shots for us tonight,” Jackson said. “He’s been on and off this year but he’s a great team player. We need some more consistency out of him because he can be a really effective leader on the floor for us. Tonight was a great start.”
Both teams are off until after Christmas. Lonoke travels to Wynne while North Pulaski plays in a tournament at Camden-Fairview.
Leader sports editor
North Pulaski trailed most of the game, but a pair of second-half technical fouls on Lonoke and some clutch shooting by the home team lifted the Falcons to a 74-66 victory over the Jackrabbits on Friday in Jacksonville.
The Falcons got evenly-distributed scoring in a huge fourth quarter that saw the home team complete a comeback from an 11-point deficit earlier in the game.
“We needed a win in the worst way,” North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson said. “We lost some tough, hard-fought games in that Conway tournament. Lost three in a row down there, and we just needed to win one. Lonoke’s a great program, some state championships, great tradition. It was a great win for us, especially coming back from behind like that. These kids don’t quit. I’m so proud of them right now.”
Lonoke held a lead of between seven and 11 for most of the first half. North Pulaski put together an 8-0 run at the end of the half to cut it to 33-31. Lonoke’s Jamel Rankin drained a jumper just before halftime to end NP’s run and send the Jackrabbits into intermission with a 35-31 lead. Lonoke assistant coach Heath Swiney was hit with a technical foul as the team’s were heading to the locker room.
North Pulaski’s Joe Aikens drained two free throws before the second half began to make it 35-33. Halfway through the third quarter, North Pulaski got its first lead of the game at 44-43 when Aikens completed an old-fashioned three-point play with a bucket and a free-throw. But the lead didn’t last long. Lonoke forced three turnovers on North Pulaski’s next three possessions and scored after each one. The Jackrabbits led 50-44 on a Blake Mack scoop shot with 1:38 left in the third.
Jackson called timeout and his team hit the floor with renewed spark. The Falcons scored the next five points of the game. Senior Daniel Drone drained a high-arching three pointer over Mack’s outstretched arm. Aikens then got a steal and a lay-in before Lonoke’s Darrius McCall hit a shot to end the North Pulaski run.
North Pulaski freshman RaShawn Langston added a bucket to make it 52-51 heading into the fourth quarter.
The wheels then began to come off for Lonoke. The Jackrabbits committed turnovers on their first six possession of the fourth quarter. After the first turnover, Aikens hit a 17-footer. He then intercepted the inbounds pass and found Drone streaking to the basket for a layup. Lonoke threw it away on its next two possession and Langston hit a floater to give the Falcons a 57-52 lead with 5:09 left in the game. Lonoke then scored five straight to tie it up in just 25 seconds. Jamel Rankin hit two free throws and McCall got an and-one to make it 57-57 with 4:46 left. Then came a key turning point.
North Pulaski’s Aaren Scruggs missed a three pointer. Drone and Lonoke’s Reid McKenzie went up for the high-bouncing rebound. McKenzie had box-out position, but Drone got higher. The NP guard caught the ball and shot it in one motion. The basket putback went in and McKenzie was called for a foul. Lonoke head coach Dean Campbell, who was confined to his seat the entire second half because of the bench technical at halftime, yelled his disapproval of the call at the other end of the floor, and was hit with a technical foul. North Pulaski made two of three free throws for a 61-57 lead with 4:18 left in the game.
“We had opportunities after that so I’m not going to say it decided the game,” Campbell said. “But I think the official was pretty thin-skinned to give a technical in that situation. I was doing what I was supposed to do. I didn’t get up. I just said it was a horrible call. In a game like this, at this level with two programs with so much tradition, a call like that, it cheapens it.”
North Pulaski’s lead grew to 63-58 with three minutes left before Rankin hit a three pointer with 2:46 remaining. Lonoke called timeout right after Rankin’s shot, but North Pulaski came out of the break to score the next six points to all but seal the game. Aikens, Steven Farrior and Langston got the three buckets that put the Falcons ahead by eight and in control of the game with 1:08 left.
North Pulaski still made it harder than it should’ve been by inexplicably fouling on consecutive Lonoke possessions. Rankin hit four-straight free throws to make it 69-65 with 48 seconds remaining. North Pulaski held the ball and forced Lonoke to foul. Langston and Drone hit five-straight free throws to lock up the victory.
Aikens led all scorers with 25 points and added seven rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Drone scored 17, including seven each to lead the comeback efforts in the second and fourth quarters.
“Drone hit some big, crucial shots for us tonight,” Jackson said. “He’s been on and off this year but he’s a great team player. We need some more consistency out of him because he can be a really effective leader on the floor for us. Tonight was a great start.”
Both teams are off until after Christmas. Lonoke travels to Wynne while North Pulaski plays in a tournament at Camden-Fairview.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot beats Bryant while shorthanded
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers got a quality road win on Friday despite being shorthanded. Playing without senior forward Elliot Taylor and senior point guard Jaylin Bridges seeing very limited time with injuries and foul trouble, the Lady Panthers were still able to defeat Bryant 47-34 in their last game before Christmas.
“Elliot has a little foot problem she’s been playing with so we decided to rest her,” Cabot assistant coach Charles Ruple said. “Bridges saw very limited time. She’s had a little knee problem that’s been nagging her. She got into a little foul trouble early so we just sat her down too. The rest of the girls did a tremendous job. Bryant had beaten Vilonia who just beat us by 20 points. So going in there and shutting them down like we did was a great way for us to end before a little break here for a while.”
The two teams were dead even at the end of the first quarter and at halftime. Tied at 17 at intermission, the Lady Panthers equaled that total in the third quarter alone. Playing at a slower pace than the usual all-out pressing attack it usually plays, Cabot was able to create open shots in the half-court set.
“We played pretty well considering we didn’t have two seniors on the floor almost at all, and considering we were playing a different style than we’re used to,” Ruple said. “Bryant likes to slow it down a little and with us not having the depth we usually do, we went along with it. They ran the offense very well and found open shots.”
Sophomore forward Alyssa Hamilton led the way with 16 points while senior post player Ally Van Enk added 12.
While Cabot’s offense was efficient in the second half, its defense was stifling. The Lady Hornets managed to make just nine of 36 field-goal attempts the entire game. Cabot hit 21 of 52 and only three were three-pointers.
Bryant hit 14 of 18 free-throw attempts while Cabot was 3 of 4 from the line.
The Cabot boys weren’t just in a tight game early, but throughout. Bryant led almost the whole game, but never led by more than six points. Cabot took the lead midway through the fourth quarter but never led by more than two points. Missed free throws was the main culprit in Cabot’s loss.
“We just have to hit free throws and finish games out,” Cabot boys coach Jerry Bridges said. “If we had just made a few of those we probably would have come out on top in this one. Bryant’s a good team though. Their guard play is better than its been in a while but could have won that game.”
The Lady Panthers’ next game will be at the Mansfield Rotary Club Classic in Texas. They will face Plano East on Thursday, Dec. 27. The boys will stay much closer to home for the holiday break. They will make the short trip north to Beebe to face Pulaski Academy at 5:30 p.m. on the 27th.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers got a quality road win on Friday despite being shorthanded. Playing without senior forward Elliot Taylor and senior point guard Jaylin Bridges seeing very limited time with injuries and foul trouble, the Lady Panthers were still able to defeat Bryant 47-34 in their last game before Christmas.
“Elliot has a little foot problem she’s been playing with so we decided to rest her,” Cabot assistant coach Charles Ruple said. “Bridges saw very limited time. She’s had a little knee problem that’s been nagging her. She got into a little foul trouble early so we just sat her down too. The rest of the girls did a tremendous job. Bryant had beaten Vilonia who just beat us by 20 points. So going in there and shutting them down like we did was a great way for us to end before a little break here for a while.”
The two teams were dead even at the end of the first quarter and at halftime. Tied at 17 at intermission, the Lady Panthers equaled that total in the third quarter alone. Playing at a slower pace than the usual all-out pressing attack it usually plays, Cabot was able to create open shots in the half-court set.
“We played pretty well considering we didn’t have two seniors on the floor almost at all, and considering we were playing a different style than we’re used to,” Ruple said. “Bryant likes to slow it down a little and with us not having the depth we usually do, we went along with it. They ran the offense very well and found open shots.”
Sophomore forward Alyssa Hamilton led the way with 16 points while senior post player Ally Van Enk added 12.
While Cabot’s offense was efficient in the second half, its defense was stifling. The Lady Hornets managed to make just nine of 36 field-goal attempts the entire game. Cabot hit 21 of 52 and only three were three-pointers.
Bryant hit 14 of 18 free-throw attempts while Cabot was 3 of 4 from the line.
The Cabot boys weren’t just in a tight game early, but throughout. Bryant led almost the whole game, but never led by more than six points. Cabot took the lead midway through the fourth quarter but never led by more than two points. Missed free throws was the main culprit in Cabot’s loss.
“We just have to hit free throws and finish games out,” Cabot boys coach Jerry Bridges said. “If we had just made a few of those we probably would have come out on top in this one. Bryant’s a good team though. Their guard play is better than its been in a while but could have won that game.”
The Lady Panthers’ next game will be at the Mansfield Rotary Club Classic in Texas. They will face Plano East on Thursday, Dec. 27. The boys will stay much closer to home for the holiday break. They will make the short trip north to Beebe to face Pulaski Academy at 5:30 p.m. on the 27th.
SPORTS STORY >> Global event happening at Jacksonville
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Some of the highest rated prep basketball players from all over the world will be featured at Jacksonville High School this weekend. JHS will be the site of the very first Hardwood Holiday Showcase, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday and will feature teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Illinois.
Orr Academy in Chicago will bring one of the nation’s top sophomores in 6-foot-5 Tyquane Greer, but perhaps the most intriguing team in the event lineup is Trent Internationale from Sugar Land, Texas. Trent Internationale is a basketball academy that features players from Europe and Africa. Roaming the paint for T.I. is two Egyptian giants in 7-foot senior Ali Mohamed and 6-10 junior Ahmed Hamdy. The T.I. perimeter is more culturally diverse. Edgaras Kvedaravicius, a 6-3 senior from Lithuania, will run the point for the Phoenix. Jimmy Salem, another 6-3 senior from Lebanon, handles the two-guard position while senior Justin McCray of Texas stands 6-4 and plays a combo guard/forward.
Also sharing time at the point is 6-3 Iranian Soheil Yousefi who is billed as the team’s most athletic player.
Also featured in the tournament is Putnam West High School out of Oklahoma City. PWHS features point guard Omega Harris, a 6-2 senior who rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in Oklahoma.
The tournament opens with a more local flavor. El Dorado takes on Camden-Fairview at 4 p.m. Friday. Little Rock McClellan then faces two-time defending Louisiana class 3A champion Bossier City at 5:30. Expect the Devils’ Den to be jam packed by the end of that game. At 7 p.m., Chicago’s Orr Academy takes on Trent Internationale before Jacksonville and Putnam close the opening night at 8:30 p.m.
Action starts again at 4 p.m. Saturday with Bossier City facing CFHS. El Dorado takes on McClellan at 5:30 before Putnam West faces Trent Internationale at 7 p.m. The Red Devils then close the event against Orr Academy.
The tournament is hosted and sponsored by C&B Sports of Little Rock. This is C&B Sports’ first foray into high-school tournaments in Arkansas, though they have been involved in AAU basketball for many years. Founder Cory Blunt, is seeking to bring the large-scale high-school tournaments back to Arkansas like it had in the days of the old King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff.
“I’m from Pine Bluff and we’re trying to figure out a way to get the King Cotton type of feel back to Arkansas,” Blunt said. “Jacksonville is not as big of an arena as that was held in, but this is the first try. If the demand is there then we’ll grow. Right now, though, Jacksonville is a great fit. They’ve had a holiday tournament for a long time and it’s had a great following over the years.
“It’s a great atmosphere there and with the kind of teams and players we’re bringing in, it should be very exciting.”
Tickets for the event are only $8 per day and is good for all four games each day.
Leader sports editor
Some of the highest rated prep basketball players from all over the world will be featured at Jacksonville High School this weekend. JHS will be the site of the very first Hardwood Holiday Showcase, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday and will feature teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Illinois.
Orr Academy in Chicago will bring one of the nation’s top sophomores in 6-foot-5 Tyquane Greer, but perhaps the most intriguing team in the event lineup is Trent Internationale from Sugar Land, Texas. Trent Internationale is a basketball academy that features players from Europe and Africa. Roaming the paint for T.I. is two Egyptian giants in 7-foot senior Ali Mohamed and 6-10 junior Ahmed Hamdy. The T.I. perimeter is more culturally diverse. Edgaras Kvedaravicius, a 6-3 senior from Lithuania, will run the point for the Phoenix. Jimmy Salem, another 6-3 senior from Lebanon, handles the two-guard position while senior Justin McCray of Texas stands 6-4 and plays a combo guard/forward.
Also sharing time at the point is 6-3 Iranian Soheil Yousefi who is billed as the team’s most athletic player.
Also featured in the tournament is Putnam West High School out of Oklahoma City. PWHS features point guard Omega Harris, a 6-2 senior who rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in Oklahoma.
The tournament opens with a more local flavor. El Dorado takes on Camden-Fairview at 4 p.m. Friday. Little Rock McClellan then faces two-time defending Louisiana class 3A champion Bossier City at 5:30. Expect the Devils’ Den to be jam packed by the end of that game. At 7 p.m., Chicago’s Orr Academy takes on Trent Internationale before Jacksonville and Putnam close the opening night at 8:30 p.m.
Action starts again at 4 p.m. Saturday with Bossier City facing CFHS. El Dorado takes on McClellan at 5:30 before Putnam West faces Trent Internationale at 7 p.m. The Red Devils then close the event against Orr Academy.
The tournament is hosted and sponsored by C&B Sports of Little Rock. This is C&B Sports’ first foray into high-school tournaments in Arkansas, though they have been involved in AAU basketball for many years. Founder Cory Blunt, is seeking to bring the large-scale high-school tournaments back to Arkansas like it had in the days of the old King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff.
“I’m from Pine Bluff and we’re trying to figure out a way to get the King Cotton type of feel back to Arkansas,” Blunt said. “Jacksonville is not as big of an arena as that was held in, but this is the first try. If the demand is there then we’ll grow. Right now, though, Jacksonville is a great fit. They’ve had a holiday tournament for a long time and it’s had a great following over the years.
“It’s a great atmosphere there and with the kind of teams and players we’re bringing in, it should be very exciting.”
Tickets for the event are only $8 per day and is good for all four games each day.
SPORTS STORY >> Turnovers hurt Devils again
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville did its best to make a late run against longtime rival Jonesboro, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden Hurricane beat the Red Devils 63-58 on Saturday in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge at Maumelle High School.
It was another close game between the two respective schools. Jacksonville and Jonesboro have had their share of battles over the years as members of the 6A East Conference. Jacksonville swept Jonesboro in the regular season last year before falling hard to the Golden Hurricane in the class 6A semifinal.
This season the Red Devils moved to class 5A, but Saturday’s game felt like the same old rivalry. Jacksonville scored the first four points of the game, and carried that early momentum to a 16-11 lead midway through the first half. It would be the Red Devils’ largest lead of the night.
Jonesboro battled back to take a one-point lead on a three pointer by Randle Toliver at the 5:21 mark. It was Toliver’s third three of the game. From there, the ‘Canes went on a 13-3 run to grab an 11-point lead with 1:27 remaining in the opening half.
Jacksonville scored the last four points of the half on baskets by Keith Charleston and Justin McCleary. McCleary’s basket came on a driving layup on the Red Devils’ final possession to cut Jonesboro’s lead to 36-29 at the break.
Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner was less than pleased with his team’s defensive play throughout the first 16 minutes.
“It was like they were shell-shocked,” Joyner said. “There are times you’re at the high school level that a kid will make one pass to a kid that didn’t come off a screen or nothing. And you’re standing off of him 5-feet, and you just let him shoot a shot? They weren’t defending.
“A lot of them were uncontested. They weren’t setting screens. We just didn’t get back and defend anybody. In the second half we started defending a little bit better, but then we didn’t execute in a half-court set. We have some things we need to do to get better.”
Jonesboro (7-2) pushed its lead back to double digits with a 6-2 run to open the second half. Jacksonville (5-3) responded with a 6-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to five at the 9:36 mark.
The Red Devils stayed within striking distance the rest of the way, but the ‘Canes had an answer for every Jacksonville basket.
McCleary scored six points in the final 2:00 for Jacksonville, including a three pointer that cut the deficit to four with 32 seconds to play. The Red Devils were forced to foul and after a pair of Jonesboro free throws, Kevin Richardson scored on a driving layup with 10 seconds to make the score 62-58.
Jacksonville was unable to steal the ball on the inbound pass, and with 8 seconds remaining, Jonesboro’s Tony White made one of two free throws to set the final score.
“We’ve got to defend and share the ball better,” Joyner said. “We have too many guys forcing the ball. Share the ball. We had too many unforced turnovers. The same thing has been going on for the last four or five games. We’re seven, eight games in, and we’re still having the same turnovers.
“I don’t know if it’s selfishness, people not wanting to share the ball. I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to get fixed quick. Monday it’s going to get fixed.”
McCleary led all scorers with 19 points. Aaron Smith scored all 10 of his points in the second half. Khaleel Hart had nine, and Sergio Berkley added eight. Toliver led Jonesboro with 15 points. Jacksonville plays Friday against Oklahoma City’s Putnam City West in the Hardwood Showcase at the Devil’s Den.
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville did its best to make a late run against longtime rival Jonesboro, but it wasn’t enough as the Golden Hurricane beat the Red Devils 63-58 on Saturday in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge at Maumelle High School.
It was another close game between the two respective schools. Jacksonville and Jonesboro have had their share of battles over the years as members of the 6A East Conference. Jacksonville swept Jonesboro in the regular season last year before falling hard to the Golden Hurricane in the class 6A semifinal.
This season the Red Devils moved to class 5A, but Saturday’s game felt like the same old rivalry. Jacksonville scored the first four points of the game, and carried that early momentum to a 16-11 lead midway through the first half. It would be the Red Devils’ largest lead of the night.
Jonesboro battled back to take a one-point lead on a three pointer by Randle Toliver at the 5:21 mark. It was Toliver’s third three of the game. From there, the ‘Canes went on a 13-3 run to grab an 11-point lead with 1:27 remaining in the opening half.
Jacksonville scored the last four points of the half on baskets by Keith Charleston and Justin McCleary. McCleary’s basket came on a driving layup on the Red Devils’ final possession to cut Jonesboro’s lead to 36-29 at the break.
Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner was less than pleased with his team’s defensive play throughout the first 16 minutes.
“It was like they were shell-shocked,” Joyner said. “There are times you’re at the high school level that a kid will make one pass to a kid that didn’t come off a screen or nothing. And you’re standing off of him 5-feet, and you just let him shoot a shot? They weren’t defending.
“A lot of them were uncontested. They weren’t setting screens. We just didn’t get back and defend anybody. In the second half we started defending a little bit better, but then we didn’t execute in a half-court set. We have some things we need to do to get better.”
Jonesboro (7-2) pushed its lead back to double digits with a 6-2 run to open the second half. Jacksonville (5-3) responded with a 6-0 run of its own to cut the deficit to five at the 9:36 mark.
The Red Devils stayed within striking distance the rest of the way, but the ‘Canes had an answer for every Jacksonville basket.
McCleary scored six points in the final 2:00 for Jacksonville, including a three pointer that cut the deficit to four with 32 seconds to play. The Red Devils were forced to foul and after a pair of Jonesboro free throws, Kevin Richardson scored on a driving layup with 10 seconds to make the score 62-58.
Jacksonville was unable to steal the ball on the inbound pass, and with 8 seconds remaining, Jonesboro’s Tony White made one of two free throws to set the final score.
“We’ve got to defend and share the ball better,” Joyner said. “We have too many guys forcing the ball. Share the ball. We had too many unforced turnovers. The same thing has been going on for the last four or five games. We’re seven, eight games in, and we’re still having the same turnovers.
“I don’t know if it’s selfishness, people not wanting to share the ball. I don’t know what it is, but it’s going to get fixed quick. Monday it’s going to get fixed.”
McCleary led all scorers with 19 points. Aaron Smith scored all 10 of his points in the second half. Khaleel Hart had nine, and Sergio Berkley added eight. Toliver led Jonesboro with 15 points. Jacksonville plays Friday against Oklahoma City’s Putnam City West in the Hardwood Showcase at the Devil’s Den.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
SPORTS STORY >> Rocket wrestlers dominate Panthers
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers had three of their wrestlers pick up wins in the team’s first wrestling meet of the season Tuesday, but that was all, as the Panthers lost to Little Rock Catholic 56-18 in team points at Cabot High School.
Senior standout Tyler Kurz, a three-time state champion, won the 145-pound weight class in February last season. This season, Kurz is wrestling in the 182-pound division, and earned the most impressive win for the Panthers on Tuesday, as he pinned his opponent 33 seconds into the match.
Kurz has won the state crown in three different weight classes, and according to Cabot coach Jason Rogers, Kurz has worked hard in the offseason to get stronger and improve at his craft.
“He’s worked really hard in the weight room during the offseason,” Rogers said. “He’s put a lot of effort into this and it’s showing.”
Kurz recently signed to wrestle at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. Erik Cooley and Tyler Gilbertson were the other two Panther wrestlers to earn individual wins. Cooley, who wrestled in the 138-pound class, pinned his opponent in the second period. Gilbertson, who was wrestling in his first-ever match, pinned his opponent at the 1:50 mark of the second period to give the Panthers a win in the 285-pound class.
Tuesday’s match was Catholic’s 14th of the season. The experienced Rockets have participated in a couple of tournaments along the way, and for the Panthers, a good chunk of their varsity participants were wrestling in a sanctioned match for the first time.
“We’ll get better,” Rogers said. “We’ve got 17 more meets to attend this year. So we’ll get better before it’s all said and done. We’ve only been practicing for a couple of weeks now. With football season and everything, it’s a little bit harder to get going. I know our season started November 11th. So a month into the season, we’re finally getting our first match in.”
Catholic racked up 11 individual wins in the meet, which resulted in its 56 team points. The other Panther wrestlers that participated in Tuesday’s meet include: Ben Powell, Kyle Wheeler, Brandon Barrentine, Seth Roberts, Michael Mor-gan, Austin Johnson, Patrick Partin, Hayden Mills, Austin Dye, Austin Jones and Gage Long. Wheeler finished last season as the state runner-up of the 152-pound division.
“We’ve had probably two and a half weeks of practice with everybody out there, including our football kids,” Rogers said. “We’ve got a long ways to go. I thought effort-wise, we wrestled really well. But on the technical standpoint of it, we have a lot to learn.”
Rogers expects to see steady improvement as the season progresses, and has high hopes for his seniors in particular.
“We have a good group of seniors this year,” Rogers said. “A bunch of them are returning starters. For many of them, this is their fourth year starting for us. So they’re setting a good example in the practice room. They’ve just got to keep working hard.”
Cabot’s next meet is today in a four-team tournament at Cabot Junior High North. The other three teams participating are Beebe, Conway and Central.
Leader sportswriter
The Cabot Panthers had three of their wrestlers pick up wins in the team’s first wrestling meet of the season Tuesday, but that was all, as the Panthers lost to Little Rock Catholic 56-18 in team points at Cabot High School.
Senior standout Tyler Kurz, a three-time state champion, won the 145-pound weight class in February last season. This season, Kurz is wrestling in the 182-pound division, and earned the most impressive win for the Panthers on Tuesday, as he pinned his opponent 33 seconds into the match.
Kurz has won the state crown in three different weight classes, and according to Cabot coach Jason Rogers, Kurz has worked hard in the offseason to get stronger and improve at his craft.
“He’s worked really hard in the weight room during the offseason,” Rogers said. “He’s put a lot of effort into this and it’s showing.”
Kurz recently signed to wrestle at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. Erik Cooley and Tyler Gilbertson were the other two Panther wrestlers to earn individual wins. Cooley, who wrestled in the 138-pound class, pinned his opponent in the second period. Gilbertson, who was wrestling in his first-ever match, pinned his opponent at the 1:50 mark of the second period to give the Panthers a win in the 285-pound class.
Tuesday’s match was Catholic’s 14th of the season. The experienced Rockets have participated in a couple of tournaments along the way, and for the Panthers, a good chunk of their varsity participants were wrestling in a sanctioned match for the first time.
“We’ll get better,” Rogers said. “We’ve got 17 more meets to attend this year. So we’ll get better before it’s all said and done. We’ve only been practicing for a couple of weeks now. With football season and everything, it’s a little bit harder to get going. I know our season started November 11th. So a month into the season, we’re finally getting our first match in.”
Catholic racked up 11 individual wins in the meet, which resulted in its 56 team points. The other Panther wrestlers that participated in Tuesday’s meet include: Ben Powell, Kyle Wheeler, Brandon Barrentine, Seth Roberts, Michael Mor-gan, Austin Johnson, Patrick Partin, Hayden Mills, Austin Dye, Austin Jones and Gage Long. Wheeler finished last season as the state runner-up of the 152-pound division.
“We’ve had probably two and a half weeks of practice with everybody out there, including our football kids,” Rogers said. “We’ve got a long ways to go. I thought effort-wise, we wrestled really well. But on the technical standpoint of it, we have a lot to learn.”
Rogers expects to see steady improvement as the season progresses, and has high hopes for his seniors in particular.
“We have a good group of seniors this year,” Rogers said. “A bunch of them are returning starters. For many of them, this is their fourth year starting for us. So they’re setting a good example in the practice room. They’ve just got to keep working hard.”
Cabot’s next meet is today in a four-team tournament at Cabot Junior High North. The other three teams participating are Beebe, Conway and Central.
SPORTS STORY >> Badgers steal control, cruise against Vilonia
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Beebe’s first quarter struggles against Vilonia became an afterthought in the next three quarters as the Badgers beat the Eagles 54-40 in a nonconference game Tuesday at Vilonia.
The Badgers struggled from the field early as they made just two field goals in the opening quarter, both by Austin Burroughs. Vilonia led 7-0 before Burroughs scored Beebe’s first points on a midrange jumper with 2:25 to play in the first. Burroughs scored again 25 seconds later on an and-one play that cut the Eagles’ lead to two.
Vilonia’s Aaron Newell helped catapult the Eagles to a 10-6 lead at the end of the first with his second three pointer of the quarter. Jake Schlenker scored Beebe’s only other point in the quarter on a free throw. It wasn’t looking good for the Badgers, but those in attendance saw an entirely different ball game in the next eight minutes.
Beebe outscored Vilonia 18-6 in the second quarter to take a 24-16 lead at halftime. Five different Badgers scored in the quarter. Schlenker led the way with eight points.
“I thought our effort was great,” said Beebe coach Ryan Marshall after the game. “This bunch plays hard night-in and night-out. But I was a little worried when we went the first five minutes without scoring. That was a little concerning there, but we did have a starter at home. Than Kersey, he’s out sick.
“So I was afraid of, you know, just timing, and things of that nature might be off a little bit. But I thought once they got settled and got in rhythm, we got a little offensive momentum and then created some turnovers, and got some easy buckets. So I thought that helped a lot.”
The Badgers were able to carry that momentum into the third quarter as they outscored Vilonia 14-8 to take a double-digit, 38-24 lead going into the fourth. Beebe made 4 of 5 free throw attempts in the third. Zach Baker drained a pair of free throws with 10 seconds to go in the quarter that gave the Badgers a 14-point lead.
Tanner Chapman and Burroughs led Beebe in the fourth with a combined 12 points. Vilonia was 4 of 5 from the three-point line in the final quarter, but couldn’t cut the 14-point deficit. Cameron Wilkins scored eight points in the fourth for Vilonia (3-5), including a three pointer with 27.4 seconds to play that set the final score.
Beebe (5-1) out-rebounded Vilonia 24-19 in the game, and had three fewer turnovers than the Eagles’ 12. Each team shot 57.1 percent from the free throw line.
The Badgers shot 80 percent from the line in the first three quarters, but were 0 for 4 in the fourth. Vilonia was the better team beyond the arc, as it made 50 percent of its shots from downtown compared to Beebe’s 22.2 percent.
“I thought we did a good job checking them off the boards,” Marshall said, complimenting his defense. “I don’t really remember them getting an offensive rebound. Burroughs and Schlenker did a good job. They knocked down some pretty good shots. And Tanner playing the point, he’s really consistent for us. I thought we did a good job of closing it out, and that’s good to see early in the year.”
Burroughs led Beebe with 19 points and eight rebounds. Chapman scored 13 points while Schlenker scored 11 and Baker scored nine. Wilkins led Vilonia with 13 points. Newell scored 11.
The Badgers played Star City yesterday in the first round of the Riverview Invitational Tournament, and will continue tournament play today against Heber Springs.
Leader sportswriter
Beebe’s first quarter struggles against Vilonia became an afterthought in the next three quarters as the Badgers beat the Eagles 54-40 in a nonconference game Tuesday at Vilonia.
The Badgers struggled from the field early as they made just two field goals in the opening quarter, both by Austin Burroughs. Vilonia led 7-0 before Burroughs scored Beebe’s first points on a midrange jumper with 2:25 to play in the first. Burroughs scored again 25 seconds later on an and-one play that cut the Eagles’ lead to two.
Vilonia’s Aaron Newell helped catapult the Eagles to a 10-6 lead at the end of the first with his second three pointer of the quarter. Jake Schlenker scored Beebe’s only other point in the quarter on a free throw. It wasn’t looking good for the Badgers, but those in attendance saw an entirely different ball game in the next eight minutes.
Beebe outscored Vilonia 18-6 in the second quarter to take a 24-16 lead at halftime. Five different Badgers scored in the quarter. Schlenker led the way with eight points.
“I thought our effort was great,” said Beebe coach Ryan Marshall after the game. “This bunch plays hard night-in and night-out. But I was a little worried when we went the first five minutes without scoring. That was a little concerning there, but we did have a starter at home. Than Kersey, he’s out sick.
“So I was afraid of, you know, just timing, and things of that nature might be off a little bit. But I thought once they got settled and got in rhythm, we got a little offensive momentum and then created some turnovers, and got some easy buckets. So I thought that helped a lot.”
The Badgers were able to carry that momentum into the third quarter as they outscored Vilonia 14-8 to take a double-digit, 38-24 lead going into the fourth. Beebe made 4 of 5 free throw attempts in the third. Zach Baker drained a pair of free throws with 10 seconds to go in the quarter that gave the Badgers a 14-point lead.
Tanner Chapman and Burroughs led Beebe in the fourth with a combined 12 points. Vilonia was 4 of 5 from the three-point line in the final quarter, but couldn’t cut the 14-point deficit. Cameron Wilkins scored eight points in the fourth for Vilonia (3-5), including a three pointer with 27.4 seconds to play that set the final score.
Beebe (5-1) out-rebounded Vilonia 24-19 in the game, and had three fewer turnovers than the Eagles’ 12. Each team shot 57.1 percent from the free throw line.
The Badgers shot 80 percent from the line in the first three quarters, but were 0 for 4 in the fourth. Vilonia was the better team beyond the arc, as it made 50 percent of its shots from downtown compared to Beebe’s 22.2 percent.
“I thought we did a good job checking them off the boards,” Marshall said, complimenting his defense. “I don’t really remember them getting an offensive rebound. Burroughs and Schlenker did a good job. They knocked down some pretty good shots. And Tanner playing the point, he’s really consistent for us. I thought we did a good job of closing it out, and that’s good to see early in the year.”
Burroughs led Beebe with 19 points and eight rebounds. Chapman scored 13 points while Schlenker scored 11 and Baker scored nine. Wilkins led Vilonia with 13 points. Newell scored 11.
The Badgers played Star City yesterday in the first round of the Riverview Invitational Tournament, and will continue tournament play today against Heber Springs.
SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke tops SS-Batesville
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
A brief lull in the middle of the second quarter was the only thing that prevented Lonoke from dominating the entire 32 minutes against visiting Southside Batesville on Tuesday as the Jackrabbits won big 58-39 at the LHS gymnasium.
Lonoke took an early 10-0 lead as the result of a quick start, but the Southerners cut it to two early in the second quarter with a 7-0 run. The Jackrabbits got it all back before the half, and began to pull away completely late in the third quarter.
The victory helped erase the slate for Lonoke after the Jackrabbits lost their 4A-2 Conference opener to Dollarway last week in a blowout.
“We had a lot to work on after last week,” Jackrabbits coach Dean Campbell said. “Dollarway took it to us and really exposed a lot of things we needed to work on. Sometimes you need those things. We watched film on Wednesday. On Thursday, we did nothing but block-out drills and ran. Friday, we worked on our half-court defense, and Monday, we did a little bit of everything.”
The refocus on fundamentals paid off for Lonoke early against the Southerners. Junior guard Blake Mack put the first points up with a drive in the lane, followed by a defensive rebound and coast-to-coast layup by Jamel Rankin at the 7:04 mark of the first quarter to give the Jackrabbits a 4-0 lead.
Junior guard Darrius McCall got in on the action with a pull-up jumper in the lane, while senior post player Reid McKenzie widened the margin to 8-0 with a basket converted from a McCall steal with 6:32 remaining in the opening period. Rankin then put Lonoke up 10-0 with a 15 footer.
“It’s always good when you’re working on things in practice, and you see it carry over for the game,” Campbell said. “We can pick things out all the time, but I thought we did some things better tonight, and I was pleased with that.”
Lonoke dominated the boards, particularly on the defensive side. The Southerners did not get a second-chance basket until the 4:40 mark of the first quarter when senior Jake Henderson pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back up to cut Lonoke’s lead to 12-5.
The Jackrabbits led 20-11 heading into the second quarter, but Southside came back with seven unanswered points to begin the second quarter, including a three-point basket by Taylor Ellis with 5:42 remaining in the half to cut it to 20-18. Lonoke put the margin back to double digits before halftime with a three-point basket by Tykel Gray and a three pointer by McCall inside a minute to give the Jackrabbits a 28-18 lead at the break.
“We had opportunities to get more touches, but didn’t do it,” Campbell said. “Then, we came out in the third quarter and attacked them a little bit better, we moved the ball a lot more. We broke them down defensively and made them guard multiple passes during that time.”
Lonoke put the game out or reach by outscoring the Southerners 19-6 in the third quarter, including one bizarre trip that resulted in a three-point basket for Mack with a simultaneous offensive foul called away from the ball with 5:48 remaining in the third. The officials conversed for a number of minutes before rewarding Mack the basket while charging the Jackrabbits with a team foul at the same time to the bewilderment of both sides.
Rankin led the Jackrabbits with 15 points while McCall had 10 points. McKenzie finished with eight points and seven rebounds while Mack had nine points. Trey Sisk led Southside with nine points.
Leader sportswriter
A brief lull in the middle of the second quarter was the only thing that prevented Lonoke from dominating the entire 32 minutes against visiting Southside Batesville on Tuesday as the Jackrabbits won big 58-39 at the LHS gymnasium.
Lonoke took an early 10-0 lead as the result of a quick start, but the Southerners cut it to two early in the second quarter with a 7-0 run. The Jackrabbits got it all back before the half, and began to pull away completely late in the third quarter.
The victory helped erase the slate for Lonoke after the Jackrabbits lost their 4A-2 Conference opener to Dollarway last week in a blowout.
“We had a lot to work on after last week,” Jackrabbits coach Dean Campbell said. “Dollarway took it to us and really exposed a lot of things we needed to work on. Sometimes you need those things. We watched film on Wednesday. On Thursday, we did nothing but block-out drills and ran. Friday, we worked on our half-court defense, and Monday, we did a little bit of everything.”
The refocus on fundamentals paid off for Lonoke early against the Southerners. Junior guard Blake Mack put the first points up with a drive in the lane, followed by a defensive rebound and coast-to-coast layup by Jamel Rankin at the 7:04 mark of the first quarter to give the Jackrabbits a 4-0 lead.
Junior guard Darrius McCall got in on the action with a pull-up jumper in the lane, while senior post player Reid McKenzie widened the margin to 8-0 with a basket converted from a McCall steal with 6:32 remaining in the opening period. Rankin then put Lonoke up 10-0 with a 15 footer.
“It’s always good when you’re working on things in practice, and you see it carry over for the game,” Campbell said. “We can pick things out all the time, but I thought we did some things better tonight, and I was pleased with that.”
Lonoke dominated the boards, particularly on the defensive side. The Southerners did not get a second-chance basket until the 4:40 mark of the first quarter when senior Jake Henderson pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back up to cut Lonoke’s lead to 12-5.
The Jackrabbits led 20-11 heading into the second quarter, but Southside came back with seven unanswered points to begin the second quarter, including a three-point basket by Taylor Ellis with 5:42 remaining in the half to cut it to 20-18. Lonoke put the margin back to double digits before halftime with a three-point basket by Tykel Gray and a three pointer by McCall inside a minute to give the Jackrabbits a 28-18 lead at the break.
“We had opportunities to get more touches, but didn’t do it,” Campbell said. “Then, we came out in the third quarter and attacked them a little bit better, we moved the ball a lot more. We broke them down defensively and made them guard multiple passes during that time.”
Lonoke put the game out or reach by outscoring the Southerners 19-6 in the third quarter, including one bizarre trip that resulted in a three-point basket for Mack with a simultaneous offensive foul called away from the ball with 5:48 remaining in the third. The officials conversed for a number of minutes before rewarding Mack the basket while charging the Jackrabbits with a team foul at the same time to the bewilderment of both sides.
Rankin led the Jackrabbits with 15 points while McCall had 10 points. McKenzie finished with eight points and seven rebounds while Mack had nine points. Trey Sisk led Southside with nine points.
SPORTS STORY >> NLR press gets to Devils
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
If one were to make an overall Top 5 ranking for high-school boys basketball, it very well could include, and one ranking does include, in no particular order, North Little Rock, Jacksonville, Hall, Parkview and Fayetteville. In its last four games, North Little Rock has beaten the other four. The most recently vanquishing the Jacksonville Red Devils 60-52 Tuesday night at the Devils Den.
It was the second meeting between the two teams and the second eight-point victory for the Charging Wildcats (7-1). Tuesday’s win required something the previous three wins didn’t, a will to battle back from way behind. Against Parkview and Fayetteville, North Little Rock grabbed an early lead and controlled the action the rest of the way, resulting in 14 and 15-point wins. The Wildcats dominated every aspect of its game against Hall and won by 24. It wasn’t so easy against Jacksonville.
North Little Rock’s Kevaughn Allen got a breakaway dunk off the opening tip, but that momentum lasted just as long as the dunk took.
The Red Devils answered with the next 12 points of the game, and held a 16-4 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter. Jacksonville made the first six shots it put up, and senior guard Justin McCleary had a hand in every one of them. McCleary scored six of the team’s first 12 points, and got assists on the other three baskets.
Wildcat coach Johnny Rice called timeout and his team began to slowly chip away at its deficit.
“That was important for us to go through something like this,” Rice said. “That’s why we scheduled Jacksonville twice. In the past, when we’ve gotten down like that we hadn’t come back. They came out and punched us in the mouth as hard as we’ve been punched all year, and we had the will to get up from it and fight back. This was a big game for us.”
Jacksonville’s lead was 20-11 at the end of the first quarter, and down to 30-26 by halftime. North Little Rock then opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run and never trailed again.
Jacksonville, which committed just two turnovers the entire first half, committed seven in the third quarter, including four on its first four possessions.
The Red Devils didn’t even get a shot up until the 4:39 mark of the quarter, and didn’t make a shot until just 3:52 remained in the third.
Rice said stopping McCleary was a focal point at halftime, and the strategy worked perfectly. The Wildcats relentlessly denied McCleary the ball, and no other Red Devil seemed capable of consistently breaking down North Little Rock’s pressure with the dribble.
“We’ve got to find people who are able to handle that pressure besides J-Mac,” Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner said. “We’ve got seniors out there who should be able to handle it better than that. But right now nobody is doing that.”
Conversely, North Little Rock’s senior point guard, DayShawn Watkins, didn’t score in the first half, but came out on fire in the third. Watkins scored 14 points in the third quarter, including all nine of the opening barrage.
North Little Rock’s lead grew to as much as 44-34 with a minute remaining in the period, but Jacksonville had one final offensive to mount.
Jacksonville went on a run early in the fourth quarter. Aaron Smith’s three pointer with 5:26 left in the game pulled the Red Devils to within 49-47. Again Rice called timeout, and again his team took control after the short break.
Thomas Alexander hit a three pointer right out of the timeout. McCleary answered with a pull-up jumper to make it 52-49, but the Wildcats went on a 6-1 run to make it 58-50 with 2:16 remaining.
The Red Devils employed the foul strategy to lengthen the game and try to get back in it, but the turnover bug bit again down the stretch. Jacksonville got exactly what it wanted from the fouls. North Little Rock missed the front end of three-straight one-and-one free-throw attempts.
Jacksonville failed to capitalize on any of them. The Red Devils turned it over twice and missed a three pointer after the third opportunity.
After facing such a brutal stretch of games and winning them all, Rice gave high praise to the Red Devils.
“They’re not as big as those other teams we’ve faced,” Rice said. “But as far as being hard-nosed and playing tough defense, as far as being disciplined and structured in executing what they set out to do, they’re the best team we’ve played this year.”
Watkins led all scorers with 17 points while Allen dropped in 16 and Alexander 12 for the Wildcats. McCleary and Smith each scored 14 while Keith Charleston added 12 for the Red Devils.
North Little Rock and Jacksonville take part in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge today at Maumelle High School. Jacksonville faces old conference rival Jonesboro at 5:40 p.m. while North Little Rock closes the event against Clarksville at 8:20.
Leader sports editor
If one were to make an overall Top 5 ranking for high-school boys basketball, it very well could include, and one ranking does include, in no particular order, North Little Rock, Jacksonville, Hall, Parkview and Fayetteville. In its last four games, North Little Rock has beaten the other four. The most recently vanquishing the Jacksonville Red Devils 60-52 Tuesday night at the Devils Den.
It was the second meeting between the two teams and the second eight-point victory for the Charging Wildcats (7-1). Tuesday’s win required something the previous three wins didn’t, a will to battle back from way behind. Against Parkview and Fayetteville, North Little Rock grabbed an early lead and controlled the action the rest of the way, resulting in 14 and 15-point wins. The Wildcats dominated every aspect of its game against Hall and won by 24. It wasn’t so easy against Jacksonville.
North Little Rock’s Kevaughn Allen got a breakaway dunk off the opening tip, but that momentum lasted just as long as the dunk took.
The Red Devils answered with the next 12 points of the game, and held a 16-4 lead with 2:50 remaining in the first quarter. Jacksonville made the first six shots it put up, and senior guard Justin McCleary had a hand in every one of them. McCleary scored six of the team’s first 12 points, and got assists on the other three baskets.
Wildcat coach Johnny Rice called timeout and his team began to slowly chip away at its deficit.
“That was important for us to go through something like this,” Rice said. “That’s why we scheduled Jacksonville twice. In the past, when we’ve gotten down like that we hadn’t come back. They came out and punched us in the mouth as hard as we’ve been punched all year, and we had the will to get up from it and fight back. This was a big game for us.”
Jacksonville’s lead was 20-11 at the end of the first quarter, and down to 30-26 by halftime. North Little Rock then opened the third quarter with a 9-0 run and never trailed again.
Jacksonville, which committed just two turnovers the entire first half, committed seven in the third quarter, including four on its first four possessions.
The Red Devils didn’t even get a shot up until the 4:39 mark of the quarter, and didn’t make a shot until just 3:52 remained in the third.
Rice said stopping McCleary was a focal point at halftime, and the strategy worked perfectly. The Wildcats relentlessly denied McCleary the ball, and no other Red Devil seemed capable of consistently breaking down North Little Rock’s pressure with the dribble.
“We’ve got to find people who are able to handle that pressure besides J-Mac,” Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner said. “We’ve got seniors out there who should be able to handle it better than that. But right now nobody is doing that.”
Conversely, North Little Rock’s senior point guard, DayShawn Watkins, didn’t score in the first half, but came out on fire in the third. Watkins scored 14 points in the third quarter, including all nine of the opening barrage.
North Little Rock’s lead grew to as much as 44-34 with a minute remaining in the period, but Jacksonville had one final offensive to mount.
Jacksonville went on a run early in the fourth quarter. Aaron Smith’s three pointer with 5:26 left in the game pulled the Red Devils to within 49-47. Again Rice called timeout, and again his team took control after the short break.
Thomas Alexander hit a three pointer right out of the timeout. McCleary answered with a pull-up jumper to make it 52-49, but the Wildcats went on a 6-1 run to make it 58-50 with 2:16 remaining.
The Red Devils employed the foul strategy to lengthen the game and try to get back in it, but the turnover bug bit again down the stretch. Jacksonville got exactly what it wanted from the fouls. North Little Rock missed the front end of three-straight one-and-one free-throw attempts.
Jacksonville failed to capitalize on any of them. The Red Devils turned it over twice and missed a three pointer after the third opportunity.
After facing such a brutal stretch of games and winning them all, Rice gave high praise to the Red Devils.
“They’re not as big as those other teams we’ve faced,” Rice said. “But as far as being hard-nosed and playing tough defense, as far as being disciplined and structured in executing what they set out to do, they’re the best team we’ve played this year.”
Watkins led all scorers with 17 points while Allen dropped in 16 and Alexander 12 for the Wildcats. McCleary and Smith each scored 14 while Keith Charleston added 12 for the Red Devils.
North Little Rock and Jacksonville take part in the Arkansas Hoops Challenge today at Maumelle High School. Jacksonville faces old conference rival Jonesboro at 5:40 p.m. while North Little Rock closes the event against Clarksville at 8:20.
EDITORIAL >> Don’t blame Organizers
Don’t blame Matt Webber — blame the weatherman. Organizers of Cabot’s annual Christmas parade canceled the event last Sunday because of forecasts calling for severe thunderstorms that never came.
The decision to call off the parade was understandable considering the fierce downpours the night before the parade was scheduled.
Webber, who is chairman of the parade’s organizing committee, told us this week that he’s received harassing telephone messages and comments on Facebook criticizing him for canceling the parade.
“I’ve really gotten a lot of verbal beatings in the last three days. People think we just arbitrarily decided to not have the parade,” he said.
Judging by the reactions, you’d think he’d canceled Christmas itself. Some disappointment was expected, especially since it didn’t rain until after the parade would have ended. But Webber is well known for his involvement in civic groups like the Lions Club and Cabot City Beautiful. He’s even played Santa Claus at Cabot’s Santa Shack.
Whether he’s organizing health fairs for young people or citywide cleanups, Webber is always ready to serve his community. Many of the parade’s volunteers could not attend a makeup date that the organizers had scheduled, which may have caused more frustration for the more than 70 churches, civic groups and marching bands that were set to participate.
But organizers said they will keep this year’s theme, “It’s a Dr. Seuss Christmas,” for next year’s parade. So the floats and costumes can be used then.
That might not be much consolation, but fortunately there are other ways to celebrate Christmas in Cabot as a community. Today the Cabot Christmas Alliance, which provides holiday food for children and their families, is preparing food boxes beginning at 8 a.m. at the old Larry’s Pizza on Second Street.
We encourage volunteers to stop by and participate, and if you see Matt Webber there, pat him on the back and tell him thanks.
The decision to call off the parade was understandable considering the fierce downpours the night before the parade was scheduled.
Webber, who is chairman of the parade’s organizing committee, told us this week that he’s received harassing telephone messages and comments on Facebook criticizing him for canceling the parade.
“I’ve really gotten a lot of verbal beatings in the last three days. People think we just arbitrarily decided to not have the parade,” he said.
Judging by the reactions, you’d think he’d canceled Christmas itself. Some disappointment was expected, especially since it didn’t rain until after the parade would have ended. But Webber is well known for his involvement in civic groups like the Lions Club and Cabot City Beautiful. He’s even played Santa Claus at Cabot’s Santa Shack.
Whether he’s organizing health fairs for young people or citywide cleanups, Webber is always ready to serve his community. Many of the parade’s volunteers could not attend a makeup date that the organizers had scheduled, which may have caused more frustration for the more than 70 churches, civic groups and marching bands that were set to participate.
But organizers said they will keep this year’s theme, “It’s a Dr. Seuss Christmas,” for next year’s parade. So the floats and costumes can be used then.
That might not be much consolation, but fortunately there are other ways to celebrate Christmas in Cabot as a community. Today the Cabot Christmas Alliance, which provides holiday food for children and their families, is preparing food boxes beginning at 8 a.m. at the old Larry’s Pizza on Second Street.
We encourage volunteers to stop by and participate, and if you see Matt Webber there, pat him on the back and tell him thanks.
TOP STORY >> Cabot cops moonlight as Santa
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Cabot Police Department held its first Christmas shopping event for children in need on Tuesday night.
Cabot Officers Playing Santa toy patrol was able to let 20 Cabot elementary school students purchase gifts for themselves and for someone else at the Walmart Supercenter.
The COPS toy patrol was able to raise $2,500 in donations for the shopping event to allow each child to spend an average of $100 on gifts for Christmas. The students — a boy and girl from each school — were selected by their school counselor based on economic need.
The requirement for the child was to choose at least three gifts. One was to give to someone else. One was something the child needs, such as a coat, shoes or a clothing. The third was whatever they wanted.
Kindergartner Psyllis Pruiett, 6, picked out a present for his friend, Gabriel.
Pruiett’s mom, Brandy McDaniel, said, “It kind of makes me want to cry.”
She continued, “I wasn’t able to get him (gifts) for Christmas. I lost my job in July and got a new job this week, but won’t be paid until after Christmas. He was excited to shop with the police. He likes the police.”
Zoey Howard, 8, was not shopping for herself, but for her brother, cousins and grandparents, “because they are important to me,” the third-grader said.
Howard did get a new coat and headphones for her, then selected gifts for her family.
Bryce Fiser, 9, said he liked shopping with the police because he got a present for his mom. Fiser is a second-grader.
Officer John Dodd said, “Bryce was a lot of fun. He was having a good time, smiling a lot and could not wait to pick out a present for his mother.”
Sgt. Keith Graham said he heard a lot of positive comments from the children. He would like to see 50 students or more for the shopping event next year. “They see the police officer in a different perspective — the positive side,” Graham said.
Chaplain Tina Frost, “Thanks for all the people who made it possible and all the donations sent. We’re going to do it again next year.”
Leader staff writer
The Cabot Police Department held its first Christmas shopping event for children in need on Tuesday night.
Cabot Officers Playing Santa toy patrol was able to let 20 Cabot elementary school students purchase gifts for themselves and for someone else at the Walmart Supercenter.
The COPS toy patrol was able to raise $2,500 in donations for the shopping event to allow each child to spend an average of $100 on gifts for Christmas. The students — a boy and girl from each school — were selected by their school counselor based on economic need.
The requirement for the child was to choose at least three gifts. One was to give to someone else. One was something the child needs, such as a coat, shoes or a clothing. The third was whatever they wanted.
Kindergartner Psyllis Pruiett, 6, picked out a present for his friend, Gabriel.
Pruiett’s mom, Brandy McDaniel, said, “It kind of makes me want to cry.”
She continued, “I wasn’t able to get him (gifts) for Christmas. I lost my job in July and got a new job this week, but won’t be paid until after Christmas. He was excited to shop with the police. He likes the police.”
Zoey Howard, 8, was not shopping for herself, but for her brother, cousins and grandparents, “because they are important to me,” the third-grader said.
Howard did get a new coat and headphones for her, then selected gifts for her family.
Bryce Fiser, 9, said he liked shopping with the police because he got a present for his mom. Fiser is a second-grader.
Officer John Dodd said, “Bryce was a lot of fun. He was having a good time, smiling a lot and could not wait to pick out a present for his mother.”
Sgt. Keith Graham said he heard a lot of positive comments from the children. He would like to see 50 students or more for the shopping event next year. “They see the police officer in a different perspective — the positive side,” Graham said.
Chaplain Tina Frost, “Thanks for all the people who made it possible and all the donations sent. We’re going to do it again next year.”
TOP STORY >> Computer looks to roads ahead
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Let’s envision a future with ample transportation choices, including walking, biking and transit opportunities. In this version of central Arkansas, people can choose from a variety of options to suit their needs and travel safely.
That’s according to Metro-plan’s computerized assessment of this reporter’s selections on a multiple-choice online survey, which they style as a game. This is a beginning stage in determining the area’s 2040 long-range transportation plan.
EXPRESS YOURSELF
You can take the survey and register your preferences online at www.metroplan.org.
Then scroll to the bottom and click on the colorful icon next to the words “Imagine Central Arkansas.”
That will take you to a page where you can click on “Choose Your Future” and then you can take the survey.
In future stages, central Arkansas residents, with the help of Metroplan staff, will determine which roads, highways, mass transit, trails or other projects would support the chosen development. Only projects on the financially constrained 2040 plan will be eligible for federal funds.
JANUARY 2014 DEADLINE
Currently, Metroplan and the state Highway and Transportation Department are operating on the updated 2030 long-range plan. The new 2040 plan must be adopted by January 2014, according to Casey Covington, Metroplan’s director of the Central Arkansas Regional Transportation Study.
The projected impacts of this reporter’s choices, according to the survey, would be greater transportation options, protection of the environment, parks and natural areas and convenience of shopping, service, work and recreation.
Metroplan contracted the consulting firm of Gresham, Smith and Partners in Nash-ville to conduct the process of gathering information to be used in decision making.
TECHNOLOGY KEY
The deciding factor in hiring Gresham was the amount of technology and social media the firm proposed implementing, according to Richard Magee, deputy director of Metroplan and director of planning. The full Gresham contract is about $500,000, he said.
“We’ve gotten more public involvement to date than we have gotten in the entire project in the past,” Magee said.
He said since it was a 2040 plan, it was important to get young people involved in the process since they would be living in the future that was being designed.
He said there had been concerns that poor and older people might have trouble with the online aspect, but their involvement was high, suggesting they might have easier access to a computer than to transportation to meeting sites.
Metroplan also has a presence on Facebook and on Twitter.
While at this stage a lot of the input is online, Metroplan staff has reached out at events in each of the counties covered by the plan, including Cabot Fest, the Cabot Community Center, Sherwood Fest and the Jacksonville-Cabot Civitan Club. They also had a meeting at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Metroplan is primarily concerned with residents of Pulaski, Lonoke, Faulkner and Saline counties
“We’ve had interaction with Jacksonville and should have outreach there as part of phase two,” Covington said.
CHOOSE FUTURE
The process is now entering that outreach phase in which residents and stakeholders make choices. Metroplan and the consultants will take that input and come up with three distinct scenarios, he said.
In phase three, staff and area residents will delve into the impact of those three scenarios and select one to become the vision for the future of central Arkansas, he said .
“In round four, we’ll start looking at projects to fund to support that vision,” Covington said. Those projects include improvements on arterial streets, for instance, and determining which are already funded and looking for funds for others.
Then Metroplan will go back to the public for comment and to sort of ratify the vision and the projects to support it.
The Metroplan board of directors, made up of mostly mayors and county judges, must then adopt the plan by January 2014.
Leader senior staff writer
Let’s envision a future with ample transportation choices, including walking, biking and transit opportunities. In this version of central Arkansas, people can choose from a variety of options to suit their needs and travel safely.
That’s according to Metro-plan’s computerized assessment of this reporter’s selections on a multiple-choice online survey, which they style as a game. This is a beginning stage in determining the area’s 2040 long-range transportation plan.
EXPRESS YOURSELF
You can take the survey and register your preferences online at www.metroplan.org.
Then scroll to the bottom and click on the colorful icon next to the words “Imagine Central Arkansas.”
That will take you to a page where you can click on “Choose Your Future” and then you can take the survey.
In future stages, central Arkansas residents, with the help of Metroplan staff, will determine which roads, highways, mass transit, trails or other projects would support the chosen development. Only projects on the financially constrained 2040 plan will be eligible for federal funds.
JANUARY 2014 DEADLINE
Currently, Metroplan and the state Highway and Transportation Department are operating on the updated 2030 long-range plan. The new 2040 plan must be adopted by January 2014, according to Casey Covington, Metroplan’s director of the Central Arkansas Regional Transportation Study.
The projected impacts of this reporter’s choices, according to the survey, would be greater transportation options, protection of the environment, parks and natural areas and convenience of shopping, service, work and recreation.
Metroplan contracted the consulting firm of Gresham, Smith and Partners in Nash-ville to conduct the process of gathering information to be used in decision making.
TECHNOLOGY KEY
The deciding factor in hiring Gresham was the amount of technology and social media the firm proposed implementing, according to Richard Magee, deputy director of Metroplan and director of planning. The full Gresham contract is about $500,000, he said.
“We’ve gotten more public involvement to date than we have gotten in the entire project in the past,” Magee said.
He said since it was a 2040 plan, it was important to get young people involved in the process since they would be living in the future that was being designed.
He said there had been concerns that poor and older people might have trouble with the online aspect, but their involvement was high, suggesting they might have easier access to a computer than to transportation to meeting sites.
Metroplan also has a presence on Facebook and on Twitter.
While at this stage a lot of the input is online, Metroplan staff has reached out at events in each of the counties covered by the plan, including Cabot Fest, the Cabot Community Center, Sherwood Fest and the Jacksonville-Cabot Civitan Club. They also had a meeting at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Metroplan is primarily concerned with residents of Pulaski, Lonoke, Faulkner and Saline counties
“We’ve had interaction with Jacksonville and should have outreach there as part of phase two,” Covington said.
CHOOSE FUTURE
The process is now entering that outreach phase in which residents and stakeholders make choices. Metroplan and the consultants will take that input and come up with three distinct scenarios, he said.
In phase three, staff and area residents will delve into the impact of those three scenarios and select one to become the vision for the future of central Arkansas, he said .
“In round four, we’ll start looking at projects to fund to support that vision,” Covington said. Those projects include improvements on arterial streets, for instance, and determining which are already funded and looking for funds for others.
Then Metroplan will go back to the public for comment and to sort of ratify the vision and the projects to support it.
The Metroplan board of directors, made up of mostly mayors and county judges, must then adopt the plan by January 2014.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
TOP STORY >> 189th receives excellent rating after inspection
The 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard at Little Rock Air Force Base has received an “excellent” grade after completing a week-long consolidated unit inspection by three Air Force inspection agencies.
The inspection team had approximately 80 inspectors from the Air Education and Training Command Inspector General’s Office, the Air Force Inspection Agency and the Air National Guard Logistics Compliance and Assessment Program staff.
The team of inspectors scoured thousands of documents and evaluated hundreds of checklist items in offices throughout the wing to gauge the unit’s compliance with standardized processes, procedures, laws and regulations in their day-to-day operations.
Col. Steve Eggensperger, commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, said, “I am very pleased with the overall excellent grade our wing has received. This feedback from the inspection team serves to validate our procedures and our readiness to perform missions in support of national defense and domestic operations. This grade should reinforce to the citizens of Arkansas that the Arkansas Air National Guard is a highly effective, nimble and fiscally responsible organization. I’m very proud of our Arkansas airmen.”
Col. Ken Frollini, the inspection team leader, said, “The men and women of the 189th have set the bar high with every group exceeding the standard and achieving an excellent rating. The strong workforce, technical proficiency and keen attention to detail across the wing ensured a culture of compliance everywhere we inspected.”
The 189th Airlift Wing is one of three airlift wings at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The 189th is part of the C-130 Formal Training Unit and trains aircrew members in all crew positions to perform combat airlift operations worldwide.
This year, the 189th trained 319 students in various flying courses. The wing also provides trained members to deploy and provide expeditionary combat support for Air Force units operating at forward locations.
The wing’s deployment commitment involves more than 400 members who maintain a heightened level of combat readiness.
The inspection team had approximately 80 inspectors from the Air Education and Training Command Inspector General’s Office, the Air Force Inspection Agency and the Air National Guard Logistics Compliance and Assessment Program staff.
The team of inspectors scoured thousands of documents and evaluated hundreds of checklist items in offices throughout the wing to gauge the unit’s compliance with standardized processes, procedures, laws and regulations in their day-to-day operations.
Col. Steve Eggensperger, commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, said, “I am very pleased with the overall excellent grade our wing has received. This feedback from the inspection team serves to validate our procedures and our readiness to perform missions in support of national defense and domestic operations. This grade should reinforce to the citizens of Arkansas that the Arkansas Air National Guard is a highly effective, nimble and fiscally responsible organization. I’m very proud of our Arkansas airmen.”
Col. Ken Frollini, the inspection team leader, said, “The men and women of the 189th have set the bar high with every group exceeding the standard and achieving an excellent rating. The strong workforce, technical proficiency and keen attention to detail across the wing ensured a culture of compliance everywhere we inspected.”
The 189th Airlift Wing is one of three airlift wings at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The 189th is part of the C-130 Formal Training Unit and trains aircrew members in all crew positions to perform combat airlift operations worldwide.
This year, the 189th trained 319 students in various flying courses. The wing also provides trained members to deploy and provide expeditionary combat support for Air Force units operating at forward locations.
The wing’s deployment commitment involves more than 400 members who maintain a heightened level of combat readiness.
TOP STORY >> Help kids at Taylor Elementary
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville’s Murrell Taylor Elementary School is seeking help this year to assist 60 students and their families during Christmas with gifts and food.
School counselor Christine Lee said the school could only help for Christmas this year. Last year, 21 families signed up for assistance at Thanksgiving and 27 at Christmas.
Lee said there are many families that are unemployed and suffering.
“I’m surprised that we so had so many sign up. We ask no questions if they sign up. My premise is they ask, we provide,” Lee said.
Taylor Elementary is collecting food and toys from staff members, community partners and the public.
The school is making food baskets with nonperishable foods and a turkey to feed at least a family of four for Christmas.
Each class level is responsible for a specific canned good. For example, the kindergarten classes are collecting cans of green beans.
“We need turkeys. We’ll take any canned goods, cereal and dried beans,” Lee said.
“We have students eating breakfast and lunch here who may not have dinner.”
Many of those children take home food at night from the Arkansas Foodbank’s Backpack for Kids hunger program.
Taylor Elementary has 87 percent of their students on free or reduced lunch programs. The school has 30 students that are homeless. Some students are being raised by the grandparents.
People can chose to “adopt” a student and their family for Christmas by purchasing shoes, clothing or toys.
“One grandmother re-quested six sleeping bags for her six grandchildren. An anonymous donor bought the sleeping bags immediately and gave them to her. She came in and cried,” Lee said.
New or gently used toy donations are also needed. Lee suggested students give toys they’ve enjoyed and outgrown and are willing to share with someone else.
“These are the gifts they’ll remember giving forever,” she said.
Lee said books are another present idea for students, enabling them to start their own library at home.
She said parents will be greatly appreciate whatever is given to them.
Donations can be dropped off at Taylor Elementary or the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. The chamber requests that donations are brought no later than Dec. 20.
“It’s a community-wide effort. It’s an all-call to business, civic and religious organizations to show the students that the community cares,” chamber director Amy Mattison said.
For more information, call the school at 985-1581 or contact the chamber of commerce at 982-1511.
People who may want to also assist students and families in other Jacksonville schools should contact the counselor of that school.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville’s Murrell Taylor Elementary School is seeking help this year to assist 60 students and their families during Christmas with gifts and food.
School counselor Christine Lee said the school could only help for Christmas this year. Last year, 21 families signed up for assistance at Thanksgiving and 27 at Christmas.
Lee said there are many families that are unemployed and suffering.
“I’m surprised that we so had so many sign up. We ask no questions if they sign up. My premise is they ask, we provide,” Lee said.
Taylor Elementary is collecting food and toys from staff members, community partners and the public.
The school is making food baskets with nonperishable foods and a turkey to feed at least a family of four for Christmas.
Each class level is responsible for a specific canned good. For example, the kindergarten classes are collecting cans of green beans.
“We need turkeys. We’ll take any canned goods, cereal and dried beans,” Lee said.
“We have students eating breakfast and lunch here who may not have dinner.”
Many of those children take home food at night from the Arkansas Foodbank’s Backpack for Kids hunger program.
Taylor Elementary has 87 percent of their students on free or reduced lunch programs. The school has 30 students that are homeless. Some students are being raised by the grandparents.
People can chose to “adopt” a student and their family for Christmas by purchasing shoes, clothing or toys.
“One grandmother re-quested six sleeping bags for her six grandchildren. An anonymous donor bought the sleeping bags immediately and gave them to her. She came in and cried,” Lee said.
New or gently used toy donations are also needed. Lee suggested students give toys they’ve enjoyed and outgrown and are willing to share with someone else.
“These are the gifts they’ll remember giving forever,” she said.
Lee said books are another present idea for students, enabling them to start their own library at home.
She said parents will be greatly appreciate whatever is given to them.
Donations can be dropped off at Taylor Elementary or the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. The chamber requests that donations are brought no later than Dec. 20.
“It’s a community-wide effort. It’s an all-call to business, civic and religious organizations to show the students that the community cares,” chamber director Amy Mattison said.
For more information, call the school at 985-1581 or contact the chamber of commerce at 982-1511.
People who may want to also assist students and families in other Jacksonville schools should contact the counselor of that school.
TOP STORY >> Unitary status hearing in fall
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Federal Judge D. Price Marshall agreed Monday to hear evidence next fall that the Pulaski County Special School District is moving closer to achieving unitary status in four areas, which could help the district achieve unitary status and perhaps move Jacksonville and north Pulaski County closer to detaching from PCSSD and forming a stand-alone district.
Before handing off the case about a year ago, Judge Brian Miller found PCSSD unitary in three of 12 areas. District administrators believe they are unitary or nearly so in four other areas.
On Nov. 6, they asked Marshall to allow them to present evidence that the district is desegregated in those four areas, each in a separate hearing expected to take about one day, according to Sam Jones, the district’s attorney for desegregation matters.
Those areas are:
Student assignment
Advance placement
Gifted and talented and honors programs
Special education and staffing.
MOVING DILIGENTLY
Marshall said he would schedule time in August and September for those hearings. He said, “The court is heartened that from the Joshua perspective, PCSSD is moving diligently to address the areas where the district is not in compliance.”
The Joshua Intervenors, represented by attorney John Walker, and PCSSD have seldom agreed on anything in the 12 years that the district has been bound by the current desegregation agreement,
Marshall wants more data, including from the first semester of this school year.
While some news reports characterized the ruling as denial of granting unitary status in those areas, Superintendent Jerry Guess said it was a favorable ruling, as did Jones.
“We never thought we were going to get unitary status (in this ruling)” Guess said.
“The judge complimented us on successfully negotiating Walker’s fees instead of litigating them,” Guess said, “and we believe it was favorable to the district.”
“He appreciates our diligent movement forward. We’re working to be sure we’ve met (desegregation) Plan 2000 where we are not unitary,” he said.
Among the challenges will be to make sure that minority students are not overrepresented in special education.
THREE UNITARY AREAS
On May 19, 2011, before the case was reassigned from Miller to Marshall, Miller found that the district was unitary in three areas:
Interdistrict education by magnet schools and majority to minority transfers.
Multicultural education.
Allocation of school resources.
Achieving unitary status is not the only major challenge facing PCSSD. In June 2011, the district was found by the state Education Department to be in fiscal distress. Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell dissolved the district’s school board, fired Superintenedent Charles Hopson and hired Guess as the interim superintendent.
Under the current law, the state has two years to bring the district out of fiscal distress. The district has had a declining year-end balance that was headed into the red.
Guess said Tuesday he didn’t know how the state would know when the district is no longer in fiscal distress.
“That’s a good question,” he said.
Leader senior staff writer
Federal Judge D. Price Marshall agreed Monday to hear evidence next fall that the Pulaski County Special School District is moving closer to achieving unitary status in four areas, which could help the district achieve unitary status and perhaps move Jacksonville and north Pulaski County closer to detaching from PCSSD and forming a stand-alone district.
Before handing off the case about a year ago, Judge Brian Miller found PCSSD unitary in three of 12 areas. District administrators believe they are unitary or nearly so in four other areas.
On Nov. 6, they asked Marshall to allow them to present evidence that the district is desegregated in those four areas, each in a separate hearing expected to take about one day, according to Sam Jones, the district’s attorney for desegregation matters.
Those areas are:
Student assignment
Advance placement
Gifted and talented and honors programs
Special education and staffing.
MOVING DILIGENTLY
Marshall said he would schedule time in August and September for those hearings. He said, “The court is heartened that from the Joshua perspective, PCSSD is moving diligently to address the areas where the district is not in compliance.”
The Joshua Intervenors, represented by attorney John Walker, and PCSSD have seldom agreed on anything in the 12 years that the district has been bound by the current desegregation agreement,
Marshall wants more data, including from the first semester of this school year.
While some news reports characterized the ruling as denial of granting unitary status in those areas, Superintendent Jerry Guess said it was a favorable ruling, as did Jones.
“We never thought we were going to get unitary status (in this ruling)” Guess said.
“The judge complimented us on successfully negotiating Walker’s fees instead of litigating them,” Guess said, “and we believe it was favorable to the district.”
“He appreciates our diligent movement forward. We’re working to be sure we’ve met (desegregation) Plan 2000 where we are not unitary,” he said.
Among the challenges will be to make sure that minority students are not overrepresented in special education.
THREE UNITARY AREAS
On May 19, 2011, before the case was reassigned from Miller to Marshall, Miller found that the district was unitary in three areas:
Interdistrict education by magnet schools and majority to minority transfers.
Multicultural education.
Allocation of school resources.
Achieving unitary status is not the only major challenge facing PCSSD. In June 2011, the district was found by the state Education Department to be in fiscal distress. Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell dissolved the district’s school board, fired Superintenedent Charles Hopson and hired Guess as the interim superintendent.
Under the current law, the state has two years to bring the district out of fiscal distress. The district has had a declining year-end balance that was headed into the red.
Guess said Tuesday he didn’t know how the state would know when the district is no longer in fiscal distress.
“That’s a good question,” he said.
SPORTS STORY >> Defense does job for Beebe
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Beebe Lady Badgers wrapped up tournament play in the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament with a 58-48 victory over Searcy in the fifth-place game on Saturday afternoon.
Junior guard Kalela Miller led the way for the Lady Badgers with 26 points while senior Jamie Jackson added 20 points to make up the bulk of Beebe’s scoring. Defensively, the Lady Badgers held Searcy junior post player and former teammate Angelina Williams to six points and also limited the 6-4 college prospect’s rebounding. Williams went scoreless for the Lady Lions in the fourth quarter as Beebe added to its margin late.
The defensive job on Williams was just part of an overall defensive push in the second half for Beebe.
“We knew a little bit about her, and I’m sure that helped us a little,” Beebe coach Greg Richey said of containing Williams. “But we tightened up defensively on everyone in the second half, and she kind of fell into that. I think it motivated the girls – it really motivated Kalela. Anytime you go up against an old teammate, it brings out your best.”
Williams was starting post player for the Lady Badgers last year as a sophomore, and quickly attracted college interest with her large 6-4 frame, but returned to Searcy for her junior season.
Senior Whitney Emison added five points for the Lady Badgers while Sydney Gunter, Annlee Glass and Mackenzie Bingham each finished with two points.
Bingham, a sophomore reserve point guard, has developed into a consistent contributor for the Lady Badgers as a backup to Jackson.
“She’s a 10th grader trying to get used to senior-high basketball,” Richey said.
“She’s a point, and we use her to give Jamie a break, and then sometimes we move Jamie around and try different things with her. She’s adjusting to that, and she keeps working hard every day. She could be a big contributor for us before the year is out,” the coach added.
The Lady Badgers played at Vilonia last night after Leader deadlines and will host JA Fair on Friday.
Leader sportswriter
The Beebe Lady Badgers wrapped up tournament play in the Cabot Pre-Holiday Tournament with a 58-48 victory over Searcy in the fifth-place game on Saturday afternoon.
Junior guard Kalela Miller led the way for the Lady Badgers with 26 points while senior Jamie Jackson added 20 points to make up the bulk of Beebe’s scoring. Defensively, the Lady Badgers held Searcy junior post player and former teammate Angelina Williams to six points and also limited the 6-4 college prospect’s rebounding. Williams went scoreless for the Lady Lions in the fourth quarter as Beebe added to its margin late.
The defensive job on Williams was just part of an overall defensive push in the second half for Beebe.
“We knew a little bit about her, and I’m sure that helped us a little,” Beebe coach Greg Richey said of containing Williams. “But we tightened up defensively on everyone in the second half, and she kind of fell into that. I think it motivated the girls – it really motivated Kalela. Anytime you go up against an old teammate, it brings out your best.”
Williams was starting post player for the Lady Badgers last year as a sophomore, and quickly attracted college interest with her large 6-4 frame, but returned to Searcy for her junior season.
Senior Whitney Emison added five points for the Lady Badgers while Sydney Gunter, Annlee Glass and Mackenzie Bingham each finished with two points.
Bingham, a sophomore reserve point guard, has developed into a consistent contributor for the Lady Badgers as a backup to Jackson.
“She’s a 10th grader trying to get used to senior-high basketball,” Richey said.
“She’s a point, and we use her to give Jamie a break, and then sometimes we move Jamie around and try different things with her. She’s adjusting to that, and she keeps working hard every day. She could be a big contributor for us before the year is out,” the coach added.
The Lady Badgers played at Vilonia last night after Leader deadlines and will host JA Fair on Friday.
SPORTS STORY >> Red Devils win first place
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
CONWAY – The Jacksonville boys got their fourth-straight victory and won first place in the Wampus Cat Invitational on Saturday, beating the Pine Bluff Zebras 68-54 in the tournament championship game.
Despite the first-place trophy on the line, Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner treated the game like any other early-season game. He put 16 different players on the court and tried several different combinations of players. He even benched leading scorer and point guard Justin McCleary the entire third quarter, despite the fact that Pine Bluff had trimmed a 13-point first-half deficit to just five by halftime.
Joyner insisted it was nothing more than player preparation.
“Justin didn’t do anything wrong,” Joyner said about not letting his top scorer play when the game was close. “It’s all about January and getting ready for conference. I wanted to see what some other players looked like out there with the starters. It’s nice to win these tournaments and the kids like having those trophies, but I’m thinking about the games that are really going to matter. We lost a game here last year doing this same thing.”
For the first time this season, Joyner left the whole starting lineup on the floor the entire first quarter. They jumped out to an 18-7 lead before Pine Bluff’s Ricky Clements hit a three pointer in the waning seconds to make it 18-10. A whole new five took the floor for Jacksonville to start the second period and Pine Bluff climbed back into the game. The Zebras got a little help when it was discovered that the wrong number was entered into the scorebook for Jacksonville’s Kanaan Jackson. That resulted in a technical foul and a four-point possession for Pine Bluff.
Jacksonville led 33-28 at halftime, and threatened to blow the game open in the third. The Zebras stayed in the game with outside shooting, and got some help from Jacksonville turnovers.
“We’ve been able to win so far, but turnovers have been a persistent problem for us all season,” Joyner said. “We have got to start taking better care of the basketball. Most of them were unforced. They weren’t pressing us hard because we broke it early and got some easy baskets. We just aren’t playing smart right now. And either that’s going to change, or some personnel is going to change.”
Guard Reggie Barnes, who didn’t play in the first half, started the third quarter in place of McCleary and hit two three pointers. As did senior guard Aaron Smith, who led all scorers with 20 points. Smith hit 8 of 11 shot attempts. He was 4 of 7 from three-point range and almost made it a double-double with nine rebounds. He also had three steals and two assists.
Jacksonville dominated on the boards. The Red Devils pulled down 34 rebounds to just 18 for Pine Bluff. Jacksonville has not lost the rebounding battle since its season opening loss to North Little Rock.
Post player Keith Charleston did record his third double-double this season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sergio Berkley played his best game in the semifinal win over Conway, and followed that with another solid performance against Pine Bluff. He finished with nine points, two steals and four assists. McCleary finished with a very consistent stat line. He had five points, five steals and five assists.
Jacksonville plays Jonesboro on Saturday in the AR Preps Shootout at Maumelle High School.
Leader sports editor
CONWAY – The Jacksonville boys got their fourth-straight victory and won first place in the Wampus Cat Invitational on Saturday, beating the Pine Bluff Zebras 68-54 in the tournament championship game.
Despite the first-place trophy on the line, Jacksonville coach Victor Joyner treated the game like any other early-season game. He put 16 different players on the court and tried several different combinations of players. He even benched leading scorer and point guard Justin McCleary the entire third quarter, despite the fact that Pine Bluff had trimmed a 13-point first-half deficit to just five by halftime.
Joyner insisted it was nothing more than player preparation.
“Justin didn’t do anything wrong,” Joyner said about not letting his top scorer play when the game was close. “It’s all about January and getting ready for conference. I wanted to see what some other players looked like out there with the starters. It’s nice to win these tournaments and the kids like having those trophies, but I’m thinking about the games that are really going to matter. We lost a game here last year doing this same thing.”
For the first time this season, Joyner left the whole starting lineup on the floor the entire first quarter. They jumped out to an 18-7 lead before Pine Bluff’s Ricky Clements hit a three pointer in the waning seconds to make it 18-10. A whole new five took the floor for Jacksonville to start the second period and Pine Bluff climbed back into the game. The Zebras got a little help when it was discovered that the wrong number was entered into the scorebook for Jacksonville’s Kanaan Jackson. That resulted in a technical foul and a four-point possession for Pine Bluff.
Jacksonville led 33-28 at halftime, and threatened to blow the game open in the third. The Zebras stayed in the game with outside shooting, and got some help from Jacksonville turnovers.
“We’ve been able to win so far, but turnovers have been a persistent problem for us all season,” Joyner said. “We have got to start taking better care of the basketball. Most of them were unforced. They weren’t pressing us hard because we broke it early and got some easy baskets. We just aren’t playing smart right now. And either that’s going to change, or some personnel is going to change.”
Guard Reggie Barnes, who didn’t play in the first half, started the third quarter in place of McCleary and hit two three pointers. As did senior guard Aaron Smith, who led all scorers with 20 points. Smith hit 8 of 11 shot attempts. He was 4 of 7 from three-point range and almost made it a double-double with nine rebounds. He also had three steals and two assists.
Jacksonville dominated on the boards. The Red Devils pulled down 34 rebounds to just 18 for Pine Bluff. Jacksonville has not lost the rebounding battle since its season opening loss to North Little Rock.
Post player Keith Charleston did record his third double-double this season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sergio Berkley played his best game in the semifinal win over Conway, and followed that with another solid performance against Pine Bluff. He finished with nine points, two steals and four assists. McCleary finished with a very consistent stat line. He had five points, five steals and five assists.
Jacksonville plays Jonesboro on Saturday in the AR Preps Shootout at Maumelle High School.
SPORTS STORY >> Wolff has a subtle presence for Hogs
By NATE ALLEN
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE – For seven minutes during the Razorbacks’ biggest women’s home game of the nonconference season, Arkansas was the team that cried, “Wolff!”
Melissa Wolff, the freshman reserve guard from Cabot, hit the go-ahead three-pointer for the Razorbacks’ first lead, 17-16, against No. 17 Kansas on Dec. 6 at Bud Walton Arena.
She continued spurring Arkansas to a 33-24 halftime lead in its 64-56 victory. Immediately following her trey, she got a steal and assist to teammate Sarah Watkins. Wolff finished the half 2 for 2 from the field for five points with a rebound, steal, two assist and zero turnovers.
“It was really important,” Arkansas Coach Tom Collen said of Wolff’s first-half flurry.
Wolff finished the game shooting 2 for 5 for the same five points with one more assist vs. one second-half turnover. She played 14 more minutes in the second half.
She played more, Collen said, because her rebounding, four for the game, and defense helped put the brakes on the Jayhawks after they briefly re-took the lead.
“Really her play all the way around was subtle,” Collen said. “She doesn’t take a lot of shots but hit a big three. Probably the most unnoticed thing is she was really solid defensively and she gave us another rebounder in there.”
Collen said Wolff, 6-feet, provides a greater presence on the boards to complement starting point guard Calli Berna than does 5-8 freshman scoring guard Dominique Wilson and the more slightly built 5-10 shooting guard Kelsey Hatcher.
“We are not very physical at the 2-spot with Kelsey Hatcher and Dominique Wilson sometimes,” Collen said. “So we made the decision to go there for her rebounding. She’s a strong kid and she’s always where she is supposed to be defensively. There is an art to that. She is a big reason why I thought our defense was so good down the stretch.”
It was much the same when Arkansas battled now No. 12 Oklahoma to the wire in a 73-70 loss.
“When we played Oklahoma, I had a really bad off shooting night but I was able to stay in for rebounding and defense,” Wolff said. “That was another big team that I logged quite a few minutes and that was a good opportunity to get experience.”
Averaging 17.8 minutes per game and playing in all the games for an 8-1 Razorbacks team now among those getting Top 25 votes, Wolff enhances Arkansas’ opportunities to win says, senior center Sarah Watkins.
Watkins, the top returnee from last season’s 24-9 second-round NCAA Tournament team, asserts the kid from Cabot sets the curve on effort and defensive positioning.
“She’s a hard-nosed kid coming out of high school,” Watkins said. “She knows where to be on defense and she plays really hard. She plays probably harder than anybody on the floor and it shows. She gets all the hustle plays. She has been really big for us in this stretch of games.”
If she leads on effort, Wolff says it’s because she usually starts every matchup at some disadvantage. Perhaps Arkansas’ most versatile defender, Wolff not only guards guards but small forwards, power forwards and sometimes even the opposition’s biggest post.
“I know I am not the quickest or the strongest out there,” Wolff said. “So I have to work that much harder to be able to keep up with everybody.”
Frankly, it would seem more difficult for everybody to keep up with her.
While leading Cabot to a state championship last season, Wolff was a National Honor Society student. She completes her first fall semester at the UA this week majoring in kinesiology with plans once she achieves her bachelor’s degree to transfer to a program offering a doctorate in physical therapy.
Last March when the Razorbacks were in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Texas A&M, Wolff was spending her last high school spring break with her church youth group in South Africa.
“We visited schools and talked to the kids and visited hospitals,” Wolff said. “We saw a lot of poverty, it was very sad. It makes you grateful for what you have.”
For her locale to study and play ball, it seems Wolff has it all.
“Growing up in Arkansas I wanted to be a Razorback and this was a great opportunity,” Wolff said. “Arkansas is where I always wanted to be.”
Her coaches and teammates sound grateful to have her.
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE – For seven minutes during the Razorbacks’ biggest women’s home game of the nonconference season, Arkansas was the team that cried, “Wolff!”
Melissa Wolff, the freshman reserve guard from Cabot, hit the go-ahead three-pointer for the Razorbacks’ first lead, 17-16, against No. 17 Kansas on Dec. 6 at Bud Walton Arena.
She continued spurring Arkansas to a 33-24 halftime lead in its 64-56 victory. Immediately following her trey, she got a steal and assist to teammate Sarah Watkins. Wolff finished the half 2 for 2 from the field for five points with a rebound, steal, two assist and zero turnovers.
“It was really important,” Arkansas Coach Tom Collen said of Wolff’s first-half flurry.
Wolff finished the game shooting 2 for 5 for the same five points with one more assist vs. one second-half turnover. She played 14 more minutes in the second half.
She played more, Collen said, because her rebounding, four for the game, and defense helped put the brakes on the Jayhawks after they briefly re-took the lead.
“Really her play all the way around was subtle,” Collen said. “She doesn’t take a lot of shots but hit a big three. Probably the most unnoticed thing is she was really solid defensively and she gave us another rebounder in there.”
Collen said Wolff, 6-feet, provides a greater presence on the boards to complement starting point guard Calli Berna than does 5-8 freshman scoring guard Dominique Wilson and the more slightly built 5-10 shooting guard Kelsey Hatcher.
“We are not very physical at the 2-spot with Kelsey Hatcher and Dominique Wilson sometimes,” Collen said. “So we made the decision to go there for her rebounding. She’s a strong kid and she’s always where she is supposed to be defensively. There is an art to that. She is a big reason why I thought our defense was so good down the stretch.”
It was much the same when Arkansas battled now No. 12 Oklahoma to the wire in a 73-70 loss.
“When we played Oklahoma, I had a really bad off shooting night but I was able to stay in for rebounding and defense,” Wolff said. “That was another big team that I logged quite a few minutes and that was a good opportunity to get experience.”
Averaging 17.8 minutes per game and playing in all the games for an 8-1 Razorbacks team now among those getting Top 25 votes, Wolff enhances Arkansas’ opportunities to win says, senior center Sarah Watkins.
Watkins, the top returnee from last season’s 24-9 second-round NCAA Tournament team, asserts the kid from Cabot sets the curve on effort and defensive positioning.
“She’s a hard-nosed kid coming out of high school,” Watkins said. “She knows where to be on defense and she plays really hard. She plays probably harder than anybody on the floor and it shows. She gets all the hustle plays. She has been really big for us in this stretch of games.”
If she leads on effort, Wolff says it’s because she usually starts every matchup at some disadvantage. Perhaps Arkansas’ most versatile defender, Wolff not only guards guards but small forwards, power forwards and sometimes even the opposition’s biggest post.
“I know I am not the quickest or the strongest out there,” Wolff said. “So I have to work that much harder to be able to keep up with everybody.”
Frankly, it would seem more difficult for everybody to keep up with her.
While leading Cabot to a state championship last season, Wolff was a National Honor Society student. She completes her first fall semester at the UA this week majoring in kinesiology with plans once she achieves her bachelor’s degree to transfer to a program offering a doctorate in physical therapy.
Last March when the Razorbacks were in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Texas A&M, Wolff was spending her last high school spring break with her church youth group in South Africa.
“We visited schools and talked to the kids and visited hospitals,” Wolff said. “We saw a lot of poverty, it was very sad. It makes you grateful for what you have.”
For her locale to study and play ball, it seems Wolff has it all.
“Growing up in Arkansas I wanted to be a Razorback and this was a great opportunity,” Wolff said. “Arkansas is where I always wanted to be.”
Her coaches and teammates sound grateful to have her.
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