FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas will utilize consultants from Korn Ferry to help vet those under consideration to become the next Razorbacks’ athletics director.
At this time Razorback Athletics is working with the executive search firm DHR International to assist with the ongoing search for a new head football coach.
Chancellor Joe Steinmetz met Tuesday with members of an advisory committee assembled to provide guidance throughout the search for an athletics director.
“The search for an athletics director is progressing quickly and there are a number of talented individuals we are considering,” Steinmetz said. “The input from the advisory committee has been invaluable. They truly represent the passion our state has for the Razorbacks and understand the importance of this position. The consultants will help us complete the evaluation process. We understand speed is of the essence and are working to name a new leader as quickly as possible.”
Korn Ferry, considered by many to be the nation’s top executive search firm, will be used on a consultative basis specifically for outreach, referencing and vetting final candidates for the athletics director position. Private funds will be used to pay for all of the costs associated with this service.
DHR International will work with interim Athletics Director Julie Cromer Peoples on the search for the Razorbacks’ 33rd head football coach.
“This past weekend we engaged with DHR International to work with us on our head football coach search,” Cromer Peoples said.
“DHR International has an excellent reputation in our business and has already provided tremendous assistance to us in this process. With the number of vacant coaching positions in our league and around the nation, it is important that we move forward expeditiously and efficiently in finding the next head football coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks.”
DHR International is one of the largest executive search firms in the world, operating one of the largest sports practices in the executive search industry.
The firm will be compensated with private funds from the Razorback Foundation Inc., a separate and self-supporting nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity, that serves as the fundraising arm of the University of Arkansas Athletic Department.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
SPORTS STORY >> Tennessee mayhem spares UA bad press
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Arkansas’ final defeat of a dismal season aside, as well as the unceremonious and rude way football coach Bret Bielema was fired, it was a very entertaining weekend for the casual sports fan.
On a regular cycle of sports news, Arkansas’ embarrassing treatment of Bielema would’ve made hours of coverage with the talking heads, but so much delicious irony, brazen hypocrisy and the felicitous announcing for a basketball tournament in “keep it weird” Portland took place, that Bielema’s press conference tears just couldn’t break the surface.
But since this is Arkansas, it’s only fitting to discuss that situation. The UA is fighting the clock. In a year when major program coaching vacancies seem to be at an all-time high, Arkansas has to hire an athletic director first, while other teams are able to make offers to qualified coaches. UCLA has already bagged the available Chip Kelly, and Florida stole Dan Mullen away from Mississippi State. Iowa State secured their coach, Matt Campbell, for the foreseeable future with a contract extension and big pay raises for him and his staff.
Meanwhile, the sports columnist for the Little Rock daily wants an AD stat, but definitely not the interim AD, Julie Cromer-Peoples, who he says led “as self-serving of a news conference as experienced in 38 years of writing columns about the Razorbacks.
Immediately after that statement, he wants you to know it’s not because she’s a woman, but self-defense when no offense has been launched is usually an indicator of, if not guilt, a guilty conscience.
The daily columnist also apparently has a laundry list of things besides coaching success that he thinks disqualifies certain candidates, but won’t openly say what they are.
He only makes veiled accusations like the athletic directory must, “quickly identify the pirates, playboys and politicians, then separate them from the coaches who are willing to work as hard at recruiting as Nick Saban.”
Never mind that Wally Hall harbors a palpable loathing for Nick Saban. He now wants Arkansas to hire a coach like him, and the list of non-coaching professions he finds unacceptable is strange.
Pirate is a clear reference to Mike Leach, who has a well-documented interest in the history of thieves on the high seas. We get no explanation why a hobby disqualifies a coach with an excellent track record of building up programs that are in shambles.
The other two references aren’t as clear, and since the columnist hadn’t the courage to say, we’re left to guess. Playboy was probably a reference to the rumor that Lane Kiffin was fired at Alabama for fooling around with Saban’s daughter.
In one sentence fragment, Wally calls for “someone who will call Alabama and find out the truth about why Lane Kiffin was fired…”
Why can’t the most popular, well-known and well-connected sports writer in Arkansas do that, or at least try to?
Furthermore, Why is that rumor more reason to dismiss Kiffin’s candidacy than the fact that he’s been a failure at three of his four head coaching jobs? I guess that is known only to the daily columnist. And so is whomever he was talking about as the “politician.”
What the animus boils down to is this. The UA administration didn’t want to fire Bielema or Jeff Long. The pressure came from some of the big money boosters and some of the state sports media played the role of their voice.
That got them cut from the loop of the decision process, and then that was rubbed in their faces at the Comer-Peoples press conference.
It’s all really very junior high school, but that’s what you get with people making a living off kids’ games.
TENNESSEE DEBACLE
Arkansas, however, has nothing on Tennessee when it comes to making a national embarrassment of itself. Wally Hall may have written a couple of incoherent columns eviscerating the interim AD and university chancellor, but no one outside of Arkansas knows about it.
Every football fan in America knows about the debacle the UT coaching search has become.
Popular internet sports blogger and raging UT fanatic Clay Travis led a mutiny against the athletic department when it became apparent that former Rutgers and Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano had been hired.
When the university suddenly reneged on the offer to Schiano, Travis took to his blog and to twitter to declare himself king of Tennessee, and went on a 16-minute rant about who he was going to “allow” UT to consider for its new head football coach.
Travis literally used the language that he was taking the UT AD “hostage”, and that if he wasn’t asked to be personally involved in the search, and if the next selection wasn’t from his personal short list of six candidates, he would wield his populist sword and lead another mutiny.
And Vols fans don’t even seem to mind. So crestfallen are they that they have yielded control of the program to a shallow egomaniac. Travis feigned moral outrage on the grounds that someone said they heard that Schiano knew, and did nothing, about Sandusky’s child abuse while at Penn State. That someone was none other than Mike McQueary, the one person who, without a doubt, witnessed Sandusky’s child abuse and did nothing.
The real hypocrisy comes from Travis’ short list, which included Bobby Petrino and Lane Kiffin. If sexual indecency is a disqualifier, then how do those two make the list?
Kiffin has the rumors floating around, but nothing substantiated against him. However, one of Travis’ reasons for wanting him is that he will bring with him Kendal Briles.
He is the son of and offensive coordinator for, former Baylor coach Art Briles, who lost his job, and by extension so did his son, for covering up the sexual assault epidemic within his own program.
UT is going to end up with its former quarterback Tee Martin as its new head coach because the place has become too toxic and dysfunctional for any reputable head coach. Martin may work out, too.
He’s been a pretty good offensive coordinator at Southern Cal, and he’s a beloved former Volunteer who led the team to its only national championship in the 90s.
WALTON BAD, BUT NOT FUNNY
On the lighter side of things, Bill Walton’s performance behind the mic at the PK80 basketball tournament was one for the annals of broadcasting lore. Walton was a force inside for UCLA and the Portland Trailblazers in the 70s, but was always a longhaired hippy at heart.
Arkansas fans grew weary of his ramblings, but he didn’t limit them to Razorback games. Fans of every team took to social media, and beat writers for every team wrote articles about Walton’s stream of consciousness musings throughout the one-time-only, Portland tournament in honor of Nike founder Phil Knight’s 80th birthday.
Among the best during Arkansas’s games was his recounting of all the nice riverside parks and bicycle trails in the Portland area. This went on for about five minutes, with his co-host seeming to egg it on. He also thought it important to say, every time backup Trey Thompson took the floor, that he was the best player on the floor.
At one point, Walton opined that Daniel Gafford makes him believe in evolution, and then never mentioned it again.
Listeners were on the edge of their seats waiting for that explanation, and it never came.
Some on social media wondered if Gafford looks like the missing link to Bill Walton?
Maybe Walton had the opposite in mind. Maybe Gafford, with his 6-foot-11 frame and incredible athleticism, makes Walton think Gafford represents the next step for human development – something like Nietzsche’s ubermensch.
Maybe Walton really had some serious doubts about the theory of evolution, and something about watching Gafford play basketball relieved him of those doubts, and only he knows why. It will just remain a mystery.
Another good Walton run came during the tournament championship between notU-NC (as in not a university because it doesn’t require its athletes to take classes, and the NCAA said it’s ok) and Michigan State. Walton decided to let everyone know that MSU superstar Miles Bridges is not related to the Hollywood Bridges Lloyd, Jeff and Bo, or the Golden Gate Bridge.
He them moves right into his love of bridges, not the player or the actors, but the architectural structures, because “It’s really the ultimate tool, because it allows you to get some place you can’t get on your own.”
That leads Walton into another five or six minute tangent on the 12 bridges between Willamette Falls and the St. John’s Bridge, which he rode a bicycle across the day before.
Finally, he remembered there was a basketball game going on in front of him, and one of the teams was Michigan State. That reminded him of the 1966 Rose Bowl, when MSU played his alma mater UCLA. So he asked his co-host, Roxy Bernstein, who was born in 1972, if he remembered that game.
Leader sports editor
Arkansas’ final defeat of a dismal season aside, as well as the unceremonious and rude way football coach Bret Bielema was fired, it was a very entertaining weekend for the casual sports fan.
On a regular cycle of sports news, Arkansas’ embarrassing treatment of Bielema would’ve made hours of coverage with the talking heads, but so much delicious irony, brazen hypocrisy and the felicitous announcing for a basketball tournament in “keep it weird” Portland took place, that Bielema’s press conference tears just couldn’t break the surface.
But since this is Arkansas, it’s only fitting to discuss that situation. The UA is fighting the clock. In a year when major program coaching vacancies seem to be at an all-time high, Arkansas has to hire an athletic director first, while other teams are able to make offers to qualified coaches. UCLA has already bagged the available Chip Kelly, and Florida stole Dan Mullen away from Mississippi State. Iowa State secured their coach, Matt Campbell, for the foreseeable future with a contract extension and big pay raises for him and his staff.
Meanwhile, the sports columnist for the Little Rock daily wants an AD stat, but definitely not the interim AD, Julie Cromer-Peoples, who he says led “as self-serving of a news conference as experienced in 38 years of writing columns about the Razorbacks.
Immediately after that statement, he wants you to know it’s not because she’s a woman, but self-defense when no offense has been launched is usually an indicator of, if not guilt, a guilty conscience.
The daily columnist also apparently has a laundry list of things besides coaching success that he thinks disqualifies certain candidates, but won’t openly say what they are.
He only makes veiled accusations like the athletic directory must, “quickly identify the pirates, playboys and politicians, then separate them from the coaches who are willing to work as hard at recruiting as Nick Saban.”
Never mind that Wally Hall harbors a palpable loathing for Nick Saban. He now wants Arkansas to hire a coach like him, and the list of non-coaching professions he finds unacceptable is strange.
Pirate is a clear reference to Mike Leach, who has a well-documented interest in the history of thieves on the high seas. We get no explanation why a hobby disqualifies a coach with an excellent track record of building up programs that are in shambles.
The other two references aren’t as clear, and since the columnist hadn’t the courage to say, we’re left to guess. Playboy was probably a reference to the rumor that Lane Kiffin was fired at Alabama for fooling around with Saban’s daughter.
In one sentence fragment, Wally calls for “someone who will call Alabama and find out the truth about why Lane Kiffin was fired…”
Why can’t the most popular, well-known and well-connected sports writer in Arkansas do that, or at least try to?
Furthermore, Why is that rumor more reason to dismiss Kiffin’s candidacy than the fact that he’s been a failure at three of his four head coaching jobs? I guess that is known only to the daily columnist. And so is whomever he was talking about as the “politician.”
What the animus boils down to is this. The UA administration didn’t want to fire Bielema or Jeff Long. The pressure came from some of the big money boosters and some of the state sports media played the role of their voice.
That got them cut from the loop of the decision process, and then that was rubbed in their faces at the Comer-Peoples press conference.
It’s all really very junior high school, but that’s what you get with people making a living off kids’ games.
TENNESSEE DEBACLE
Arkansas, however, has nothing on Tennessee when it comes to making a national embarrassment of itself. Wally Hall may have written a couple of incoherent columns eviscerating the interim AD and university chancellor, but no one outside of Arkansas knows about it.
Every football fan in America knows about the debacle the UT coaching search has become.
Popular internet sports blogger and raging UT fanatic Clay Travis led a mutiny against the athletic department when it became apparent that former Rutgers and Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano had been hired.
When the university suddenly reneged on the offer to Schiano, Travis took to his blog and to twitter to declare himself king of Tennessee, and went on a 16-minute rant about who he was going to “allow” UT to consider for its new head football coach.
Travis literally used the language that he was taking the UT AD “hostage”, and that if he wasn’t asked to be personally involved in the search, and if the next selection wasn’t from his personal short list of six candidates, he would wield his populist sword and lead another mutiny.
And Vols fans don’t even seem to mind. So crestfallen are they that they have yielded control of the program to a shallow egomaniac. Travis feigned moral outrage on the grounds that someone said they heard that Schiano knew, and did nothing, about Sandusky’s child abuse while at Penn State. That someone was none other than Mike McQueary, the one person who, without a doubt, witnessed Sandusky’s child abuse and did nothing.
The real hypocrisy comes from Travis’ short list, which included Bobby Petrino and Lane Kiffin. If sexual indecency is a disqualifier, then how do those two make the list?
Kiffin has the rumors floating around, but nothing substantiated against him. However, one of Travis’ reasons for wanting him is that he will bring with him Kendal Briles.
He is the son of and offensive coordinator for, former Baylor coach Art Briles, who lost his job, and by extension so did his son, for covering up the sexual assault epidemic within his own program.
UT is going to end up with its former quarterback Tee Martin as its new head coach because the place has become too toxic and dysfunctional for any reputable head coach. Martin may work out, too.
He’s been a pretty good offensive coordinator at Southern Cal, and he’s a beloved former Volunteer who led the team to its only national championship in the 90s.
WALTON BAD, BUT NOT FUNNY
On the lighter side of things, Bill Walton’s performance behind the mic at the PK80 basketball tournament was one for the annals of broadcasting lore. Walton was a force inside for UCLA and the Portland Trailblazers in the 70s, but was always a longhaired hippy at heart.
Arkansas fans grew weary of his ramblings, but he didn’t limit them to Razorback games. Fans of every team took to social media, and beat writers for every team wrote articles about Walton’s stream of consciousness musings throughout the one-time-only, Portland tournament in honor of Nike founder Phil Knight’s 80th birthday.
Among the best during Arkansas’s games was his recounting of all the nice riverside parks and bicycle trails in the Portland area. This went on for about five minutes, with his co-host seeming to egg it on. He also thought it important to say, every time backup Trey Thompson took the floor, that he was the best player on the floor.
At one point, Walton opined that Daniel Gafford makes him believe in evolution, and then never mentioned it again.
Listeners were on the edge of their seats waiting for that explanation, and it never came.
Some on social media wondered if Gafford looks like the missing link to Bill Walton?
Maybe Walton had the opposite in mind. Maybe Gafford, with his 6-foot-11 frame and incredible athleticism, makes Walton think Gafford represents the next step for human development – something like Nietzsche’s ubermensch.
Maybe Walton really had some serious doubts about the theory of evolution, and something about watching Gafford play basketball relieved him of those doubts, and only he knows why. It will just remain a mystery.
Another good Walton run came during the tournament championship between notU-NC (as in not a university because it doesn’t require its athletes to take classes, and the NCAA said it’s ok) and Michigan State. Walton decided to let everyone know that MSU superstar Miles Bridges is not related to the Hollywood Bridges Lloyd, Jeff and Bo, or the Golden Gate Bridge.
He them moves right into his love of bridges, not the player or the actors, but the architectural structures, because “It’s really the ultimate tool, because it allows you to get some place you can’t get on your own.”
That leads Walton into another five or six minute tangent on the 12 bridges between Willamette Falls and the St. John’s Bridge, which he rode a bicycle across the day before.
Finally, he remembered there was a basketball game going on in front of him, and one of the teams was Michigan State. That reminded him of the 1966 Rose Bowl, when MSU played his alma mater UCLA. So he asked his co-host, Roxy Bernstein, who was born in 1972, if he remembered that game.
SPORTS STORY >> Lighthouse drops two at LRCA
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter Wolves boys basketball team played Friday and Saturday in the 2017 LRCA Warrior Classic. The Wolves (5-4) played the host team, the Little Rock Christian Academy Warriors in Saturday’s finale and went down in defeat by a score of 75-55. The first and third periods were close, but the Warriors outscored Lighthouse by a total of 15 points in the other two quarters to set the margin of victory.
The Wolves had lost Fridays contest 64-50 to the eStem Mets. Devonte Davis had 26 points to lead Jacksonville Lighthouse in that game.
“Today, we played very well,” Lighthouse coach Kelvin Parker said Saturday.
“Yesterday, I was a little disappointed, but we came out and played a lot better team ball. In the beginning, we were fighting an uphill battle, you know, playing a 5A school, when we’re a 2A school. But, that’s what I brought us over here for. That’s to get that experience, to play tougher teams, to get us ready for conference play. That’s what nonconference is all about, getting us ready for conference and regionals and state. We came out, and we fought, and we weren’t scared at all.”
Lighthouse took an early 4-0 lead on baskets by Jason Bobo and Eric Miles. After a score by the Warriors, Miles added a free throw for the 5-2 advantage, but that was the last lead the Wolves would see. Little Rock Christian began sinking 3-point baskets, one by Justice Hill and three for Will Strickland, and took a 16-6 advantage. Bobo answered with two threes, one to close out the first frame at 18-14.
Davis brought Lighthouse to within two to start quarter number two, but the Warriors responded with seven points. Davis scored again, this time a 3-pointer, but Luke Grawer hit threes on three consecutive trips down the floor for LRCA to set the score at 39-27 at the halftime break.
The third period saw both teams at the free throw line frequently as fouls were abundant. The Wolves went to the stripe 11 times and sank eight, while Christian was 4 of 7. Cortez Finley led the Warriors in points for the quarter with nine, while Davis had 12 for Jacksonville Lighthouse, half of those from the line. LRCA only scored one more point than the Wolves in the frame, and the score at the end of three was 58-45.
The Warriors scored the first eight points in the final frame. Lighthouse did not score until 3:12 remained on the game clock. Davis had six more points, and Bobo a two under the basket. Little Rock Christian also scored the final four points to set the final at 75-55.
Davis again led Lighthouse in scoring with 23 points. Grawer led the Warriors with 19.
The Wolves were 18 of 24 from the free throw stripe, while LRCA was only 12 of 25.
The Warriors won the rebounding battle by three, and Jacksonville Lighthouse had eight turnovers to seven for Little Rock Christian. One turnover by the Wolves, however, was on an inbounds pass and resulted directly in a 3-point bucket by Hill.
Jacksonville Lighthouse will play Thursday through Saturday in the Hurricane Classic in Jonesboro.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter Wolves boys basketball team played Friday and Saturday in the 2017 LRCA Warrior Classic. The Wolves (5-4) played the host team, the Little Rock Christian Academy Warriors in Saturday’s finale and went down in defeat by a score of 75-55. The first and third periods were close, but the Warriors outscored Lighthouse by a total of 15 points in the other two quarters to set the margin of victory.
The Wolves had lost Fridays contest 64-50 to the eStem Mets. Devonte Davis had 26 points to lead Jacksonville Lighthouse in that game.
“Today, we played very well,” Lighthouse coach Kelvin Parker said Saturday.
“Yesterday, I was a little disappointed, but we came out and played a lot better team ball. In the beginning, we were fighting an uphill battle, you know, playing a 5A school, when we’re a 2A school. But, that’s what I brought us over here for. That’s to get that experience, to play tougher teams, to get us ready for conference play. That’s what nonconference is all about, getting us ready for conference and regionals and state. We came out, and we fought, and we weren’t scared at all.”
Lighthouse took an early 4-0 lead on baskets by Jason Bobo and Eric Miles. After a score by the Warriors, Miles added a free throw for the 5-2 advantage, but that was the last lead the Wolves would see. Little Rock Christian began sinking 3-point baskets, one by Justice Hill and three for Will Strickland, and took a 16-6 advantage. Bobo answered with two threes, one to close out the first frame at 18-14.
Davis brought Lighthouse to within two to start quarter number two, but the Warriors responded with seven points. Davis scored again, this time a 3-pointer, but Luke Grawer hit threes on three consecutive trips down the floor for LRCA to set the score at 39-27 at the halftime break.
The third period saw both teams at the free throw line frequently as fouls were abundant. The Wolves went to the stripe 11 times and sank eight, while Christian was 4 of 7. Cortez Finley led the Warriors in points for the quarter with nine, while Davis had 12 for Jacksonville Lighthouse, half of those from the line. LRCA only scored one more point than the Wolves in the frame, and the score at the end of three was 58-45.
The Warriors scored the first eight points in the final frame. Lighthouse did not score until 3:12 remained on the game clock. Davis had six more points, and Bobo a two under the basket. Little Rock Christian also scored the final four points to set the final at 75-55.
Davis again led Lighthouse in scoring with 23 points. Grawer led the Warriors with 19.
The Wolves were 18 of 24 from the free throw stripe, while LRCA was only 12 of 25.
The Warriors won the rebounding battle by three, and Jacksonville Lighthouse had eight turnovers to seven for Little Rock Christian. One turnover by the Wolves, however, was on an inbounds pass and resulted directly in a 3-point bucket by Hill.
Jacksonville Lighthouse will play Thursday through Saturday in the Hurricane Classic in Jonesboro.
EDITORIAL >> Ways to help for Christmas
Christmastime is here.
Trees and decorations are popping up, the first of several Christmas parades will be held this weekend, the holiday shopping frenzy has begun, and friends and families are making plans to celebrate together.
Also happening right now are several annual fundraisers and toy collection drives by civic groups and dedicated volunteers who work hard to ensure less fortunate children and families have a Merry Christmas.
The deadline to contribute to the Jacksonville Rotary and Sertoma clubs annual Civics for Kids Christmas drive is Thursday.
Jacksonville school board member Ron McDaniel, who is leading the fundraiser, is asking people to call him to make a donation at 501-590-0183.
The money will be used to provide Christmas presents to Jacksonville elementary students in pre-K through fifth-grade who attend Homer Adkins, Dupree, Tolleson, Taylor, Bayou Meto, Pinewood, Lighthouse Charter School and the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
Organizers of the Cabot School District’s Christmas for Kids toy drive are asking the public to donate new toys or make monetary donations through Dec. 17 to help buy new toys so that local kids can have a happy Christmas.
There are boxes at all Cabot schools to drop off toys now through Dec. 19.
Toys can also be dropped off at Centennial Bank, Fred’s, Dixie Café and Dollar General in Cabot and Ward.
To sponsor a family or to bring a family in need to the attention of Christmas for Kids, call Terena Woodruff at 501-843-3363, ext. 1029.
Checks can be mailed to Christmas for Kids, care of Bill Holden, 100 Gunsmoke Drive, Austin, Ark. 72007.
Families who need assistance this year with food or toys, are asked to visit goo.gl/PCw8k1. Recipients must live in the Cabot School District area to be eligible.
To arrange for donated toys to be picked up, call Bill Holden or Rita Stewart at 501-743-3560 or call Shelley Montoya at 501-286-8912.
The Lonoke County Christmas Coalition is collecting monetary donations to provide toys and food for 98 families in need with about 350 children.
The group asks checks be sent to Lonoke County Christmas Coalition, P.O. Box 534, Lonoke, Ark. 72086 or hand delivered to Debbie Atkins at the Lonoke Banking Center.
To sponsor a child, call Atkins at 501-676-5400 or Beth Wright at 501-676-3106 or Michelle Knox at 501-676-3113, ext. 109.
There are many other ways to help people in need this holiday season. These annual charities have been held for many years. Their organizers should be praised for their volunteer work that’s helped improve the lives of thousands of children and families in the area. They exemplify the spirit of Christmas. Our community is stronger and made more meaningful because of them.
Happy holidays to all the good folks who make this season special for others.
Trees and decorations are popping up, the first of several Christmas parades will be held this weekend, the holiday shopping frenzy has begun, and friends and families are making plans to celebrate together.
Also happening right now are several annual fundraisers and toy collection drives by civic groups and dedicated volunteers who work hard to ensure less fortunate children and families have a Merry Christmas.
The deadline to contribute to the Jacksonville Rotary and Sertoma clubs annual Civics for Kids Christmas drive is Thursday.
Jacksonville school board member Ron McDaniel, who is leading the fundraiser, is asking people to call him to make a donation at 501-590-0183.
The money will be used to provide Christmas presents to Jacksonville elementary students in pre-K through fifth-grade who attend Homer Adkins, Dupree, Tolleson, Taylor, Bayou Meto, Pinewood, Lighthouse Charter School and the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
Organizers of the Cabot School District’s Christmas for Kids toy drive are asking the public to donate new toys or make monetary donations through Dec. 17 to help buy new toys so that local kids can have a happy Christmas.
There are boxes at all Cabot schools to drop off toys now through Dec. 19.
Toys can also be dropped off at Centennial Bank, Fred’s, Dixie Café and Dollar General in Cabot and Ward.
To sponsor a family or to bring a family in need to the attention of Christmas for Kids, call Terena Woodruff at 501-843-3363, ext. 1029.
Checks can be mailed to Christmas for Kids, care of Bill Holden, 100 Gunsmoke Drive, Austin, Ark. 72007.
Families who need assistance this year with food or toys, are asked to visit goo.gl/PCw8k1. Recipients must live in the Cabot School District area to be eligible.
To arrange for donated toys to be picked up, call Bill Holden or Rita Stewart at 501-743-3560 or call Shelley Montoya at 501-286-8912.
The Lonoke County Christmas Coalition is collecting monetary donations to provide toys and food for 98 families in need with about 350 children.
The group asks checks be sent to Lonoke County Christmas Coalition, P.O. Box 534, Lonoke, Ark. 72086 or hand delivered to Debbie Atkins at the Lonoke Banking Center.
To sponsor a child, call Atkins at 501-676-5400 or Beth Wright at 501-676-3106 or Michelle Knox at 501-676-3113, ext. 109.
There are many other ways to help people in need this holiday season. These annual charities have been held for many years. Their organizers should be praised for their volunteer work that’s helped improve the lives of thousands of children and families in the area. They exemplify the spirit of Christmas. Our community is stronger and made more meaningful because of them.
Happy holidays to all the good folks who make this season special for others.
TOP STORY >> Drought triggers burn bans here
Pulaski, Lonoke and White counties, along with 26 other counties in Arkansas, are under burn bans.
About half the state has severe drought conditions, and the other half is in moderate drought or is abnormally dry, according to the National Weather Service.
As a result, wildfires have been a persistent problem this month. The Arkansas Forestry Commission announced Monday that 196 wildfires burned more than 3,106 acres in November with 1,805 acres burned over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
That data only includes fires on private land and not public lands like state and national parks and forests, where several fires are also raging.
Smoke from fires in national forests in Perry and Johnson counties could drift into the central Arkansas area today and Thursday.
“Current drought conditions and weather forecasts for low humidity and gusty winds create elevated wildfire danger across Arkansas through this week,” according to the Forestry Commission’s statement.
The following counties are also under burn bans: Ashley, Bradley, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Conway, Drew, Faulkner, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Independence, Jefferson, Madison, Montgomery, Ouachita, Perry, Polk, Saline, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren and Yell.
So far this year, 1,288 wildfires having burned 22,849 acres across Arkansas. In 2012, one of the worst years for wildfires, there were 2,148 wildfires, which burned 34,434 acres.
Residents are asked to report wildfires by calling 1-800-468-8834.
About half the state has severe drought conditions, and the other half is in moderate drought or is abnormally dry, according to the National Weather Service.
As a result, wildfires have been a persistent problem this month. The Arkansas Forestry Commission announced Monday that 196 wildfires burned more than 3,106 acres in November with 1,805 acres burned over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
That data only includes fires on private land and not public lands like state and national parks and forests, where several fires are also raging.
Smoke from fires in national forests in Perry and Johnson counties could drift into the central Arkansas area today and Thursday.
“Current drought conditions and weather forecasts for low humidity and gusty winds create elevated wildfire danger across Arkansas through this week,” according to the Forestry Commission’s statement.
The following counties are also under burn bans: Ashley, Bradley, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Conway, Drew, Faulkner, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Independence, Jefferson, Madison, Montgomery, Ouachita, Perry, Polk, Saline, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren and Yell.
So far this year, 1,288 wildfires having burned 22,849 acres across Arkansas. In 2012, one of the worst years for wildfires, there were 2,148 wildfires, which burned 34,434 acres.
Residents are asked to report wildfires by calling 1-800-468-8834.
TOP STORY >> Christmas parades this weekend
Area communities have scheduled their Christmas parades.
SHERWOOD
Sherwood’s Christmas parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday. The theme is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Ron Duran will be the grand marshal. The parade will start at Kiehl Avenue and Lantrip Road and continue west down Kiehl. It will end at Oakbrooke Drive.
For more information, or to request an entry form, call 501-835-9599 or email sherwoodparade@sherwoodparks.com. The city’s Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Parks and Recreation Department sponsor the event.
BEEBE
The Beebe Christmas parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday. This year’s theme is “Salute to our Armed Forces.”
The parade will take a new route this year, starting at Walmart and ending at ASU-Beebe’s parking lot by the Owens Student Center.
Lineup will begin at 4 p.m. in the Walmart parking lot. Judging will be held at 5 p.m. The parade will There is no entry fee required.
For more information, call at 501-882-2600.
LONOKE
The Lonoke Chamber of Commerce and the Wade Knox Children’s Advocacy Center will hold their second annual Lonoke Christmas parade at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The theme is “Christmas and Candy Canes.”
Entry fee is $10 for a vehicle and $20 for floats. No animals or four-wheelers allowed in the parade. The route starts at the across from the Lonoke County fairgrounds at Third Street and Hwy. 89, turning left onto Center Street at the Courthouse and then left onto Holly Street ending behind the Gina Cox Center.
The parade coincides with the 34th annual Merry Thanks Christmas shopping event from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Window Wonderland window dressing business competition will be judged at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Entry fee is $10.
Get Your Lights On! Christmas Light Battle, a new residential competition will be judged at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Entry fee is $10.
For more information, call the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center at 501-676-2552 or visit www.wadeknoxcenter.org for entry forms, rules and maps.
JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville Parks and Recreation will host the 60th annual Christmas parade at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The night parade features illuminated floats, Santa and parade favorites: marching bands, floats, dance groups and the fire department. The parade starts at the corner of Sharp and Main streets and ends at First United Methodist Church on West Main Street. Admission is free.
Entry forms are available on the park’s website, www.cityofjacksonville.net. Entry fee is $25. Awards will be given in several categories.
For more information, call 501-982-4171 or visit www.cityofjacksonville.net.
WARD
Ward’s Christmas parade will be 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. It will start at Markham Street and Second Street follow along Hwy. 367, turning at Dollar General and come up Hickory Street to city hall.
A Christmas tree lighting will follow with cookies and refreshments served.
Entry fee for floats is $5. There will be awards for the top three floats. Entry forms are available at the city hall reception desk. Deadline is Friday, Dec. 8. For more information, call parks director Karen Dawson 501-843-7686.
CABOT
Cabot’s parade will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. The theme is “A Hollywood-Movies Christmas!”
Participants are asked to select an idea or image that best represents their favorite memory or interpretation of the theme and use it to design their float.
Several marching bands, clowns, veterans groups, Santa Claus and more are set to participate. The parade committee wants businesses and community, church and civic groups to place an entry in the parade. Trophies will be awarded in the five categories of competition: School/civic, church, business, animal/equestrian and general/personal.
Entry forms, parade rules and route maps are available at the Veterans Park Community Center, the Cabot Chamber of Commerce office and online at www.cabotparks.com. The deadline to register is Dec. 4.
Completed forms and a $10 entry fee should be sent to Cabot Christmas Parade P.O. Box 1101 Cabot, Ark. 72023.
The parade will travel South Pine Street/Hwy. 89 beginning at Panther Trail and continue north past Knights Shopping Center and will then turn left on Pond Street and end at Central Elementary School, which is the same route used for the homecoming parade.
The awards-presentation ceremony will be immediately after the parade at the Consolidated Administrative Services parking lot across the street from Knight’s, which is where the judges’ stage will also be located.
For more information, call 501-920-2122 or e-mail cabotbeautiful@yahoo.com.
SHERWOOD
Sherwood’s Christmas parade will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday. The theme is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Ron Duran will be the grand marshal. The parade will start at Kiehl Avenue and Lantrip Road and continue west down Kiehl. It will end at Oakbrooke Drive.
For more information, or to request an entry form, call 501-835-9599 or email sherwoodparade@sherwoodparks.com. The city’s Advertising and Promotion Commission and the Parks and Recreation Department sponsor the event.
BEEBE
The Beebe Christmas parade is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday. This year’s theme is “Salute to our Armed Forces.”
The parade will take a new route this year, starting at Walmart and ending at ASU-Beebe’s parking lot by the Owens Student Center.
Lineup will begin at 4 p.m. in the Walmart parking lot. Judging will be held at 5 p.m. The parade will There is no entry fee required.
For more information, call at 501-882-2600.
LONOKE
The Lonoke Chamber of Commerce and the Wade Knox Children’s Advocacy Center will hold their second annual Lonoke Christmas parade at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The theme is “Christmas and Candy Canes.”
Entry fee is $10 for a vehicle and $20 for floats. No animals or four-wheelers allowed in the parade. The route starts at the across from the Lonoke County fairgrounds at Third Street and Hwy. 89, turning left onto Center Street at the Courthouse and then left onto Holly Street ending behind the Gina Cox Center.
The parade coincides with the 34th annual Merry Thanks Christmas shopping event from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Window Wonderland window dressing business competition will be judged at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. Entry fee is $10.
Get Your Lights On! Christmas Light Battle, a new residential competition will be judged at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Entry fee is $10.
For more information, call the Wade Knox Child Advocacy Center at 501-676-2552 or visit www.wadeknoxcenter.org for entry forms, rules and maps.
JACKSONVILLE
Jacksonville Parks and Recreation will host the 60th annual Christmas parade at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The night parade features illuminated floats, Santa and parade favorites: marching bands, floats, dance groups and the fire department. The parade starts at the corner of Sharp and Main streets and ends at First United Methodist Church on West Main Street. Admission is free.
Entry forms are available on the park’s website, www.cityofjacksonville.net. Entry fee is $25. Awards will be given in several categories.
For more information, call 501-982-4171 or visit www.cityofjacksonville.net.
WARD
Ward’s Christmas parade will be 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. It will start at Markham Street and Second Street follow along Hwy. 367, turning at Dollar General and come up Hickory Street to city hall.
A Christmas tree lighting will follow with cookies and refreshments served.
Entry fee for floats is $5. There will be awards for the top three floats. Entry forms are available at the city hall reception desk. Deadline is Friday, Dec. 8. For more information, call parks director Karen Dawson 501-843-7686.
CABOT
Cabot’s parade will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. The theme is “A Hollywood-Movies Christmas!”
Participants are asked to select an idea or image that best represents their favorite memory or interpretation of the theme and use it to design their float.
Several marching bands, clowns, veterans groups, Santa Claus and more are set to participate. The parade committee wants businesses and community, church and civic groups to place an entry in the parade. Trophies will be awarded in the five categories of competition: School/civic, church, business, animal/equestrian and general/personal.
Entry forms, parade rules and route maps are available at the Veterans Park Community Center, the Cabot Chamber of Commerce office and online at www.cabotparks.com. The deadline to register is Dec. 4.
Completed forms and a $10 entry fee should be sent to Cabot Christmas Parade P.O. Box 1101 Cabot, Ark. 72023.
The parade will travel South Pine Street/Hwy. 89 beginning at Panther Trail and continue north past Knights Shopping Center and will then turn left on Pond Street and end at Central Elementary School, which is the same route used for the homecoming parade.
The awards-presentation ceremony will be immediately after the parade at the Consolidated Administrative Services parking lot across the street from Knight’s, which is where the judges’ stage will also be located.
For more information, call 501-920-2122 or e-mail cabotbeautiful@yahoo.com.
TOP STORY >> Senate race gets more crowded
By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Ricky Hill, executive vice president of Bank of Ozarks branches in Cabot and Lonoke and a former Cabot School Board member, said he will run as a Republican for the vacant Dist. 29 state Senate seat in the special primary to be held Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Hill will face James Coy in the Republican primary. Coy is also a former Cabot School Board member, although they served at different times.
State Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) resigned from the seat earlier this month when he was sworn in to the Southern States Energy Board as a full-time representative.
Dist. 29 includes Cabot, parts of northwestern Lonoke County, Vilonia and parts of Faulkner County, parts of northern Pulaski County adjacent to Little Rock Air Force Base and parts of White County.
Hill has been a banker for 17 years, with seven at the Bank of the Ozarks and 10 at First Security Bank. Before becoming a banker, he was general manager of Farmers Co-Op in Cabot, Searcy and Ward for 10 years.
Hill served on the Cabot School Board, one term from 2012 to 2017, where he was president for the past year.
“As a state senator, I will work to bring decency and common sense back to our political process. I will use my experiences to advance Arkansas’ future through improved education, support of our state’s agriculture and investing in the infrastructure needed to spur job growth,” Hill said.
Hill is lifelong Lonoke County resident and a 1986 Cabot High School graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business and a master’s degree in economics from Arkansas State University.
Hill and his wife, Cynthia, have been married for 26 years. They have two children, a son, Grant, who is a 2013 Cabot High School graduate, and a daughter, Julie, a 2017 Cabot High School graduate.
The Hills live on a farm off Sandhill Road, where they raise cattle and horses and grow hay. Cynthia manages their rental properties in Cabot. They have a row crop farm south of Lonoke. The Hills are members of Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
“I am running because I love to work with people and love to give back to my community. I am compassionate about issues pertaining to agriculture, education, the highway system and veterans affairs. We have to take care of current and former military members,” Hill said.
“We’ve got to find a way – the people want – to pay for our highway system improvements. We are falling apart, and we have to get them fixed, because it has an economic impact on the state. Businesses don’t want to come to your area if you have bad roads,” Hill said.
“We’ve got to take care of our military personnel and make sure we do whatever possible to keep the Air Force Base. It has a drastic economic impact on this area. We do a great job with what we have with it, and the base shows great appreciation,” Hill said.
He said his financial understanding and being on the school board will be an asset working with budgets, income and expenses with the state.
Hill said there is a need for more workforce and skills training in high school.
“We are fortunate to have great school districts in Dist. 29, and I believe including these programs will add to the quality education our children are already receiving,” he said.
Hill is a prior board member of Cabot Chamber of Commerce, Lonoke Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, Keep the Faith Foundation and a member of the Cabot Panther Foundation.
He is a member of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council, Cabot Rotary Club, the NRA and Ducks Unlimited.
Leader staff writer
Ricky Hill, executive vice president of Bank of Ozarks branches in Cabot and Lonoke and a former Cabot School Board member, said he will run as a Republican for the vacant Dist. 29 state Senate seat in the special primary to be held Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Hill will face James Coy in the Republican primary. Coy is also a former Cabot School Board member, although they served at different times.
State Sen. Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot) resigned from the seat earlier this month when he was sworn in to the Southern States Energy Board as a full-time representative.
Dist. 29 includes Cabot, parts of northwestern Lonoke County, Vilonia and parts of Faulkner County, parts of northern Pulaski County adjacent to Little Rock Air Force Base and parts of White County.
Hill has been a banker for 17 years, with seven at the Bank of the Ozarks and 10 at First Security Bank. Before becoming a banker, he was general manager of Farmers Co-Op in Cabot, Searcy and Ward for 10 years.
Hill served on the Cabot School Board, one term from 2012 to 2017, where he was president for the past year.
“As a state senator, I will work to bring decency and common sense back to our political process. I will use my experiences to advance Arkansas’ future through improved education, support of our state’s agriculture and investing in the infrastructure needed to spur job growth,” Hill said.
Hill is lifelong Lonoke County resident and a 1986 Cabot High School graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business and a master’s degree in economics from Arkansas State University.
Hill and his wife, Cynthia, have been married for 26 years. They have two children, a son, Grant, who is a 2013 Cabot High School graduate, and a daughter, Julie, a 2017 Cabot High School graduate.
The Hills live on a farm off Sandhill Road, where they raise cattle and horses and grow hay. Cynthia manages their rental properties in Cabot. They have a row crop farm south of Lonoke. The Hills are members of Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
“I am running because I love to work with people and love to give back to my community. I am compassionate about issues pertaining to agriculture, education, the highway system and veterans affairs. We have to take care of current and former military members,” Hill said.
“We’ve got to find a way – the people want – to pay for our highway system improvements. We are falling apart, and we have to get them fixed, because it has an economic impact on the state. Businesses don’t want to come to your area if you have bad roads,” Hill said.
“We’ve got to take care of our military personnel and make sure we do whatever possible to keep the Air Force Base. It has a drastic economic impact on this area. We do a great job with what we have with it, and the base shows great appreciation,” Hill said.
He said his financial understanding and being on the school board will be an asset working with budgets, income and expenses with the state.
Hill said there is a need for more workforce and skills training in high school.
“We are fortunate to have great school districts in Dist. 29, and I believe including these programs will add to the quality education our children are already receiving,” he said.
Hill is a prior board member of Cabot Chamber of Commerce, Lonoke Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, Keep the Faith Foundation and a member of the Cabot Panther Foundation.
He is a member of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council, Cabot Rotary Club, the NRA and Ducks Unlimited.
Friday, November 24, 2017
SPORTS STORY >> Lonoke ladies rally past Cyclones
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits had a good pair of games before heading into the Thanksgiving Day break, while the Lonoke boys didn’t. The two teams went to Russellville for a nonconference affair on Monday, and then came back home for their respective home openers in a conference matchup with Joe T. Robinson.
The Lonoke girls won both games, coming from behind to beat Russellville 59-52, and then hammering Robinson 56-22 on Tuesday.
The boys lost Monday and Tuesday to fall to 0-3 on the season.
For the Lady Jackrabbits, Monday’s game didn’t start well. Lonoke missed their first seven shots, and didn’t score until halfway through the first quarter. By then the Lady Cyclones held a 9-0 lead. After Lonoke’s first bucket, Russellville scored the next five. A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Zee McCallister gave the home team a 14-2 lead going into the second period.
“We were getting shots, we just weren’t making anything,” said Lonoke coach Heath Swiney. “The other thing was, defensively we weren’t rebounding. I think the rebounding totals ended up fairly even, but a whole lot of theirs were offensive, and you can’t give up that many second-chance points.”
Both teams dealt with foul trouble, with 50 fouls being called during the game. The trouble for both teams cameon the inside. Lonoke post Hannah Moseley and Russellville post Anna Myers both had three fouls by the six minute mark of the second quarter.
Lonoke opened the period with a 6-2 run, and every point was on free throws. The Lady Jackrabbits then began a halfcourt press, and forced a backcourt violation. That set up a 3-pointer by Mia Brown that pulled Lonoke to within five points. Keiunna Walker then got a steal and a layup to make it 16-13 with 5:45 left in the second period, but Lonoke would get no closer until the second half.
The Lady Cyclones regrouped and took a 25-20 lead into to the locker room, but the third period belonged to the visiting team.
Mickenzie Williams started the second half with a short baseline jumper. She then got a steal and dished to Walker for a 3-pointer that tied the game with 6:16 on the clock.
Lonoke continued to get steals and force turnovers, but Myers was effective when Russellville handled the press and kept the game close.
Walker got a steal and was fouled with two minutes left in the third. Her free throws gave Lonoke a 39-33 lead. Myers then picked up her fourth foul 13 seconds later.
Lonoke took a 41-35 lead into the fourth period, and Aruis McClain sank a 3-pointer to start the fourth for a nine-point Lonoke lead.
The lead reached its largest at 52-40 when Williams got another steal and made two free throws with 3:23 left in the game.
Russellville, however, didn’t quit. The Cyclones got hot from outside and cut the margin to as little as 57-51 with 31 seconds to go. Lonoke then rushed a shot, but Russellville couldn’t capitalize, missing several shots before getting fouled after the third offensive rebound with nine seconds left.
“I liked that the girls didn’t let the bad start to bother them,” Swiney said. “We did a good job of not getting down and losing focus. But there’s still a lot we need to clean up. We have to stop all the second chance points, and we have to stop fouling when we get a lead like that. We just kept fouling.”
Walker finished with a game high 33 points, including 18 on 22 free-throw attempts. Lonoke was outstanding from the line, hitting 30 of 38 for the game. Brown added 11 for the Lady Jackrabbits. She was 3 for 7 from 3-point range.
McCallister led Russellville (0-2) with 12 points.
The Lady Jackrabbits improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play with an easy 56-22 win over Robinson on Tuesday.
The Lonoke boys never seemed to get warmed up in Monday’s outing. Russellville (1-2) led 19-5 by the end of the first quarter and 30-10 at halftime. After the Jackrabbits scored the first four points of the second half, Russellville went on a 15-0 run to go up 45-14.
Lonoke closed the gap to 27 by the end of the third quarter to hold off the mercy rule, but Russellville reached that mark on a free throw that made it 59-29 with six minutes to go.
The Lonoke girls and boys will be back at the Gina Cox Center on Tuesday against Baptist Prep.
Leader sports editor
The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits had a good pair of games before heading into the Thanksgiving Day break, while the Lonoke boys didn’t. The two teams went to Russellville for a nonconference affair on Monday, and then came back home for their respective home openers in a conference matchup with Joe T. Robinson.
The Lonoke girls won both games, coming from behind to beat Russellville 59-52, and then hammering Robinson 56-22 on Tuesday.
The boys lost Monday and Tuesday to fall to 0-3 on the season.
For the Lady Jackrabbits, Monday’s game didn’t start well. Lonoke missed their first seven shots, and didn’t score until halfway through the first quarter. By then the Lady Cyclones held a 9-0 lead. After Lonoke’s first bucket, Russellville scored the next five. A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Zee McCallister gave the home team a 14-2 lead going into the second period.
“We were getting shots, we just weren’t making anything,” said Lonoke coach Heath Swiney. “The other thing was, defensively we weren’t rebounding. I think the rebounding totals ended up fairly even, but a whole lot of theirs were offensive, and you can’t give up that many second-chance points.”
Both teams dealt with foul trouble, with 50 fouls being called during the game. The trouble for both teams cameon the inside. Lonoke post Hannah Moseley and Russellville post Anna Myers both had three fouls by the six minute mark of the second quarter.
Lonoke opened the period with a 6-2 run, and every point was on free throws. The Lady Jackrabbits then began a halfcourt press, and forced a backcourt violation. That set up a 3-pointer by Mia Brown that pulled Lonoke to within five points. Keiunna Walker then got a steal and a layup to make it 16-13 with 5:45 left in the second period, but Lonoke would get no closer until the second half.
The Lady Cyclones regrouped and took a 25-20 lead into to the locker room, but the third period belonged to the visiting team.
Mickenzie Williams started the second half with a short baseline jumper. She then got a steal and dished to Walker for a 3-pointer that tied the game with 6:16 on the clock.
Lonoke continued to get steals and force turnovers, but Myers was effective when Russellville handled the press and kept the game close.
Walker got a steal and was fouled with two minutes left in the third. Her free throws gave Lonoke a 39-33 lead. Myers then picked up her fourth foul 13 seconds later.
Lonoke took a 41-35 lead into the fourth period, and Aruis McClain sank a 3-pointer to start the fourth for a nine-point Lonoke lead.
The lead reached its largest at 52-40 when Williams got another steal and made two free throws with 3:23 left in the game.
Russellville, however, didn’t quit. The Cyclones got hot from outside and cut the margin to as little as 57-51 with 31 seconds to go. Lonoke then rushed a shot, but Russellville couldn’t capitalize, missing several shots before getting fouled after the third offensive rebound with nine seconds left.
“I liked that the girls didn’t let the bad start to bother them,” Swiney said. “We did a good job of not getting down and losing focus. But there’s still a lot we need to clean up. We have to stop all the second chance points, and we have to stop fouling when we get a lead like that. We just kept fouling.”
Walker finished with a game high 33 points, including 18 on 22 free-throw attempts. Lonoke was outstanding from the line, hitting 30 of 38 for the game. Brown added 11 for the Lady Jackrabbits. She was 3 for 7 from 3-point range.
McCallister led Russellville (0-2) with 12 points.
The Lady Jackrabbits improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play with an easy 56-22 win over Robinson on Tuesday.
The Lonoke boys never seemed to get warmed up in Monday’s outing. Russellville (1-2) led 19-5 by the end of the first quarter and 30-10 at halftime. After the Jackrabbits scored the first four points of the second half, Russellville went on a 15-0 run to go up 45-14.
Lonoke closed the gap to 27 by the end of the third quarter to hold off the mercy rule, but Russellville reached that mark on a free throw that made it 59-29 with six minutes to go.
The Lonoke girls and boys will be back at the Gina Cox Center on Tuesday against Baptist Prep.
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers mix it up for home contests
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers and Lady Panthers took the floor at Panther Arena on Tuesday, albeit against different schools and with different results. The Lady Panthers rolled easily over the Mills Comets 71-26, while the boys suffered a 50-40 defeat to J.A. Fair.
For the Lady Panthers, it was the second win in as many days. The Cabot ladies went on the road on Monday and beat Searcy 64-40.
In that first win of the week, Cabot jumped out to an early lead, but never extended it or put the game out of reach until the fourth quarter. The Lady Panthers led 16-11 at the end of one period and 28-19 at halftime. Both teams scored 16 points in thethird quarter, but Cabot clamped down on defense while also turning in its best offensive period in the fourth. The Lady Panthers outscored Searcy 20-5 to set the final margin.
Senior Lesley Roberts was one of two Cabot players in double figures, and she had a phenomenal shooting night. She made 8 of 13 shot attempts, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range to finish with 22 points.
Post player Emily Belin added 10 points for Cabot (3-2). Izzy Arnold scored eight while Chloe Thompson and Brooklyn Stracener scored six apiece. Arnold also dished out nine assists.
LaTiana Floyd and Kamie Provence each scored 12 points for Searcy (1-2).
On Tuesday, the Lady Comets best quarter was the first one, and they still trailed 19-8 at the end of it. Cabot won the second quarter 17-6 to take a 36-14 lead into halftime. That was up to 56-20 by the end of the third, invoking the sportsmanship rule and the clock ran continuously in the fourth. Cabot still managed 15 more points.
Jasmine Ellison led Mills (1-3) with 11 points. Stracener led Cabot with 16 while Dejah Jimerson scored 14 and Belin again contributed 10.
Cabot finished with 16 steals and forced 25 turnovers.
The Cabot boys simply could not get shots to fall in the first half. The Panthers finished the game shooting 35 percent from the floor, but that was down around 20 percent in the first two quarters, and that resulted in just nine total points by halftime.
The deficit was still only nine, and Cabot posted 17 points in the third quarter, but the War Eagles got hot as well and managed to extend their lead to 40-26 by the start of the fourth quarter.
The Panthers (2-1) made a run, but the hole was too deep. Jalen Brown led Cabot with 14 points while Noah Allgood scored 12. It was the season opener for Fair, which was led by Deaveon Bankston’s 19 points. Jaylin Christopher added 14 for the Eagles.
The Cabot boys will play Subiaco Academy next Thursday in the first round of the Van Buren tournament, and have games scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Van Buren as well.
The Lady Panthers are off until facing McClellan in the first round of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Classic, which is not until Dec. 5.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers and Lady Panthers took the floor at Panther Arena on Tuesday, albeit against different schools and with different results. The Lady Panthers rolled easily over the Mills Comets 71-26, while the boys suffered a 50-40 defeat to J.A. Fair.
For the Lady Panthers, it was the second win in as many days. The Cabot ladies went on the road on Monday and beat Searcy 64-40.
In that first win of the week, Cabot jumped out to an early lead, but never extended it or put the game out of reach until the fourth quarter. The Lady Panthers led 16-11 at the end of one period and 28-19 at halftime. Both teams scored 16 points in thethird quarter, but Cabot clamped down on defense while also turning in its best offensive period in the fourth. The Lady Panthers outscored Searcy 20-5 to set the final margin.
Senior Lesley Roberts was one of two Cabot players in double figures, and she had a phenomenal shooting night. She made 8 of 13 shot attempts, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range to finish with 22 points.
Post player Emily Belin added 10 points for Cabot (3-2). Izzy Arnold scored eight while Chloe Thompson and Brooklyn Stracener scored six apiece. Arnold also dished out nine assists.
LaTiana Floyd and Kamie Provence each scored 12 points for Searcy (1-2).
On Tuesday, the Lady Comets best quarter was the first one, and they still trailed 19-8 at the end of it. Cabot won the second quarter 17-6 to take a 36-14 lead into halftime. That was up to 56-20 by the end of the third, invoking the sportsmanship rule and the clock ran continuously in the fourth. Cabot still managed 15 more points.
Jasmine Ellison led Mills (1-3) with 11 points. Stracener led Cabot with 16 while Dejah Jimerson scored 14 and Belin again contributed 10.
Cabot finished with 16 steals and forced 25 turnovers.
The Cabot boys simply could not get shots to fall in the first half. The Panthers finished the game shooting 35 percent from the floor, but that was down around 20 percent in the first two quarters, and that resulted in just nine total points by halftime.
The deficit was still only nine, and Cabot posted 17 points in the third quarter, but the War Eagles got hot as well and managed to extend their lead to 40-26 by the start of the fourth quarter.
The Panthers (2-1) made a run, but the hole was too deep. Jalen Brown led Cabot with 14 points while Noah Allgood scored 12. It was the season opener for Fair, which was led by Deaveon Bankston’s 19 points. Jaylin Christopher added 14 for the Eagles.
The Cabot boys will play Subiaco Academy next Thursday in the first round of the Van Buren tournament, and have games scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Van Buren as well.
The Lady Panthers are off until facing McClellan in the first round of the Cabot Pre-Holiday Classic, which is not until Dec. 5.
SPORTS STORY >> Titans round up Billies at home
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville was without its head coach, but got its first win of the season Tuesday, beating Monticello 64-44 at JHS. Head coach Vic Joyner is out indefinitely. A trip to the hospital on Monday ended in an unscheduled surgery and an undetermined timeline for his return to courtside with the Titans.
His assistant coach, Brandon Weems, will take over the head coaching duties in the interim. He was pleased with how the team played, especially without its head coach, without a starting post player and still searching for that first win.
“They had a lot on their minds,” said Weems. “Obviously they were playing for Vic, and they also wanted to get that first win out of the way. That first one is always tough, especially down 0-2 and guys are starting to second-guess themselves. There were some things I thought we could’ve been a little better at executing, but for the most part they had a pretty good game.”
Junior 6-foot-5 post Joe Phillips tried to play after suffering a foot injury in the previous game, but wasn’t able to go full speed. His fellow post, senior Christian White, did a great job of picking up the slack.
“If I had to give an MVP for the game it would go to Christian,” Weems said. “They had a big bruiser, a big kid in the middle, real strong kid. Christian was able to battle with him and not get into foul trouble. That’s been his Achilles his whole career. But that big kid, he’d been giving other people a lot of trouble, but he didn’t Christian. He played like a man.”
It was a night for Jacksonville seniors. While White held his own inside, three other senior Titans led the team in scoring. Guard Antoine Davis finished with 14, including 10 in the first half. Jacksonville held the Billies to five points in the first quarter while building an 11-point lead, but that was down to 31-26 by halftime.
Senior guard Caleb Kendrick hit three 3-pointers and also posted 10 first-half points for Jacksonville. Monticello came out in the third quarter with the express purpose of keeping Kendrick from getting open, so classmate Braylon Hawkins picked up the slack. He scored all 10 of his points in the second half.
Jacksonville came out refocused defensively and again held Monticello to just five points in the third quarter.
“I just told them to relax and have fun,” Weems said. “Joyner did a great job of getting them prepared for that team before he got sick. I knew this was a team we should take care of, so I just wanted to them relax and not try to do too much. They did a pretty good job of that. I think it will help start building confidence.”
LADY TITANS WIN
The Jacksonville ladies won their home opener on Tuesday, and it was their second win in three games. The Lady Titans went up and down the floor with Monticello, and came away with a 71-65 victory.
Jacksonville set the tone early with 22 points in the first quarter, with Tori Briggs and Shy Christopher combining for 18 of those points. Monticello trailed by eight at the end of one, but outscored Jacksonville 19-15 in the second period to pull to within 37-32 by halftime.
It got even closer in the third quarter, but Monticello never found an answer to Christopher, Jacksonville’s super sophomore. Though the lead was down to three at 54-51 by the start of the fourth quarter, Christopher closed the game with 13 points in the fourth, giving her a game high 36 total.
It was the third consecutive game that Christopher has scored at least 35 points. And that was despite making just 7 of 16 free throw attempts. Jacksonville (2-4) made just 13 of 27 as a team while Monticello (1-1) hit 16 of 28.
Briggs was the only other Lady Titan in double figures with 17 points.
Shania Smith led Monticello with 20 while Mairah Austin scored 15.
The Jacksonville boys and girls go back on the road on Tuesday to take on Pine Bluff High.
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville was without its head coach, but got its first win of the season Tuesday, beating Monticello 64-44 at JHS. Head coach Vic Joyner is out indefinitely. A trip to the hospital on Monday ended in an unscheduled surgery and an undetermined timeline for his return to courtside with the Titans.
His assistant coach, Brandon Weems, will take over the head coaching duties in the interim. He was pleased with how the team played, especially without its head coach, without a starting post player and still searching for that first win.
“They had a lot on their minds,” said Weems. “Obviously they were playing for Vic, and they also wanted to get that first win out of the way. That first one is always tough, especially down 0-2 and guys are starting to second-guess themselves. There were some things I thought we could’ve been a little better at executing, but for the most part they had a pretty good game.”
Junior 6-foot-5 post Joe Phillips tried to play after suffering a foot injury in the previous game, but wasn’t able to go full speed. His fellow post, senior Christian White, did a great job of picking up the slack.
“If I had to give an MVP for the game it would go to Christian,” Weems said. “They had a big bruiser, a big kid in the middle, real strong kid. Christian was able to battle with him and not get into foul trouble. That’s been his Achilles his whole career. But that big kid, he’d been giving other people a lot of trouble, but he didn’t Christian. He played like a man.”
It was a night for Jacksonville seniors. While White held his own inside, three other senior Titans led the team in scoring. Guard Antoine Davis finished with 14, including 10 in the first half. Jacksonville held the Billies to five points in the first quarter while building an 11-point lead, but that was down to 31-26 by halftime.
Senior guard Caleb Kendrick hit three 3-pointers and also posted 10 first-half points for Jacksonville. Monticello came out in the third quarter with the express purpose of keeping Kendrick from getting open, so classmate Braylon Hawkins picked up the slack. He scored all 10 of his points in the second half.
Jacksonville came out refocused defensively and again held Monticello to just five points in the third quarter.
“I just told them to relax and have fun,” Weems said. “Joyner did a great job of getting them prepared for that team before he got sick. I knew this was a team we should take care of, so I just wanted to them relax and not try to do too much. They did a pretty good job of that. I think it will help start building confidence.”
LADY TITANS WIN
The Jacksonville ladies won their home opener on Tuesday, and it was their second win in three games. The Lady Titans went up and down the floor with Monticello, and came away with a 71-65 victory.
Jacksonville set the tone early with 22 points in the first quarter, with Tori Briggs and Shy Christopher combining for 18 of those points. Monticello trailed by eight at the end of one, but outscored Jacksonville 19-15 in the second period to pull to within 37-32 by halftime.
It got even closer in the third quarter, but Monticello never found an answer to Christopher, Jacksonville’s super sophomore. Though the lead was down to three at 54-51 by the start of the fourth quarter, Christopher closed the game with 13 points in the fourth, giving her a game high 36 total.
It was the third consecutive game that Christopher has scored at least 35 points. And that was despite making just 7 of 16 free throw attempts. Jacksonville (2-4) made just 13 of 27 as a team while Monticello (1-1) hit 16 of 28.
Briggs was the only other Lady Titan in double figures with 17 points.
Shania Smith led Monticello with 20 while Mairah Austin scored 15.
The Jacksonville boys and girls go back on the road on Tuesday to take on Pine Bluff High.
TOP STORY >> Beebe family busted for marijuana, guns
A Beebe family was arrested on Nov. 14 for allegedly selling marijuana and for gun violations.
Aaron Lee Carothers, Deanna Lynn Carothers and Vernon Lee Carothers were taken into custody at 903 April Lane in Beebe after Beebe police, State Police and White County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant.
During the search, police found six plastic bags containing more than a pound of marijuana, an AR 15 rifle, a 22-caliber rifle, $897, a set of digital scales and other types of drug paraphernalia.
Aaron Lee Carothers was charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, possession of a schedule VI drug with the purpose to deliver, maintaining a drug premises, possession of drugs and narcotics and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vernon Lee Carothers was charged with possession of a schedule VI drug with purpose to deliver and maintaining a drug premise.
Deanna Lynn Carothers was charged with possession of a schedule VI drug with the purpose to deliver and maintaining a drug premise.
Aaron Lee Carothers, Deanna Lynn Carothers and Vernon Lee Carothers were taken into custody at 903 April Lane in Beebe after Beebe police, State Police and White County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant.
During the search, police found six plastic bags containing more than a pound of marijuana, an AR 15 rifle, a 22-caliber rifle, $897, a set of digital scales and other types of drug paraphernalia.
Aaron Lee Carothers was charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, possession of a schedule VI drug with the purpose to deliver, maintaining a drug premises, possession of drugs and narcotics and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vernon Lee Carothers was charged with possession of a schedule VI drug with purpose to deliver and maintaining a drug premise.
Deanna Lynn Carothers was charged with possession of a schedule VI drug with the purpose to deliver and maintaining a drug premise.
TOP STORY >> Wreaths of Honor at vets’ gravesites
BY JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery Beautification Foundation is working to place Christmas wreaths at each of the 8,080 gravesites as part of the Wreaths of Honor program at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in Sherwood, 1501 Maryland Ave.
Board member Cynde Maddox said, “We were able to purchase 6,000 faux wreaths for the discounted price of $1 each through the nonprofit Christmas Honors in Fort Smith. The cemetery foundation needs to raise $10,000 to purchase 2,000 faux wreaths for $5 at the store for all the graves. The wreaths can be stored and displayed for several years.”
A wreath-laying ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. At 2 p.m., a ceremony for live wreaths purchased through Wreaths Across America will be held. Live wreaths will be placed at the requested gravesite instead of artificial ones.
Last year, the Wreaths Across America committee raised $94,000 and placed a live wreath at 7,000 veterans’ grave sites. The wreaths cost $15, and $5 goes to a local organization such as Arkansas Run For the Fallen. This year, local organizations decided not to form a Wreaths Across America committee and raised $100,575 for live wreaths for all the gravesites at the Sherwood cemetery.
“Wreaths of Honor is not in competition with the Wreaths Across America program. We’re here to honor veterans and no veteran will be forgotten,” Maddox said.
The foundation received donations for wreaths from Nabolz Construction, Arkansas Federal Credit Union and Entergy. CompleteCare donated warehouse space to store the artificial wreaths.
Logistic Services transported the wreaths from Fort Smith to the cemetery.
State Rep. Karilyn Brown (R-Sherwood) said, “We are appreciative that people care, that they want to do something special. It is a small way to honor them.”
Donations can be sent to ASVCBF Wreaths of Honor, P.O. Box 6648, Sherwood, Ark. 72120. For more information, contact Cynde Maddox at 501-837-2162.
Wreaths Across America will participate with live wreath placement at 8,500 gravesites of the 22,000 veterans buried at Little Rock National Cemetery, as well as for all plots at Fayetteville National Cemetery and Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at Birdeye (Cross County).
Leader staff writer
The Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery Beautification Foundation is working to place Christmas wreaths at each of the 8,080 gravesites as part of the Wreaths of Honor program at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery in Sherwood, 1501 Maryland Ave.
Board member Cynde Maddox said, “We were able to purchase 6,000 faux wreaths for the discounted price of $1 each through the nonprofit Christmas Honors in Fort Smith. The cemetery foundation needs to raise $10,000 to purchase 2,000 faux wreaths for $5 at the store for all the graves. The wreaths can be stored and displayed for several years.”
A wreath-laying ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16. At 2 p.m., a ceremony for live wreaths purchased through Wreaths Across America will be held. Live wreaths will be placed at the requested gravesite instead of artificial ones.
Last year, the Wreaths Across America committee raised $94,000 and placed a live wreath at 7,000 veterans’ grave sites. The wreaths cost $15, and $5 goes to a local organization such as Arkansas Run For the Fallen. This year, local organizations decided not to form a Wreaths Across America committee and raised $100,575 for live wreaths for all the gravesites at the Sherwood cemetery.
“Wreaths of Honor is not in competition with the Wreaths Across America program. We’re here to honor veterans and no veteran will be forgotten,” Maddox said.
The foundation received donations for wreaths from Nabolz Construction, Arkansas Federal Credit Union and Entergy. CompleteCare donated warehouse space to store the artificial wreaths.
Logistic Services transported the wreaths from Fort Smith to the cemetery.
State Rep. Karilyn Brown (R-Sherwood) said, “We are appreciative that people care, that they want to do something special. It is a small way to honor them.”
Donations can be sent to ASVCBF Wreaths of Honor, P.O. Box 6648, Sherwood, Ark. 72120. For more information, contact Cynde Maddox at 501-837-2162.
Wreaths Across America will participate with live wreath placement at 8,500 gravesites of the 22,000 veterans buried at Little Rock National Cemetery, as well as for all plots at Fayetteville National Cemetery and Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at Birdeye (Cross County).
TOP STORY >> Improve Hwy. 107, residents ask
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Focus should be on the continuation of Hwy. 107 widening, not a Hwy. 89 corridor connecting Cabot to Mayflower and Conway, said the few who commented at a Tuesday night town-hall meeting at the North Pulaski Community Center.
There’s no telling how many of the 30-some local residents came for the brownies and crime-watch portion of the regularly scheduled meeting, but those who spoke said they didn’t see much benefit to the proposed Hwy. 89 improvements being studied.
The study seeks to determine the need for and feasibility of a continuous state Hwy. 89 corridor, making it a key component of the regional arterial network, providing a continuous east-west corridor between I-40 and Hwy. 67, north of Camp Robinson.
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, an avowed opponent of the Hwy. 89 plan, brought representatives of Metroplan, the Arkansas Transportation Department and Garver Engineers to the meeting.
“What are we going to accomplish?” asked resident Stoney McKeehan.
Hyde has said he doesn’t know of any rural north Pulaski County residents who favor any of the four similar paths being considered for an east-west corridor and that the primary beneficiaries would likely be residents of Faulkner and Lonoke counties.
Hyde has said Pulaski County could end up with a highway that the county judge doesn’t favor and the county doesn’t need.
Hyde said as a Pulaski County bypass, it would be disruptive of the neighborhoods, but “I can be outvoted.”
It makes sense for May-flower, Conway and Cabot and Hyde said, and if he were one of those mayors, he’d support the plan, but that it doesn’t make sense for unincorporated areas of Pulaski County and as such he doesn’t support it.
He said if a plan moves forward, it could result in a wider right-of-way.
Of the half-dozen residents who spoke, none spoke in favor of the Hwy. 89 project.
Hyde said that initially, all the Metroplan board, comprising Central Arkansas mayors and county judges, favored the idea except him, and that Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher, an early proponent, has backed away in face of some concerns that a Coffelt Crossing component of the plan could interfere with Little Rock Air Force Base’s flight path.
Tommy Majors said he thought improving Hwy. 107 to Gravel Ridge and north of the air base was more of a priority.
“Widen Hwy. 107, that’s a nightmare,” said Gloria Mathis. “This ain’t gonna’ do any good.”
“The obvious project to me is to continue to improve Hwy. 107 to (the back gate of) the base,” Hyde said. “Sometimes traffic there is backed up half a mile.”
A partial solution would be to move the gate further in on the base, said transportation department engineer Virginia Porta. “It would create more storage.”
Metroplan deputy director Casey Covington said improving Hwy. 107 to the air base has been a regional priority.
“Your comments today are just as important as Jackson-ville and Conway residents’ comments,” said Covington. “It’s not too late.” He said comments would be accepted through Dec. 11.
Covington said the Hwy. 89 proposal came about after completing the Northbelt Freeway, on the long-range transportation plan as early as the 1950s, was finally scrapped as being too expensive.
Of the Hwy. 89 proposal, Covington asked, “Do you think it’s of benefit to you?”
“I don’t see this being a four-lane highway anytime soon,” he added.
Previous public meetings, part of the $200,000 Hwy. 89 corridor study, were held at Jacksonville and Conway, and Hyde wanted to hear from his constituents, whose lives might be impacted by a continuous, four-lane shot through their rural neighborhood.
“There’s not much awareness of the people most affected — you and your neighbors,” Hyde said.
Covington said the study, being conducted by Garver Engineers, couldn’t commit anything — it just provides a road map if Metroplan and transportation department to move forward if the idea is approved.
Leader senior staff writer
Focus should be on the continuation of Hwy. 107 widening, not a Hwy. 89 corridor connecting Cabot to Mayflower and Conway, said the few who commented at a Tuesday night town-hall meeting at the North Pulaski Community Center.
There’s no telling how many of the 30-some local residents came for the brownies and crime-watch portion of the regularly scheduled meeting, but those who spoke said they didn’t see much benefit to the proposed Hwy. 89 improvements being studied.
The study seeks to determine the need for and feasibility of a continuous state Hwy. 89 corridor, making it a key component of the regional arterial network, providing a continuous east-west corridor between I-40 and Hwy. 67, north of Camp Robinson.
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, an avowed opponent of the Hwy. 89 plan, brought representatives of Metroplan, the Arkansas Transportation Department and Garver Engineers to the meeting.
“What are we going to accomplish?” asked resident Stoney McKeehan.
Hyde has said he doesn’t know of any rural north Pulaski County residents who favor any of the four similar paths being considered for an east-west corridor and that the primary beneficiaries would likely be residents of Faulkner and Lonoke counties.
Hyde has said Pulaski County could end up with a highway that the county judge doesn’t favor and the county doesn’t need.
Hyde said as a Pulaski County bypass, it would be disruptive of the neighborhoods, but “I can be outvoted.”
It makes sense for May-flower, Conway and Cabot and Hyde said, and if he were one of those mayors, he’d support the plan, but that it doesn’t make sense for unincorporated areas of Pulaski County and as such he doesn’t support it.
He said if a plan moves forward, it could result in a wider right-of-way.
Of the half-dozen residents who spoke, none spoke in favor of the Hwy. 89 project.
Hyde said that initially, all the Metroplan board, comprising Central Arkansas mayors and county judges, favored the idea except him, and that Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher, an early proponent, has backed away in face of some concerns that a Coffelt Crossing component of the plan could interfere with Little Rock Air Force Base’s flight path.
Tommy Majors said he thought improving Hwy. 107 to Gravel Ridge and north of the air base was more of a priority.
“Widen Hwy. 107, that’s a nightmare,” said Gloria Mathis. “This ain’t gonna’ do any good.”
“The obvious project to me is to continue to improve Hwy. 107 to (the back gate of) the base,” Hyde said. “Sometimes traffic there is backed up half a mile.”
A partial solution would be to move the gate further in on the base, said transportation department engineer Virginia Porta. “It would create more storage.”
Metroplan deputy director Casey Covington said improving Hwy. 107 to the air base has been a regional priority.
“Your comments today are just as important as Jackson-ville and Conway residents’ comments,” said Covington. “It’s not too late.” He said comments would be accepted through Dec. 11.
Covington said the Hwy. 89 proposal came about after completing the Northbelt Freeway, on the long-range transportation plan as early as the 1950s, was finally scrapped as being too expensive.
Of the Hwy. 89 proposal, Covington asked, “Do you think it’s of benefit to you?”
“I don’t see this being a four-lane highway anytime soon,” he added.
Previous public meetings, part of the $200,000 Hwy. 89 corridor study, were held at Jacksonville and Conway, and Hyde wanted to hear from his constituents, whose lives might be impacted by a continuous, four-lane shot through their rural neighborhood.
“There’s not much awareness of the people most affected — you and your neighbors,” Hyde said.
Covington said the study, being conducted by Garver Engineers, couldn’t commit anything — it just provides a road map if Metroplan and transportation department to move forward if the idea is approved.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
SPORTS STORY >> Lighthouse Wolves forfeit four victories
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School boys’ basketball team will have to forfeit the first four wins of the season, and will be without two more players for the remainder of the year. That brings the total number of players JLC has lost to various eligibility rules to three since the start of basketball season.
Friday’s ruling concerned two transfers from Jacksonville High School. One player, Ke’Shawn McLennan, was ruled academically ineligible and another, Malik Smith, was ruled ineligible according to what’s known as the 365 rule.
Smith had enrolled at JHS at the beginning of the school year, and transferred to Lighthouse after one week. But according to Arkansas High School Activities Association, any transfer during the school year without a bona fide change of domicile is ineligible for one calendar year.
Smith has not played yet this year due to an injury, but McLennan had appeared in all four wins, and was the team’s second-leading scorer. He had a season-high 27 points against Dermott on Nov. 10.
Officials at JHS notified theAHSAA about the players’ ineligibility after the Dermott game. There was an apparent discrepancy between the transcript received by Lighthouse upon the student-athlete’s transfer, and the one JHS has on file from last year, according to one person familiar with JLCS basketball. But JLCS is out of school this week and no one was available for questions.
A few weeks earlier, Light-house lost Gerald Doakes, one of the nation’s top prospects for the class of 2020, to the 365 rule after Doakes had enrolled at NLRHS before coming back to Jacksonville Lighthouse. He has since transferred to Jacksonville High School, where he will be eligible to play next semester.
Since Doakes lives in the Jacksonville-North Pulaski Special School District, the 365 rule is not in effect for JHS.
The Wolves had a record of 4-2 when coach Kelvin Parker was informed of the ruling by the Arkansas High School Activities Association. The Wolves have since beaten Lisa Academy on Saturday at the North Little Rock High School Diabetes Awareness benefit, giving the team an official season record of 1-6.
Lighthouse has not played a conference game, so playoff seedings will not be affected by the forfeits.
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School boys’ basketball team will have to forfeit the first four wins of the season, and will be without two more players for the remainder of the year. That brings the total number of players JLC has lost to various eligibility rules to three since the start of basketball season.
Friday’s ruling concerned two transfers from Jacksonville High School. One player, Ke’Shawn McLennan, was ruled academically ineligible and another, Malik Smith, was ruled ineligible according to what’s known as the 365 rule.
Smith had enrolled at JHS at the beginning of the school year, and transferred to Lighthouse after one week. But according to Arkansas High School Activities Association, any transfer during the school year without a bona fide change of domicile is ineligible for one calendar year.
Smith has not played yet this year due to an injury, but McLennan had appeared in all four wins, and was the team’s second-leading scorer. He had a season-high 27 points against Dermott on Nov. 10.
Officials at JHS notified theAHSAA about the players’ ineligibility after the Dermott game. There was an apparent discrepancy between the transcript received by Lighthouse upon the student-athlete’s transfer, and the one JHS has on file from last year, according to one person familiar with JLCS basketball. But JLCS is out of school this week and no one was available for questions.
A few weeks earlier, Light-house lost Gerald Doakes, one of the nation’s top prospects for the class of 2020, to the 365 rule after Doakes had enrolled at NLRHS before coming back to Jacksonville Lighthouse. He has since transferred to Jacksonville High School, where he will be eligible to play next semester.
Since Doakes lives in the Jacksonville-North Pulaski Special School District, the 365 rule is not in effect for JHS.
The Wolves had a record of 4-2 when coach Kelvin Parker was informed of the ruling by the Arkansas High School Activities Association. The Wolves have since beaten Lisa Academy on Saturday at the North Little Rock High School Diabetes Awareness benefit, giving the team an official season record of 1-6.
Lighthouse has not played a conference game, so playoff seedings will not be affected by the forfeits.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Bruins push past JHS girls
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The only thing certain about the consolation game of the Heavenly Hoops Classic is that Pulaski Academy beat Jacksonville. The actual final score may never be known, but the official final was 69-57 Saturday morning at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Little Rock.
There were so many discrepancies throughout the game between the clock keeper, the official scorekeeper, the two teams’ bookkeepers and the media tally, that the actual final score may never be known, but there wasn’t 12 points worth of discrepancies, and the Lady Bruins did indeed pull out a hard-fought victory over Jacksonville.
Pulaski Academy made the first run of the game, and went from trailing 7-4 to leading 11-7 with 3:20 left in the first quarter. That lead grew to as much as 16-9, though most of the scorekeepers in attendance, including the scoreboard operator, had it 15-9. Jacksonville’s Deshundria Shockley then hit a baseline floater to cut it to a five-point game. She also hit apair of free throws after forcing another turnover.
Yet another Shockley steal led to a pair of potentially game-tying free throws by Brittney Eskridge, but she missed both attempts, got her own rebound and missed a contested shot to end the first quarter with the scoreboard showing 15-13. But later refiguring changed that score to 16-13.
With the scoreboard at the start of the second period still showing 15-13, Jacksonville forced a five-second inbound violation to begin the quarter. Shockley then hit a 3-pointer that appeared to give Jacksonville a 16-15 lead, but the points were not added to the scoreboard.
Eskridge and Shy Christopher then added baskets that were reflected on the scoreboard, and Pulaski Academy point guard Mattie Hatcher added a bucket, which made the scoreboard show the score to be 17-17.
However, both teams’ bookkeepers showed Jacksonville with a 20-17 lead since Shockley’s 3-pointer had never been posted to the scoreboard. That prompted Jacksonville coach Marian Kursh to ask for a halt to the action to get the score actual score correct.
Once things were settled, Shockley was given credit for her 3-pointer, but another missing point was found for Pulaski Academy as well, making the score 20-18 in favor of Jacksonville with five minutes left in the first half.
Shockley then added another baseline jumper for a four-point Jacksonville lead with 4:32 to play in the half, but somehow the scoreboard showed a basket being scored for both teams and another stoppage occurred.
Once that was cleared up, the scoreboard reflected the correct score, and Jacksonville led by four.
From that point, the Lady Titans turned the ball over on four-straight possessions, and PA closed the first half with a 9-2 run. The Lady Bruins took a 27-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Jacksonville (1-4) started the third quarter well, scoring the first five points and taking a two-point lead, but PA answered by doubling that run and scoring 10 in a row for a 37-29 advantage. With three minutes left in the third.
The lead remained eight points until Pulaski Academy’s Isis Woods penetrated the lane and got away with a forearm to Tori Briggs’ face. After knocking Briggs to the floor, Woods hit an open lay-in to send the Lady Bruins (2-1) into the fourth quarter holding a 46-36 lead.
Things broke down defensively for both teams and the fourth quarter became a layup contest with neither Jacksonville gaining ground, nor PA pulling away.
Christopher had her second-straight monster game, finishing with 36 points, including 16 in the fourth rapid-paced fourth quarter. She scored 35 in Thursday’s win over Mount Saint Mary.
Shockley turned in a solid performance as well, finishing with a balanced stat line of 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Eskridge led the team in rebounding with eight while Briggs added a team high five steals.
Hatcher led Pulaski Academy with 29 points. Jazmene McMillian came off the bench to score 20 and Woods added 12. Jacksonville has one game next week before Thanksgiving break, hosting Monticello on Tuesday.
Leader sports editor
The only thing certain about the consolation game of the Heavenly Hoops Classic is that Pulaski Academy beat Jacksonville. The actual final score may never be known, but the official final was 69-57 Saturday morning at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Little Rock.
There were so many discrepancies throughout the game between the clock keeper, the official scorekeeper, the two teams’ bookkeepers and the media tally, that the actual final score may never be known, but there wasn’t 12 points worth of discrepancies, and the Lady Bruins did indeed pull out a hard-fought victory over Jacksonville.
Pulaski Academy made the first run of the game, and went from trailing 7-4 to leading 11-7 with 3:20 left in the first quarter. That lead grew to as much as 16-9, though most of the scorekeepers in attendance, including the scoreboard operator, had it 15-9. Jacksonville’s Deshundria Shockley then hit a baseline floater to cut it to a five-point game. She also hit apair of free throws after forcing another turnover.
Yet another Shockley steal led to a pair of potentially game-tying free throws by Brittney Eskridge, but she missed both attempts, got her own rebound and missed a contested shot to end the first quarter with the scoreboard showing 15-13. But later refiguring changed that score to 16-13.
With the scoreboard at the start of the second period still showing 15-13, Jacksonville forced a five-second inbound violation to begin the quarter. Shockley then hit a 3-pointer that appeared to give Jacksonville a 16-15 lead, but the points were not added to the scoreboard.
Eskridge and Shy Christopher then added baskets that were reflected on the scoreboard, and Pulaski Academy point guard Mattie Hatcher added a bucket, which made the scoreboard show the score to be 17-17.
However, both teams’ bookkeepers showed Jacksonville with a 20-17 lead since Shockley’s 3-pointer had never been posted to the scoreboard. That prompted Jacksonville coach Marian Kursh to ask for a halt to the action to get the score actual score correct.
Once things were settled, Shockley was given credit for her 3-pointer, but another missing point was found for Pulaski Academy as well, making the score 20-18 in favor of Jacksonville with five minutes left in the first half.
Shockley then added another baseline jumper for a four-point Jacksonville lead with 4:32 to play in the half, but somehow the scoreboard showed a basket being scored for both teams and another stoppage occurred.
Once that was cleared up, the scoreboard reflected the correct score, and Jacksonville led by four.
From that point, the Lady Titans turned the ball over on four-straight possessions, and PA closed the first half with a 9-2 run. The Lady Bruins took a 27-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Jacksonville (1-4) started the third quarter well, scoring the first five points and taking a two-point lead, but PA answered by doubling that run and scoring 10 in a row for a 37-29 advantage. With three minutes left in the third.
The lead remained eight points until Pulaski Academy’s Isis Woods penetrated the lane and got away with a forearm to Tori Briggs’ face. After knocking Briggs to the floor, Woods hit an open lay-in to send the Lady Bruins (2-1) into the fourth quarter holding a 46-36 lead.
Things broke down defensively for both teams and the fourth quarter became a layup contest with neither Jacksonville gaining ground, nor PA pulling away.
Christopher had her second-straight monster game, finishing with 36 points, including 16 in the fourth rapid-paced fourth quarter. She scored 35 in Thursday’s win over Mount Saint Mary.
Shockley turned in a solid performance as well, finishing with a balanced stat line of 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Eskridge led the team in rebounding with eight while Briggs added a team high five steals.
Hatcher led Pulaski Academy with 29 points. Jazmene McMillian came off the bench to score 20 and Woods added 12. Jacksonville has one game next week before Thanksgiving break, hosting Monticello on Tuesday.
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot ladies can’t coax shots to fall
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Even with way too many turnovers, too many missed free throws and an incredibly lopsided foul and free throw count, the main culprit in Cabot’s 54-39 loss to Star City on Saturday was simply shooting percentage.
The Lady Panthers played good defense and created lots of scoring opportunities, but couldn’t seem to finish, at least not until the fourth quarter after the game had all but been decided. The end result was a fourth-place finish in the Heavenly Hoops Classic at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock.
“We just have to make those shots,” said Cabot assistant coach Jeremy Halbrook. “You saw there in the fourth quarter, when we finally started scoring consistently, how different the game looked. We just couldn’t make anything.”
The Lady Panthers struggled mightily to score the basketball through most of three quarters. By the time they did begin to find their range, they trailed by 24 points late in the third period.
Cabot scored 27 of its 39 points from the 1:10 point of the third quarter to the end of the game. The Lady Panthers trailed 26-10 at halftime. After getting a defensive stop to startthe second half, Cabot executed its offense perfectly, and it resulted in a layup by Emily Belin off a backdoor pass by Hannah Chandler. But it wasn’t a sign of things to come.
That bucket came 25 seconds into the third quarter and made the score 26-12. Cabot’s next bucket came with 1:10 left in the third quarter, and made the score 37-14.
The game was back-and-forth the rest of the way. Though Cabot managed just 12 points up to that point, it scored 27 from that point forward, but a huge discrepancy in foul totals allowed Star City to maintain its lead predominantly from the free-throw line.
After a first half in which 16 fouls were called on Cabot and 13 on Star City, Cabot seemed to be the only team called for fouls in the third period. The third-quarter foul total was 12 on Cabot and three on Star City. The Lady Bulldogs were in the bonus three minutes into the second half, and in the double bonus with three minutes still to go in the third period.
“It’s really hard to get any sort of offensive rhythm going when there are so many whistles,” Halbrook said. “But I don’t want to say that was the cause of things. We’re still right there in this if we just make a few shots.”
The Cabot ladies made just 4 of their first 26 shot attempts until junior guard Dejah Jimerson scored with 1:10 left in the third. They made 10 of the last 17 attempts in the game.
Cabot (1-2) ended up making one more shot from the floor than did Star City, but free throws made the difference. Cabot shot 16 foul shots, and made just half of them. Star City hit 26 of 40 from the line.
Turnovers were a problem for both teams, but it was the third time in four games that Cabot has committed too many turnovers. Both teams finished Saturday’s game with 28.
Rebounds were also a deficiency for Cabot for the second-straight game. But unlike eStem Charter, who beat Cabot on Thursday, Star City did not enjoy a huge size advantage. Still, the Lady Bulldogs outrebounded Cabot 37-26.
Junior guard Izzy Arnold came off the bench to lead Cabot in scoring with 11 points. She scored 10 of those in the fourth quarter.
Hannah Ogilvie, who also came off the bench, added 10 points while Chloe Thompson came off the bench to contribute seven points and a team-high six rebounds. Belin had three points and six boards for Cabot.
Point guard Janiya Johnson led Star City (4-2) with 15 points. Center Anna Wynn added 11 points and a game high seven rebounds. Wynn went 0 for 3 from the floor, but made 8 of 8 free-throw attempts.
The Lady Panthers play twice more before the Thanksgiving break. They will be at Searcy on Monday, and then will host Mills University Studies on Tuesday. That game will be a twin feature. The Cabot boys also play at home Tuesday night against J.A. Fair.
Leader sports editor
Even with way too many turnovers, too many missed free throws and an incredibly lopsided foul and free throw count, the main culprit in Cabot’s 54-39 loss to Star City on Saturday was simply shooting percentage.
The Lady Panthers played good defense and created lots of scoring opportunities, but couldn’t seem to finish, at least not until the fourth quarter after the game had all but been decided. The end result was a fourth-place finish in the Heavenly Hoops Classic at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock.
“We just have to make those shots,” said Cabot assistant coach Jeremy Halbrook. “You saw there in the fourth quarter, when we finally started scoring consistently, how different the game looked. We just couldn’t make anything.”
The Lady Panthers struggled mightily to score the basketball through most of three quarters. By the time they did begin to find their range, they trailed by 24 points late in the third period.
Cabot scored 27 of its 39 points from the 1:10 point of the third quarter to the end of the game. The Lady Panthers trailed 26-10 at halftime. After getting a defensive stop to startthe second half, Cabot executed its offense perfectly, and it resulted in a layup by Emily Belin off a backdoor pass by Hannah Chandler. But it wasn’t a sign of things to come.
That bucket came 25 seconds into the third quarter and made the score 26-12. Cabot’s next bucket came with 1:10 left in the third quarter, and made the score 37-14.
The game was back-and-forth the rest of the way. Though Cabot managed just 12 points up to that point, it scored 27 from that point forward, but a huge discrepancy in foul totals allowed Star City to maintain its lead predominantly from the free-throw line.
After a first half in which 16 fouls were called on Cabot and 13 on Star City, Cabot seemed to be the only team called for fouls in the third period. The third-quarter foul total was 12 on Cabot and three on Star City. The Lady Bulldogs were in the bonus three minutes into the second half, and in the double bonus with three minutes still to go in the third period.
“It’s really hard to get any sort of offensive rhythm going when there are so many whistles,” Halbrook said. “But I don’t want to say that was the cause of things. We’re still right there in this if we just make a few shots.”
The Cabot ladies made just 4 of their first 26 shot attempts until junior guard Dejah Jimerson scored with 1:10 left in the third. They made 10 of the last 17 attempts in the game.
Cabot (1-2) ended up making one more shot from the floor than did Star City, but free throws made the difference. Cabot shot 16 foul shots, and made just half of them. Star City hit 26 of 40 from the line.
Turnovers were a problem for both teams, but it was the third time in four games that Cabot has committed too many turnovers. Both teams finished Saturday’s game with 28.
Rebounds were also a deficiency for Cabot for the second-straight game. But unlike eStem Charter, who beat Cabot on Thursday, Star City did not enjoy a huge size advantage. Still, the Lady Bulldogs outrebounded Cabot 37-26.
Junior guard Izzy Arnold came off the bench to lead Cabot in scoring with 11 points. She scored 10 of those in the fourth quarter.
Hannah Ogilvie, who also came off the bench, added 10 points while Chloe Thompson came off the bench to contribute seven points and a team-high six rebounds. Belin had three points and six boards for Cabot.
Point guard Janiya Johnson led Star City (4-2) with 15 points. Center Anna Wynn added 11 points and a game high seven rebounds. Wynn went 0 for 3 from the floor, but made 8 of 8 free-throw attempts.
The Lady Panthers play twice more before the Thanksgiving break. They will be at Searcy on Monday, and then will host Mills University Studies on Tuesday. That game will be a twin feature. The Cabot boys also play at home Tuesday night against J.A. Fair.
SPORTS STORY >> Lady Bears take trophy
By ANN THARP
Special to The Leader
The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears won the championship Saturday at the Joe T. Robinson annual girls basketball tournament. The Lady Bears defeated the Caddo Hills Lady Indians by a score of 52-49 in the final. They had defeated Mills 73-27 in the opening round and Bald Knob 57-25 in the second. Bald Knob placed third in the tournament, defeating Conway Christian 51-43.
The Lady Indians (6-4) led by four at the end of the first period and by two at intermission, but Sylvan Hills (3-0) won the second half, outscoring Caddo Hills 17-12 to overcome the deficit and win the contest.
“I thought it was a good game,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “I thought Caddo Hills played very hard. To have such little people, they missed no free throws the first half and maybe two threes. They were on fire. We struggled defending it, but I was proud of the team for coming back and eventually catching up. Our guards played well. They did a great job, but it bounced in our favor in the end. We had too many turnovers, and just missed opportunities. But, all this is right now a learning opportunity for them to get better, so hopefully they will.”
Lainie Ballard got the Lady Bears on the board first with a baseline 2-pointer plus one free throw. Gracie Wisener answered with a two for Caddo Hills, but Jayla Bell sank a 3-point basket to give Sylvan Hills a 6-2 advantage.
A three and a two gave the Lady Indians the 7-6 edge before Alana Canady hit a 2-pointer from the free throw line. The lead then changed hands three times before Wraylin Phillips connected on a three from the corner at the buzzer to give Caddo Hills the 14-10 lead at the end of the first period.
The Lady Bears scored 25 in the second frame to their opponents 23 to cut the lead to two at the half. Canady opened the quarter with a 3-point basket for Sylvan Hills, but the Lady Indians extended their lead to 21-14. Bell connected on a 3-pointer from the baseline on a baseline inbounds play for Sylvan Hills.
The teams traded back-and-forth, but since two of the Caddo Hills scores were 3-point baskets, the lead grew to eight.
Two consecutive turnovers by the Lady Indians and 3-pointers by Ballard and Olivia Wilkins brought the Lady Bears to within one. Two free throws by Caddo Hills stretched the lead back to three, but Ballard tied the score at 35-35 with her second three.
The Lady Indians scored once more to take the 2-point halftime advantage.
Sylvan Hills cut into the lead by another point in the third period, outscoring the Lady Indians 9-8. Andrea Dolphin started the quarter with a layup, Ballard sank her third three and a pair of free throws, and KJ Johnson had a score under the basket. The score at the end of three quarters was 45-44.
The Lady Indians added a free throw for a 2-point edge to begin the fourth, but Canady tied the score with a layup following a Caddo Hills turnover.
Again, the Lady Indians went ahead by a free throw, and again Canady scored two, this time to give Sylvan Hills the lead. Canady then had a block to give her team the ball back, and Aaliyah Bynum scored under the basket.
Rachel Dumont responded for the last 2-point basket for the Lady Indians. After a Caddo Hills foul, Bell made the final 3-point spread with two free throws, and the final score was set at 52-49.
Ballard led Sylvan Hills in scoring with 16 points. Canady was next with 13, and then Bell with 10 points.
Taylor Allen led the Lady Indians with 10 points. Scoring was balanced as the next five scorers had 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 points.
The Lady Bears were 9 of 13 from the free throw line, while Caddo Hills was 11 of 18. Sylvan Hills outrebounded the Lady Indians by one, while turning the ball over 12 times to 10 for Caddo Hills.
Special to The Leader
The Sylvan Hills Lady Bears won the championship Saturday at the Joe T. Robinson annual girls basketball tournament. The Lady Bears defeated the Caddo Hills Lady Indians by a score of 52-49 in the final. They had defeated Mills 73-27 in the opening round and Bald Knob 57-25 in the second. Bald Knob placed third in the tournament, defeating Conway Christian 51-43.
The Lady Indians (6-4) led by four at the end of the first period and by two at intermission, but Sylvan Hills (3-0) won the second half, outscoring Caddo Hills 17-12 to overcome the deficit and win the contest.
“I thought it was a good game,” said Sylvan Hills coach Shelley Davis. “I thought Caddo Hills played very hard. To have such little people, they missed no free throws the first half and maybe two threes. They were on fire. We struggled defending it, but I was proud of the team for coming back and eventually catching up. Our guards played well. They did a great job, but it bounced in our favor in the end. We had too many turnovers, and just missed opportunities. But, all this is right now a learning opportunity for them to get better, so hopefully they will.”
Lainie Ballard got the Lady Bears on the board first with a baseline 2-pointer plus one free throw. Gracie Wisener answered with a two for Caddo Hills, but Jayla Bell sank a 3-point basket to give Sylvan Hills a 6-2 advantage.
A three and a two gave the Lady Indians the 7-6 edge before Alana Canady hit a 2-pointer from the free throw line. The lead then changed hands three times before Wraylin Phillips connected on a three from the corner at the buzzer to give Caddo Hills the 14-10 lead at the end of the first period.
The Lady Bears scored 25 in the second frame to their opponents 23 to cut the lead to two at the half. Canady opened the quarter with a 3-point basket for Sylvan Hills, but the Lady Indians extended their lead to 21-14. Bell connected on a 3-pointer from the baseline on a baseline inbounds play for Sylvan Hills.
The teams traded back-and-forth, but since two of the Caddo Hills scores were 3-point baskets, the lead grew to eight.
Two consecutive turnovers by the Lady Indians and 3-pointers by Ballard and Olivia Wilkins brought the Lady Bears to within one. Two free throws by Caddo Hills stretched the lead back to three, but Ballard tied the score at 35-35 with her second three.
The Lady Indians scored once more to take the 2-point halftime advantage.
Sylvan Hills cut into the lead by another point in the third period, outscoring the Lady Indians 9-8. Andrea Dolphin started the quarter with a layup, Ballard sank her third three and a pair of free throws, and KJ Johnson had a score under the basket. The score at the end of three quarters was 45-44.
The Lady Indians added a free throw for a 2-point edge to begin the fourth, but Canady tied the score with a layup following a Caddo Hills turnover.
Again, the Lady Indians went ahead by a free throw, and again Canady scored two, this time to give Sylvan Hills the lead. Canady then had a block to give her team the ball back, and Aaliyah Bynum scored under the basket.
Rachel Dumont responded for the last 2-point basket for the Lady Indians. After a Caddo Hills foul, Bell made the final 3-point spread with two free throws, and the final score was set at 52-49.
Ballard led Sylvan Hills in scoring with 16 points. Canady was next with 13, and then Bell with 10 points.
Taylor Allen led the Lady Indians with 10 points. Scoring was balanced as the next five scorers had 9, 8, 7, 6, and 5 points.
The Lady Bears were 9 of 13 from the free throw line, while Caddo Hills was 11 of 18. Sylvan Hills outrebounded the Lady Indians by one, while turning the ball over 12 times to 10 for Caddo Hills.
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