By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panthers stopped a three-game losing streak and got their first conference road win on Tuesday, beating Jonesboro 54-44 in the Don Riggs Hurricane Gym. Strong defense led to a late Cabot lead, and solid free-throw shooting preserved the win for the Lady Panthers.
“We played pretty good defense,” said Cabot coach Carla Crowder. “We were really aggressive, but we didn’t foul. We blocked out well. It was a lot better effort. The girls really played well.”
Cabot (11-9, 2-4) jumped out to a 15-7 lead in the first quarter, but struggled offensively in the second period. The Lady Hurricane held the Lady Panthers to just four points in the second quarter and pulled to within 19-15 by halftime.
The margin stayed between four and six for the first few minutes of the third period. Cabot finally got the offense going again and pulled out to a 34-25 lead on a free throw by junior guard Danielle McWilliams with less than a minute left in the frame. But Jonesboro came back to score the next five points, two to end the third and a three pointer by Morgan Malugen to start the fourth to make it 34-30.
The Lady Panthers re-grouped and built a 40-33 lead when Anna Sullivan sank two free throws halfway through the fourth quarter. The home team still had one run left in it. Jonesboro’s Martina Day answered Sullivan’s free throws with a bucket underneath. Cabot then turned the ball over.
Malugen missed a three pointer, but Daneeta Webb got an offensive rebound and put it back to make it 40-37 and force a Cabot timeout.
After the break, Sullivan scored the first two of six in a row for Cabot. After her basket, Sullivan got a steal and was fouled. She made both free throws for a seven-point Cabot lead.
Leighton Taylor then rebounded a Jonesboro miss and McWilliams scored at the other end to force a Jonesboro timeout and change of strategy.
The Lady Hurricane (5-12, 0-6) were forced into the foul game, and Rachel Allgood and Taylor combined to hit their last six free throws in a row to secure the win.
Cabot made 20 of 24 free throws in the game. Sullivan led the Lady Panthers with 23 points and was 7 for 7 from the line. The sophomore forward also had eight rebounds.
“She’s just figuring stuff out,” Crowder said of Sullivan. “It’s kind of a new role for her and she’s worked really hard on her shot. She’s worked hard in practice and on her own, and she’s doing well.”
Junior CoCo Calhoon added 12 points for the Lady Panthers and post player Alyssa Hamilton finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Friday, January 31, 2014
SPORTS STOORY >> Jacksonville’s pressure halts SH’s fast start
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
A roster depleted Lady Bear basketball team played above their heads early, but couldn’t keep up with a surging Lady Red Devil team on Tuesday. The end result was first-place Jacksonville beating last-place Sylvan Hills 77-44 in Sherwood.
The missing Sylvan Hills players, which on Tuesday included three full-time starters, brought the roster down to six varsity players, forcing Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis to bring up two freshmen to add some depth, which is especially important against a team that likes to push the tempo as Jacksonville does.
Sylvan Hills sophomore Sarah Beckwith drained two three pointers in the first minute of the game to give the Lady Bears a brief lead. Jacksonville’s Tiffany Smith answered in kind and the game stayed close for a little more than half the high-scoring first quarter.
Jacksonville led 15-13 with about three minutes remaining in the period when they began a 13-0 run that put the first separation between the two teams.
Smith added two more three pointers to finish the quarter with 12 points. Post player Markela Bryles also became difficult for the size-depleted Lady Bears, whose two tallest players on an already-undersized roster were among those out for the game, to stop. She finished the first quarter with 10 points.
But sophomore guard Ashton Neasley closed the gap some when she hit a 35-footer at the buzzer to make it 28-16.
Beckwith then opened the second quarter with another three pointer. Lady Bear Maddison Shelton then forced Jacksonville’s first turnover of the game. On the next possession, she added a free throw to make it 28-20 with six minutes left in the half.
Jacksonville then switched to full-court pressure and things came unraveled for the Lady Bears. The Lady Red Devils didn’t score in the period until the 5:37 mark, but finished the half on a 25-3 run.
Jacksonville senior Keke Alcorn drained two threes while fellow senior Sacha Richardson added another. Bryles dropped in six more points while Antrice McCoy and Jerrica Hardaway scored two apiece. Shelton scored Sylvan Hills’ only basket after Beckwith’s opening three and the Lady Red Devils led 53-23 at intermission.
But the fight wasn’t gone from Sylvan Hills. The Lady Bears scrapped hard and won the third quarter 16-15, staving off the mercy rule for a few more minutes.
Jacksonville coach William Rountree pulled all his starters and primary subs in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville sophomore Asia Williams hit two free throws with 5:05 remaining to make it 72-41 and invoke the continuous clock.
“The third quarter was too sloppy, but I thought overall we played a pretty good game,” said Rountree. “We were productive inside and outside. We scored off of pressure and in our sets, and all my young players got to play, and I thought did pretty well. We won the fourth quarter with no starters out there, so I’m pleased with how they played.”
Jacksonville (9-8, 6-1) won the rebounding battle 31-21, and because of a 31-10 differential in turnovers, took 29 more shots than did Sylvan Hills. The Lady Devils made 24 of 69 shot attempts, including 8 of 19 from three-point range, while Sylvan Hills went 14 of 40 – 7 of 14 from three-point range.
Jacksonville made 21 of 32 free throws while Sylvan Hills went 9 of 17.
Smith led all scorers with 20 points while Bryles added 16 and Alcorn 14 for Jacksonville. Eleven Lady Red Devils recorded points.
Shelton led the Lady Bears with 14 points. Beckwith added nine, as did freshman Storm Ellis.
Leader sports editor
A roster depleted Lady Bear basketball team played above their heads early, but couldn’t keep up with a surging Lady Red Devil team on Tuesday. The end result was first-place Jacksonville beating last-place Sylvan Hills 77-44 in Sherwood.
The missing Sylvan Hills players, which on Tuesday included three full-time starters, brought the roster down to six varsity players, forcing Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis to bring up two freshmen to add some depth, which is especially important against a team that likes to push the tempo as Jacksonville does.
Sylvan Hills sophomore Sarah Beckwith drained two three pointers in the first minute of the game to give the Lady Bears a brief lead. Jacksonville’s Tiffany Smith answered in kind and the game stayed close for a little more than half the high-scoring first quarter.
Jacksonville led 15-13 with about three minutes remaining in the period when they began a 13-0 run that put the first separation between the two teams.
Smith added two more three pointers to finish the quarter with 12 points. Post player Markela Bryles also became difficult for the size-depleted Lady Bears, whose two tallest players on an already-undersized roster were among those out for the game, to stop. She finished the first quarter with 10 points.
But sophomore guard Ashton Neasley closed the gap some when she hit a 35-footer at the buzzer to make it 28-16.
Beckwith then opened the second quarter with another three pointer. Lady Bear Maddison Shelton then forced Jacksonville’s first turnover of the game. On the next possession, she added a free throw to make it 28-20 with six minutes left in the half.
Jacksonville then switched to full-court pressure and things came unraveled for the Lady Bears. The Lady Red Devils didn’t score in the period until the 5:37 mark, but finished the half on a 25-3 run.
Jacksonville senior Keke Alcorn drained two threes while fellow senior Sacha Richardson added another. Bryles dropped in six more points while Antrice McCoy and Jerrica Hardaway scored two apiece. Shelton scored Sylvan Hills’ only basket after Beckwith’s opening three and the Lady Red Devils led 53-23 at intermission.
But the fight wasn’t gone from Sylvan Hills. The Lady Bears scrapped hard and won the third quarter 16-15, staving off the mercy rule for a few more minutes.
Jacksonville coach William Rountree pulled all his starters and primary subs in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville sophomore Asia Williams hit two free throws with 5:05 remaining to make it 72-41 and invoke the continuous clock.
“The third quarter was too sloppy, but I thought overall we played a pretty good game,” said Rountree. “We were productive inside and outside. We scored off of pressure and in our sets, and all my young players got to play, and I thought did pretty well. We won the fourth quarter with no starters out there, so I’m pleased with how they played.”
Jacksonville (9-8, 6-1) won the rebounding battle 31-21, and because of a 31-10 differential in turnovers, took 29 more shots than did Sylvan Hills. The Lady Devils made 24 of 69 shot attempts, including 8 of 19 from three-point range, while Sylvan Hills went 14 of 40 – 7 of 14 from three-point range.
Jacksonville made 21 of 32 free throws while Sylvan Hills went 9 of 17.
Smith led all scorers with 20 points while Bryles added 16 and Alcorn 14 for Jacksonville. Eleven Lady Red Devils recorded points.
Shelton led the Lady Bears with 14 points. Beckwith added nine, as did freshman Storm Ellis.
SPORTS STORY >> Devils repel Bears’ rally
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils completed the first round robin on 5A-Central Conference play unscathed on Tuesday, beating Sylvan Hills 74-61 in Sherwood, and maintaining a two-game lead in the conference standings.
Jacksonville (17-3, 7-0) still did not play well enough to impress coach Vic Joyner, who, with two state championship, three state final appearances and five semifinal berths, has come to expect a high level of play.
“I know what elite-level basketball looks like, and we’re not there right now,” said Joyner. “We’ve got to get better or this is not a championship team.”
Particularly frustrating to Joyner was what he perceived as his team’s loss of focus and energy in the third quarter. The Red Devils took a 40-26 lead into halftime, but the Bears stormed back to pull to within 55-49 with 1:45 left in the third quarter on a Ronnie Hinton three pointer – his third of the quarter.
“Again we stopped closing out on the shooters in the second half like we did in the first half,” Joyner said. “We stopped running our sets on offense. We’re out of position on defense, and let their big man dribble from the top of the key, all the way down the lane and dunk on us – nobody rotating over. It’s not championship-level basketball. It’s as simple as that.”
One player that drew praise from Joyner was reserve post player Reggie Barnes. He was the fifth man off the bench of the 11 Red Devils that played, and finished with six points and eight rebounds.
“Reggie goes hard all the time in every practice,” Joyner said. “I need more kids on my team like Reggie. Other kids will be loafing around, pouting or whatever in practice, Reggie’s going hard.”
Joyner then called Barnes over.
“What did I tell you yesterday about how hard you work in practice?” Joyner asked the 6-foot-3 Barnes.
“That it would pay off,” Barnes answered.
“And did it pay off tonight?” Joyner inquired.
“Yes sir,” answered Barnes.
“You’ll notice he played almost the whole second half because he proved in practice I could count on him to give 100 percent when he’s out there - even if it’s just for a couple of minutes,” Joyner said.
Barnes’ play also didn’t go unnoticed by Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis.
“I thought the kid that came off the bench, No. 21 (Barnes) got some offensive rebounds and little stickbacks that really hurt us,” Davis said. “He got a couple there when we were starting to come back where he just out-worked us and got into position when we didn’t. They’re hard to rebound against because of their length and athleticism, but we could’ve done a lot better than we did on the boards. That’s something that we’ve struggled with all year. And when you’re playing a team that’s athletic and longer than you are, and they crash the boards hard like Jacksonville does, it can get ugly if you’re not doing it as well.”
Jacksonville outrebounded Sylvan Hills 37-17. Center Kanaan Jackson recorded his eighth double double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Sylvan Hills center David Johnson opened the fourth quarter with the dunk that Joyner referenced. Johnson threw the dunk down with authority as three Red Devils stood under the goal, causing the home crowd to erupt to its loudest of the night. Johnson’s bucket made it 61-53 with 7:46 left in the game. The Bears closed it to 62-58 with 5:37 left when Johnson hit one of two free throws, and Bears’ guard Nate Burchett was fouled while battling to rebound the miss. He hit both free throws to make it a four-point game, but the Bears could get no closer.
The two teams traded turnovers on four-straight possessions. Jacksonville’s Damarion Freeman then blocked shots on two-consecutive Sylvan Hills possessions. The offensive drought by the Bears allowed the Red Devils to slowly push the lead back to 10 on a bucket by Devin Campbell with 3:25 remaining.
Campbell led all scorers with 22 points. Freshman Tyree Appleby added nine for Jacksonville.
Cordy Winston led the Bears with 16 points while Aumonie Armond scored 12 and Hinton and Burchett added 10 apiece.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils completed the first round robin on 5A-Central Conference play unscathed on Tuesday, beating Sylvan Hills 74-61 in Sherwood, and maintaining a two-game lead in the conference standings.
Jacksonville (17-3, 7-0) still did not play well enough to impress coach Vic Joyner, who, with two state championship, three state final appearances and five semifinal berths, has come to expect a high level of play.
“I know what elite-level basketball looks like, and we’re not there right now,” said Joyner. “We’ve got to get better or this is not a championship team.”
Particularly frustrating to Joyner was what he perceived as his team’s loss of focus and energy in the third quarter. The Red Devils took a 40-26 lead into halftime, but the Bears stormed back to pull to within 55-49 with 1:45 left in the third quarter on a Ronnie Hinton three pointer – his third of the quarter.
“Again we stopped closing out on the shooters in the second half like we did in the first half,” Joyner said. “We stopped running our sets on offense. We’re out of position on defense, and let their big man dribble from the top of the key, all the way down the lane and dunk on us – nobody rotating over. It’s not championship-level basketball. It’s as simple as that.”
One player that drew praise from Joyner was reserve post player Reggie Barnes. He was the fifth man off the bench of the 11 Red Devils that played, and finished with six points and eight rebounds.
“Reggie goes hard all the time in every practice,” Joyner said. “I need more kids on my team like Reggie. Other kids will be loafing around, pouting or whatever in practice, Reggie’s going hard.”
Joyner then called Barnes over.
“What did I tell you yesterday about how hard you work in practice?” Joyner asked the 6-foot-3 Barnes.
“That it would pay off,” Barnes answered.
“And did it pay off tonight?” Joyner inquired.
“Yes sir,” answered Barnes.
“You’ll notice he played almost the whole second half because he proved in practice I could count on him to give 100 percent when he’s out there - even if it’s just for a couple of minutes,” Joyner said.
Barnes’ play also didn’t go unnoticed by Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis.
“I thought the kid that came off the bench, No. 21 (Barnes) got some offensive rebounds and little stickbacks that really hurt us,” Davis said. “He got a couple there when we were starting to come back where he just out-worked us and got into position when we didn’t. They’re hard to rebound against because of their length and athleticism, but we could’ve done a lot better than we did on the boards. That’s something that we’ve struggled with all year. And when you’re playing a team that’s athletic and longer than you are, and they crash the boards hard like Jacksonville does, it can get ugly if you’re not doing it as well.”
Jacksonville outrebounded Sylvan Hills 37-17. Center Kanaan Jackson recorded his eighth double double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Sylvan Hills center David Johnson opened the fourth quarter with the dunk that Joyner referenced. Johnson threw the dunk down with authority as three Red Devils stood under the goal, causing the home crowd to erupt to its loudest of the night. Johnson’s bucket made it 61-53 with 7:46 left in the game. The Bears closed it to 62-58 with 5:37 left when Johnson hit one of two free throws, and Bears’ guard Nate Burchett was fouled while battling to rebound the miss. He hit both free throws to make it a four-point game, but the Bears could get no closer.
The two teams traded turnovers on four-straight possessions. Jacksonville’s Damarion Freeman then blocked shots on two-consecutive Sylvan Hills possessions. The offensive drought by the Bears allowed the Red Devils to slowly push the lead back to 10 on a bucket by Devin Campbell with 3:25 remaining.
Campbell led all scorers with 22 points. Freshman Tyree Appleby added nine for Jacksonville.
Cordy Winston led the Bears with 16 points while Aumonie Armond scored 12 and Hinton and Burchett added 10 apiece.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
EDITORIAL >> Firing range on the mark
More than 2,000 people turned out for the opening of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville on Saturday. About 700 more people dropped in the next day.
The $3.2 million, 160-acre facility on Graham Road looks like a state park and is a welcome addition to the city’s public facilities. It is a major project that will help raise the city’s profile.
The opening came on the last weekend of duck-hunting season, when many trap and skeet shooters were pursuing different targets. But city officials are planning a grand-opening ceremony in March, which the governor is expected to attend, just as the competitive shooting season will be gearing up. That will give officials time to put some final touches on the place and get accustomed to daily operations there.
After months of delays caused by budget problems and construction setbacks, perhaps no one is more pleased than Mayor Gary Fletcher. “I told somebody today when I drove up, I said, ‘The two great sounds of Jacksonville to me right now are C-130s flying overhead and the sounds of shotguns going off on the range,’” he told us on opening day during a visit there.
The facility is still looking for a full-time manager, and we trust the city will choose someone who is knowledgable and passionate about teaching the sport to newcomers and old pros alike.
The firing range will host the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program tournaments that city officials expect will inject more than $4 million into the economy annually. At that rate, the facility could quickly pay for itself with tax revenue by attracting customers to local restaurants, hotels and other businesses.
Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) successfully convinced the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation — a nonprofit division of the Game and Fish Commission that promotes hunting, fishing and the outdoors — to contribute $2 million for the project with the city paying the rest. Jim Peacock and Mike Wilson sold the land to the city at a substantial discount.
Perry also helped form Jacksonville High School’s shooting team. And coaches like Jerry Hill and Mary Murtishaw have been just as active in turning Cabot into one of the state’s largest youth shooting programs.
On Saturday, hundreds of young shooters — many from Cabot — came out to inaugurate the range. They will be among the thousands who compete there in the spring and summer.
Cabot has nearly 70 junior high and high school students in its shooting program, whose teams have recently won state competitions, as have teams from Beebe and Carlisle.
Jacksonville High’s shooting team is growing, and North Pulaski High School recently started shooting and archery programs, and Lonoke has also been involved in the sport for some time. Combined, these students form a sizeable and instant customer base that will immediately make the new facility a worthwhile endeavor.
Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program director Chuck Woodson has also been at the forefront of the project, gathering input and insight from youth shooting coaches and volunteers, who, he said, are excited about the centrally-located public facility.
That side of town has seldom received such a substantial investment. It comes just as the widening of Graham Road to four lanes has been completed. City officials are pleased with the timing of the projects’ completion, which will improve traffic and the look of the area.
Unfortunately, Google Maps recommends drivers take Loop Road when traveling from Little Rock or Cabot, a route that bypasses the widening of Graham Road on the opposite side of Loop from the shooting complex. That’s too bad if many drivers won’t take Main Street through downtown. But the fresh yellow stripes on the new black top are a welcome improvement for thousands of motorists who’ll use Graham Road.
So here’s a 21-gun salute to a project that has finally opened to enthusiastic reviews.
The $3.2 million, 160-acre facility on Graham Road looks like a state park and is a welcome addition to the city’s public facilities. It is a major project that will help raise the city’s profile.
The opening came on the last weekend of duck-hunting season, when many trap and skeet shooters were pursuing different targets. But city officials are planning a grand-opening ceremony in March, which the governor is expected to attend, just as the competitive shooting season will be gearing up. That will give officials time to put some final touches on the place and get accustomed to daily operations there.
After months of delays caused by budget problems and construction setbacks, perhaps no one is more pleased than Mayor Gary Fletcher. “I told somebody today when I drove up, I said, ‘The two great sounds of Jacksonville to me right now are C-130s flying overhead and the sounds of shotguns going off on the range,’” he told us on opening day during a visit there.
The facility is still looking for a full-time manager, and we trust the city will choose someone who is knowledgable and passionate about teaching the sport to newcomers and old pros alike.
The firing range will host the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program tournaments that city officials expect will inject more than $4 million into the economy annually. At that rate, the facility could quickly pay for itself with tax revenue by attracting customers to local restaurants, hotels and other businesses.
Rep. Mark Perry (D-Jacksonville) successfully convinced the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation — a nonprofit division of the Game and Fish Commission that promotes hunting, fishing and the outdoors — to contribute $2 million for the project with the city paying the rest. Jim Peacock and Mike Wilson sold the land to the city at a substantial discount.
Perry also helped form Jacksonville High School’s shooting team. And coaches like Jerry Hill and Mary Murtishaw have been just as active in turning Cabot into one of the state’s largest youth shooting programs.
On Saturday, hundreds of young shooters — many from Cabot — came out to inaugurate the range. They will be among the thousands who compete there in the spring and summer.
Cabot has nearly 70 junior high and high school students in its shooting program, whose teams have recently won state competitions, as have teams from Beebe and Carlisle.
Jacksonville High’s shooting team is growing, and North Pulaski High School recently started shooting and archery programs, and Lonoke has also been involved in the sport for some time. Combined, these students form a sizeable and instant customer base that will immediately make the new facility a worthwhile endeavor.
Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program director Chuck Woodson has also been at the forefront of the project, gathering input and insight from youth shooting coaches and volunteers, who, he said, are excited about the centrally-located public facility.
That side of town has seldom received such a substantial investment. It comes just as the widening of Graham Road to four lanes has been completed. City officials are pleased with the timing of the projects’ completion, which will improve traffic and the look of the area.
Unfortunately, Google Maps recommends drivers take Loop Road when traveling from Little Rock or Cabot, a route that bypasses the widening of Graham Road on the opposite side of Loop from the shooting complex. That’s too bad if many drivers won’t take Main Street through downtown. But the fresh yellow stripes on the new black top are a welcome improvement for thousands of motorists who’ll use Graham Road.
So here’s a 21-gun salute to a project that has finally opened to enthusiastic reviews.
TOP STORY >> Cabot chamber grew in ’13
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
It was an epiphany while playing Pong on a Friday night in college and a bit of a practical joke, but it has turned into a movement of compassion and genuine love, according to Jon Talbert, guest speaker at the annual Cabot Chamber of commerce dinner.
Talbert, a faith-based motivational speaker, comedian and NFL and NBA chaplain, told the crowd of about 300 at the chamber’s 53rd annual dinner Friday night that “genuine love is contagious” and his organization Beautiful Day was an example of that — an example of what can happen in Cabot too.
The chamber also honored its member of the year, Damon Bivins, business member of the year, Hertzog Family Eye Clinic, and outgoing board president Karen Madding. All were honored at the event and the gavel was officially passed to the new president, Mark Stocks.
Talbert told the crowd that when he first got the invitation to speak at the dinner he was ecstatic. “I’m going to Cabo, I told my wife. She said no, Cabot. I said Cabo, she said Cabot, there’s a T in it. I told her Cabo, the T was silent,” he quipped, adding that he was truly happy to visit Cabot, with a T.
Talbert told the crowd that he grew up in a Christian home where his dad was a Baptist minister. “We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and Friday evenings. I once asked my dad if we could just put our beds there,” he said.
Growing up Talbert struggled with all the “do not’s.”
“We had what was called the Nine Nasties: No smoking, no drinking, no drugs, no chewing, no cruising, no movies, no dancing, no card playing and not to hang around girls that did any of those.”
He aid the no chewing confused him when he was young, but just to be on the safe side, he swallowed all his food. Talbert also said the no card playing rule bothered him too. “Dogs play cards. I know they did. I saw the pictures,” he quipped.
But all those no’s caused him to walk away from his faith. “It needs to be less about what not to do and more about what empowers us to do,” he explained.
He reconnected that fateful night in college. “I wanted to do something radically different.”
Talbert had seen the local church helping single moms, a group he called “lost women” who didn’t have food for their children and sometimes no money for utilities. “The church did all it could,” he said.
The idea hit him one night playing video games. “Pong, so you had a lot of time to think between hits,” he said.
He got the home addresses of the women from his church and he and his buddies pooled all their college money. “All right, all the money our parents gave us for college,” Talbert confessed. The group went out to a local Costco and bought bulk food. “We separated it and then delivered it to the front doors. He set down the bags and boxes and drove off fast. We got back to the dorm, called these families and said, ‘This is God, there’s food on your porch,’ and hung up.”
“We felt good,” he said, and from that grew Beautiful Day -- a growing group of government agencies, community organizations and people from all walks of life serving others by addressing all sorts of needs. Their approach is simple: To invest in communities with simple, direct and unyielding kindness.
“Each project is an act of no-strings-attached service for those who are otherwise unable to help themselves. Our goal is to aggressively spread compassion, to discard apathy in favor of activity and light fires of good will in the neighborhoods we work and live in,” he explained.
As an example he told the chamber crowd of a time he and his small group went to a local high school and asked what they could fix, clean, build. The principal said the best thing they could do was to attend a football game. “You see the school’s team was bad, really bad and the principal said barely 100 people would show up for a game,” Talbert explained.
He and his group put out the word. “It was like a flash mob at the game. We had 2,000 people filling the stands cheering for this team even though we didn’t know any of them. And guess what? The principal was right, the team was awful and lost. But they played before a crowd that cheered and loved them and that made them feel like winners.”
Talbert said he has learned three things about the genuine love that comes out of compassion and caring.
First, genuine love is contagious, virally contagious. “Once you start helping and showing genuine love, others join in,” he said.
Secondly, genuine love disrupts the status quo and, according to Talbert that’s a good thing. It lets people know there is something better out there.
Thirdly, genuine love is deeply spiritual. Talbert related a project that his group was doing rehabbing a house. “One of the last things we wanted to do was to paint the outside so it would look and feel new inside and out, but our painting crew didn’t show. We didn’t know what to do and I asked for an act of God to get the house finished.
Talbert said his prayers were answered when he approached a three-man painting crew down the street. Their reply, “We were hoping you’d ask us to help.”
And their names, Talbert said, “And I’m not kidding, Moses, Israel and Jesus—okay the last one had a Hispanic pronunciation.”
He ended by telling the Cabot crowd, “May you live in the practice of genuine love.”
Bivins was honored for his chamber support and volunteerism. He serves as the car line captain at Cabot Middle School North welcoming students as they arrive with fist bumps, kind words, and even a little dancing.
Bivins said, “I get way more out of it seeing the kids smile than they ever do. I don’t know what possesses some of the stuff I say and do but the kids get real happy and they smile as they walk in the building and that’s the most important thing.”
Madding, the outgoing president told the crowd that 2013 was a good year for the chamber with 26 ribbon cuttings and membership growing from 323 members to 370.
Leader staff writer
It was an epiphany while playing Pong on a Friday night in college and a bit of a practical joke, but it has turned into a movement of compassion and genuine love, according to Jon Talbert, guest speaker at the annual Cabot Chamber of commerce dinner.
Talbert, a faith-based motivational speaker, comedian and NFL and NBA chaplain, told the crowd of about 300 at the chamber’s 53rd annual dinner Friday night that “genuine love is contagious” and his organization Beautiful Day was an example of that — an example of what can happen in Cabot too.
The chamber also honored its member of the year, Damon Bivins, business member of the year, Hertzog Family Eye Clinic, and outgoing board president Karen Madding. All were honored at the event and the gavel was officially passed to the new president, Mark Stocks.
Talbert told the crowd that when he first got the invitation to speak at the dinner he was ecstatic. “I’m going to Cabo, I told my wife. She said no, Cabot. I said Cabo, she said Cabot, there’s a T in it. I told her Cabo, the T was silent,” he quipped, adding that he was truly happy to visit Cabot, with a T.
Talbert told the crowd that he grew up in a Christian home where his dad was a Baptist minister. “We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night and Friday evenings. I once asked my dad if we could just put our beds there,” he said.
Growing up Talbert struggled with all the “do not’s.”
“We had what was called the Nine Nasties: No smoking, no drinking, no drugs, no chewing, no cruising, no movies, no dancing, no card playing and not to hang around girls that did any of those.”
He aid the no chewing confused him when he was young, but just to be on the safe side, he swallowed all his food. Talbert also said the no card playing rule bothered him too. “Dogs play cards. I know they did. I saw the pictures,” he quipped.
But all those no’s caused him to walk away from his faith. “It needs to be less about what not to do and more about what empowers us to do,” he explained.
He reconnected that fateful night in college. “I wanted to do something radically different.”
Talbert had seen the local church helping single moms, a group he called “lost women” who didn’t have food for their children and sometimes no money for utilities. “The church did all it could,” he said.
The idea hit him one night playing video games. “Pong, so you had a lot of time to think between hits,” he said.
He got the home addresses of the women from his church and he and his buddies pooled all their college money. “All right, all the money our parents gave us for college,” Talbert confessed. The group went out to a local Costco and bought bulk food. “We separated it and then delivered it to the front doors. He set down the bags and boxes and drove off fast. We got back to the dorm, called these families and said, ‘This is God, there’s food on your porch,’ and hung up.”
“We felt good,” he said, and from that grew Beautiful Day -- a growing group of government agencies, community organizations and people from all walks of life serving others by addressing all sorts of needs. Their approach is simple: To invest in communities with simple, direct and unyielding kindness.
“Each project is an act of no-strings-attached service for those who are otherwise unable to help themselves. Our goal is to aggressively spread compassion, to discard apathy in favor of activity and light fires of good will in the neighborhoods we work and live in,” he explained.
As an example he told the chamber crowd of a time he and his small group went to a local high school and asked what they could fix, clean, build. The principal said the best thing they could do was to attend a football game. “You see the school’s team was bad, really bad and the principal said barely 100 people would show up for a game,” Talbert explained.
He and his group put out the word. “It was like a flash mob at the game. We had 2,000 people filling the stands cheering for this team even though we didn’t know any of them. And guess what? The principal was right, the team was awful and lost. But they played before a crowd that cheered and loved them and that made them feel like winners.”
Talbert said he has learned three things about the genuine love that comes out of compassion and caring.
First, genuine love is contagious, virally contagious. “Once you start helping and showing genuine love, others join in,” he said.
Secondly, genuine love disrupts the status quo and, according to Talbert that’s a good thing. It lets people know there is something better out there.
Thirdly, genuine love is deeply spiritual. Talbert related a project that his group was doing rehabbing a house. “One of the last things we wanted to do was to paint the outside so it would look and feel new inside and out, but our painting crew didn’t show. We didn’t know what to do and I asked for an act of God to get the house finished.
Talbert said his prayers were answered when he approached a three-man painting crew down the street. Their reply, “We were hoping you’d ask us to help.”
And their names, Talbert said, “And I’m not kidding, Moses, Israel and Jesus—okay the last one had a Hispanic pronunciation.”
He ended by telling the Cabot crowd, “May you live in the practice of genuine love.”
Bivins was honored for his chamber support and volunteerism. He serves as the car line captain at Cabot Middle School North welcoming students as they arrive with fist bumps, kind words, and even a little dancing.
Bivins said, “I get way more out of it seeing the kids smile than they ever do. I don’t know what possesses some of the stuff I say and do but the kids get real happy and they smile as they walk in the building and that’s the most important thing.”
Madding, the outgoing president told the crowd that 2013 was a good year for the chamber with 26 ribbon cuttings and membership growing from 323 members to 370.
TOP STORY >> Two murders in Lonoke County
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
Two men accused of murdering the women in their lives appeared in circuit court in Lonoke on the same day last week, thankfully, an unusual occurrence.
Charlie Bryant, 38, could be described as a pillar of the community, a businessman who volunteered as a deputy for the Lonoke County sheriff. He was a family man with four children and a two-story brick home in Austin that was decorated for Christmas on the morning of Dec. 19 when he was caught on a surveillance camera shooting Sharae Bryant in the head.
Dennis Harrington, who turned 43 just days before his court appearance, is a convicted felon who was out of prison on parole when Rebecca Lauer, his live-in girlfriend, disappeared on July 21.
Harrington is known for abusing women, including his own mother.
If the witnesses who eventually came forward are to be trusted, Lauer had already been dead a week by the time she was reported missing. One claims to have seen her body in the back seat of her boyfriend’s pickup and one confessed to helping him pull her from the pickup and put her on a pile of burning tires.
Two men from different worlds and yet they are both accused of crimes almost too savage to comprehend. That shouldn’t be surprising. It’s been known for years that domestic violence crosses all socio-economic boundaries.
But to read scholarly articles with statistics that say men and women both kill their partners is not the same as reading the affidavits that spell out the evidence against them. The former is mind-boggling, but the detail contained in the latter is the stuff of nightmares.
Charlie Bryant said he shot his wife in self defense. She shot him and he shot back. But he was caught on tape chasing his wife as she ran from their home and around the SUV she had put their little girl into just minutes before.
When he caught up with her, he stood over her and shot her in the head, walked away a few feet and shot himself. Then Bryant crawled back to her and put something beside her. The gun he said she shot him with?
The affidavit doesn’t say but implies that it was. Then, he crawled back to the spot where he shot himself, the spot where he was found when the police and ambulances arrived.
Harrington told investigators that Lauer had simply left his home while he was away and didn’t come back. She left him a note: “I love you DH, Booboo, My Goober…Yours completely, your sweetheart.”
But a witness, perhaps the last person to see her alive, said Harrington brought Lauer to his home that day, beaten and handcuffed, and demanded twice that he have sex with her. The witness said he declined but warned Harrington that he could go back to prison for his treatment of Lauer.
The witness said he told Harrington he wouldn’t turn him in and in fact, he didn’t come forward until Aug. 5, 16 days after Lauer stood in his home bruised, cuffed and with her pants down while Harrington said he would take her to someone who would have sex with her.
The evidence against Bryant is video footage. The evidence against Harrington is a statement by Steven Boulanger, who said he helped Harrington build a fire of old tires and put Lauer’s body on it. That statement is backed up by two bone fragments identified only as belonging to a person with a small frame. The bones were too burned to use for DNA.
Facebook photographs of the Bryants show a smiling, handsome couple, while a photograph of Lauer, released by the sheriff’s department when she was reported missing was of a woman with a sad face and dark circles under her eyes.
Sharae, 34, was seemingly living the American dream while Rebecca, 35, was reportedly connected to her accused killer at least in part by drugs. But if their lives were different, they are surely connected by their deaths that came violently and 50 years too soon.
Leader staff writer
Two men accused of murdering the women in their lives appeared in circuit court in Lonoke on the same day last week, thankfully, an unusual occurrence.
Charlie Bryant, 38, could be described as a pillar of the community, a businessman who volunteered as a deputy for the Lonoke County sheriff. He was a family man with four children and a two-story brick home in Austin that was decorated for Christmas on the morning of Dec. 19 when he was caught on a surveillance camera shooting Sharae Bryant in the head.
Dennis Harrington, who turned 43 just days before his court appearance, is a convicted felon who was out of prison on parole when Rebecca Lauer, his live-in girlfriend, disappeared on July 21.
Harrington is known for abusing women, including his own mother.
If the witnesses who eventually came forward are to be trusted, Lauer had already been dead a week by the time she was reported missing. One claims to have seen her body in the back seat of her boyfriend’s pickup and one confessed to helping him pull her from the pickup and put her on a pile of burning tires.
Two men from different worlds and yet they are both accused of crimes almost too savage to comprehend. That shouldn’t be surprising. It’s been known for years that domestic violence crosses all socio-economic boundaries.
But to read scholarly articles with statistics that say men and women both kill their partners is not the same as reading the affidavits that spell out the evidence against them. The former is mind-boggling, but the detail contained in the latter is the stuff of nightmares.
Charlie Bryant said he shot his wife in self defense. She shot him and he shot back. But he was caught on tape chasing his wife as she ran from their home and around the SUV she had put their little girl into just minutes before.
When he caught up with her, he stood over her and shot her in the head, walked away a few feet and shot himself. Then Bryant crawled back to her and put something beside her. The gun he said she shot him with?
The affidavit doesn’t say but implies that it was. Then, he crawled back to the spot where he shot himself, the spot where he was found when the police and ambulances arrived.
Harrington told investigators that Lauer had simply left his home while he was away and didn’t come back. She left him a note: “I love you DH, Booboo, My Goober…Yours completely, your sweetheart.”
But a witness, perhaps the last person to see her alive, said Harrington brought Lauer to his home that day, beaten and handcuffed, and demanded twice that he have sex with her. The witness said he declined but warned Harrington that he could go back to prison for his treatment of Lauer.
The witness said he told Harrington he wouldn’t turn him in and in fact, he didn’t come forward until Aug. 5, 16 days after Lauer stood in his home bruised, cuffed and with her pants down while Harrington said he would take her to someone who would have sex with her.
The evidence against Bryant is video footage. The evidence against Harrington is a statement by Steven Boulanger, who said he helped Harrington build a fire of old tires and put Lauer’s body on it. That statement is backed up by two bone fragments identified only as belonging to a person with a small frame. The bones were too burned to use for DNA.
Facebook photographs of the Bryants show a smiling, handsome couple, while a photograph of Lauer, released by the sheriff’s department when she was reported missing was of a woman with a sad face and dark circles under her eyes.
Sharae, 34, was seemingly living the American dream while Rebecca, 35, was reportedly connected to her accused killer at least in part by drugs. But if their lives were different, they are surely connected by their deaths that came violently and 50 years too soon.
TOP STORY >> Trial testimony starts
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville police officer Daniel DiMatteo testified on Tuesday that he heard a van accelerate and saw defendant Bryce Allen Jr.’s “mean scowl” less than a second before the Jacksonville man ran over him and two firefighters at a March 2012 accident scene on Hwy. 161 South.
One of those firefighters, Capt. Donald (Donnie) Jones, was thrown under the van and died instantly, senior deputy prosecuting attorney Melanie Martin said during her opening statement on the first day of the 48-year-old Jacksonville man’s trial. Allen is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The trial is set to run through Thursday.
The jury is expected to watch a video recording and hear audio of the accident in Pulaski County Court today.
Attorney Haylie Lott with the defense team said in her opening statement Allen would take it all back if he could.
She said, “We have the tragedy of this terrible accident and also the tragedy of Bryce Allen’s life,” which was plagued by bipolar disorder with psychotic tendencies. He had no motive because he didn’t know the victims, and he never left the scene of the accident — not the typical action of a murderer, who would want to avoid detection — Lott argued.
Jones was a 31-year-veteran of the department and the first Jacksonville firefighter to be killed in the line of duty.
The other firefighter, Jason Bowmaster, was more seriously injured than DiMatteo. Bowmaster also testified on Tuesday.
But Bowmaster, who has wanted to be a firefighter since age 14, when his dad became a volunteer firefighter, doesn’t remember that night. He said spending time with his daughter in January 2012 or February 2012 was his last memory before the accident.
In addition to a punctured lung, a broken pelvis, a broken clavicle and several other broken bones, the ordeal left the firefighter with nerve damage in his neck. Now he stutters and has a slight limp.
DiMatteo patted Bowmaster on the back as they traded places on the witness stand.
About Allen’s “angry” expression, DiMatteo told the jury, “I will remember it all the days of my life…There is no doubt in my mind that it was done on purpose.”
In his experience, DiMatteo said, people who cause accidents are immediately remorseful and offer to help. Allen seemed angry after the accident and didn’t offer to help, the officer testified.
At first, DiMatteo said, he thought Allen was just an impatient driver bypassing the traffic stop that had been set up and the emergency vehicles on the side of the road.
Then DiMatteo said he saw the van turn toward where he and the firefighters were. Hearing the accelerator caught his attention. He turned around.
The sound saved his life, DiMatteo said, because he was able to jump to the side.
The officer tried to warn the firefighters, but there wasn’t enough time to finish shouting, “watch out.”
DiMatteo expressed regret at not jumping in the other direction to push Jones and Bowmaster out of harm’s way.
He saw Jones being struck out of the corner of his eye.
DiMatteo told the jury, “I’d never known terror until that point. Nothing could prepare you for that.”
The officer, lying on the ground after being hit, saw Allen get out of the van and walk toward him.
DiMatteo said, “I was in fear for my life.” He reached for his gun.
But the hand that was close enough to grasp the weapon was degloved, meaning skin was pulled back from muscle and bone.
Allen mumbled something inaudible and continued walking, DiMatteo said.
The officer remembered clutching pepper spray with his other hand until he was finally taken to UAMS by ambulance.
He was with a doctor an hour and 20 minutes after the accident.
In addition to the degloving, DiMatteo’s left knee, right lower leg and foot were broken. He had a laceration on the back of his head and was later diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
But he is back on duty, and DiMatteo said he wouldn’t let Allen’s actions keep him from following his lifelong dream of serving as a police officer.
A third man who was at the scene that night also testified on Tuesday.
Ronnie Brown, described as a good Samaritan by the prosecuting attorney, witnessed the accident the three men were responding to before they were struck by Allen’s van.
Allen’s mother, Thelma, had swerved to avoid a parked car in the middle of the road. That driver fled the scene before the first responders arrived.
Lott, with the defense, said Allen’s mother’s accident triggered the defendant’s manic episode.
Thelma Allen drove her Trailblazer into a ditch and struck a gas main but wasn’t injured. She called her son, asking him to pick her up from the scene at 8411 S. Hwy. 161.
DiMatteo said Brown and Thelma Allen were a couple hundred feet away because the gas main was leaking and he was concerned for everyone’s safety.
“You could hear the gas storming out of there. You could taste it,” the officer testified.
The gas company repaired the main later.
Brown and Thelma Allen were writing statements about the first accident at Brown’s truck, which was parked across the street, when the good Samaritan heard the van crash.
He ran to DiMatteo and followed the officer’s instructions to stop traffic. Brown also checked on the firefighters, finding Jones with no pulse Bowmaster moaning but unresponsive.
DiMatteo called Brown “my arms, my legs and my hand.”
About Allen, who was pacing back and forth, Brown testified, “He gave me the heebie-jeebies a little bit…I thought it was strange he wasn’t rendering assistance.” Allen also put a tool bag in his truck, Brown said.
Martin argued in her opening statement that Allen made no attempt to brake and accelerated before he hit the men in uniform.
She said the defendant blamed a mechanical error, but no error or recall was found for the van he drove.
The first responders were wearing reflective vests. The emergency lights and headlights of their vehicles were on too, Martin said.
Judge Barry Sims, who ruled in July that Allen is mentally fit to stand trial, is presiding over the trial.
The accused has a criminal history and a history of mental illness.
Allen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, hallucinations and delusions that included paranoia involving the Ku Klux Klan.
He was arrested in 2009 for second-degree battery of a police officer and terroristic threatening. According to court records, Allen was acquitted by reason of mental disease or defect.
The former Army corporal told the psychologist who examined him in 2010 that he had been hospitalized eight times, mostly at Fort Roots Veterans Hospital in North Little Rock.
Allen has also been accused of hitting an Ohio police officer with his car in October 2011.
The guard, who sustained a minor injury, was an off-duty police officer.
Leader staff writer
Jacksonville police officer Daniel DiMatteo testified on Tuesday that he heard a van accelerate and saw defendant Bryce Allen Jr.’s “mean scowl” less than a second before the Jacksonville man ran over him and two firefighters at a March 2012 accident scene on Hwy. 161 South.
One of those firefighters, Capt. Donald (Donnie) Jones, was thrown under the van and died instantly, senior deputy prosecuting attorney Melanie Martin said during her opening statement on the first day of the 48-year-old Jacksonville man’s trial. Allen is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
He has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. The trial is set to run through Thursday.
The jury is expected to watch a video recording and hear audio of the accident in Pulaski County Court today.
Attorney Haylie Lott with the defense team said in her opening statement Allen would take it all back if he could.
She said, “We have the tragedy of this terrible accident and also the tragedy of Bryce Allen’s life,” which was plagued by bipolar disorder with psychotic tendencies. He had no motive because he didn’t know the victims, and he never left the scene of the accident — not the typical action of a murderer, who would want to avoid detection — Lott argued.
Jones was a 31-year-veteran of the department and the first Jacksonville firefighter to be killed in the line of duty.
The other firefighter, Jason Bowmaster, was more seriously injured than DiMatteo. Bowmaster also testified on Tuesday.
But Bowmaster, who has wanted to be a firefighter since age 14, when his dad became a volunteer firefighter, doesn’t remember that night. He said spending time with his daughter in January 2012 or February 2012 was his last memory before the accident.
In addition to a punctured lung, a broken pelvis, a broken clavicle and several other broken bones, the ordeal left the firefighter with nerve damage in his neck. Now he stutters and has a slight limp.
DiMatteo patted Bowmaster on the back as they traded places on the witness stand.
About Allen’s “angry” expression, DiMatteo told the jury, “I will remember it all the days of my life…There is no doubt in my mind that it was done on purpose.”
In his experience, DiMatteo said, people who cause accidents are immediately remorseful and offer to help. Allen seemed angry after the accident and didn’t offer to help, the officer testified.
At first, DiMatteo said, he thought Allen was just an impatient driver bypassing the traffic stop that had been set up and the emergency vehicles on the side of the road.
Then DiMatteo said he saw the van turn toward where he and the firefighters were. Hearing the accelerator caught his attention. He turned around.
The sound saved his life, DiMatteo said, because he was able to jump to the side.
The officer tried to warn the firefighters, but there wasn’t enough time to finish shouting, “watch out.”
DiMatteo expressed regret at not jumping in the other direction to push Jones and Bowmaster out of harm’s way.
He saw Jones being struck out of the corner of his eye.
DiMatteo told the jury, “I’d never known terror until that point. Nothing could prepare you for that.”
The officer, lying on the ground after being hit, saw Allen get out of the van and walk toward him.
DiMatteo said, “I was in fear for my life.” He reached for his gun.
But the hand that was close enough to grasp the weapon was degloved, meaning skin was pulled back from muscle and bone.
Allen mumbled something inaudible and continued walking, DiMatteo said.
The officer remembered clutching pepper spray with his other hand until he was finally taken to UAMS by ambulance.
He was with a doctor an hour and 20 minutes after the accident.
In addition to the degloving, DiMatteo’s left knee, right lower leg and foot were broken. He had a laceration on the back of his head and was later diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
But he is back on duty, and DiMatteo said he wouldn’t let Allen’s actions keep him from following his lifelong dream of serving as a police officer.
A third man who was at the scene that night also testified on Tuesday.
Ronnie Brown, described as a good Samaritan by the prosecuting attorney, witnessed the accident the three men were responding to before they were struck by Allen’s van.
Allen’s mother, Thelma, had swerved to avoid a parked car in the middle of the road. That driver fled the scene before the first responders arrived.
Lott, with the defense, said Allen’s mother’s accident triggered the defendant’s manic episode.
Thelma Allen drove her Trailblazer into a ditch and struck a gas main but wasn’t injured. She called her son, asking him to pick her up from the scene at 8411 S. Hwy. 161.
DiMatteo said Brown and Thelma Allen were a couple hundred feet away because the gas main was leaking and he was concerned for everyone’s safety.
“You could hear the gas storming out of there. You could taste it,” the officer testified.
The gas company repaired the main later.
Brown and Thelma Allen were writing statements about the first accident at Brown’s truck, which was parked across the street, when the good Samaritan heard the van crash.
He ran to DiMatteo and followed the officer’s instructions to stop traffic. Brown also checked on the firefighters, finding Jones with no pulse Bowmaster moaning but unresponsive.
DiMatteo called Brown “my arms, my legs and my hand.”
About Allen, who was pacing back and forth, Brown testified, “He gave me the heebie-jeebies a little bit…I thought it was strange he wasn’t rendering assistance.” Allen also put a tool bag in his truck, Brown said.
Martin argued in her opening statement that Allen made no attempt to brake and accelerated before he hit the men in uniform.
She said the defendant blamed a mechanical error, but no error or recall was found for the van he drove.
The first responders were wearing reflective vests. The emergency lights and headlights of their vehicles were on too, Martin said.
Judge Barry Sims, who ruled in July that Allen is mentally fit to stand trial, is presiding over the trial.
The accused has a criminal history and a history of mental illness.
Allen was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, hallucinations and delusions that included paranoia involving the Ku Klux Klan.
He was arrested in 2009 for second-degree battery of a police officer and terroristic threatening. According to court records, Allen was acquitted by reason of mental disease or defect.
The former Army corporal told the psychologist who examined him in 2010 that he had been hospitalized eight times, mostly at Fort Roots Veterans Hospital in North Little Rock.
Allen has also been accused of hitting an Ohio police officer with his car in October 2011.
The guard, who sustained a minor injury, was an off-duty police officer.
TOP STORY >> Red Devils hold off PA comeback
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils withstood a steady salvo of three pointers raining down inside the Devils’ Den Friday night, holding back a charging brood of Bruins and beating Pulaski Academy 66-64 to take a two-game lead in the 5A-Central standings.
Jacksonville couldn’t get the lid off the basket in the early going, missing their first 10 shot attempts and failing to score a field goal for more than half the opening frame. The Red Devil defense kept it close until the offense came along. Tedrick Wolfe finally scored on a short turnaround jumper with 3:45 on the clock to make it 7-5.
The Bruins took a 17-14 lead into the second frame, and Jacksonville began to dominate. After the lead grew to 24-18, the Red Devils closed the half with a 19-3 run to take a 37-27 lead into intermission. Jacksonville gave up only one basket over the final 6:13 of the second quarter and the offense scored on the inside and outside. Sergio Berkley hit two three pointers and scored eight points, while post players Wolfe and Kanaan Jackson scored four points each.
Jacksonville threatened to run away in the third quarter, starting the period with an 8-2 run and taking a 45-29 lead on another Berkley three pointer with 5:50 on the clock.
Bruin coach Roger Franks called timeout. After the break, the Bruins’ strategy for coming back was clear – launch from deep.
And it almost worked. The Bruins scored eight-straight points in only 1:25 out of the timeout. Jacksonville slowed the onslaught, but PA still closed to within 50-45 by the end of the third quarter.
Jacksonville maintained that five-point lead and tried to slow the game down and run the clock with about five minutes left in the game. But Lawson Korita picked off a lazy pass at the top of the key and dunked it at the other end to make it 55-52 with 4:45 remaining.
Berkley scored at the other end for Jacksonville, and Korita hit his second three pointer of the quarter to make it 57-55 with 3:55 left. Berkley wasted no time scoring again with 3:40 on the clock to make it 59-55, and both teams hit a wall offensively for the next couple of minutes.
Jacksonville’s Damarion Freeman blocked a Korita three-point attempt and Jackson got the rebound.
Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner called timeout, but the Red Devils failed to score on the possession. Freeman then blocked Korita again and got the rebound. But again Jacksonville failed to score.
In a serious case of deja vu, Freeman blocked another Korita shot, this one he sent out of bounds along the Bruin bench. But the inbound pass went to Korita far behind the three-point line. The super sophomore launched it from about 25 feet and drained it, making the score 59-58 with 2:04 left in the game.
Devin Campbell scored for Jacksonville at the other end and Franks called his last timeout with 1:28 remaining. Jacksonville got a stop when Marcus Wallace missed and Campbell got the rebound.
Berkley hit 1 of 2 free throws on the ensuing possession. Jacksonville fouled PA leading by four, and Bruin guard Chase Snider missed the front end of a one-and-one. Jackson missed a dunk at the other end, and Wallace got the long rebound on a runout. He hit a layup and was fouled. He added the free throw to make it 62-61 with 25 seconds left.
From that point, Jacksonville needed to make free throws and did so. Sophomore LaQuawn Smith calmly hit both ends of a one-and-one with 19 seconds remaining.
Wallace missed a long three at the other end, but Bruin post player Zack Fryxell got a rare offensive rebound for PA and was fouled. But he also missed the front end of a one-and-one and Wolfe got the rebound. Wolfe hit both of his foul shots with six seconds left, and Korita added a three pointer at the buzzer to set the final margin.
Joyner had a simple explanation for Pulaski Academy’s comeback.
“We got lazy and we didn’t close out on the shooters like we did in the first half,” said Joyner. “They’re going to take their shots. But in the first half we were closing out and getting a hand in their face and making it difficult. In the second half, we weren’t getting there and giving them wide open looks.”
Pulaski Academy took 32 three-point shots, making 12. The Bruins shot 19 in the second half. Korita made just 1 of 6 attempts in the first half, but hit 6 of 9 in the second half. He finished with a game-high 29 points. Wallace added 17 for the Bruins.
Berkley led Jacksonville with 22 points. Campbell added 13 and Wolfe had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Red Devils won the rebounding battle 39-20.
The Bruins had made all five of its free-throw attempts until the two front-end misses in the final minute. They finished 5 of 7 from the line. Jacksonville hit 18 of 22, including 7 of 8 in the fourth quarter.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils withstood a steady salvo of three pointers raining down inside the Devils’ Den Friday night, holding back a charging brood of Bruins and beating Pulaski Academy 66-64 to take a two-game lead in the 5A-Central standings.
Jacksonville couldn’t get the lid off the basket in the early going, missing their first 10 shot attempts and failing to score a field goal for more than half the opening frame. The Red Devil defense kept it close until the offense came along. Tedrick Wolfe finally scored on a short turnaround jumper with 3:45 on the clock to make it 7-5.
The Bruins took a 17-14 lead into the second frame, and Jacksonville began to dominate. After the lead grew to 24-18, the Red Devils closed the half with a 19-3 run to take a 37-27 lead into intermission. Jacksonville gave up only one basket over the final 6:13 of the second quarter and the offense scored on the inside and outside. Sergio Berkley hit two three pointers and scored eight points, while post players Wolfe and Kanaan Jackson scored four points each.
Jacksonville threatened to run away in the third quarter, starting the period with an 8-2 run and taking a 45-29 lead on another Berkley three pointer with 5:50 on the clock.
Bruin coach Roger Franks called timeout. After the break, the Bruins’ strategy for coming back was clear – launch from deep.
And it almost worked. The Bruins scored eight-straight points in only 1:25 out of the timeout. Jacksonville slowed the onslaught, but PA still closed to within 50-45 by the end of the third quarter.
Jacksonville maintained that five-point lead and tried to slow the game down and run the clock with about five minutes left in the game. But Lawson Korita picked off a lazy pass at the top of the key and dunked it at the other end to make it 55-52 with 4:45 remaining.
Berkley scored at the other end for Jacksonville, and Korita hit his second three pointer of the quarter to make it 57-55 with 3:55 left. Berkley wasted no time scoring again with 3:40 on the clock to make it 59-55, and both teams hit a wall offensively for the next couple of minutes.
Jacksonville’s Damarion Freeman blocked a Korita three-point attempt and Jackson got the rebound.
Jacksonville coach Vic Joyner called timeout, but the Red Devils failed to score on the possession. Freeman then blocked Korita again and got the rebound. But again Jacksonville failed to score.
In a serious case of deja vu, Freeman blocked another Korita shot, this one he sent out of bounds along the Bruin bench. But the inbound pass went to Korita far behind the three-point line. The super sophomore launched it from about 25 feet and drained it, making the score 59-58 with 2:04 left in the game.
Devin Campbell scored for Jacksonville at the other end and Franks called his last timeout with 1:28 remaining. Jacksonville got a stop when Marcus Wallace missed and Campbell got the rebound.
Berkley hit 1 of 2 free throws on the ensuing possession. Jacksonville fouled PA leading by four, and Bruin guard Chase Snider missed the front end of a one-and-one. Jackson missed a dunk at the other end, and Wallace got the long rebound on a runout. He hit a layup and was fouled. He added the free throw to make it 62-61 with 25 seconds left.
From that point, Jacksonville needed to make free throws and did so. Sophomore LaQuawn Smith calmly hit both ends of a one-and-one with 19 seconds remaining.
Wallace missed a long three at the other end, but Bruin post player Zack Fryxell got a rare offensive rebound for PA and was fouled. But he also missed the front end of a one-and-one and Wolfe got the rebound. Wolfe hit both of his foul shots with six seconds left, and Korita added a three pointer at the buzzer to set the final margin.
Joyner had a simple explanation for Pulaski Academy’s comeback.
“We got lazy and we didn’t close out on the shooters like we did in the first half,” said Joyner. “They’re going to take their shots. But in the first half we were closing out and getting a hand in their face and making it difficult. In the second half, we weren’t getting there and giving them wide open looks.”
Pulaski Academy took 32 three-point shots, making 12. The Bruins shot 19 in the second half. Korita made just 1 of 6 attempts in the first half, but hit 6 of 9 in the second half. He finished with a game-high 29 points. Wallace added 17 for the Bruins.
Berkley led Jacksonville with 22 points. Campbell added 13 and Wolfe had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Red Devils won the rebounding battle 39-20.
The Bruins had made all five of its free-throw attempts until the two front-end misses in the final minute. They finished 5 of 7 from the line. Jacksonville hit 18 of 22, including 7 of 8 in the fourth quarter.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot good in all areas against WM
By ANN THARP
Special to The Leader
The Cabot Panthers defeated the visiting West Memphis Blue Devils (7-9, 1-4) Friday night by a final of 73-56. The Panthers (12-5, 3-2) led by 12 at the half, dominated the third quarter and held on in the fourth for the victory.
“I thought we did a good job tonight in all aspects of the game,” said Cabot head coach Jerry Bridges. “I thought our defense was very solid. They like to get the ball to high post a lot and high-low you. I thought our guards did a great job of keeping the ball out of the post. It was just a well-balanced game. I’m sure we shot the ball well, because we usually take good shots. I thought we rebounded well. I liked our balance and everything. It was a good game.”
Hunter York hit two three-pointers and one two-pointer to lead the Panthers in scoring in the first quarter, as the home team outscored West Memphis 15-10. York started the scoring and Garrett Rowe snagged an offensive rebound and put it in to give Cabot a 5-0 lead.
Baskets by Michael Smith, Hunter Southerland and a steal and lay-up by York stretched the lead for the Panthers. Gary Henderson had eight points for the visitors, including two three-pointers.
Nick Thomas scored the first two points for Cabot in the second quarter, then hit a three-pointer for a 23-13 lead, then gave the Panthers a 27-17 lead with a layup. Thomas also scored the final two points of the half, hitting two free throws with three seconds to go.
Rowe added a three-pointer and a two-point basket in the quarter as Cabot outscored West Memphis 20-13 to lead 35-23 at the intermission.
The Panthers had very balanced scoring in the third quarter with seven players scoring a total of 21 points, and four players sharing the lead with four points.
Adolfo Iglesias was one of the four with a tip-in for a 54-28 lead. Dannie Gatewood had seven of the nine points for the Blue Devils.
West Memphis outscored Cabot 24-17 in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers held on and sank 8 of 12 free throws to secure the lead.
The Blue Devils hit three three-point baskets, but missed eight free throws while making only five in the final quarter. Jake Ferguson sank a three-pointer for Cabot.
York and Thomas each had 16 points to lead the Panthers in scoring, Rowe added 13 and Smith had eight points.
Cabot outrebounded the Blue Devils 21-13 and shot 6 percent from the field.
Gatewood led West Memphis with 19 points and Henderson added 14, including four three-point baskets.
Cabot hits the road twice this week for 7A/6A East games. The Panthers were at Jonesboro on Tuesday and will travel to Searcy on Friday.
Special to The Leader
The Cabot Panthers defeated the visiting West Memphis Blue Devils (7-9, 1-4) Friday night by a final of 73-56. The Panthers (12-5, 3-2) led by 12 at the half, dominated the third quarter and held on in the fourth for the victory.
“I thought we did a good job tonight in all aspects of the game,” said Cabot head coach Jerry Bridges. “I thought our defense was very solid. They like to get the ball to high post a lot and high-low you. I thought our guards did a great job of keeping the ball out of the post. It was just a well-balanced game. I’m sure we shot the ball well, because we usually take good shots. I thought we rebounded well. I liked our balance and everything. It was a good game.”
Hunter York hit two three-pointers and one two-pointer to lead the Panthers in scoring in the first quarter, as the home team outscored West Memphis 15-10. York started the scoring and Garrett Rowe snagged an offensive rebound and put it in to give Cabot a 5-0 lead.
Baskets by Michael Smith, Hunter Southerland and a steal and lay-up by York stretched the lead for the Panthers. Gary Henderson had eight points for the visitors, including two three-pointers.
Nick Thomas scored the first two points for Cabot in the second quarter, then hit a three-pointer for a 23-13 lead, then gave the Panthers a 27-17 lead with a layup. Thomas also scored the final two points of the half, hitting two free throws with three seconds to go.
Rowe added a three-pointer and a two-point basket in the quarter as Cabot outscored West Memphis 20-13 to lead 35-23 at the intermission.
The Panthers had very balanced scoring in the third quarter with seven players scoring a total of 21 points, and four players sharing the lead with four points.
Adolfo Iglesias was one of the four with a tip-in for a 54-28 lead. Dannie Gatewood had seven of the nine points for the Blue Devils.
West Memphis outscored Cabot 24-17 in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers held on and sank 8 of 12 free throws to secure the lead.
The Blue Devils hit three three-point baskets, but missed eight free throws while making only five in the final quarter. Jake Ferguson sank a three-pointer for Cabot.
York and Thomas each had 16 points to lead the Panthers in scoring, Rowe added 13 and Smith had eight points.
Cabot outrebounded the Blue Devils 21-13 and shot 6 percent from the field.
Gatewood led West Memphis with 19 points and Henderson added 14, including four three-point baskets.
Cabot hits the road twice this week for 7A/6A East games. The Panthers were at Jonesboro on Tuesday and will travel to Searcy on Friday.
SPORTS STORY >> JHS girls erase big deficit to upset PA
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils showed tremendous resolve and toughness in earning a huge win on Friday at the Devils’ Den. The Lady Devils handed Pulaski Academy its first conference loss of the season, creating a three-way tie for first place in the 5A Central, and did it after a miserable start that resulted in a 20-4 second-quarter deficit.
“It’s a great win for us, no doubt about it,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “That second half, we played like I felt like we could play all along. There’s been a big adjustment for these girls. But our scorers scored when we needed them to. Our ball handlers did a great job of getting things going and not turning it over. I thought we defended well. Those last two quarters were our best basketball of the year. And how bout Tiffany Smith coming through in the second half after not getting on the board at all in the first half. That was a great performance.”
Smith finished with a team-high 20 points. After missing all 10 shot attempts in the first half, she went 7 for 9 in the second half, and made 3 of 4 free-throw attempts.
“Tiffany is a uniquely talented player,” Rountree said. “I’ll tell you what helped her in this game. She’s known as our shooter, and those shots weren’t falling. In that second half, she put the ball on the floor and got to the basket, and got a couple to fall for her.”
Jacksonville (9-8, 5-1) managed just one basket the entire first quarter against Pulaski Academy’s matchup zone as the Lady Bruins built a 16-2 lead heading into the second period.
The visitors came in with a clear game plan of utilizing its considerable size advantage and feeding the ball to 6-foot post player Alex Otwell.
That strategy worked as long as Jacksonville failed to hit from outside, but in the second quarter, senior guard Keke Alcorn drained two-straight three pointers that forced the Lady Bruins, not to change defenses, but to at least extend the zone a bit further out.
Jacksonville never stopped applying pressure defensively either, and it began to take a toll in the second quarter.
The Lady Red Devils forced six turnovers in the second period, including four steals – two by Markela Bryles in the middle of the zone press, and one each by ball-pressuring guards Alcorn and Antrice McCoy.
Jacksonville won the second quarter 17-13 and went into halftime trailing 29-19.
“I told them at halftime, we need to win the third quarter,” Rountree said. “That will get it into single digits and we can go from there. They went out there and they did that. They got us right back into the game. I really felt going into the fourth quarter we had a great opportunity to win the game.”
Indeed, by the time the fourth quarter began, Pulaski Academy’s lead was down to 39-35. The Lady Bruins scored first in the third quarter doing just what they had done in the first half, feeding Otwell down low.
From that point, the Lady Red Devils went on a 12-2 run with Smith leading the charge. Her steal and layup at 5:10 made it 31-26.
With three minutes left, she hit a three pointer that completed the run and made it 33-31.
The two teams traded a pair of buckets on four consecutive possessions until Jacksonville finally got a stop and had its first opportunity to tie or take the lead. The Lady Devils came up empty on two possessions and Otwell closed the quarter with another bucket.
Jacksonville opened the fourth quarter on fire from the floor, scoring eight points in the first two minutes and taking its first lead of the game. Alcorn tied it for the first time at 41 with a running floater with 6:13 lead. McCoy then got a steal and a layup to put the Lady Red Devils up for the first time at the 5:56 mark.
PA called timeout to regroup, and the break stopped the onslaught momentarily. The Lady Bruins scored out of the timeout and Jacksonville threw the ball away on two consecutive possessions without being under pressure. That forced Rountree to ask for a timeout, and after his 30-second talk, Jacksonville controlled the rest of the game.
With the scored tied at 43, Smith launched a 30-footer that ripped the net chords and gave Jacksonville the lead for good with 4:49 left in the game. Alcorn followed that with a steal and a layup just 22 seconds later. That forced another PA timeout, and this time they came out of the break in a triangle and two defense, aimed at stopping Smith and Alcorn from getting any open looks outside. So Jacksonville went inside. Bryles scored the next five points for the Red Devils, two buckets coming from nifty interior passing by McCoy.
“That’s where playing a complete game comes in,” Rountree said. “We got back in it a lot with our defense – forcing the tempo. When they took that away, we were still effective in the half-court offense.”
PA’s Mackie Kuhn hit two free throws to make it 55-52 with a minute left, but the Lady Bruins could not even get another shot off.
Three PA possessions ended in Jacksonville steals to close the game – one by Alcorn, one by Sacha Richardson and McCoy picked Kuhn from behind with 10 seconds left to seal the win.
Jacksonville finished with 12 steals, three each by McCoy and Bryles, and two each by Smith, Alcorn and Richardson. The Lady Devils forced 20 turnovers.
Both teams went 17 of 35 from two-point range. PA made 15 of 18 free-throw attempts while Jacksonville hit 7 of 11. The Lady Bruins (14-5, 5-1) made just 1 of 7 three pointers while Jacksonville went 5 of 19.
Alcorn dropped in 14 for Jacksonville while Bryles scored 13. Otwell led all scorers with 21 while Kuhn scored 17.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils showed tremendous resolve and toughness in earning a huge win on Friday at the Devils’ Den. The Lady Devils handed Pulaski Academy its first conference loss of the season, creating a three-way tie for first place in the 5A Central, and did it after a miserable start that resulted in a 20-4 second-quarter deficit.
“It’s a great win for us, no doubt about it,” said Jacksonville coach William Rountree. “That second half, we played like I felt like we could play all along. There’s been a big adjustment for these girls. But our scorers scored when we needed them to. Our ball handlers did a great job of getting things going and not turning it over. I thought we defended well. Those last two quarters were our best basketball of the year. And how bout Tiffany Smith coming through in the second half after not getting on the board at all in the first half. That was a great performance.”
Smith finished with a team-high 20 points. After missing all 10 shot attempts in the first half, she went 7 for 9 in the second half, and made 3 of 4 free-throw attempts.
“Tiffany is a uniquely talented player,” Rountree said. “I’ll tell you what helped her in this game. She’s known as our shooter, and those shots weren’t falling. In that second half, she put the ball on the floor and got to the basket, and got a couple to fall for her.”
Jacksonville (9-8, 5-1) managed just one basket the entire first quarter against Pulaski Academy’s matchup zone as the Lady Bruins built a 16-2 lead heading into the second period.
The visitors came in with a clear game plan of utilizing its considerable size advantage and feeding the ball to 6-foot post player Alex Otwell.
That strategy worked as long as Jacksonville failed to hit from outside, but in the second quarter, senior guard Keke Alcorn drained two-straight three pointers that forced the Lady Bruins, not to change defenses, but to at least extend the zone a bit further out.
Jacksonville never stopped applying pressure defensively either, and it began to take a toll in the second quarter.
The Lady Red Devils forced six turnovers in the second period, including four steals – two by Markela Bryles in the middle of the zone press, and one each by ball-pressuring guards Alcorn and Antrice McCoy.
Jacksonville won the second quarter 17-13 and went into halftime trailing 29-19.
“I told them at halftime, we need to win the third quarter,” Rountree said. “That will get it into single digits and we can go from there. They went out there and they did that. They got us right back into the game. I really felt going into the fourth quarter we had a great opportunity to win the game.”
Indeed, by the time the fourth quarter began, Pulaski Academy’s lead was down to 39-35. The Lady Bruins scored first in the third quarter doing just what they had done in the first half, feeding Otwell down low.
From that point, the Lady Red Devils went on a 12-2 run with Smith leading the charge. Her steal and layup at 5:10 made it 31-26.
With three minutes left, she hit a three pointer that completed the run and made it 33-31.
The two teams traded a pair of buckets on four consecutive possessions until Jacksonville finally got a stop and had its first opportunity to tie or take the lead. The Lady Devils came up empty on two possessions and Otwell closed the quarter with another bucket.
Jacksonville opened the fourth quarter on fire from the floor, scoring eight points in the first two minutes and taking its first lead of the game. Alcorn tied it for the first time at 41 with a running floater with 6:13 lead. McCoy then got a steal and a layup to put the Lady Red Devils up for the first time at the 5:56 mark.
PA called timeout to regroup, and the break stopped the onslaught momentarily. The Lady Bruins scored out of the timeout and Jacksonville threw the ball away on two consecutive possessions without being under pressure. That forced Rountree to ask for a timeout, and after his 30-second talk, Jacksonville controlled the rest of the game.
With the scored tied at 43, Smith launched a 30-footer that ripped the net chords and gave Jacksonville the lead for good with 4:49 left in the game. Alcorn followed that with a steal and a layup just 22 seconds later. That forced another PA timeout, and this time they came out of the break in a triangle and two defense, aimed at stopping Smith and Alcorn from getting any open looks outside. So Jacksonville went inside. Bryles scored the next five points for the Red Devils, two buckets coming from nifty interior passing by McCoy.
“That’s where playing a complete game comes in,” Rountree said. “We got back in it a lot with our defense – forcing the tempo. When they took that away, we were still effective in the half-court offense.”
PA’s Mackie Kuhn hit two free throws to make it 55-52 with a minute left, but the Lady Bruins could not even get another shot off.
Three PA possessions ended in Jacksonville steals to close the game – one by Alcorn, one by Sacha Richardson and McCoy picked Kuhn from behind with 10 seconds left to seal the win.
Jacksonville finished with 12 steals, three each by McCoy and Bryles, and two each by Smith, Alcorn and Richardson. The Lady Devils forced 20 turnovers.
Both teams went 17 of 35 from two-point range. PA made 15 of 18 free-throw attempts while Jacksonville hit 7 of 11. The Lady Bruins (14-5, 5-1) made just 1 of 7 three pointers while Jacksonville went 5 of 19.
Alcorn dropped in 14 for Jacksonville while Bryles scored 13. Otwell led all scorers with 21 while Kuhn scored 17.
SPORTS STORY >> Teams enjoy the shoot
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The brand new Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex on Graham Road in Jacksonville opened its doors to more than 2,000 people Saturday and about 700 Sunday.
Participants wasted no time getting out to the shooting range and testing their skills.
The $3.2 million state-of-the-art complex is the largest of its kind in the state, and includes 14 trap fields, three skeet overlays, three lit fields, two pavilions, a lake and a 5,100-square-foot clubhouse that includes a classroom.
Some of the first participants who hit the shooting range when the doors opened at 10 a.m. were members of the Cabot High School trapshooting team. A little more than 20 of the group’s close to 70 participants were out honing their skills on the new course, and it wasn’t just the facility itself that had the participants excited. It’s also the prices.
“As far as team practices, it’s very beneficial because of the price,” said Cabot trapshooting coach Jerry Hill. “It’s going to cut our costs down by thirds. We can practice longer and they can shoot more, which gives them more practice for the team at the team price.”
The normal rate for a round of 25 targets is $4 for Jacksonville residents and $5 for everyone else, but for trapshooting teams associated with the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program, or AYSSP, team prices are $2.50 per round.
Hill said his team members couldn’t wait to get out and test the new range.
“They were very excited,” Hill said. “As you can tell, we’ve got about 20 kids out here on three of these fields, and that’s about half of them.”
Some of Hill’s top shooters in the program are junior Logan Mahon and sophomores Ben Whiting and Chase Myers, and all three were out on the range as soon as the doors to the complex opened.
“I’ve been shooting since the sixth grade,” said Myers, “and the prices are a lot better. It’s an expensive sport and you don’t have to spend near as much money here. Normally we’d have to go to Remington and that’s a little bit of a drive for us. This is a lot closer.”
“I’ve been driving past it for the last couple of months,” said Whiting. “I didn’t think it was going to be done by today, but it got done a lot earlier than we thought. It’s less expensive here. This year, we just started (team practice). I’ve ran a couple of 25s (hitting 25 out of 25 targets), a bunch of 24s. I just hit two 24s and he (Myers) hit a 25.”
The biggest reason the construction of the complex got set in motion is because participation in the AYSSP has skyrocketed in the last few years. Currently, there are around 6,000 participants in the AYSSP. And those numbers, especially in the central part of the state, continue to grow.
“It’s been a great thing because it helps me keep my grades up and you have to keep your grades up to shoot,” said Mahon. “Look at all these friends I got. There are about 60 of them out here. It’s nice here because you get two different backgrounds, and it’s just nice to shoot somewhere else other than just Remington.
“It’s real open. They’ve got a big parking lot, which will be good for the Game and Fish shoots, and the clubhouse looks real nice. The facilities are really nice out here.”
Plans for the complex began about 18 months ago, and even though there were setbacks along the way, those involved with the construction of the project are pleased with the current facilities and are excited about the plans for expansion in the future.
“We’re tickled to death,” said Jacksonville Parks and Recreation director Kevin House of the complex’s completion. “Of course, construction fell behind, but that’s normal. We wish it would’ve been open sooner, but everything’s turned out great. I think it’s something we can all be proud of.”
“The weekend was excellent. Everything went great. Everything went smooth. It was better than I expected,” House said. “Not all of them were shooters. Many were just visiting and see what we had to offer.”
Other than the various tournaments the complex will host in the near future, additional projects for the complex include the addition of a 3-D archery range, rifle and pistol ranges, an RV parking area and possibly a cafeteria in years to come. A big part of what helped the complex break ground was the $2 million donated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
AYSSP state coordinator Chuck Woodson said a new, larger facility was needed in the central area to accompany the growing number of participants in the AYSSP.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation really respects the youth and wants to help them in every aspect they can,” said Woodson.
“Once they got the plans going, they partnered with the city of Jacksonville and they supplied the money and Jacksonville supplied a lot of the funds itself. Nearly three-and-a-half million dollars and 18 months later we’ve got a brand new facility.
“This is going to be the benchmark for a lot of other states. It’s going to bring a bunch of revenue in for the city with hotels, gas, groceries and food vendors. And it gives us a place for the kids to come and shoot, but they come from all over – Fayetteville, El Dorado, Eudora and Fort Smith. So it gives them a great place to come and visit.
“It’s a whole different clientele to come in. Older folks can come here and shoot, too. So it’s just a win-win for everybody.”
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher was on hand Saturday to witness the complex’s first day of business, and was just as excited as everyone involved to see the project’s plans become a reality.
“It’s a source of pride for the community,” said Fletcher. “Can you imagine in the summer when the grass is green and this place is full of people? Of course, today we’re competing with the Big Buck Classic and the last day of duck hunting season, and we still got a great crowd.
“I told somebody today when I drove up, I said ‘The two great sounds of Jacksonville to me right now are C-130s flying overhead and the sounds of shotguns going off on the range.’
“The thing though that stands out to me is how many parents and their children are here. This is a family sport. I’m very proud of this place. It took a lot of people that worked real hard to bring this about. It’s the largest in the state, and Kevin (House) is already getting phone calls from other states that want to have tournaments here.
“So that’s an impressive sign that people are planning trips to come to Jacksonville. This is going to be a hub of activity throughout the week for people around here. I’m excited about it, just seeing the kids come here and to see their faces. You just can’t describe that. I think a lot of hunters are fixing to be born in this facility right here.”
Leader sportswriter
The brand new Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex on Graham Road in Jacksonville opened its doors to more than 2,000 people Saturday and about 700 Sunday.
Participants wasted no time getting out to the shooting range and testing their skills.
The $3.2 million state-of-the-art complex is the largest of its kind in the state, and includes 14 trap fields, three skeet overlays, three lit fields, two pavilions, a lake and a 5,100-square-foot clubhouse that includes a classroom.
Some of the first participants who hit the shooting range when the doors opened at 10 a.m. were members of the Cabot High School trapshooting team. A little more than 20 of the group’s close to 70 participants were out honing their skills on the new course, and it wasn’t just the facility itself that had the participants excited. It’s also the prices.
“As far as team practices, it’s very beneficial because of the price,” said Cabot trapshooting coach Jerry Hill. “It’s going to cut our costs down by thirds. We can practice longer and they can shoot more, which gives them more practice for the team at the team price.”
The normal rate for a round of 25 targets is $4 for Jacksonville residents and $5 for everyone else, but for trapshooting teams associated with the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program, or AYSSP, team prices are $2.50 per round.
Hill said his team members couldn’t wait to get out and test the new range.
“They were very excited,” Hill said. “As you can tell, we’ve got about 20 kids out here on three of these fields, and that’s about half of them.”
Some of Hill’s top shooters in the program are junior Logan Mahon and sophomores Ben Whiting and Chase Myers, and all three were out on the range as soon as the doors to the complex opened.
“I’ve been shooting since the sixth grade,” said Myers, “and the prices are a lot better. It’s an expensive sport and you don’t have to spend near as much money here. Normally we’d have to go to Remington and that’s a little bit of a drive for us. This is a lot closer.”
“I’ve been driving past it for the last couple of months,” said Whiting. “I didn’t think it was going to be done by today, but it got done a lot earlier than we thought. It’s less expensive here. This year, we just started (team practice). I’ve ran a couple of 25s (hitting 25 out of 25 targets), a bunch of 24s. I just hit two 24s and he (Myers) hit a 25.”
The biggest reason the construction of the complex got set in motion is because participation in the AYSSP has skyrocketed in the last few years. Currently, there are around 6,000 participants in the AYSSP. And those numbers, especially in the central part of the state, continue to grow.
“It’s been a great thing because it helps me keep my grades up and you have to keep your grades up to shoot,” said Mahon. “Look at all these friends I got. There are about 60 of them out here. It’s nice here because you get two different backgrounds, and it’s just nice to shoot somewhere else other than just Remington.
“It’s real open. They’ve got a big parking lot, which will be good for the Game and Fish shoots, and the clubhouse looks real nice. The facilities are really nice out here.”
Plans for the complex began about 18 months ago, and even though there were setbacks along the way, those involved with the construction of the project are pleased with the current facilities and are excited about the plans for expansion in the future.
“We’re tickled to death,” said Jacksonville Parks and Recreation director Kevin House of the complex’s completion. “Of course, construction fell behind, but that’s normal. We wish it would’ve been open sooner, but everything’s turned out great. I think it’s something we can all be proud of.”
“The weekend was excellent. Everything went great. Everything went smooth. It was better than I expected,” House said. “Not all of them were shooters. Many were just visiting and see what we had to offer.”
Other than the various tournaments the complex will host in the near future, additional projects for the complex include the addition of a 3-D archery range, rifle and pistol ranges, an RV parking area and possibly a cafeteria in years to come. A big part of what helped the complex break ground was the $2 million donated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
AYSSP state coordinator Chuck Woodson said a new, larger facility was needed in the central area to accompany the growing number of participants in the AYSSP.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation really respects the youth and wants to help them in every aspect they can,” said Woodson.
“Once they got the plans going, they partnered with the city of Jacksonville and they supplied the money and Jacksonville supplied a lot of the funds itself. Nearly three-and-a-half million dollars and 18 months later we’ve got a brand new facility.
“This is going to be the benchmark for a lot of other states. It’s going to bring a bunch of revenue in for the city with hotels, gas, groceries and food vendors. And it gives us a place for the kids to come and shoot, but they come from all over – Fayetteville, El Dorado, Eudora and Fort Smith. So it gives them a great place to come and visit.
“It’s a whole different clientele to come in. Older folks can come here and shoot, too. So it’s just a win-win for everybody.”
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher was on hand Saturday to witness the complex’s first day of business, and was just as excited as everyone involved to see the project’s plans become a reality.
“It’s a source of pride for the community,” said Fletcher. “Can you imagine in the summer when the grass is green and this place is full of people? Of course, today we’re competing with the Big Buck Classic and the last day of duck hunting season, and we still got a great crowd.
“I told somebody today when I drove up, I said ‘The two great sounds of Jacksonville to me right now are C-130s flying overhead and the sounds of shotguns going off on the range.’
“The thing though that stands out to me is how many parents and their children are here. This is a family sport. I’m very proud of this place. It took a lot of people that worked real hard to bring this about. It’s the largest in the state, and Kevin (House) is already getting phone calls from other states that want to have tournaments here.
“So that’s an impressive sign that people are planning trips to come to Jacksonville. This is going to be a hub of activity throughout the week for people around here. I’m excited about it, just seeing the kids come here and to see their faces. You just can’t describe that. I think a lot of hunters are fixing to be born in this facility right here.”
SPORTS STORY >> Bears stay close, win in overtime
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
It took an extra period to decide the winner between rivals North Pulaski and Sylvan Hills in Friday’s 5A-Central Conference matchup at the Falcons’ Nest, and even though the Bears trailed most of the game, they stayed within striking distance of the Falcons and made just enough plays in overtime to leave Jacksonville with a 67-66 win.
North Pulaski led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, and looked as if it might run away with the game in the second as it began the period with a 10-0 run.
The run was capped with a crowd-pleasing dunk by RaShawn Langston that was the result of a Steven Farrior steal at half court. Langston’s dunk gave the Falcons their largest lead of the night at 28-16 with 4:12 remaining in the first half.
Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis called timeout after Langston’s thunderous dunk, and what Davis said during the timeout worked as the Bears finished the half with 13-4 run that cut the Falcons’ lead to 32-29 at halftime.
“It’s taken a little time to get everybody on the same page, so my plan was to play through it,” said Davis of his team’s first-half comeback. “Stick to the game plan, keep trusting each other, and it’ll break through for you, but you just have to stay with it.
“We took some quick shots. We took some rushed shots, but we never really seemed to panic. We kind of just kept playing.”
Each team scored 16 points in the third quarter, so the Falcons maintained their three-point lead by the start of the fourth, leading 48-45. The fourth quarter was neck-and-neck the whole way.
With 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Bears’ shooting guard Ronnie Hinton put Sylvan Hills up 60-59 with a three-pointer. Farrior made 1 of 2 free throws on the following possession to tie the game at 60 apiece, and with 13 seconds to play, Langston was able to penetrate the lane and finish with a right-handed floater that gave the Falcons a 62-60 lead.
Davis immediately called timeout to set up one final play, and on the Bears’ final possession of regulation, sophomore point guard Cordy Winston drove to the right side of the basket and put up a highly-contested shot that fell short.
Aumonie Armond went up for the putback, but missed, and North Pulaski got the rebound with one second remaining. However, goal tending was called on the Falcons after Winston’s shot attempt, which gave Winston credit for the basket and eventually sent the game to overtime with the score tied at 62-62.
The Falcons once again took the lead at the start of the overtime period on a pair of free throws by senior Arren Scruggs, but Sylvan Hills eventually battled back as it did before and tied the game at 66-66, this time on a successful putback by Armond after a Winston miss.
Armond’s putback came with 47 seconds to play in overtime, and the Bears’ defense held the Falcons scoreless on the next possession. Winston once again got the call on the Bears’ final possession, and as he did at the end of the fourth period, he drove to the basket. This time though, for the go-ahead shot attempt.
Winston’s shot came up short as he penetrated the lane, but he was fouled on the play, and with 1.2 seconds remaining, he made the first of two free-throw attempts to set the final score.
After the game, North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson couldn’t help but recall his team’s sudden collapse at the end of the second quarter.
“When we went up 12, we were at that point where we could put them away, but then we started playing not to lose,” said Jackson. “We took our foot off the pedal a little bit when we should’ve kept going, but we fought back.
“Once again, we had crucial times in the ball game where we didn’t take care of the basketball. We didn’t hit free throws when we needed to knock them down, and (Sylvan Hills) found a way to pull it out. They got the ball to their point guard and he made something happen. You tell any kid when it’s like that, you got to get to the basket and make a play.”
Friday’s game was the Bears’ third-straight that ended in overtime, but the first in that span that resulted in a win for Davis’ team.
“If nothing else, we’re getting some extra minutes,” Davis said. “For us, we just have to keep playing through. We have to play through contact. We have to play through adversity. We have to play through misses.
“It made me a little nervous because this is the third one and I’ve told them to play through, play through, and it broke through for them. I told them ‘I’m going to sit back over here (the bench) and watch you guys go play a basketball game, and you’ve got to figure it out.’ And to their credit, they stepped up and made plays at the end.”
North Pulaski made 26 of 54 shots from the floor for 48 percent. Sylvan Hills made 20 of 46 shots for 43 percent. The Falcons also outrebounded the Bears 30-25, but the host team had 13 turnovers in the second half alone, equaling the total number of turnovers the Bears committed in the five periods played.
Sylvan Hills was also the better team at the free-throw and three-point lines. The Bears made 75 percent of their free throws on 21 of 28 shooting, and 33 percent of their threes on 6 of 18 shooting.
North Pulaski made 13 of 23 attempts at the line for 57 percent, and just 1 of 11 three-point attempts for 9 percent.
Winston led all scorers with 22 points. Hinton had 18. Armond had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Tre West finished with eight.
For the Falcons, Langston led the way with 20 points. Farrior had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Scruggs scored nine.
The Falcons (8-9, 1-5) played at McClellan last night after deadlines, and will play another 5A-Central road game Friday at Helena-West Helena Central.
Sylvan Hills (8-8, 2-4) played host to Jacksonville last night in more 5A-Central action, and will travel to McClellan on Friday for its next conference game.
Both games are set to tip-off at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Leader sportswriter
It took an extra period to decide the winner between rivals North Pulaski and Sylvan Hills in Friday’s 5A-Central Conference matchup at the Falcons’ Nest, and even though the Bears trailed most of the game, they stayed within striking distance of the Falcons and made just enough plays in overtime to leave Jacksonville with a 67-66 win.
North Pulaski led 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, and looked as if it might run away with the game in the second as it began the period with a 10-0 run.
The run was capped with a crowd-pleasing dunk by RaShawn Langston that was the result of a Steven Farrior steal at half court. Langston’s dunk gave the Falcons their largest lead of the night at 28-16 with 4:12 remaining in the first half.
Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis called timeout after Langston’s thunderous dunk, and what Davis said during the timeout worked as the Bears finished the half with 13-4 run that cut the Falcons’ lead to 32-29 at halftime.
“It’s taken a little time to get everybody on the same page, so my plan was to play through it,” said Davis of his team’s first-half comeback. “Stick to the game plan, keep trusting each other, and it’ll break through for you, but you just have to stay with it.
“We took some quick shots. We took some rushed shots, but we never really seemed to panic. We kind of just kept playing.”
Each team scored 16 points in the third quarter, so the Falcons maintained their three-point lead by the start of the fourth, leading 48-45. The fourth quarter was neck-and-neck the whole way.
With 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Bears’ shooting guard Ronnie Hinton put Sylvan Hills up 60-59 with a three-pointer. Farrior made 1 of 2 free throws on the following possession to tie the game at 60 apiece, and with 13 seconds to play, Langston was able to penetrate the lane and finish with a right-handed floater that gave the Falcons a 62-60 lead.
Davis immediately called timeout to set up one final play, and on the Bears’ final possession of regulation, sophomore point guard Cordy Winston drove to the right side of the basket and put up a highly-contested shot that fell short.
Aumonie Armond went up for the putback, but missed, and North Pulaski got the rebound with one second remaining. However, goal tending was called on the Falcons after Winston’s shot attempt, which gave Winston credit for the basket and eventually sent the game to overtime with the score tied at 62-62.
The Falcons once again took the lead at the start of the overtime period on a pair of free throws by senior Arren Scruggs, but Sylvan Hills eventually battled back as it did before and tied the game at 66-66, this time on a successful putback by Armond after a Winston miss.
Armond’s putback came with 47 seconds to play in overtime, and the Bears’ defense held the Falcons scoreless on the next possession. Winston once again got the call on the Bears’ final possession, and as he did at the end of the fourth period, he drove to the basket. This time though, for the go-ahead shot attempt.
Winston’s shot came up short as he penetrated the lane, but he was fouled on the play, and with 1.2 seconds remaining, he made the first of two free-throw attempts to set the final score.
After the game, North Pulaski coach Roy Jackson couldn’t help but recall his team’s sudden collapse at the end of the second quarter.
“When we went up 12, we were at that point where we could put them away, but then we started playing not to lose,” said Jackson. “We took our foot off the pedal a little bit when we should’ve kept going, but we fought back.
“Once again, we had crucial times in the ball game where we didn’t take care of the basketball. We didn’t hit free throws when we needed to knock them down, and (Sylvan Hills) found a way to pull it out. They got the ball to their point guard and he made something happen. You tell any kid when it’s like that, you got to get to the basket and make a play.”
Friday’s game was the Bears’ third-straight that ended in overtime, but the first in that span that resulted in a win for Davis’ team.
“If nothing else, we’re getting some extra minutes,” Davis said. “For us, we just have to keep playing through. We have to play through contact. We have to play through adversity. We have to play through misses.
“It made me a little nervous because this is the third one and I’ve told them to play through, play through, and it broke through for them. I told them ‘I’m going to sit back over here (the bench) and watch you guys go play a basketball game, and you’ve got to figure it out.’ And to their credit, they stepped up and made plays at the end.”
North Pulaski made 26 of 54 shots from the floor for 48 percent. Sylvan Hills made 20 of 46 shots for 43 percent. The Falcons also outrebounded the Bears 30-25, but the host team had 13 turnovers in the second half alone, equaling the total number of turnovers the Bears committed in the five periods played.
Sylvan Hills was also the better team at the free-throw and three-point lines. The Bears made 75 percent of their free throws on 21 of 28 shooting, and 33 percent of their threes on 6 of 18 shooting.
North Pulaski made 13 of 23 attempts at the line for 57 percent, and just 1 of 11 three-point attempts for 9 percent.
Winston led all scorers with 22 points. Hinton had 18. Armond had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Tre West finished with eight.
For the Falcons, Langston led the way with 20 points. Farrior had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Scruggs scored nine.
The Falcons (8-9, 1-5) played at McClellan last night after deadlines, and will play another 5A-Central road game Friday at Helena-West Helena Central.
Sylvan Hills (8-8, 2-4) played host to Jacksonville last night in more 5A-Central action, and will travel to McClellan on Friday for its next conference game.
Both games are set to tip-off at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 24, 2014
TOP STORY >> DEA gives awards to JPD team
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
Drug Enforcement Admin-istration officials presented the Jacksonville SWAT team certificates of appreciation on Jan. 13 at the Jacksonville Police Department, 1400 Marshall Road, for its role in a Nov. 22 shooting in north Pulaski County.
When the team arrived early that morning at 2327 Backbone Road to search the home for narcotics, Mark Dodson, 53, allegedly opened fire on them using a 16-gauge shotgun.
Dodson was seriously injured when police returned fire, but he recovered.
He has been charged with felony counts of criminal attempt to commit capital murder and first-degree battery.
As of Friday, Dodson was being held at the Pulaski County jail on a $250,000 bond. His plea and arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 10 in room 220 of the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock.
Officer Jerry Keefer was shot in the face and shoulder, while Sgt. Chris Schultz caught a few bullets in his vest. Keefer is a 12-year veteran of the department. He was released from the hospital a few hours after the shooting.
Schultz is a 7-year veteran of the department.
Leader staff writer
Drug Enforcement Admin-istration officials presented the Jacksonville SWAT team certificates of appreciation on Jan. 13 at the Jacksonville Police Department, 1400 Marshall Road, for its role in a Nov. 22 shooting in north Pulaski County.
When the team arrived early that morning at 2327 Backbone Road to search the home for narcotics, Mark Dodson, 53, allegedly opened fire on them using a 16-gauge shotgun.
Dodson was seriously injured when police returned fire, but he recovered.
He has been charged with felony counts of criminal attempt to commit capital murder and first-degree battery.
As of Friday, Dodson was being held at the Pulaski County jail on a $250,000 bond. His plea and arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Feb. 10 in room 220 of the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock.
Officer Jerry Keefer was shot in the face and shoulder, while Sgt. Chris Schultz caught a few bullets in his vest. Keefer is a 12-year veteran of the department. He was released from the hospital a few hours after the shooting.
Schultz is a 7-year veteran of the department.
TOP STORY >> PCSSD signups next week for new students
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
The Pulaski County Special School District’s registration for first-time students and those transferring from other districts opens Monday and runs through Friday, according to Deborah Roush, the district’s communications director.
About 600 students are expected to register for kindergarten and pre-kindergarten, according to Janice Warren, interim assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services. Space is available for 700.
REGISTRATION SITES
Regular school registration next week will be done at the school where the new child will attend pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or elementary school, according to Warren.
Students headed to junior high or high school will go to one of three registration hubs.
Those in the west will register at Maumelle High School, others will go to Sylvan Hills High School or the district’s central office on Dixon Road, she said.
An additional summer enrollment registration will be held in August, right before school starts, she said.
Not yet determined or set is registration for the legal transfer of as many as 30 students from the PCSSD attendance area who want to attend Little Rock schools and another 30 students for North Little Rock schools.
According to the terms of the six-party desegregation settlement approved two weeks ago by U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr., PCSSD can allow an additional 30 students to transfer to each of those districts for four subsequent years, with a maximum of 150 students attending each.
LEGAL TRANSFERS
“We’re in the process of getting procedures in place for legal transfers,” Warren said.
Dates and locations to register for those will be announced. Also, the district must decide how to parcel out those legal transfer slots if the number of applicants exceeds the number of slots.
Will it be done by lottery? Will students with siblings already in the program get preference or will those whose parents work or teach at schools in Little Rock or North Little Rock get preference? Warren said that’s among the procedures yet to be decided.
Once a student receives a legal transfer, it’s good through high school graduation, she said. It is not a reciprocal deal, according to Warren.
“Dr. Guess (PCSSD Superintendent Jerry Guess) says that when transportation (to those districts) stops, most M-to-M transfer and magnet school students will return to us,” Warren said. So PCSSD is not accepting legal transfers from the other two districts — and hasn’t in the past.
M-TO-M, MAGNETS
According to the agreed-upon terms of the desegregation agreement settlement, all M-to-M students from any of the three districts are eligible to continue in that program through graduation, regardless of the grade they are currently in.
Not so for students in the magnet school program. Those students may finish at the school they currently attend. A student at the Carver math and science elementary magnet school can finish there, for instance, but can’t advance to an out-of-district magnet middle school, according to the terms of the settlement.
Leader senior staff writer
The Pulaski County Special School District’s registration for first-time students and those transferring from other districts opens Monday and runs through Friday, according to Deborah Roush, the district’s communications director.
About 600 students are expected to register for kindergarten and pre-kindergarten, according to Janice Warren, interim assistant superintendent for equity and pupil services. Space is available for 700.
REGISTRATION SITES
Regular school registration next week will be done at the school where the new child will attend pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or elementary school, according to Warren.
Students headed to junior high or high school will go to one of three registration hubs.
Those in the west will register at Maumelle High School, others will go to Sylvan Hills High School or the district’s central office on Dixon Road, she said.
An additional summer enrollment registration will be held in August, right before school starts, she said.
Not yet determined or set is registration for the legal transfer of as many as 30 students from the PCSSD attendance area who want to attend Little Rock schools and another 30 students for North Little Rock schools.
According to the terms of the six-party desegregation settlement approved two weeks ago by U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr., PCSSD can allow an additional 30 students to transfer to each of those districts for four subsequent years, with a maximum of 150 students attending each.
LEGAL TRANSFERS
“We’re in the process of getting procedures in place for legal transfers,” Warren said.
Dates and locations to register for those will be announced. Also, the district must decide how to parcel out those legal transfer slots if the number of applicants exceeds the number of slots.
Will it be done by lottery? Will students with siblings already in the program get preference or will those whose parents work or teach at schools in Little Rock or North Little Rock get preference? Warren said that’s among the procedures yet to be decided.
Once a student receives a legal transfer, it’s good through high school graduation, she said. It is not a reciprocal deal, according to Warren.
“Dr. Guess (PCSSD Superintendent Jerry Guess) says that when transportation (to those districts) stops, most M-to-M transfer and magnet school students will return to us,” Warren said. So PCSSD is not accepting legal transfers from the other two districts — and hasn’t in the past.
M-TO-M, MAGNETS
According to the agreed-upon terms of the desegregation agreement settlement, all M-to-M students from any of the three districts are eligible to continue in that program through graduation, regardless of the grade they are currently in.
Not so for students in the magnet school program. Those students may finish at the school they currently attend. A student at the Carver math and science elementary magnet school can finish there, for instance, but can’t advance to an out-of-district magnet middle school, according to the terms of the settlement.
TOP STORY >> Wintertime burn bans are issued
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
It may seem odd that burn bans are in effect now when temperatures are below freezing, but risk of wildfires is high across the state, according to the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
About 40 counties — more than half the state — are under a burn ban.
Pulaski and White counties have been under burn bans since Tuesday, and Lonoke County has been a burn ban since Thursday.
“It is the weirdest (burn ban) I have ever issued,” White County Judge Michael Lincoln said.
He said, in his eight years in office, it is the first winter burn ban he has ordered. Lincoln said he is following the advice of the Forestry Commission and local fire chiefs.
“From what I hear, it is the uncut dry grasses in the fields that are causing a fuel issue. It is so unusual for the grasses to be so dry; you can see water in the ditches. Early in the morning there is moisture, but, when the winds kick up, it is gone,” Lincoln said.
Lonoke County Judge Doug Erwin does not recall ever issuing a burn ban in the winter.
“Even though we had rain, it is still dry. The biggest factor is the winds,” Erwin said.
According to Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines’ office, the last time it issued a burn ban during winter was December 2005 and January 2006.
According to the National Weather Service, the waves of cold air are the culprits. With cold systems cutting through the state on an almost weekly basis, moisture from the gulf is being cut off.
Even though January’s precipitation is down just 0.11 of an inch, the problem is that most of that hit in one or two days. There has been nothing since.
Forecasters expect the trend to continue at least through Friday of next week.
After a mild weekend with temperatures Sunday hitting around 60, the cold bites back with Monday’s high slated for 38, and then Tuesday and Wednesday will not be above freezing. By Friday, it will seem almost summery with high temperatures in the mid-40s.
Central Arkansas Water said, when the temperature drops below freezing, residents should “leave a thin stream of water running from the cold-water tap because moving water is less likely to freeze.”
LONOKE COUNTY
• Chief Carl Stracener with the Campground, Sylvania and Mount Zion (CS and Z) Volunteer Fire Department said it has responded to 13 grass fires in the past two weeks. Three of those fires have spread to buildings and homes.
“It’s worse than it has been in the past two to three years. People burning household trash on the ground caused all but one. One fire was caused by a cigarette thrown on the side of the road,” Stracener said.
According to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, it is against state law to burn household garbage.
• Lonoke Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jimmy Wallace said they had extinguished six grass fires this month, and two grass fires occurred on Thursday. A downed power line on Bob Long Road caused one fire. The other fire was started by a resident who was burning leaves and had it under control, but the fire department had to put it out to adhere to the burn ban.
Wallace said the fire department put out two fires in ditches. He is not sure if the causes were from cigarettes being tossed out of cars or by farmers who are clearing the ditches with fire, which is not uncommon, according to Wallace.
• Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department reported eight wildfires in the past two weeks. Chief Greg Baldwin said one fire burned a house down, and a second fire damaged a barn. Most of the fires happened last Saturday. The fire department serves the Woodlawn, Sylvania and Oak Grove communities.
Baldwin said, around noon last Saturday, Tri-Community Fire Department was called to its first fire of the day at a minnow farm off Earl Verser Road. Someone was cleaning up and burning a pile of leaves beside a barn. The wind pushed the flames to the barn.
“It burned a tractor and some equipment. It did considerable damage,” Baldwin said.
While crews were on the scene, a second fire occurred on Cinel Loop. Baldwin said a grass fire spread and burned down a house completely. After putting out those fires, the fire department was called again to help to extinguish four grass fires.
“We didn’t stop from noon to 8 o’clock that night,” the chief said.
Baldwin said Saturday was warm and sunny and some people wanted to clean up, but it was windy. “People were dying to get out and burn something,” he said.
• Austin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Bettis said his department responded to two grass fires inside the city limits in the past two weeks.
“One fire approached a residence, but it was stopped before any damage occurred,” Bettis said.
• Butlerville Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Jody Webb said the department recently extinguished one grass fire in its coverage area near Prairie County, and it assisted other fire departments with two fires.
• Cabot Fire Chief Phil Robinson said his department put out four grass and brush fires in the past two weeks.
• Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Andrew Williams said no wildfires have occurred in his area.
“I believe most of our people in the district are smart enough to know not to burn when it is windy,” Williams said.
• Lt. Butch Chapman of the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department said his department has responded to at least four grass fires.
Firefighters there also assisted another department with a grass fire that spread to a building.
• Fire Chief Randy Staley of the Ward Volunteer Fire Department said, in the past two weeks, the department has been called out to four grass fires and assisted other departments with three structure fires.
PULASKI COUNTY
• North Pulaski Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Blakey said his department has responded to four grass and brush fires in the past couple of weeks. He blames low humidity and high winds for the increase in grass fires.
• Capt. Tommie Golden of the Gravel Ridge Fire Department said it responded to three brush fires in the past two weeks. One of the fires burned a small backyard shed.
• Runyan Acres Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ken Partridge said it has taken three calls for grass fires since Jan. 14.
“The way everything is, that’s not too bad at all. It is really dry. Everybody needs to be really careful. Don’t do any outdoor burning until we get some rain,” Partridge said.
• Jacksonville Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Thornton said the city had only one grass fire recently, which occurred Thursday, and they assisted the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department with another one.
“We don’t have a lot of rural areas in Jacksonville and don’t have the number of grass fires we used to have,” Thornton said.
• Fire Chief David Teague said the Sherwood Fire Department extinguished only one grass fire in the past couple of weeks.
“We don’t have but eight to 10 grass fires a year,” Teague said. He said those types of fires mostly occur in wooded areas of the county.
WHITE COUNTY
• Beebe Fire Department firefighter Patrick Valadie said it has responded to 10 grass and brush fires in the past two weeks.
Valadie said the number of fires have been evenly split between areas inside city limits and in the county.
Leader staff writer
It may seem odd that burn bans are in effect now when temperatures are below freezing, but risk of wildfires is high across the state, according to the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
About 40 counties — more than half the state — are under a burn ban.
Pulaski and White counties have been under burn bans since Tuesday, and Lonoke County has been a burn ban since Thursday.
“It is the weirdest (burn ban) I have ever issued,” White County Judge Michael Lincoln said.
He said, in his eight years in office, it is the first winter burn ban he has ordered. Lincoln said he is following the advice of the Forestry Commission and local fire chiefs.
“From what I hear, it is the uncut dry grasses in the fields that are causing a fuel issue. It is so unusual for the grasses to be so dry; you can see water in the ditches. Early in the morning there is moisture, but, when the winds kick up, it is gone,” Lincoln said.
Lonoke County Judge Doug Erwin does not recall ever issuing a burn ban in the winter.
“Even though we had rain, it is still dry. The biggest factor is the winds,” Erwin said.
According to Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines’ office, the last time it issued a burn ban during winter was December 2005 and January 2006.
According to the National Weather Service, the waves of cold air are the culprits. With cold systems cutting through the state on an almost weekly basis, moisture from the gulf is being cut off.
Even though January’s precipitation is down just 0.11 of an inch, the problem is that most of that hit in one or two days. There has been nothing since.
Forecasters expect the trend to continue at least through Friday of next week.
After a mild weekend with temperatures Sunday hitting around 60, the cold bites back with Monday’s high slated for 38, and then Tuesday and Wednesday will not be above freezing. By Friday, it will seem almost summery with high temperatures in the mid-40s.
Central Arkansas Water said, when the temperature drops below freezing, residents should “leave a thin stream of water running from the cold-water tap because moving water is less likely to freeze.”
LONOKE COUNTY
• Chief Carl Stracener with the Campground, Sylvania and Mount Zion (CS and Z) Volunteer Fire Department said it has responded to 13 grass fires in the past two weeks. Three of those fires have spread to buildings and homes.
“It’s worse than it has been in the past two to three years. People burning household trash on the ground caused all but one. One fire was caused by a cigarette thrown on the side of the road,” Stracener said.
According to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, it is against state law to burn household garbage.
• Lonoke Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jimmy Wallace said they had extinguished six grass fires this month, and two grass fires occurred on Thursday. A downed power line on Bob Long Road caused one fire. The other fire was started by a resident who was burning leaves and had it under control, but the fire department had to put it out to adhere to the burn ban.
Wallace said the fire department put out two fires in ditches. He is not sure if the causes were from cigarettes being tossed out of cars or by farmers who are clearing the ditches with fire, which is not uncommon, according to Wallace.
• Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department reported eight wildfires in the past two weeks. Chief Greg Baldwin said one fire burned a house down, and a second fire damaged a barn. Most of the fires happened last Saturday. The fire department serves the Woodlawn, Sylvania and Oak Grove communities.
Baldwin said, around noon last Saturday, Tri-Community Fire Department was called to its first fire of the day at a minnow farm off Earl Verser Road. Someone was cleaning up and burning a pile of leaves beside a barn. The wind pushed the flames to the barn.
“It burned a tractor and some equipment. It did considerable damage,” Baldwin said.
While crews were on the scene, a second fire occurred on Cinel Loop. Baldwin said a grass fire spread and burned down a house completely. After putting out those fires, the fire department was called again to help to extinguish four grass fires.
“We didn’t stop from noon to 8 o’clock that night,” the chief said.
Baldwin said Saturday was warm and sunny and some people wanted to clean up, but it was windy. “People were dying to get out and burn something,” he said.
• Austin Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Bettis said his department responded to two grass fires inside the city limits in the past two weeks.
“One fire approached a residence, but it was stopped before any damage occurred,” Bettis said.
• Butlerville Volunteer Fire Department firefighter Jody Webb said the department recently extinguished one grass fire in its coverage area near Prairie County, and it assisted other fire departments with two fires.
• Cabot Fire Chief Phil Robinson said his department put out four grass and brush fires in the past two weeks.
• Mountain Springs Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Andrew Williams said no wildfires have occurred in his area.
“I believe most of our people in the district are smart enough to know not to burn when it is windy,” Williams said.
• Lt. Butch Chapman of the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department said his department has responded to at least four grass fires.
Firefighters there also assisted another department with a grass fire that spread to a building.
• Fire Chief Randy Staley of the Ward Volunteer Fire Department said, in the past two weeks, the department has been called out to four grass fires and assisted other departments with three structure fires.
PULASKI COUNTY
• North Pulaski Volunteer Fire Department Chief Randy Blakey said his department has responded to four grass and brush fires in the past couple of weeks. He blames low humidity and high winds for the increase in grass fires.
• Capt. Tommie Golden of the Gravel Ridge Fire Department said it responded to three brush fires in the past two weeks. One of the fires burned a small backyard shed.
• Runyan Acres Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ken Partridge said it has taken three calls for grass fires since Jan. 14.
“The way everything is, that’s not too bad at all. It is really dry. Everybody needs to be really careful. Don’t do any outdoor burning until we get some rain,” Partridge said.
• Jacksonville Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Thornton said the city had only one grass fire recently, which occurred Thursday, and they assisted the South Bend Volunteer Fire Department with another one.
“We don’t have a lot of rural areas in Jacksonville and don’t have the number of grass fires we used to have,” Thornton said.
• Fire Chief David Teague said the Sherwood Fire Department extinguished only one grass fire in the past couple of weeks.
“We don’t have but eight to 10 grass fires a year,” Teague said. He said those types of fires mostly occur in wooded areas of the county.
WHITE COUNTY
• Beebe Fire Department firefighter Patrick Valadie said it has responded to 10 grass and brush fires in the past two weeks.
Valadie said the number of fires have been evenly split between areas inside city limits and in the county.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady ’Rabs cruise past Dollarway
By ANN THARP
Special to The Leader
The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits hosted Dollarway on Tuesday night at the Gina Cox Center and defeated the Lady Cardinals for the second time this season by a score of 54-29.
The Lady Jackrabbits (14-5, 6-1) had an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, but Dollarway tied the score at 8-8 with a three-point basket at the buzzer. Lonoke led at the half 22-13, and outscored the Lady Cardinals 23-8 in the third quarter to help secure the victory.
“I know we played a lot better the second half,” said Lonoke head coach Nathan Morris. “I think we came out against a team we beat handily the first time we played them, but that was only their third game because of football. We didn’t out position them. We didn’t do that well blocking out wise and stuff. That’s something we’ve got to get better at. Blocking out is effort.
“The press worked with a group that hadn’t worked together as much, and I was pretty excited about how they moved. The biggest part about pressure is after something works, they get excited about it. That was good, because we’ve not pressed very well this year. That’s good to know going into the second time we play everybody.”
Jarrelyn McCall led the Lady Jackrabbits in the second quarter as she had seven of the team’s 14 points for the quarter.
Her two-pointer gave Lonoke a 14-10 lead, and Callie Whitfield sank a three-pointer with 5:52 to go in the quarter for a 17-10 advantage. Eboni Willis scored a two-point basket, but couldn’t hit the free throw to complete the three-point play. However, the lead was doubled at 20-10. Dollarway cut into the lead at 20-13, but McCall hit two free throws for the 22-13 halftime score.
McCall again was a contributor in the third quarter, starting her scoring with a two-point basket plus a free throw for the three-point play. Lonoke’s full- court pressure was effective as the Lady Cardinals turned the ball over four times in a very short span, one of those being a 10-second violation.
The lead built to 45-21 with 1:15 to go in the quarter, and the quarter ended with that score intact. McCall scored nine points of the team’s 23.
Ashlyn Allen had five points in the final quarter for the Lady Jackrabbits, including 3 of 4 free throws. Dollarway sank 4 of 6 from the line to contribute to the team’s eight points in the quarter.
Lonoke scored nine fourth quarter points to set the final score of 54-29.
McCall led all scorers with 20 points. Willis added 12 for the Lady Jackrabbits, Allen had seven points, Amanda Sexton had six, and Whitfield added five points for the home team.
Chandra Hayes led Dollarway with eight points.
Special to The Leader
The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits hosted Dollarway on Tuesday night at the Gina Cox Center and defeated the Lady Cardinals for the second time this season by a score of 54-29.
The Lady Jackrabbits (14-5, 6-1) had an 8-2 lead in the first quarter, but Dollarway tied the score at 8-8 with a three-point basket at the buzzer. Lonoke led at the half 22-13, and outscored the Lady Cardinals 23-8 in the third quarter to help secure the victory.
“I know we played a lot better the second half,” said Lonoke head coach Nathan Morris. “I think we came out against a team we beat handily the first time we played them, but that was only their third game because of football. We didn’t out position them. We didn’t do that well blocking out wise and stuff. That’s something we’ve got to get better at. Blocking out is effort.
“The press worked with a group that hadn’t worked together as much, and I was pretty excited about how they moved. The biggest part about pressure is after something works, they get excited about it. That was good, because we’ve not pressed very well this year. That’s good to know going into the second time we play everybody.”
Jarrelyn McCall led the Lady Jackrabbits in the second quarter as she had seven of the team’s 14 points for the quarter.
Her two-pointer gave Lonoke a 14-10 lead, and Callie Whitfield sank a three-pointer with 5:52 to go in the quarter for a 17-10 advantage. Eboni Willis scored a two-point basket, but couldn’t hit the free throw to complete the three-point play. However, the lead was doubled at 20-10. Dollarway cut into the lead at 20-13, but McCall hit two free throws for the 22-13 halftime score.
McCall again was a contributor in the third quarter, starting her scoring with a two-point basket plus a free throw for the three-point play. Lonoke’s full- court pressure was effective as the Lady Cardinals turned the ball over four times in a very short span, one of those being a 10-second violation.
The lead built to 45-21 with 1:15 to go in the quarter, and the quarter ended with that score intact. McCall scored nine points of the team’s 23.
Ashlyn Allen had five points in the final quarter for the Lady Jackrabbits, including 3 of 4 free throws. Dollarway sank 4 of 6 from the line to contribute to the team’s eight points in the quarter.
Lonoke scored nine fourth quarter points to set the final score of 54-29.
McCall led all scorers with 20 points. Willis added 12 for the Lady Jackrabbits, Allen had seven points, Amanda Sexton had six, and Whitfield added five points for the home team.
Chandra Hayes led Dollarway with eight points.
SPORTS STORY >> Beebe girls beat Forrest City
By FRED CONLEY
Special to The Leader
In all phases of Tuesday night’s 5A-East Conference game against the Forrest City Lady Mustangs, Beebe was just better.
The Lady Badgers were quicker, faster, better ball handlers and better decision-makers in their 67-52 win over the Lady Mustangs played on Bill Baxter Court at Mustang Arena.
Shredding Forrest City’s full-court press, the Lady Badgers made it look easy early by consistently beating Forrest City’s press for easy layups and hitting from long range when needed. Beebe led 14-6 after one period, 39-25 at the half and 52-39 to start the fourth period.
Beebe improves to 3-1 in the East and remains in a three-way tie for second with Greene County Tech and Nettleton. Forrest City slips to 1-3 in the conference and into a tie with Blytheville in the standings.
The Lady Mustangs trailed by just two points early in the first period, which would be the closest they would get for the entire game.
Back-to-back threes by Mollie Laws early in the third period kept the Lady Mustangs within striking distance before Beebe used a three from Kalela Miller, two free throws and a putback basket by Gracie Anders to push their lead to 50-32 at the two minute mark.
The Lady Mustangs answered with a 7 to 2 run to end the period which included two baskets by JaBrisha Hawkins and a field goal and free throw by Dominique Dillard.
Beebe pushed their advantage to 59-42 in the fourth and 61-46 at the five minute mark. The Lady Mustangs cut Beebe’s lead to 11 at 61-50 on two free throws by Sherelle McGowan with just over three minutes left in the game, but got no closer.
Hawkins finished with 12 points to lead the Lady Mustangs, while McGowan added 10 points. Jakayla Burke added nine points, while Deja Collins helped with eight and Laws and Dillard each finished with six.
From the foul line, the Lady Mustangs dropped in 12 of their 26 free throw chances.
Miller led Beebe with 21 points and helped put the game away in the fourth by hitting four of five free throws. Anders added 16 points, while Ashlyn Johnson helped with nine points and Madison Richey finished with six.
From here, the Lady Badgers will play at Greene County Tech on Friday.
Paragould defeated Greene County Tech 64-59 Tuesday to stayed unbeaten in the conference at 4-0.
Forrest City and Beebe will play a final conference game on Feb. 18.
Beebe moves into the 5A-Central conference next season while Valley View moves up from Class 4A to take their place in the East.
Special to The Leader
In all phases of Tuesday night’s 5A-East Conference game against the Forrest City Lady Mustangs, Beebe was just better.
The Lady Badgers were quicker, faster, better ball handlers and better decision-makers in their 67-52 win over the Lady Mustangs played on Bill Baxter Court at Mustang Arena.
Shredding Forrest City’s full-court press, the Lady Badgers made it look easy early by consistently beating Forrest City’s press for easy layups and hitting from long range when needed. Beebe led 14-6 after one period, 39-25 at the half and 52-39 to start the fourth period.
Beebe improves to 3-1 in the East and remains in a three-way tie for second with Greene County Tech and Nettleton. Forrest City slips to 1-3 in the conference and into a tie with Blytheville in the standings.
The Lady Mustangs trailed by just two points early in the first period, which would be the closest they would get for the entire game.
Back-to-back threes by Mollie Laws early in the third period kept the Lady Mustangs within striking distance before Beebe used a three from Kalela Miller, two free throws and a putback basket by Gracie Anders to push their lead to 50-32 at the two minute mark.
The Lady Mustangs answered with a 7 to 2 run to end the period which included two baskets by JaBrisha Hawkins and a field goal and free throw by Dominique Dillard.
Beebe pushed their advantage to 59-42 in the fourth and 61-46 at the five minute mark. The Lady Mustangs cut Beebe’s lead to 11 at 61-50 on two free throws by Sherelle McGowan with just over three minutes left in the game, but got no closer.
Hawkins finished with 12 points to lead the Lady Mustangs, while McGowan added 10 points. Jakayla Burke added nine points, while Deja Collins helped with eight and Laws and Dillard each finished with six.
From the foul line, the Lady Mustangs dropped in 12 of their 26 free throw chances.
Miller led Beebe with 21 points and helped put the game away in the fourth by hitting four of five free throws. Anders added 16 points, while Ashlyn Johnson helped with nine points and Madison Richey finished with six.
From here, the Lady Badgers will play at Greene County Tech on Friday.
Paragould defeated Greene County Tech 64-59 Tuesday to stayed unbeaten in the conference at 4-0.
Forrest City and Beebe will play a final conference game on Feb. 18.
Beebe moves into the 5A-Central conference next season while Valley View moves up from Class 4A to take their place in the East.
SPORTS STORY >> Red Devils earn pair of Central triumphs
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville basketball teams picked up a pair of 5A-Central Conference wins on Tuesday, sweeping the Helena-West Helena Central boys and girls at the Devils’ Den in Jacksonville. The boys held off a mid-game Cougar charge to win 68-57, while the girls controlled throughout in a 69-54 victory.
The Lady Red Devils got a balanced attack against what proved to be a two-man show for the Central girls. Four of Jacksonville’s five starters finished the game in double figures. For Central, freshman Keavonsheay Stackhouse and senior Tyra Hampton accounted for 76 percent of the Lady Cougars’ offense.
Jacksonville got the offense rolling early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and going into halftime with a 41-23 lead. Though Jacksonville coach William Rountree thought the defense could’ve been better.
“I didn’t feel like we were on our A game defensively,” Rountree said. “Helena is really athletic and has one really good guard, and we didn’t do as well as I thought we could have at keeping her in check. But the number one objective is to win the ball game and we did that. I thought we did some good things and were able to win.”
The game became ragtag in the third quarter, and Central took advantage. The Lady Cougars outscored Jacksonville 19-14 in that quarter. That made it a 13-point game going into the fourth, but the visitors were never able to get the margin into single digits.
The short Lady Devils are usually at a considerable size disadvantage on the post. That wasn’t the case on Tuesday, and Jacksonville took full advantage.
Senior post players Markela Bryles and Ashli Evans both scored in double figures. Bryles had 23 while Evans scored 10. Evans, who is only 5-foot-6, drew praise from Rountree for her recent efforts.
“I thought Ashli has had great games the last two times out,” Rountree said. “She can expand her role. She passes the ball well. She doesn’t shoot a lot, but she takes good shots. When she brings her A game energy, she’s very helpful in making us a good team. The last two games she’s provided a spark when we really needed one.”
Also in double figures for Jacksonville were senior guards Keke Alcorn and Tiffany Smith, who scored 19 and 12 respectively. Stackhouse scored 23 and Hampton added 19 for Central.
The boys played their game without head coach Vic Joyner, who had to sit out after being ejected from the Red Devils’ win over McClellan last Friday. Assistant coach and athletic director Jerry Wilson was at the helm for the game, and thought the team started strong, but could’ve finished better.
“We came out and got after them and got a big lead, but we didn’t keep the intensity up,” said Wilson. “We got it back and got the win, so overall it was a pretty good effort.”
Jacksonville raced out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter and was on the verge of blowing the game open. But the Cougars came back to within five by halftime. A quick burst to start the third quarter put the visiting team in front by one point, but the lead was short-lived. Jacksonville picked up the intensity and reclaimed control of the game.
Devin Campbell hit a three pointer off a steal that sparked a run late in the third. Jacksonville closed the quarter leading 47-42, and quickly pushed it to double digits again in the fourth.
Campbell finished with 18 points while Kanaan Jackson scored 15 and Tedrick Wolfe 10 for the Red Devils. Ricky Beechwood led Central with 15 points while Terrence Smith scored 11 and Anthony Lewis 10.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville basketball teams picked up a pair of 5A-Central Conference wins on Tuesday, sweeping the Helena-West Helena Central boys and girls at the Devils’ Den in Jacksonville. The boys held off a mid-game Cougar charge to win 68-57, while the girls controlled throughout in a 69-54 victory.
The Lady Red Devils got a balanced attack against what proved to be a two-man show for the Central girls. Four of Jacksonville’s five starters finished the game in double figures. For Central, freshman Keavonsheay Stackhouse and senior Tyra Hampton accounted for 76 percent of the Lady Cougars’ offense.
Jacksonville got the offense rolling early, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and going into halftime with a 41-23 lead. Though Jacksonville coach William Rountree thought the defense could’ve been better.
“I didn’t feel like we were on our A game defensively,” Rountree said. “Helena is really athletic and has one really good guard, and we didn’t do as well as I thought we could have at keeping her in check. But the number one objective is to win the ball game and we did that. I thought we did some good things and were able to win.”
The game became ragtag in the third quarter, and Central took advantage. The Lady Cougars outscored Jacksonville 19-14 in that quarter. That made it a 13-point game going into the fourth, but the visitors were never able to get the margin into single digits.
The short Lady Devils are usually at a considerable size disadvantage on the post. That wasn’t the case on Tuesday, and Jacksonville took full advantage.
Senior post players Markela Bryles and Ashli Evans both scored in double figures. Bryles had 23 while Evans scored 10. Evans, who is only 5-foot-6, drew praise from Rountree for her recent efforts.
“I thought Ashli has had great games the last two times out,” Rountree said. “She can expand her role. She passes the ball well. She doesn’t shoot a lot, but she takes good shots. When she brings her A game energy, she’s very helpful in making us a good team. The last two games she’s provided a spark when we really needed one.”
Also in double figures for Jacksonville were senior guards Keke Alcorn and Tiffany Smith, who scored 19 and 12 respectively. Stackhouse scored 23 and Hampton added 19 for Central.
The boys played their game without head coach Vic Joyner, who had to sit out after being ejected from the Red Devils’ win over McClellan last Friday. Assistant coach and athletic director Jerry Wilson was at the helm for the game, and thought the team started strong, but could’ve finished better.
“We came out and got after them and got a big lead, but we didn’t keep the intensity up,” said Wilson. “We got it back and got the win, so overall it was a pretty good effort.”
Jacksonville raced out to a 20-9 lead in the first quarter and was on the verge of blowing the game open. But the Cougars came back to within five by halftime. A quick burst to start the third quarter put the visiting team in front by one point, but the lead was short-lived. Jacksonville picked up the intensity and reclaimed control of the game.
Devin Campbell hit a three pointer off a steal that sparked a run late in the third. Jacksonville closed the quarter leading 47-42, and quickly pushed it to double digits again in the fourth.
Campbell finished with 18 points while Kanaan Jackson scored 15 and Tedrick Wolfe 10 for the Red Devils. Ricky Beechwood led Central with 15 points while Terrence Smith scored 11 and Anthony Lewis 10.
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers bounce Central
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s stellar shot selection helped the Panthers build a 15-point halftime lead over Little Rock Central in Tuesday’s 7A/6A East matchup at Panther Arena, and sophomore forward Garrett Rowe helped thwart any comeback attempt by the Tigers in the second half, as the host team won convincingly, 59-37.
The first half of Tuesday’s game was a three-point frenzy, as the two teams combined to make 10 threes in the first two quarters of play.
Hunter York, Nick Thomas and Jeremiah Penner each made two three-pointers in the opening half to help Cabot to a 6 for 11 showing from beyond the arc. Central’s Sean Carrouthers hit 3 of 4 threes for the Tigers, who finished the half 4 for 10 from three-point range.
The difference in the half was that Central (5-8, 1-3) made just one two-point field goal and Cabot (11-5, 2-2) made six, equaling its number of three-point field goals. Cabot finished the first half 12 of 20 from the floor for 60 percent. Central finished the half 5 of 23 from the floor for 22 percent.
It was a close game after a quarter of play, but the Panthers still led, 15-13. Cabot’s high shooting percentage made the difference in the second quarter, as the host team took a 32-17 lead into halftime.
“We were 62 percent at Mountain Home Friday,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges. “We usually take pretty good shots and it was pretty distributed. Jeremiah, he sparked us in that second quarter when he came in and hit those two threes for us. This team, we love that kid. He’s a fun kid and when he does well they seem to respond.
“I thought it was a good team effort. We shot well and I thought we rebounded better. We didn’t rebound last week. And I think our young ones are growing up and getting better, too.”
Cabot outrebounded Central 25-16 for the game. The Tigers opened the second half with an 8-4 run, which cut the Panthers’ lead to 36-25, but that was close as the visitors would get the rest of the way.
The Panthers led 43-29 at the end of the third quarter, and junior two-guard Jake Ferguson drained a three-pointer at the start of the fourth to push Cabot’s lead to 17, leading 46-29. The majority of Cabot’s highlights in the second half though, came from Rowe, who scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in quarters three and four.
Rowe made three free throws early in the fourth quarter that helped push the Panthers’ lead to 19, and got a big-time putback with 3:42 to play that put Cabot up 21, leading 53-32. Rowe hasn’t missed a shot from the field in the last two games. He went 6 for 6 from the floor in last week’s win over Mountain Home, and finished 7 for 7 from the floor Tuesday.
“He had 16 the other night at Mountain Home,” Bridges said of his sophomore forward. “He’s coming on and he’s catching up to the game now. He’s getting used to what we do and what we expect out of him, but I think we’re coming together well and understanding what we do and we’re understanding each other better, too.”
Cabot finished the game 21 of 41 from the floor for 51 percent, bettering Central’s 13 of 41 showing for 32 percent. The Panthers also shot well at the free-throw and three-point lines. Cabot made 8 of 16 shots from three-point range for 50 percent, and made 9 of 12 from the line for 75 percent.
Conversely, the Tigers made 6 of 17 from beyond the arc for 35 percent, and 5 of 15 from the stripe for a less than stellar 33 percent.
Carrouthers led all scorers with 20 points. Rowe was the only Panther to finish in double figures, but seven more Panthers contributed to the scoring efforts.
York finished with eight points. Thomas, Penner, Adolfo Iglesias and Hunter Southerland each scored six points. Michael Smith scored four and Ferguson added three points.
The Panthers continued conference play last night at home against West Memphis. Look for details of that game in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader. The Cabot boys will resume 7A/6A East play on the road Tuesday at Jonesboro. Tip-off Tuesday starts at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s stellar shot selection helped the Panthers build a 15-point halftime lead over Little Rock Central in Tuesday’s 7A/6A East matchup at Panther Arena, and sophomore forward Garrett Rowe helped thwart any comeback attempt by the Tigers in the second half, as the host team won convincingly, 59-37.
The first half of Tuesday’s game was a three-point frenzy, as the two teams combined to make 10 threes in the first two quarters of play.
Hunter York, Nick Thomas and Jeremiah Penner each made two three-pointers in the opening half to help Cabot to a 6 for 11 showing from beyond the arc. Central’s Sean Carrouthers hit 3 of 4 threes for the Tigers, who finished the half 4 for 10 from three-point range.
The difference in the half was that Central (5-8, 1-3) made just one two-point field goal and Cabot (11-5, 2-2) made six, equaling its number of three-point field goals. Cabot finished the first half 12 of 20 from the floor for 60 percent. Central finished the half 5 of 23 from the floor for 22 percent.
It was a close game after a quarter of play, but the Panthers still led, 15-13. Cabot’s high shooting percentage made the difference in the second quarter, as the host team took a 32-17 lead into halftime.
“We were 62 percent at Mountain Home Friday,” said Cabot coach Jerry Bridges. “We usually take pretty good shots and it was pretty distributed. Jeremiah, he sparked us in that second quarter when he came in and hit those two threes for us. This team, we love that kid. He’s a fun kid and when he does well they seem to respond.
“I thought it was a good team effort. We shot well and I thought we rebounded better. We didn’t rebound last week. And I think our young ones are growing up and getting better, too.”
Cabot outrebounded Central 25-16 for the game. The Tigers opened the second half with an 8-4 run, which cut the Panthers’ lead to 36-25, but that was close as the visitors would get the rest of the way.
The Panthers led 43-29 at the end of the third quarter, and junior two-guard Jake Ferguson drained a three-pointer at the start of the fourth to push Cabot’s lead to 17, leading 46-29. The majority of Cabot’s highlights in the second half though, came from Rowe, who scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in quarters three and four.
Rowe made three free throws early in the fourth quarter that helped push the Panthers’ lead to 19, and got a big-time putback with 3:42 to play that put Cabot up 21, leading 53-32. Rowe hasn’t missed a shot from the field in the last two games. He went 6 for 6 from the floor in last week’s win over Mountain Home, and finished 7 for 7 from the floor Tuesday.
“He had 16 the other night at Mountain Home,” Bridges said of his sophomore forward. “He’s coming on and he’s catching up to the game now. He’s getting used to what we do and what we expect out of him, but I think we’re coming together well and understanding what we do and we’re understanding each other better, too.”
Cabot finished the game 21 of 41 from the floor for 51 percent, bettering Central’s 13 of 41 showing for 32 percent. The Panthers also shot well at the free-throw and three-point lines. Cabot made 8 of 16 shots from three-point range for 50 percent, and made 9 of 12 from the line for 75 percent.
Conversely, the Tigers made 6 of 17 from beyond the arc for 35 percent, and 5 of 15 from the stripe for a less than stellar 33 percent.
Carrouthers led all scorers with 20 points. Rowe was the only Panther to finish in double figures, but seven more Panthers contributed to the scoring efforts.
York finished with eight points. Thomas, Penner, Adolfo Iglesias and Hunter Southerland each scored six points. Michael Smith scored four and Ferguson added three points.
The Panthers continued conference play last night at home against West Memphis. Look for details of that game in Wednesday’s edition of The Leader. The Cabot boys will resume 7A/6A East play on the road Tuesday at Jonesboro. Tip-off Tuesday starts at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
EDITORIAL >> Time to fix health care
If you want to know what’s wrong with health care in the U.S., read an in-depth article in last Sunday’s New York Times. Much of the article is about a professor at the University of Central Arkansas who underwent an expensive procedure at the Arkansas Skin Cancer Center in Little Rock to remove a small cancerous spot on her cheek.
The story is online at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/health/patients-costs-skyrocket-specialists-incomes-soar.html.
Since the Little Rock newspaper ran about half of the article, readers missed the comments at the end from a UAMS dermatologist who questioned the need for such an expensive procedure.
Professor Kim Little, who teaches history at UCA, underwent an expensive Mohs surgical procedure that ran the cost up to more than $26,000. The operation involved a dermatologist, an anesthesiologist and an ophthalmologist who is also a plastic surgeon.
The UAMS doctor told the reporter the Mohs procedure was unnecessary and the operation should have been done for much less.
But when you’re told you have a cancerous spot on you cheek, who’s going to do comparison shopping?
Although Professor Little has insurance, she has a huge deductible and wasn’t happy about paying several thousand dollars for the operation out of her own pocket. She finally negotiated her portion of the bill down to about $4,500, which should have been the cost of the entire procedure.
Multiply Professor Little’s experience by several million and you can see why we spend an astonishing $2.7 trillion a year on healthcare.
As medical bills keep rising, it appears the Arkansas Legislature, rather than addressing the problem of high health-care costs, is determined to defund the state’s short experiment with the so-called private option, which insures thousands of Arkansans with the help of federal subsidies at no cost to taxpayers.
The state legislature last year narrowly ap-proved the private option, which was crafted by Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), House Speaker Davy Carter (R-Cabot) and others. It was a smart move that other states are emulating. The program is completely funded through Medicaid, which will cover all costs for the next several years and as much as 90 percent after that. Hundreds of millions of federal dollars will insure thousands of Arkansans. As a result, dozens of hospitals in our communities will stay open and will no longer have to write off billions of dollars in uncollected debt.
But legislators like Rep. Joe Farrer (R- Austin) hope to kill the private option, which will create a huge deficit in the state budget if they succeed. Thousands of Arkansans will lose their insurance and hospitals like North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville, where Farrer is a physical therapist, could close. North Metro, like almost every hospital in Arkansas, depends on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. If Farrer gets his way, those funds will go to poor states like West Virginia and Kentucky, where hundreds of thousands of people are being insured for the first time.
When you’re in the legislature, people like Farrer are eligible for government insurance, but for less fortunate Arkansans, the private option is critical. Unfortunately, a two-thirds majority is needed to reapprove funding for the private option. That’s a high hurdle as more Republicans are leaning against it. One key Democrat, Sen. Paul Bookout of Jonesboro, who supported the private option, has been replaced by a Republican following Bookout’s resignation for ethics violations.
“The Arkansas private option has become a national model for states seeking flexibility under the Affordable Care Act,” Gov. Mike Beebe said in his radio address last Saturday. “It has already brought insurance coverage to more than 77,000 Arkansans, with tens of thousands more soon to qualify. It has attracted younger people to our insurance exchange, a necessity to keep insurance affordable in the future. The anticipated influx of federal funds will save an estimated $89 million for our state in the next fiscal year.”
“If the private option fails,” Beebe warned, “many Arkansans will lose their health care and tough cuts will need to be decided for other state services, as well.”
The governor, along with Speaker Carter and Sen. Dismang, cannot let that happen. Let’s hope they can persuade their colleagues to do the right thing. The private option will provide coverage for those who need it and keep our hospitals open, so Joe Farrer can continue working as a physical therapist and will never have to turn away a patient without insurance.
The story is online at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/health/patients-costs-skyrocket-specialists-incomes-soar.html.
Since the Little Rock newspaper ran about half of the article, readers missed the comments at the end from a UAMS dermatologist who questioned the need for such an expensive procedure.
Professor Kim Little, who teaches history at UCA, underwent an expensive Mohs surgical procedure that ran the cost up to more than $26,000. The operation involved a dermatologist, an anesthesiologist and an ophthalmologist who is also a plastic surgeon.
The UAMS doctor told the reporter the Mohs procedure was unnecessary and the operation should have been done for much less.
But when you’re told you have a cancerous spot on you cheek, who’s going to do comparison shopping?
Although Professor Little has insurance, she has a huge deductible and wasn’t happy about paying several thousand dollars for the operation out of her own pocket. She finally negotiated her portion of the bill down to about $4,500, which should have been the cost of the entire procedure.
Multiply Professor Little’s experience by several million and you can see why we spend an astonishing $2.7 trillion a year on healthcare.
As medical bills keep rising, it appears the Arkansas Legislature, rather than addressing the problem of high health-care costs, is determined to defund the state’s short experiment with the so-called private option, which insures thousands of Arkansans with the help of federal subsidies at no cost to taxpayers.
The state legislature last year narrowly ap-proved the private option, which was crafted by Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy), House Speaker Davy Carter (R-Cabot) and others. It was a smart move that other states are emulating. The program is completely funded through Medicaid, which will cover all costs for the next several years and as much as 90 percent after that. Hundreds of millions of federal dollars will insure thousands of Arkansans. As a result, dozens of hospitals in our communities will stay open and will no longer have to write off billions of dollars in uncollected debt.
But legislators like Rep. Joe Farrer (R- Austin) hope to kill the private option, which will create a huge deficit in the state budget if they succeed. Thousands of Arkansans will lose their insurance and hospitals like North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville, where Farrer is a physical therapist, could close. North Metro, like almost every hospital in Arkansas, depends on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. If Farrer gets his way, those funds will go to poor states like West Virginia and Kentucky, where hundreds of thousands of people are being insured for the first time.
When you’re in the legislature, people like Farrer are eligible for government insurance, but for less fortunate Arkansans, the private option is critical. Unfortunately, a two-thirds majority is needed to reapprove funding for the private option. That’s a high hurdle as more Republicans are leaning against it. One key Democrat, Sen. Paul Bookout of Jonesboro, who supported the private option, has been replaced by a Republican following Bookout’s resignation for ethics violations.
“The Arkansas private option has become a national model for states seeking flexibility under the Affordable Care Act,” Gov. Mike Beebe said in his radio address last Saturday. “It has already brought insurance coverage to more than 77,000 Arkansans, with tens of thousands more soon to qualify. It has attracted younger people to our insurance exchange, a necessity to keep insurance affordable in the future. The anticipated influx of federal funds will save an estimated $89 million for our state in the next fiscal year.”
“If the private option fails,” Beebe warned, “many Arkansans will lose their health care and tough cuts will need to be decided for other state services, as well.”
The governor, along with Speaker Carter and Sen. Dismang, cannot let that happen. Let’s hope they can persuade their colleagues to do the right thing. The private option will provide coverage for those who need it and keep our hospitals open, so Joe Farrer can continue working as a physical therapist and will never have to turn away a patient without insurance.
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