By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Twenty-one area players from nine different schools were named to the Arkansas Activities Association all-state basketball rosters released Wednesday.
Local schools had 14 players named to the state all-tournament teams.
Sylvan Hills landed the most with four, including three from the 5A state runner-up Bears. Top national college recruit Archie Goodwin and junior classmates Dion Patton and Trey Smith all earned all-state honors.
Goodwin also made the 5A all-tournament team along with teammate Larry Ziegler, a junior forward.
Sylvan Hills coach Kevin Davis said it was something of a surprise to have as many all-state selections as he did.
“It really was,” Davis said. “I think the season that we had is probably a lot to attribute why we had three. But it did come up as a little bit of as surprise.”
Patton, a transfer from Little Rock Parkview, had experience playing with Goodwin on the Ron Crawford-coached Arkansas Wings AAU team, and meshed with the rest of the team quickly.
“I thought Dion was such a tenacious defender and having coached him this year, coaching for as long as I have, I think he is absolutely deserving from just a defensive standpoint,” Davis said. “I think that’s why he garnered so much respect from the other coaches from what he brings to the floor defensively.
“Early in the season his assist to turnover ratio was 8 to 1 and I’ve never heard of that, certainly not any team I’ve had.”
Goodwin, who has offers from over 40 major colleges including Kentucky and North Carolina, averaged over 28 points a game this season and earned numerous all-star and player-of-the-year honors.
“We knew Archie coming in was a pretty special young man,” Davis said taking stock of a season that featured a compressed schedule because of snow-related postponements. “Once all the dust settles, it’s such a fast and furious year winning the conference and we had the weather situation, it made everything go so fast and it is nice looking back at the season you had and what the kids accomplished.”
While Goodwin netted most of the headlines this past season, Smith quietly established himself as the Bears’ premier outside shooter.
“Trey, my shooting guard, was in double figures, I think, in 10 of our 14 conference games,” Davis said. “I thought, as coaches expressed to me, he was certainly a game changer. He shot the ball so deep and caused defenses to really have to extend.”
Not surprisingly, Davis is looking forward to the group returning this fall for their senior seasons along with post player Devin Pearson and Ziegler. The Bears went 14-0 through their 5A-Southeast Conference schedule on their way to a league title and state tournament run that ended with a loss to Alma in the championship game.
“I think the thing that’s most exciting is you see the biggest jump in kids from that junior to senior year,” Davis said. “We hope they come back really, really hungry because they were so devastated at the end.”
Ashley Johnson was the only all-state selection from the Lady Bears. Johnson, who was also named to the 5A all-tournament team and is The Leader girls Player of the Year, led Sylvan Hills to its third state tournament in coach Bee Rodden’s final season before her retirement at the year’s end.
Cabot senior Kai Davis was the only all-state selection for the Panthers, though classmate Darin Jones was named to the 7A state all-tournament team. The Panthers entered the 7A state tournament at Rogers Heritage High School as the No. 4 seed out of the 7A-Centeral Conference and fell to Fayetteville 53-41 in the first round.
Lady Panthers senior point guard Kaki Thomas and junior guard/forward Melissa Wolff were named all-state, and Wolff also made the 7A all-tournament team for her performances against Rogers and Fayetteville in the postseason.
The Lady Panthers finished runner-up to then-unbeaten North Little Rock in the 7A-Central Conference, which earned them a first-round bye. They defeated Rogers 39-37 in the second round before losing to eventual champion Fayetteville in the semifinals.
Ole Miss signee Jamal Jones was Searcy’s only boys all-state selection. Jones was also named to the 6A all-tournament team.
Searcy girls senior Elliot Scarbrough was on the all-state and all-tournament team lists.
Jacksonville senior Raheem Appleby and sophomore Justin McCleary earned all-state honors as guards for 6A the Red Devils, who reached the 6A state final and lost to Little Rock Parkview. Both players also made the 6A all-tournament team, and Appleby is Leader Boys Player of the Year.
Beebe senior guard Devonte Young and junior post player Dayton Scott were named all state, and Scott made the 5A all-tournament team. Lady Badgers sophomore guard Jamie Jackson was also selected for all state.
North Pulaski Junior guard Shyheim Barron and sophomore point guard Dayshawn Watkins were named all state, and Watkins was named to the 5A all-tournament team.
Lonoke senior guard Cara Neighbors was the school’s only all-state selection. Neighbors led the Lady ’Rabbits in scoring the past three seasons, and averaged 20.6 points and seven rebounds a game as a senior.
Harding Academy sophomore Will Francis and junior girls shooting guard Lynley Crowell are all-state choices and Lady Wildcats point guard Molly Koch was named to the 3A girls all-tournament team.
Riverview seniors Taylor Smith and D.J. Teague were named all-state, and teammate and point guard Keinan Lee was named to the 3A all-tournament team.
