2019-2020 Basketball Preview

HOOPS ’19 - ’20

SEC signees Salary, Eaton take center stage.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

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JONESBORO HURRICANE

Hurricane lacks experience, not talent

BY CORY CLARK Sun Staff Writer cclark@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — For the second straight season Jonesboro comes into a new season with little returning varsity experience.

But that doesn’t mean the Hurricane are lacking in talent.

Coach Wes Swift enters his 11th season in charge of the Hurricane with plenty of question marks about this year’s squad.

Seven of the top nine contributors from last year’s 18-10 team are gone, leaving only junior guard Keyln McBride and sophomore guard Amarion Wilson as the lone returnees with any varsity experience.

“We don’t have a lot of experience. We don’t have a lot of size, and our word this year is overcome, so we’re going to have to overcome a lack of experience and a lack of size especially on the interior and figure this thing out,” Swift said.

McBride will be important after shooting 49 percent from the three-point line, knocking down 86 3s and starting as a sophomore.

Unfortunately, the 5-10 guard recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee after a freak injury.

“It’s a very rare thing with the knee. He basically had a hole in his cartilage right underneath his patella. He had a hole, about 1 centimeter in that. It’s just a rare thing, it’s a lack of blood flow to your leg that can cause that kind of stuff,” Swift said.

Fortunately, McBride will be back sometime in December, according to Swift.

“He’ll be out about six weeks. We could get him back anywhere from about mid-December through Christmas,” Swift said. “He says it feels as good now as it has since it really starting hurting him back in August.”

Wilson (5-9) didn’t get as much time on the court as McBride last year and discovered the transition to playing point guard in the 6A East is tough for a freshman. But Swift believes going through a difficult year last season will help Wilson this year.

“He’ll be a lot different. Even though he did lose some confidence a little last year going through the high school schedule and the grind of that will help slow the game down for him,” he said.

Beyond McBride and Wilson Jonesboro doesn’t have anyone who saw any time at the varsity level last year.

Sophomore Quion Williams (6-2) should make a big impact this year and is already drawing Division I interest.

Williams has a big build for a guard making him a matchup issue and also has a nice stroke.

“His mental approach to the game is changing by the day and as it does and he continues to mature. The sky

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Jonesboro junior guard Keyln McBride (left) is the lone returning starter for the Hurricane coming into the 2019-2020 season. McBride shot 49 percent from the 3-point line last year and hit 86 3-pointers. is the limit,” Swift said. “He has so much ability. He can really get to the rim, and he has an unbelievable mid-range game.”

Six juniors will be in the rotation this year, including Jonesboro’s biggest players in the paint in 6-3 forward Jake Harrell and 6-2 classmate Chamar Anderson.

Both players also play for the Hurricane football team and will need to be physical enough inside to deal with the demands of 6A basketball.

Junior guards Brodie Williams (5-9), Ryan Rouse (510), Ja’Quez Henry (6-1) and Bradley Richardson (5-9) have all worked hard in the offseason to earn time in the rotation.

Swift is excited about the potential Williams brings

to the court.

“Brodie is a kid who could come over and challenge for a starting spot as soon as he gets in basketball shape and knows what’s going on,” Swift said. “He had a real good summer.”

The Hurricane will also have to count on some talented sophomores, including 6-2 guard Kavon Pointer and 6-0 guard Jessie Washington.

Pointer played well during team camps over the summer while Swift calls Washington one of the top athletes at JHS. “He can be anything he wants to be. He’s one of the Please see HURRICANE | 33

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JONESBORO LADY HURRICANE

After title game loss, JHS looks to bounce back

BY CORY CLARK Sun Staff Writer cclark@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — The sting from last year’s Class 5A state title game loss has worn off.

It’s a new season and the Lady Hurricane is ready for a new set of challenges.

Jonesboro went 22-8 last year and finished as 5A state runner-up, making a state title game for the third time in the past four seasons.

This year the Lady Hurricane have a nice core of returning talent led by 6-0 senior guard Destiny Salary and 5-9 classmate Kianna Hardaway.

A pair of sophomores who contributed late last season are also back in point guard Ereauna Hardaway and 6-2 forward Destiny Thomas.

Coming into her 11th season as Jonesboro coach, Jodi Christenberry said her team is an interesting mixture of players who have got it done in high school and players who want to prove they can produce at the high school level.

“With Destiny and Ereauna playing a little for us at the end of last year it does make it seem like there are a lot of kids that are returning. But a lot of these kids are unproven so far because you have just a handful that have that extensive high school experience,” Christenberry said.

Salary, a two-time Best Under The Sun choice and an all-state selection last year, holds offers from several high major universities.

Last year she averaged 17 points, five rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists per game.

Christenberry said Salary is working

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Jonesboro senior all-state guard Destiny Salary (left) is back for her senior season after helping lead the Lady Hurricane to the Class 5A state championship game last year. on learning when and where to best use her vast skill set.

“Destiny’s game had got to the point

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last year where she was a triple threat offensively,” Christenberry said. “She could get to the rack, she could hit the jumper, she could hit the 3, so really the main focus this summer needed to be decision making, when to do each of those things. And those things are really hard to practice and teach because it’s all within the moment.”

Kianna Hardaway has the ability to play in the paint or on the perimeter and has focused on improving her skills outside the paint in the offseason.

“She’s worked mainly with the guards this year,” Christenberry said.

One of the reasons Hardaway can utilize her skills out of the paint is the play

of Thomas, who has the potential to be a dominant player after showing flashes after moving up late last year.

“Her presence inside is going to change the face of what we are and who we are,” Christenberry said.

Ereauna Hardaway gives Jonesboro a great ball handler who brings a fearless attitude to the court despite only being in the 10th grade.

“She can pop up and hit the jumper, she doesn’t mind getting to the rack, and she can see the floor so well,” Christenberry said.

Lakiya Scott, a 6-1 junior, has worked Please see JONESBORO | 38

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Nettleton raiders

Raiders start Deaton era with new faces

BY SEAN SAUNDERS Sun Staff Writer Sean@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — For the first time in 18 years, Mark McCord will not be in charge of Nettleton’s top boys' basketball team. Longtime assistant Aaron “Bubba” Deaton is now running the show for the Raiders, and he hasn’t been left with much in terms of varsity experience.

Nettleton’s starting lineup for last year’s 16-8 state tournament team was Kevin Fulton at point guard, Jay Campbell at shooting guard, Kortez Hamilton at small forward, Marion McFadden at power forward and Jarquavious Cain at center. Four of those players had at least two years of starting experience under their belts, and Fulton was the program’s first three-time all-state selection while Cain is a potential NCAA Division I player currently toiling at the junior college level.

However, all five of them were seniors last season and have since graduated,

leaving the cupboard quite bare for Deaton’s first run as a high school head coach. Still, Deaton is very excited to finally get to coach the varsity Raiders after 13 years as the junior high coach.

“It’s a whole new crew with a new coach, so we have a lot of unknowns,” Deaton said. “Offseason has been wonderful. We have two in football that we get back today (Nov. 11). Look forward to getting those two guys back, but the 16 that I’ve had, they’ve everything that we’ve asked them to do. They show up to work. They’re low maintenance. We haven’t played anybody yet, so we’re still in the honeymoon phase. We’ll see what we’re made of.”

Senior Charles Moore is one of those two football players who will also be on the basketball team, and he’s the only man on the whole roster with any varsity starting experience. Moore started some when Campbell was out for nearly

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

First-year Nettleton boys’ basketball coach Aaron Deaton (center) tells his playPlease see RAIDERS | 35 ers where to line up during practice in the Raider Fitness Center.

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nettleton lady raiders

Lady Raiders move on after ‘Big Four’

BY SEAN SAUNDERS Sun Staff Writer Sean@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — For the past four seasons, Nettleton basketball fans have enjoyed the “Big Four� era of the Lady Raiders. Class of 2018 members Jordan Elder and Bailey Booker set school records that 2019 graduates Mya Love and Dasia Young eventually broke as fouryear starters.

But Love and Young, who went 111-12 throughout their Nettleton careers, are now suiting up for Arkansas State and Tennessee-Martin, respectively. It’s now time for the Lady Raiders to move on while trying to maintain the level of success they’ve enjoyed the latter half of this decade. “We obviously celebrated those kids, that senior class that graduated last year,�

Nettleton coach Jason Smith said. “Out of the five seniors, four of them signed to play college basketball and three of them are starting right now and all three are playing really well at their respective schools. But moving forward, tradition never graduates, and I like our team. I think for the first time in about three or four years, perhaps we can ‌ maybe work on ourselves and getting better and not trying to live up to everybody else’s expectations.â€?

Nettleton’s “Big Four� of 2016-17 and 2017-18 became a “Big Three� that’s been en vogue in recent years in the NBA once guard Elauna Eaton moved from rival Jonesboro following a breakout sophomore season. Eaton made an instant impact for the 25-3 Lady Raiders, averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Nettleton’s Wakiryah Daniels (24) hustles down the court with the ball along with teammate Travia Woodruff (32) during a Northeast Arkansas Invitational game against Valley View last season. Daniels and Woodruff are expected to have larger roles with the Lady Raiders this season.

1.6 steals per game for a higher scoring average than her 2018 Best Under The

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onship under her belt with the Lady Hurricane, is primed for an even bigger final season as the player with most points in a game for a Smith-coached Nettleton outfit. “Elauna will have to have an increased role, clearly,� Smith said. “This summer, we worked a lot on that in camp ball.

I’ve noticed her expand her game. She’s looking to score in a variety of ways. She’s a lot more active on the boards, and then the most notable thing is her leadership.

Her vocal leadership has been good. She’s brought it every day, leading by example, and that’s good to see and that’s what you Please see NETTLETON | 37

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valley view blazers

Blazers begin year with expectations

BY MATTHEW V. ROBERSON Sun Staff Writer mroberson@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — Valley View begins the 2019-20 season with high expectations and an experienced basketball team that has the ability to live up to them.

After an 18-10 season a year ago, including a third-place finish in the 4A-3 conference and a postseason run to the regional semifinals, the Blazers are poised to achieve much more this season. Valley View returns three starters and a wealth of experience elsewhere that could make it more than just a contender in conference play.

“We do feel good about this team,” Valley View coach Jason Manchester said. “We feel like we will have an opportunity to compete for a conference championship. Hopefully, we can get back in the regionals and to the state tournament. We also realize it’s a work in progress. I still have a lot of questions.

It is a senior-laden team, but we haven’t been able to get together yet.”

As Valley View has made another successful run in football this year, many of the Blazers key personnel have not joined the basketball team yet. They will once football concludes, but that could still be several weeks away.

When they do, Manchester is fairly confident he’ll have one of the better teams of his 16-year tenure as head coach of the Blazers.

“Early on, we may struggle and look like we don’t know what we’re doing at times,” Manchester added. “But I feel like once we get everybody, after Christmas for sure, hopefully this team will take off. It’s a senior-laden team, and I know what I’m getting is a really solid group of seniors with experience.”

Six seniors make up a key part of the Valley View roster with all six expected

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Senior guard Travis Graf (right) returns to lead Valley View after averaging 15 Please see BLAZERS | 36 points and 3.5 assists per game as a junior.

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valley view lady blazers

Angie Ellis takes reins at Valley View

BY MATTHEW V. ROBERSON Sun Staff Writer mroberson@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — Valley View begins a new chapter with its girls’ basketball program for the 2019-20 season.

The Lady Blazers will play their first season under new head coach Angie Ellis. Ellis was the girls’ junior high basketball coach last year, leading the junior Lady Blazers to a 21-5 record and a share of the 4A-3 junior conference championship.

Valley View’s new head coach brings with her a wealth of playing and coaching experience. She was a high school player at Bradford, played collegiately at Clemson, and has made number of coaching stops over the last 15 years.

This will be Ellis’ second head coaching job on the varsity level.

She’s excited about the opportunity to coach the Lady Blazers this season. But her biggest priority is to mold her players into productive assets both on and off the court.

“To me, coaching is coaching. I don’t know that my goal in life is to be a junior high coach or a high school coach, but I do it because I am passionate about the game of basketball,” Ellis said. “I enjoy being around the kids and I guess more than anything, I hope that I can mold kids and teach them life lessons beyond basketball.”

This is Ellis’ second stint as part of the Valley View girls’ basketball program, one that has obviously left a good impression.

Ellis was the junior high basketball coach for three years from 2004-06 before taking a break to raise her family. She returned to coaching in 2013 and moved back into the Valley View junior girls’ job last season with excellent success.

She inherits a Lady Blazers basketball team that went just 11-16 last season and finished fifth in the 4A-3 conference with a 6-8 league mark.

Ellis said she’ll adjust her style and philosophy to the players on her roster. But she hopes to play an up-tempo, fast-paced and entertaining game with this year’s squad.

“What you can do from year to year is strictly based on your personnel,” Ellis said. “I don’t know that you can coach two teams the same way. We would like to play an up-tempo game, a transition game. It’s more fun to watch, to let the kids get out on the floor and let them play. Hopefully we can show some transition basketball this year and play fast.”

Valley View returns all five starters from a year ago, including three seniors expected to lead the Lady Blazers.

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Valley View’s Emma Higgins brings the ball up court during an NEA Invitational game against Westside last season. Higgins returns to the Lady Blazer backcourt after averaging 9 points and 6 rebounds last season.

Ellis says the returning senior experience should be a strength of the team.

“I think you have three kids in the senior class that are hungry to leave their mark,” Ellis said. “All three of my seniors are great leaders in their own ways. I feel like all three have come in this fall with a mission to go out successful.”

Senior Katie Dreiling, a 5-foot-10 post, is the team’s top returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 10.6 points and 8 rebounds last year. She’ll be expected to provide consistency on both ends of the floor in the paint again.

“Katie brings a lot of strength, she’s hard to move,” Ellis said. “She’s also a very headsy player. She’s in

the right place at the right time. Defensively, she’s got great hands for a post player.”

Senior Emma Kelly (5-7) has improved in several areas, according to Ellis, and will be expected to play multiple roles this year. Kelly averaged seven points a game last season while splitting time at both guard spots.

“Emma has continued to work on improving her all-around game,” Ellis said. “She’s a versatile guardforward, and I expect to play her at multiple positions.

She can post up as a guard and she can shoot the ‘3.’

She’s our most versatile player that is going to be

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westside warriors

Felkins leads Westside after Felts’ departure

BY SEAN SAUNDERS Sun Staff Writer Sean@jonesborosun.com

JONESBORO — It’s always tough to replace a program’s all-time leading scorer, but the Westside Warriors are tasked with just that this season. Fortunately, they still have his top running mate from the past three years.

Avery Felts became one of the greatest to ever suit up for Westside by putting up 2,707 points in his high school career, but last season’s Best Under The Sun Player of the Year is now fighting for a scholarship as a preferred walk-on at Arkansas State. Felts leaves Westside’s point guard spot vacant for the first time in five years, but senior guard Riley Felkins, in his fourth season as a starter, is the natural replacement for Felts.

“It’s hard to replace someone who was that dynamic of a player,” Westside coach Mark Whitmire said. “He led us in a lot of different categories. But I still have a lot of great players left to try to

pick up the slack, and we’re working hard. They’re starting to get there. It’s coming along slowly, but with Riley coming back and Kessler [Mack], I have two starters coming back and Riley has been a starter since the ninth grade.

Hopefully, with those two, hopefully, we’ll see some of the others starting to fall in line with what they do and how they work.”

Felkins has been an all-state guard the past two seasons and has improved his game with every year of varsity experience. He cracked the BUTS first team last season after averaging 17.2 points, three rebounds and two assists on 45-percent field goal and 78-percent free throw shooting, and he’s eclipsed 1,000 points over the past two seasons alone.

“Riley is a great player himself, and a lot more of the responsibility is going to fall on his shoulders,” Whitmire said.

Quentin Winstine | The Sun “Not just his, but Kessler’s also. I think Westside’s Riley Felkins (35) drives to the basket during a Northeast Arkansas Invitational game against Blytheville last season. Felkins, a two-time all-state guard, Please see WARRIORS | 32 averaged 17.2 points per game last season.

Go Cats!

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westside lady warriors

Lady Warriors' program shows positive trend

BY SEAN SAUNDERS Sun Staff Writer Sean@jonesborosun.com

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Westside’s Bella Spinks drives to the basket during a game last season against Highland. Spinks returns to the backcourt after leading the Lady Warriors in scoring and assists last season.

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JONESBORO — Last season, the Westside Lady Warriors doubled their win total from the previous year, and they’ve got most of that team back along with a prized transfer and some more sophomores from a competitive junior high team.

All of that recipe gives fourth-year Westside coach Sara Lehman hope that he program can continue to get better every season.

“I believe this team will be very competitive,” Lehman said. “… We’ll have a quick, well-balanced team. We have great rebounders and great shooters, and our players are smarter than the past years.”

Westside started last season 4-2, but the Lady Warriors enter this year trying to wash the taste of a 17-game losing streak out of their mouths. Turnovers have plagued them throughout their 6-41 mark the past two seasons, and that continues to be the issue that needs to be addressed the most.

“Handling pressure and being patient on offense,” Lehman said. “We will be smaller than most schools, so we will have to be aggressive on both ends of the floor to make up for it.”

Westside’s main solution to its ball-handling woes is to have a starting player move back from its biggest current rival. Junior point guard KaNya Ford arrives on campus after starting for Brookland’s state semifinal team from last season, bringing basketball talent similar to older sister Kalifa Ford who is now playing for Oklahoma Baptist.

“KaNya Ford will be a big addition to our team,” Lehman said. “She is a point guard that can handle pressure, handles the ball and distributes to her

teammates. And she is very quick on the defensive end.”

Senior guard Makayla Grissom from Ridgefield Christian, which is not fielding a girls’ team this year, is Westside’s other transfer. The rest of the fresh blood comes from the incoming sophomore class — forward Bailey Willis and guards Sloane Welch, Laynee Montgomery and Baile Rogers.

“We have a great sophomore class coming in that will help us,” Lehman said. “Bailey Willis will be a key player for us. She is an all-around player. She can shoot, drive, rebound and is a good defender. Sophomores Sloane Welch, Laynee Montgomery and Baile Rogers should help the team out as well. All three of them are quick guards that can shoot the ball.”

Westside’s biggest loss was the graduation of Williams Baptist signee Marca Doyle. Lehman is leaning on three-year starting forward Faith Whitmire to provide that senior leadership that all good teams need, Whitmire averaging six points and six rebounds per game last season.

“We have a great senior leader, Faith Whitmire, who has had a lot of experience the last two seasons,” Lehman said.

“She is very vocal on the floor and will battle on the boards for us.”

A significant portion of the production this year could come from the sophomore class just like the current juniors did when they were sophomores. Guards Bella Spinks and Gracie Turpin started all last season and both averaged around eight points per game, sharpshooting Spinks also leading the team in assists while Turpin improved her scoring down the stretch.

“Bella Spinks and Gracie Turpin led

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5A GIRLS CONTINUED FROM 14

"We’ve got nine seniors this year and we’re going to rely on all of them. We’ve also got 11 or 12 sophomores that finished second in the conference last season, so they know how to play and they know how to win. I think we’ve got a pretty good bunch. I think a lot of that success for these sophomores will roll over. They’re coming in here expecting to win and they’re working for it. We all are. We’re excited.”

ing) threat (with Brengard and Benefield).”

Juniors Olivia Hancock and Paige Glenn are expected to contribute in the post along with sophomore Katie Smith. Sophomore Sam Wood is another 3-point threat.

Tate said she expects Nettleton, Jonesboro, West Memphis and Marion to be contenders for the 5A-East title.

At the same time, she’s not conceding anything.

“It’s going to be a battle every night out,” Tate said. “Everybody thinks Paragould is going to have down year.

They graduated everybody. That’s for them to think. We’ve just got to come out and overcome what people are thinking about us. We’re not going to be that game on your schedule you think is going to be a (sure) win.”

Matt Dean

Greene County Tech girls head coach

Greene County Tech Greene County Tech lost a core group of seniors from a year ago, but head coach Matt Dean is excited about the young talent on the Lady Eagle roster.

“We really like our team. We don’t have a lot of size. We’re pretty guard-

heavy. But we’re athletic and we’ve got a lot of different girls that we can throw out there. We’re going to rely on double teams a lot when it comes to teams with size. We need to force turnovers,” Dean said.

The Lady Eagles just missed the state tournament last season, but their roster is full of sophomores who finished second in the junior 5A-East tournament.

“We’ve lost four really good seniors last season,” Dean said. “All four of

those girls brought something different to the team. But we’ve got nine seniors this year and we’re going to rely on all of them. We’ve also got 11 or 12 sophomores that finished second in the conference last season, so they know how to play and they know how to win.

I think we’ve got a pretty good bunch.

I think a lot of that success for these sophomores will roll over. They’re coming in here expecting to win and they’re working for it. We all are. We’re

excited.”

With so many guards, Dean said he’s still working on finding the right group to have on the court. But he knows he’s going to lean on junior Brooke Barnes.

“We’re still working on the right rotation, but we’ve got a ton of girls who can play, both underclassmen and upperclassmen. Brooke Barnes is a returning starter for us this season who we’re going to lean on more. She does a super job for us. I think she’s only more comfortable this season. She’s a big threat on offense and is a great ballhandler,” Dean added.

Dean is also looking for senior Brooke Justus to lead the squad as well.

“Brooke Justus was a bit of a sixth man for us last season,” Dean said.

“She might be the best athlete on the team. She makes a lot of things happen for us. She’ll be thrust into more of a starting role this year and I think she’s excited about it. I also think you’ll see somebody like Carly Dehart step up and make some plays for us as well.”

The coach mentioned that several others will see playing time, including Emma Bates, Kylie Stokes, Destiny Wegner, Sierra Floyd, Hannah Foster, Bri Cupp and Phoebe Harris.

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WARRIORS CONTINUED FROM 9

he’s going to rise to the occasion.

He’s looking good. He’s feeling good, so I’m looking for big things out of those guys.”

Whitmire’s expectations for Felkins are even higher because he’s back to playing at 100 percent. Felkins had an 8-pound tumor removed from his chest about a month after last year’s 22-9 campaign ended, meaning he generated his standout junior production with greatly limited lung capacity.

“Having him back healthy and feeling like his normal self, he’s grown and gotten stronger,” Whitmire said. “He’s going to do a lot of great things for us, so we’re excited about that.”

If the Warriors replace Felts like they responded to a need last year, they won’t take too many steps backward. They reached the 2018 Class 4A championship game on the strength of a starting lineup that included Felts, Felkins and a couple of dangerous senior sharpshooters, but Mack improved so much last year that he just about replaced both of those snipers by himself.

The next logical step for Mack is to step up his game inside the arc whenever opposing defenses inevitably crowd him at 3-point range.

“He’s got a really good 15-footer,” Whitmire said. “His length, he’s about 6-4, got long arms, he can do a lot inside. His shot’s really coming along outside, too. He’s going to be able to stretch plus be able to get some shots around the basket.”

Westside’s lineup remains a threeguard setup with senior Adonis Thomas stepping into a starting role.

Thomas has plenty of experience as one of the Warriors’ top reserves during their postseason run, including eight big points in a district tournament win over rival Brookland.

“Adonis is looking really good,” Whitmire said. “He’s strong, shooting the ball extremely well, and defensively, he’s really picked it up. I’m looking for big things out of him, and Adonis played quite a bit last year.

With him moving in with those two guys who have been starting, those are the three that have seen the most playing time coming back.”

While Felts’ departure is the most noticeable, replacing Dylan Schwarz and Jordan Rockers, both of the frontcourt starters, could be the tougher task for the Warriors.

At the start of the season, Westside has seniors Sam Malone and Isaiah Nortier as the two post spots, but Whitmire is having to contend with a potentially historic football year on campus.

Senior Logan McPherson has already broken the school record for most rushing yards in a game and season, and he was often Whitmire’s first option when either Schwarz or Rockers got into foul trouble. Senior tight end/defensive end Brady Johnson was also a frontcourt option last season, and the Warriors expect contributions from Kesler and River Engle, sons of football coach Bobby Engle.

“First things first, I hope they go all the way and win a state championship,” Whitmire said. “But yeah, I need all those kids healthy when they come back to us because they’re going to be a lot of help. But I do have a lot guys I’m leaning on right now because each year, we prepare for what we have at that point in time. We can’t prepare until we get those other guys in there and making it even better than what we have right now, but these guys are working hard.”

Other options available include sophomore Andrew Laird and seniors Kirk Busch and Evan Cullen. The Warriors will need all hands on deck if they hope to win three straight conference championships.

And for a large group of seniors, Westside has plenty of experience backing it up, making the state semifinals last year after the trip to the finals.

“They’ve been through the wars,” Whitmire said. “They know what it’s like at the highest level, and so hopefully, that’s going to pay off for us. I’m looking for their leadership because even though I have a lot of seniors right now, they haven’t seen much playing time because they had such a strong senior class in front of them. But still, those guys with their experience are going to teach them things and kind of mold them into being better players.”

Suzhannah Dolle | Special to The Sun

Senior guard Kessler Mack returns to Westside’s starting lineup after leading the Warriors in 3-pointers last season.

“He’s got a really good 15-footer. His length, he’s about 6-4, got long arms, he (Mack) can do a lot inside. His shot’s really coming along outside, too.

He’s going to be able to stretch plus be able to get some shots around the basket.”

Mark Whitmire

Westside head coach

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5A BOYS our conference but we can take pride in it. We know it’s going to be tough.

If you can compete against these guys then you can compete against anybody.” Watson said.

The coach said he’s going to rely on perimeter shooting and hard-nosed defense to keep his team in games.

“We’re really going to lean on the 3-pointer,” Watson said. “We’re going to shoot it quite a bit. We want to spread teams out and move the ball around. Defensively, we want to play tough and sound. We want to slow the game down and not try and run with

some of these teams.”

The Rams return a pair of starters, but have just four seniors on the roster. Watson said he’s relying on Nathan Leer to be more of a factor this season.

“We’re bringing back a couple of starters. Nate Leer is a really talented guard that played a lot for us last season. He’s going to be pushed into more of a scoring role this season. We’re really going to rely on him to lead the charge for us,” Watson said.

Carter Starling is returning as a bruiser inside.

“Carter Starling is another returning starter. He’s a tough kid. He won’t back down from anybody and doesn’t mind

when things get a little chippy. He’s a really good defender and a smart player. He’s didn’t mind stepping into more of a leadership role this season,” Watson added.

While Watson didn’t quite have a starting five nailed down, he did say there will be plenty of underclassmen contributing this season including Ashton White, Landon Manning, Jamison DaVault, Eli Schreit and Kyler Brewster.

“I feel really confident in these young guys,” Watson said. “A lot of them have shown a lot of energy and toughness and we’re really excited to see what they do.”

Deatrick Reeves Jr., who owns offers from several Division I schools including Auburn, while West Memphis brings back 6-6 forward Chris Moore who also owns an offer from Auburn.

Greene County Tech features one of the best under-the-radar players in the state, guard Zane Butler, who is also drawing Division I interest.

Swift said it will be a tough league once again this year.

“I think any of two or three teams could make a run. I will not limit us out of that conversation although it may be a later coming thing. You may not see it early but just hang with us as we try to fit the parts in,” Swift said.

Although Jonesboro doesn’t have much experience coming back, the Hurricane have been in this kind of position before under Swift. And the Hurricane coach is excited about trying to figure

out how to mold this unproven group into a winner.

“I know we’re going to have to play together, as all basketball teams do. We’re going to have to learn to trust each other as much on the defensive end as the offensive end, and all that takes time,” Swift said. “Our schedule is ridiculously tough. We say that every year, but we’re not going to lower expectations just because we’re young.”

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Bearcats also lost twice against 5A power Nettleton, once against Highland and against Pulaski Academy in the East Region tournament.

Baltz thinks the 4A-3 race could be a little more competitive than it was last year, when Batesville went through league play 14-0.

“I don’t know what everyone else is going to look like, so it’s hard to project,” he added. “Obviously our expectation is to be fighting for one of those top two spots to qualify for regionals, but hoping to give those top teams a run for the district or conference championships as well.”

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best athletes in our school, period,” Swift said. “He has one of the prettiest shots you’ll ever see, and he can really shoot the ball from the 3-point line.”

The 6A East conference has produced the state champion three straight years including Marion’s first ever state title last year.

The Patriots return senior guard

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the team in scoring last year, and I can see them continuing that this year,” Lehman said.

Junior forward Danelly Orozco is also a returning starter after averaging five points and four rebounds as a sophomore. Junior guard Taylor Lamb was by far Westside’s top reserve last year, averaging seven points and two steals.

Senior post Sarah Johnson is also one more option after working hard for years in the program. The Lady Warriors look to start Ford, Spinks, Welch, Whitmire and Willis at the beginning of the season, but their depth is certainly a strength and gives Lehman plenty of wiggle room with the initial lineup and opportunities for plenty of rest.

And after playing Valley View within 52-48 in last year’s 4A-3 tournament, the Lady Warriors appear to heading in the right direction.

but he believes effort, defense and rebounding should be constant.

“I don’t really think we’re a defensive team, we just emphasize the other half of the ball as much as the offense,” Gross said. “Here’s the thing — you have to be known for something and if you’re not known for something, what’s your program about?

There’s no doubt people will view us as we play hard, we’re

tough and we’ll defend. This is a whole new team, so we’ll see if these guys can do it, too.”

In addition to the early tournaments, the Bearcats will face three 4A-3 conference tests before Christmas.

Brookland opens league play against Pocahontas before making trips to Westside and Valley View next month.

Gross views Valley View and Blytheville as the 4A-3 favorites going into the season.

“You have to put Valley View

and Blytheville up at the top.

They’re both loaded and they have so many coming back,” Gross said. “Westside will definitely be in the race because of (Riley) Felkins and (Kessler) Mack and (Logan) McPherson coming from football, he’s a heck of an athlete. Batesville has everybody coming back from their squad and they were all sophomores last year.

“It’s not going to be easy.

It’s going to be a grind, a bunch of battles every Tuesday and Friday night.”

VALLEY VIEW CONTINUED FROM 8

relied upon to play a couple of different rotations.”

Senior Halle Rich (5-5) also returns at a guard spot after scoring 7.4 points last season. She’s improved her outside shooting, and Ellis hopes she will be a greater perimeter threat this season.

“Halle is going to be looked upon to knock down the open shot from the perimeter,” Ellis said. “We’re going to need her to extend defenses.”

A pair of junior guards also return in Emma Higgins (5-9) and Kaleigh George (5-5).

Higgins averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds a game last season while also making her presence known defensively.

“Emma is a lockdown defender, and she excels at shooting the basketball,” Ellis said. “She’s probably one of our best spot down shooters. She’s working

at the point and at the two guard.”

George has been bothered by a foot injury and not been able to practice with the team the past few weeks. She is expected to return and contribute at the guard spot, hopefully by the beginning of conference play.

Several newcomers will be expected to contribute in a big way.

Sophomore guard Hunter Gibson (5-9) was the point guard on the junior high team and could contribute significantly there. Sophomore Ariel Garcia (5-8) should help out in the paint after playing post last year, while sophomore guard Willow Carter was the leading scorer on the junior high team a year ago.

Ellis believes how well Gibson, Garcia and Carter adapt to varsity competition will have a large say in how the Lady Blazers fair this season.

“The sophomores are going to have to produce this year,” Ellis said. “Our

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weakness is how quickly can they catch up to the pace of the game because the game is going to speed up for them.”

Carter averaged about 10 points a game and will be counted on to provide scoring immediately.

“Willow has worked really hard,” Ellis said. “She was a force for us last year, and I challenged her at the end of the year to improver her perimeter game, knowing that she is undersized and in high school she was going to have to play facing the basket. She’s worked really hard, and she has really improved her outside shot.”

Sophomore Hadden Lieblong (5-10) recently joined workouts after playing for the state champion Valley View volleyball team through October.

Hadden should provide depth at the post and could contribute off the bench both offensively and on the boards.

“She’s going to be relied upon this year to fill some minutes in the post

area,” Ellis said. “She was a guard for us last year, but she’s kind of kept growing so I’m moving her to small forward. She can help us inside this year.”

Valley View missed the state playoffs last season after a run to reach them a year earlier.

With a large nucleus of returning players and experience, combined with several promising newcomers, Ellis is hopeful the Lady Blazers can rebound this year. She believes they’ll be competitive in league play, and there’s a chance for more.

“I think this team has a lot of pride,” Ellis said. “I think they are hungry to be successful this year.

I don’t know how long it’s going to take us, but I think we can eventually find a unit that gels together. They’ve bought into their roles, and they competed well over the summer. I think they’re hungry to do something this year.”

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two months due to injury, but the former starts this season with a shoulder injury from football that could put his final hoops season in jeopardy.

“Charles Moore played some last year, and he’s battling a shoulder injury that he sees the specialist for … and there’s a chance that he has surgery and could be out the whole year,” Deaton said. “We’re going to kind of put kid gloves on him until we find out his shoulder is OK.” The other player with significant varsity playing time didn’t arrive until the final week of last regular season after he wrapped his junior high career as a ninth-grader. Nettleton coaches thought so highly of current sophomore guard Davares Whitaker that he made it into all three high school games for which he suited up, including the 69-54 state tournament loss to Hot Springs.

The coaches’ expectations ramp up greatly for Whitaker now that he’s a full-time member of the high school team. They look for him to be the natural replacement for Fulton’s production.

“We’ll probably ask more from him than any other sophomore in the state,”

said Deaton of Whitaker. “He’s going to be the point guard. He’s going to have to score. He’s going to have to shoot the ball. He’s going to have to have the ball in his hands, but we feel confident that he can do what we ask him to do.

“He’s going to have to score a lot. In order for us to be competitive, he’s got to be in that 15- to 20-point range. He’s a true point guard, about 6 foot, and is really athletic. He’s missed the last week-and-a-half with a sprained ACL, but he’ll be cleared to practice.”

Whitaker’s backcourt mates are twin seniors Jarrod and Jalen Graham.

The Graham brothers are relatives of Cain and share his athleticism, but with Jarrod at 6-0 and Jalen at 5-10, they aren’t anywhere close to the 6-5 size of the former Nettleton post.

“I wish they had Jarquavious’ body, but obviously, they don’t at around 5-10 or 5-11,” Deaton said. “We’re really expecting Jarrod to score. It’s hard when you’re throwing a senior in there, but we need him to be in that 15- to 20-point range as well. But he just hasn’t played. Jalen is more of a defender. Jalen is the type of guy where he gets to guard the other team’s best player, and in our league, those are some really good players. And he’s bought into that. He’s going to be able

to score a little bit, but what we need from Jalen is to be a lockdown defender.”

Before football season ended, Nettleton had a five-gard starting lineup that included a pair of senior Jonesboro transfers, Taybin McCullough and Demarion Daniels. The Raiders have very little size after the departures of Cain, McFadden and backup center Jay Pigram.

“We’re going to have be creative with how we guard people,” said Deaton.

“We’re going to play man to start, but we’re going to have to play some zone.

We’ll have to find bodies to block out.

Jarquavious Cain didn’t have to block out. He just went up and got it, but we don’t have that type of body out there.

The best thing about not having any returners is that I tell them all the time that if you play defense and rebound, you’ll get to play.”

Nettleton’s other football product could be one of those getting his chance to play. Joesee Perkins, known mostly for his track and field performances before this year, looks to have as big of an impact on the hardwood as he did on the gridiron, breaking the school record for receiving yards in his first season to play football.

“Joesee is a really good athlete,”

Deaton said. “He showed up at Raider Madness and could barely walk because he was so sore. I don’t know how many receiving yards he had, but he took a beating. I’m not really going to expect much from those guys early (Moore and Perkins). I want them to get into the gym and put some shots up. Joesee is another one of those guys who is going to have to buy in defensively, and to me, he’s a type of guy that can chase a (Greene County Tech guard) Zane Butler for a quarter and a half and can be annoying to those guys.”

Deaton is no stranger to success, winning several conference championships while leading the junior Raiders.

But he could certainly have his hands full trying to translate junior high success into wins at the senior high level, especially in his first season in a 5AEast that remains loaded with talent.

“If we’re sitting here five years from now and we’re still talking about what we did in junior high, then we haven’t been very successful,” Deaton. “High school is a whole different animal. I know that and you know that as well. … But I just look forward to coaching these guys so much. They’ve been so good. Most of them I coached in junior high.”

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to make contributions in one form or another.

Senior guard Travis Graf (5-10) is among the leaders of the team after 15 points and 3.5 assists a game last season. Graf shot 42 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.

“Travis is probably our best outside shooter,” Manchester said. “We realize that he’s the guy that people are going to try to stop every night.”

Senior guard Andrew Hunt (6-3) and senior forward Jacob Waleszonia also return from last year’s team and are expected to fill starting roles this season.

Hunt started full-time and averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game while Waleszonia was a reserve off the bench.

“Andrew has put on a lot of strength in the off-season and looks really good,” Manchester said. “He’s always been a great shooter, but he’s able to get to the rim a lot better now.”

Junior post CJ Delancey (6-9) also returns to man the paint and could be a significant force, according to Manchester.

Delancey has grown a couple of inches since last season, has added some weight and strength to his frame, and appears positioned for a breakout campaign. He averaged 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocked shots a game last year.

“He’s really taken off,” Manchester said. “He’s stronger, number one, and he’s finishing a lot better than what he was. His shot looks better, and he’s running the floor better. Pretty much his overall game has really gotten better.”

Valley View would have had four starters back but will be without junior point guard Will French this season.

French suffered a shoulder injury playing baseball over the summer and recently had surgery. There’s a chance he could return at the very end of the schedule for the postseason, but it isn’t likely.

Manchester said French’s injury is a big loss, but it opens the door of opportunity for others.

“Will was a big part of our success last year,” Manchester said. “He’s a tough kid that made some big plays whenever our team needed them. It’s a deal where I hate it for him because he was looking forward to it, but in the same breath, one of the things we feel

like is our strength is depth. We’ll have some other guys that will need to step up in his absence for sure.”

While the Blazers lose French, they should benefit from the return of senior forward Sam Fagan. Fagan (6-4) missed all of last season after suffering a thumb injury playing football but is back and expected to start at least part time and possibly full time.

“Sam is 6-4 and started the district championship game for us two years ago,” Manchester said. “He’ll bring some experience back that we didn’t have last year.”

Two more seniors that figure to play important roles are shooting guards Ian Keich (5-10) and John Maurras (5-10).

Both Kiech and Maurras came off the bench last season and might garner some playing time in place of French.

Junior forward Christian Allen (6-2) also returns after missing last season with an undisclosed injury. Allen has outside shooting ability and is expected to provide depth in the post.

The Blazers also add some help from their junior high team with four sophomores who all have good size and length.

Sophomore guard Connor Tinsley is the most notable of the group after leading his team in scoring last year.

Tinsley could also be inserted into French’s role.

Manchester said Tinsley could be a starter if he adjusts well to the varsity level of competition.

“Connor Tinsley will be really, really hard to keep off the hardwood and out of the starting lineup as well,” Manchester said. “Connor comes off a very good junior high team, and is a 6-2 guard. He can shoot the ‘3’ and get to the rim, and he’s a great ball-handler.

We’re looking for Connor to have an outstanding year.”

Sophomores Jaden Hamilton-Wells (6-4), Carson Tosh (6-0) and Parker St. Pierre are all expected to provide depth.

Wells will likely back up Delancey in the post while Tosh and St. Pierre will play reserve roles in the backcourt.

“We’ve got some depth,” Manchester said. “Some of those guys will just have to step up.”

Last year, much of the Blazers’ offense ran through Graf first. With more depth up and down the lineup, and an improved post game, Valley View may not have to depend on Graf as heavily

Suzhannah Dolle | Special to The Sun

Valley View’s CJ Delancey (15) puts up a shot during a game against Brookland last season. Delancey, a 6-9 junior, averaged eight points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots per game as a sophomore. this season.

Manchester said three seniors will be expected to lead the team, but he expects Graf to be their leader.

“We’re a senior-laden team, and our leadership is probably going to come from Travis Graf, Andrew Hunt and Jacob Waleszonia,” Manchester said.

“Travis is a guy that’s been starting and playing every minute since his sophomore year. Some of us take Travis for granted, but at the end of the night you look up, and he’s scored 20-some-odd points. He’s a guy that we look for.”

Manchester feels like the Blazers will have several areas of strength, including experience, guard play and the development of Delancey in the post. But

he said they’ll need to improve defensively and as a rebounding team if they want to be the team they hope to be.

If all those things come together, he won’t put a limit on their potential. But he’s not ready to make any bold predictions yet.

“I get asked that question a lot, and my answer is we shall see, we shall see,” Manchester said. “On paper, we feel like it’s a very good basketball team that can make a lot of noise, but it doesn’t really mean anything when it’s on paper. They might have the opportunity to be a very good basketball team, but at the same time, they still haven’t proven that yet. The potential is possibly there.”

2019-2020 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

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NETTLETON CONTINUED FROM 6

come expect from a kid her caliber, a top 50 player in the country.”

Eaton, a 6-foot-1 perimeter player, is a 5-star prospect and rated the No. 2 senior in the state by Rivals.com. Her recruiting process is over after signing with the University of Arkansas, and she can now focus on bringing her current school its first state title.

“For Elauna, her family and her team, we don’t have any more distractions,” Smith said. “It was a really neat process to experience and be a part of, but now we’re just worried about trying to win the next game and perhaps making another run at a state championship.”

Eaton is a team captain for Nettleton along with senior point guard Travia Woodruff. Woodruff has been an onand-off starter throughout her Nettleton career, and she’s looking to keep getting the most from her slight 5-5 frame.

“Travia will be our primary point guard, and she’s worked really hard to improve her offensive game,” Smith said.

“She’s always been a top-notch defender, and what I love about Tra is that Tra has become that coach on the floor. Tra and I have talked a whole lot about becoming Dasia, which may sound weird, but Dasia was the quarterback for us. She knew where everybody was supposed to be at any given time, and Tra has assumed that role and done a really good job.”

Smith begins this season with a point guard rotation similar to how he started the 2016-17 campaign with returner Javia Wilson and heralded newcomer Elder from Rivercrest before Wilson tore her ACL early as a senior. His star move-in this year is sophomore Briley Pena, who was an all-state ninth-grader at 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game while leading Highland to its first state tournament appearance in 11 seasons.

“With Briley, it’s very similar to Jordan,” Smith said. “When she came, the conference that she was in was a very good league, but it’s still not the same as the grind of our league. I think (Pena’s) main adjustments will be the physical nature of the conference. Driving to the lane, a shot she might have gotten last year may get sent into the fourth row this year, and we’ve talked a lot about that.

“But I tell you, she’s a coach’s dream.

She’s one of those gym rats. She’s been up here five nights a week since school started, so basically, she’s getting in 10

practices a week. We actually had to gear her back a little bit last week because she was developing a little tendonitis. She was overtraining a little bit, but she’s a difference maker.”

Nettleton’s other returning starter is junior post Tylei Wofford-Byrd, who averaged 5.8 points and five rebounds as a sophomore. Smith is hoping the Tennessee-Martin commit can make the biggest improvement this year after coming home from a brief stay in New Madrid, Mo. “Tylei has to really step up and become Dasia on the floor,” Smith said. “We’re not asking her to be Dasia, but we are asking her to do Dasia-like things. She needs to lead us in rebounding every night. She needs to go try to get 12 to 15 [points] a night. She needs to really be an outstanding post defender and stay out of foul trouble. Last year, she got into some foul trouble, so we really need Tylei Wofford-Byrd to play between 28 to 30 minutes a night.”

Replacing Love, the program’s first four-time all-state honoree, is certainly of utmost importance for the Lady Raiders, and junior guard Wakiryah Daniels has earned that starting role to start the season. The other frontcourt spot will be filled by 6-1 senior Daly Dacus, who continues to get taller every year of high school.

“She’s still the best pick-and-roll kid we have. She really has a knack for that,” said Smith of Dacus. “Last year, we challenged her with toughness a lot, and then this summer, she rolled an ankle that was as big as a pineapple at a team camp here. I expected her to miss a trip to (the University of Missouri), and she’s on the bus the next morning. We taped it up every morning and she played, so that showed me a lot, that she’s gotten a lot tougher. She played well enough this summer to get a couple of (junior college) offers.”

Aside from Pena, Nettleton’s top reserves will be junior guard Laila Ellioti, junior forward Natasia Oliver, senior post Ariyani Robinson and sophomore guard Cydney Crippen. Crippen, whose older sisters Calia and Courtney also started for the Lady Raiders, has an offer from Southeast Missouri State despite missing all of her ninth-grade year with an arm injury.

All hands will be needed if the Lady Raiders want to make it five straight 5AEast championships.

“We know that Jonesboro is loaded,”

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Nettleton’s Elauna Eaton (3) drives to the basket to shoot a layup against Valley View in the Northeast Arkansas Invitational last season. Eaton, who has signed with Arkansas, has scored 1,042 points in two high school seasons.

Smith said. “We know that Mountain Home has virtually everybody back.

Those two teams I would say are the favorites. West Memphis has a really good sophomore class coming up with that really good senior bunch, and then Marion still has Joi Montgomery and

some of those kids. We know our league is as good as it always is. I feel like Paragould or Greene County Tech can knock off anybody. “… Our goal is that we want to win the league, but there are three or four more teams that have the same plans we do.”

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hard in the offseason to improve her game, according to Christenberry.

“She’s really upped her level of practice.

We really need her to contribute this year,” Christenberry said.

Senior Ja’kayla Foots, juniors Lexi Laws, Shene’sha Hunter and Chasity Jackson and sophomore Paris Moore are also vying for playing time this year.

Last year Jonesboro finished 10-4 in the difficult 5A East conference. Christenberry expects the league to be tough from top to bottom this year.

“Our conference is always so competitive because you have such great coaches within the conference,” she said. “All the coaches are going to coach their kids up, whoever is out there is going to go hard. They are going to be fundamentally sound, and you can’t count anybody out no matter who it is.”

Jonesboro plays a tough non-conference slate that includes playing in a loaded tournament at Conway along with matchups against Houston, Tenn., and Missouri defending 2A state champ Neelyville.

Christenberry is banking on a tough nonconference schedule to prepare her team for the most important part of the season.

“You just can’t in our conference rest so you’ve got to make it where you can’t rest in your non-conference. You’ve got to be ready to go every night,” she said.

Jonesboro’s Kianna Hardaway drives to the basket during a game against Mountain Home last season.

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

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Meurer and 5-4 sophomore guard Lindy Bolt.

Bay Bay is back on the court this season after not fielding a high school girls’ team last year.

The Lady Yellowjackets are leaning on two seniors in their starting lineup, Bailee Kirby and Olivia Ferguson.

Sophomores Christan Reed, Mykaela Jolly and Destiny Bogard are also in the starting five, with classmate Lilly Williams adding depth off the bench.

“We’re a very young team, even with two seniors. No team last year has me and the girls a little out of balance (with) things to learn,” Bay coach Michael Slater said. “I expect us to be a lot better come January. It’s a fun group, and I hope it shows on the court. We are in a very tough league. With Melbourne, Marmaduke and Riverside all making deep runs last year and returning most of those players, we will be playing the best in the state night in and night out.”

Buffalo Island Central New coach Shawn Caldwell expects the Lady Mustangs to get better with experience and competition.

Hanah Carle, a 5-5 senior guard, is the only returning starter from last year’s team that finished 10-15. Two returnees and two sophomores join Carle in BIC’s starting lineup.

“We have a lack of height, so rebounding has to be done as a team on defense, and we have to focus on getting back on defense and sending two to crash the boards,” Caldwell said. “This is going to be the most enjoyable team I have ever coached in my career because I am going to watch them grow daily. The successes this team has as a team will be exciting and enjoyable, and the improvement will come.”

Vicky Esparza, a 5-8 senior forward, and Olivia Manning, a 5-6 junior, move into the starting roles this year. Sophomores Haley Milligan, a 5-5 guard, and Lexi Riley, a 5-7 forward, are also in the lineup.

BIC’s rotation also includes 5-3 junior guard Laci Dewitt, 5-4 junior guard Emma Graddy, 5-5 junior forward Chareigan Davis and 5-7 sophomore forward Destiny Wilson.

Cross County A young, enthusiastic squad has coach

Cayley French excited about Cross County’s prospects.

“They have worked throughout the offseason to improve their individual game as well as the team’s game,” said French, whose team was 11-15 last season. “I am excited to see how they will further develop as the season progresses. We have many talented players that work hard, and I believe the work they put in to improve their game will be evident throughout this season."

The Lady Thunderbirds return one starter in junior guard Maggi Stricklin.

Senior forward Brileigh Johnson and junior forward Madison Butler are other key returnees.

French expects a sophomore class that includes guard Sydney Carlisle, Angelina Crosby, forward Makala Clayton and Allison Harris to contribute a great deal.

Senior Elizabeth Crosby is another key newcomer.

East Poinsett County Fourth-year EPC coach Justin Williams thinks the Lady Warriors have a chance to surprise opponents this winter.

EPC finished 10-13 last season and made the North Region tournament out of the 2A-6 conference, ending the season with a loss to Melbourne. Williams said the Lady Warriors had great chemistry throughout the preseason.

“We will look to be in the top three of the conference and try to be ready to make a run in the end,” Williams said.

“This team has the potential to be a lot better than people are expecting.”

Keragan Gordon, a 5-7 junior guard, returns to lead EPC after averaging 10 points per game last season. Emili Mangrum, a 5-10 junior forward, contributed six points per game.

Jordyn Brewer, Jessica Gonzalez and Kaylee Hood are also seasoned returnees. Brewer, a 5-7 senior guard, averaged six points last season, while Gonzalez, a 5-7 senior forward, and Hood, a 5-7 junior guard, added seven points per game each. Abby Martinez, a 5-5 junior guard, is another returnee in Williams’ plans.

Williams said 5-7 junior guard Cyndee Rhinehart, 5-5 sophomore guard CeCe Reel and 5-8 sophomore Nahkia Williams are newcomers who will make an impact.

Marked Tree Inexperience isn’t quite the issue it was for the Lady Indians last season.

Marked Tree started a junior and four

sophomores while posting a 9-18 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the 2A-6 conference. That experience should help this season as first-year head coach Colten Frazier takes over a team that returns all five starters.

“We have a lot of talented and hardworking young ladies,” Frazier said. “If we will play defense like we are capable of playing and be quick off the break, I believe this team can be very successful.

With teams like Clarendon and Earle in our conference, we will have to play defense and be quick. We are very excited to see all of the hard work that these ladies have put forth throughout the preseason into action this season.”

Marked Tree’s starting five includes 5-8 junior guard Shira Hendrix, 5-9 junior guard Taylor McCuiston, 5-6 senior guard/forward Sydney Rotscheid, 5-9 junior forward Makayla White and 5-11 junior guard Makayla Marshall.

Off the bench, Frazier is counting on returnees such as 5-4 senior guard Jayla Carpenter, 5-9 senior forward Megan Lowry and 5-7 junior guard/forward Dajia Allen. Newcomers who are expected to contribute include 6-0 sophomore center Nikoby Andrews, 5-5 sophomore guard Nitasia Matthews and 5-9 junior forward Bri Washington.

Marmaduke Rick Smith begins his 10th year at Marmaduke with a team that played into March last season.

The Lady Greyhounds reached the Class 2A state semifinals before falling to Melbourne in the teams’ fourth meeting of the season. Marmaduke handed Melbourne one of its four losses on the season on the way to a 26-14 overall record.

Reesa Hampton, a 5-5 senior guard, earned all-state and Best Under The Sun honors while Heidi Robinson, a 5-8 sophomore, was all-state tournament.

Others who played significant minutes included 5-4 senior guard Angel Johnson, 5-6 senior post Karlie Gilliam and 5-9 junior post Zoe Massey.

Hampton averaged 13 points and 7.2 assists per game last season, when she had 17 assists against Buffalo Island Central and 15 against Maynard. She had a triple-double against Sloan-Hendrix.

“Hopefully we can continue to push the ball up and down the floor,” said Smith, who expects his team to put pressure on opponents on both ends of the court.

Smith also expects contributions from

5-5 freshman guard Maranda Bear, 5-9 sophomore guard Tori Sutherland, 5-8 sophomore post Deavinnie Michael and 5-6 junior guard Kayleigh Woodall.

Rector Three starters return as the Lady Cougars look to improve on last year’s sixth-place finish in the 2A-3.

Sophomore Ellie Ford earned allconference honors last season as Rector won its division of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational last season and finished with a 14-14 record. Ford, a 5-5 guard, averaged 13 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Rector also returns 5-5 junior guard Kena Parrish, who shot 40 percent from the 3-point line while averaging 12 points per game, and 6-0 senior forward Michaela Rients, who added 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, from last season’s starting lineup.

Newcomers to the lineup include 5-7 sophomore guard/forward Carly Robinson and 6-0 sophomore forward Morgan Garner. Garner was an all-conference player on the junior high squad. Other newcomers in Rector’s plans include 5-6 guard Olivia Sutherland, 5-8 forward Alyse Gant and guard CC Rients.

“We will be really young, especially early. We’re going to have to rely on some sophomores to grow up earlier than expected or needed,” third-year coach Mitchell Weber said. “Our goal is to make the regional tournament. If we make the regional, anything can happen.”

Sloan-Hendrix The Lady Greyhounds return three starters from last season’s team that qualified for the North Region tournament to end the season. Sloan-Hendrix suffered a first-round loss to Earle to finish the season 19-16.

Returning starters include 5-7 senior guard Ava Murphy, 5-10 senior forward Natalie King and 5-6 junior guard Cloie Marshall. Second-year coach Josh Cagle also lists McKenzie Smith, a 5-4 junior guard, and Kylee Crotts, a 5-6 junior guard, as starters.

Other key returnees include 5-7 junior forward Macy McCormic, 5-8 junior forward Zoey Horton, 5-4 senior guard Blythe Wallis, 5-6 junior guard Emmalee Whitlow, 5-6 junior guard Hannah Webb and 5-2 senior guard Jessica Ferguson. Sophomores Lakyn Phares, a 5-4 guard, and Brittney Bennett, a 5-8 forward, are also in Cagle’s plans.

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brookland bearcats

Bearcats pointing toward league play

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE Sun Staff Writer kturbeville@jonesborosun.com

BROOKLAND — Bobby Gross is stressing patience to those who follow Brookland basketball.

The Bearcats lost three starters off last year’s team that finished 17-8 with a loss in the first round of the East Region tournament. Gross sees the potential for a deeper postseason run in 2020, but the 10th-year Brookland coach also thinks it will take time for a younger, less experienced team to develop.

And with a non-conference schedule that started with this weekend’s Brookland Invitational and includes the Barry Pruitt Hurricane Classic in a couple of weeks, the Bearcats could hit some rough spots.

“We’re going to be a different team in January than we are right now,” Gross said. “We just can’t have everybody lose their minds because we might not start off the way everyone might want to. Our schedule is ridiculous with our tournament and being in the Hurricane Classic.

The kids always wanted to go and we got an invitation, so let’s go see where we are.

“They’re not passing out December state championship trophies; the records really mean nothing until you get to conference. We just want to be as prepared as possible for conference. Our pre-conference schedule will definitely do that.”

The Bearcats have to replace Braxton Haff, Braden Smith and Douglas Fenimore, all of whom were three-year regulars.

Brookland just missed a state tournament trip. As the No. 4 seed from the 4A-3, the Bearcats led Little Rock Mills, the eventual state runner-up, most of the game before falling 53-46 in the East Region first round.

“We played about as perfect a game as we could. We just couldn’t finish it in the last minute,” Gross said. “That’s how close we were pretty much all year. We

were right there and thought we always had a chance to compete. What we want to do is continue that and have a chance to compete this coming year.”

Juniors Keean Strode, a 5-10 guard, and Jackson Ballard, a 6-3 forward, return to the starting lineup and their third season of varsity basketball. Drew Thompson, a 6-1 senior guard, will also be in the lineup after serving as a parttime starter last season.

The other two starters and key reserves will be players who saw little or no time for the Bearcats last year.

“There’s a lot of spots open, and I think we have a chance to be deep, but we’re going to have to develop that depth through practice and games,” Gross said. “I really like my team. We’re not very big, just like usual, but I think we have a shot in January and February.

The whole thing is getting to the state tournament. You want to get to the state tournament and once you get there, anything can happen.”

Gross is also counting on 6-0 senior post Ryan McGaughey, 5-11 senior guard Riley Newton, 6-1 junior forward Landon Hendrix, 6-0 junior Cole Doke, 5-11 junior guard Walker Harrell, 5-11 junior guard Jackson Parnell, 6-2 sophomore David York and 6-0 sophomore Aidan Roberson. Doke is expected to play a key role after moving in from Paragould, while Gross hopes Newton will be able Suzhannah Dolle | Special to The Sun to return from an injury next month.

Junior forward Jackson Ballard (34) returns to lead Brookland’s front line.

“This summer, scoring really wasn’t a problem. That’s team camp and it doesn’t mean a lot, but I thought we scored the ball well,” Gross said. “We’ve got some guys who can shoot the ball, but can they do it in the heat of the battle, in real games? That’s the key. I really Jonesboro’s Largest am excited about this team because we Indoor Flea Market! have some depth, and we might be able to do some different things.”

The Bearcats’ defensive emphasis 1819 Cain Street. won’t change, though. Teams may miss shots or turn the ball over, Gross said, Jonesboro

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brookland lady bearcats

Lady Bearcats expect success

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE Sun Staff Writer kturbeville@jonesborosun.com

BROOKLAND — Graduation took a trio of three-year starters off the Brookland Lady Bearcats’ roster last spring.

But this is hardly a rebuilding season for Brookland, which expects to move on just fine without star guard Kalifa Ford and her classmates who led the team to the Class 4A state semifinals last season.

Fifth-year coach Joe Baltz said the Lady Bearcats go into the season with a chip on their shoulders.

Kevin Turbeville | The Sun “It’s nothing against Kalifa, it’s Brookland’s Hannah Boling (left), shown against Highland last season, returns to that everyone doesn’t believe in them the Lady Bearcats’ starting lineup after scoring 24 points in two state tournament because they feel like we lost so much, victories last season. because it wasn’t just Kalifa,” Baltz said. “We lost Emily Pate and Mallorie Lovrien. All started all three years at Brookland, and Emily is playing at Williams (Baptist) now. That was a solid senior class, but they feel like they’re ready to fill those shoes, so they’re pumped up.”

Kalifa Ford, who is playing at Oklahoma Baptist, averaged 21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and three steals as the Lady Bearcats posted a 23-8 record that included an upset of eventual state champion Batesville in the 4A-3 district tournament final.

Brookland finished third in the East Region tournament, then knocked off Clarksville and Star City in the state tournament. The Lady Bearcats’ postseason run ended with a 70-63 loss to Batesville in the semifinals.

Baltz was pleased with what he saw in summer camps as a new rotation took shape without last season’s seniors and KaNya Ford, who moved to Westside.

“The question marks were about the scoring,” Baltz said. “We lost Kalifa as being our leading scorer for three straight years and even I was pleasantly surprised. We went into summer and it 2600 E. Highland Dr. • Jonesboro, AR spread out more, which was good, too.

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little harder once they take that leadership role.

“As far as the overall team, I think it’s pretty unique for our conference to have two 6-footers who can both move well. The guard play looks strong. I’m just trying to keep the expectations and that bar high for them so they keep pushing themselves, but I know the girls themselves have high expectations.”

Brookland’s juniors and seniors are accustomed to success, Baltz said, after winning league championships in junior high.

Hannah Boling, a 5-7 junior guard, returns to the starting lineup after averaging five points, four rebounds and two steals per game. Boling scored 16 points in Brookland’s state tournament opener against Clarksville and added eight in the next game against Star City.

Shelby Lawrence, a 5-6 senior, takes over at point guard and AJ Allen, a 5-7 junior, is also expected to start in the backcourt alongside Bolin. Baltz is counting on Allen, 5-6 senior Katie Earls and 5-6 junior Faith Champlin to give the Lady Bearcats a 3-point threat.

Baltz said Gracie Gramling, a 6-0 junior who was scheduled to start at forward, is out for the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in a game last week. Gramling averaged seven points and four rebounds last season.

The Lady Bearcats will rely on Carleigh Smith, a 6-0 junior, in the paint.

Baltz said Smith, who averaged three points and three rebounds per game as a sophomore, is fast enough for Brookland to maintain its preferred pace.

“I like to play fast and if I had 6-footers who couldn’t run, I’d probably slow it down, but if we can play fast and still be big, I think it just makes us more dynamic,” Baltz said.

Last season four of Brookland’s eight losses came against Batesville. The Lady Please see BROOKLAND | 33

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| 13

5A boys

Experienced Eagles aiming high

BY MIKE MCKINNEY AND COLE TURBEVILLE Paxton News Bureau

PARAGOULD — Jeff Guiot came to Greene County Tech four years ago, becoming the Golden Eagles’ third head coach in as many seasons.

Since then Guiot has brought much-needed stability to the program, which has also seen improvement on the court each year under his direction. Last season, the Eagles recorded 18 wins, the most since GCT’s 2009 state championship club.

“We like to win games, but if we focus on the things that really matter, the winning takes care of itself,” Guiot said.

This year, all the ingredients look to be there to continue that trend, with four starters back, including top scorer and first-team Best Under The Sun guard Zane Butler.

“Our expectations are a little bit higher,” Guiot said.

“At the same time you’re not guaranteed anything. So we’ve still got to make sure we play like we’ve got a chip on our shoulder and then we’ll be ready to go.

“You don’t want to feel too good. You want to make sure you handle it the right way,” the coach added.

“Last year we had very little coming back and had a really good year. I wasn’t really sure we’d make it to .500. But we were 18-9. And we’ve got everybody but one player (Mason Forbis).”

In addition to Butler, returning starters include seniors Payton Laubach and Cade Cancilla and junior Jayke Bolin. Senior Brendan Chambers, who came off the bench last season, has won the fifth starting spot.

The Tech coach is expecting big things from Butler in his senior season. The athletic Butler can knock down a 3-pointer or take a defender off the dribble and score. The 5-foot-9 senior is an excellent defender as well. “All those parts are very valuable to us.

Zane is obviously a key player for us,” Guiot said.

“But we have several other players getting better every day. Their bodies are maturing, stronger, taller.

They’re getting more confident. Zane is a good player, but he would be the first to give the other players on the team credit for his success. That’s what makes him a special player.”

After Butler’s 20 points per night, Cancilla and Laubach both averaged 10 per game last season. Laubach can shoot from long range as well and “both he and Butler aren’t afraid to stick their nose in there and fight a rebound,” said Guiot. “We’re also counting on Cancilla to rebound and defend in the post.”

Senior Jackson Carr and Dawson Greer, junior Kyler Morris will be the first off the bench. Junior transfer David Williams just recently joined the team after football season.

Guiot said the quality depth should allow his Eagles “to force the tempo. We’ve got to pick up full-court.

Greene County Tech guard Zane Butler (0) averaged 20 points as a junior last season.

We won’t have to worry about foul trouble all the time. Hopefully we can wear people down and they have to go to their bench and if we have to go our bench too, I think we’ll have a little bit of an advantage. It will also help our (starters) stay fresher.”

Guiot tabbed defending state champ Marion, Jonesboro and West Memphis as the favorites in the conference race.

As for his Eagles, Guiot believes experience, a good work ethic and team unity should help them compete for a top-four spot in the 5A-East “We’re not going to scare anybody in warmups, but we’ve got a bunch of guys who play hard, play together as a team, who are unselfish and genuinely care about each other,” Guiot said. “They put the team first and they allow you to coach them. That’s a major key to having a successful team.”

Paragould Paragould boys coach Jace Watson and his Rams are hoping to make a splash in the 5A-East in the

Paragould Daily Press photo

coach’s first season as the face of the program.

“We had a really good offseason,” Watson said.

“We’re excited to get started and I’m excited for the opportunity to coach these kids. We’ve really focused on our defense and shooting because those are the things that’ll keep us in the game. We’ve spent a lot of hours in the gym and we’re ready to come out and show some energy.”

Watson took over for former head coach Ben Lindsey back during the summer after Lindsey left for Magnolia.

While Watson knows he has his word cut out for him, he’s looking for his squad to be competitive this season in one of the toughest conferences in the state.

“We’re in a tough league, but we want to compete.

It’s probably the best conference in basketball. But we’ve got to show some pride and go out and compete night in and night out. We’ve got to find some sort of advantage and play to that. We can’t really control Please see 5A BOYS | 33

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5A girls

Tate takes over youthful Lady Rams

BY MIKE MCKINNEY AND COLE TURBEVILLE Paxton News Bureau

PARAGOULD — The Lady Rams of Paragould will hit the court running in 2019-20 with a new face at the controls.

Sonja Tate took the reins of the Lady Rams after Jay Cook left to become head coach at Cabot. Tate came to Paragould from West Memphis, where she served last season as interim head coach of high school girls' team.

Not surprisingly, the former Arkansas State women’s basketball star and assistant coach said she’s welcomed the challenge of taking over a program with a rich tradition.

“Honestly, being new to a program that’s got as much history as Paragould’s has, you just try to understand what’s going on and, you know, bring as much as I can to the environment,” Tate said. “Like I told someone else, all these things have happened for so many years for a reason, so if it ain’t broke I’m not going to try to fix it. I’m just trying to get the understanding of how things are handled and then we’ll go from there.”

Tate’s first Paragould roster has 10 players with only two returning starters.

“We’re definitely young and inexperienced,” the coach said. “We have only two returning players who have played on the high school level. No one has the experience of playing high school ball, much less in the 5A-East. There are a lot of good teams in our conference.”

In preparing her team for the new season, Tate has put the emphasis on the basics and so far her youthful team has responded well to her way of doing things.

“I’m just trying to teach them the game and teach them my system and teach them how to play and how to think out on the court,” Tate said. “We’ve doing a lot of fundamental basketball. Obviously that’s just the base of it, getting them fundamentally sound as they can, and get better each day fundamentally to where they get comfortable on the court because I think that’s the most important thing in athletics, period — understanding fundamentals and getting those down. Then you can do all the other things coaches can ask of you. When you get fundamentally sound and comfortable, then when you get out on the court you’re comfortable with the ballhanding, passing, dribbling, those type of things. That’s pretty much what we’ve doing.”

Another point of emphasis has been conditioning.

“We condition quite a lot, probably much more than they’ve been accustomed to,” Tate said. “I want them to be in good condition. I tell them all you have to be in good enough condition to play a 32-minute game.”

That’s due, for the most part, to the first-year Para-

Paragould Daily Press

Former Arkansas State basketball star Sonja Tate (left) is entering her first season as the Paragould Lady Rams’ head coach. gould coach’s preferred playing style.

“I don’t like boring basketball. All the passes, all that stuff, that’s boring basketball. I want us to get up and down the court, and pressure,” Tate said. “That’s the type of basketball I want to play. With that being said, there’s a lot of work to do to get us to where we can play like that.”

Tate’s Lady Rams will not only play a faster tempo, but will have a different look from a year ago. Last season, Paragould sported one of the biggest front lines in Northeast Arkansas, with three players over 6-foot tall. This season, the tallest player is 5-9.

Paragould’s returning starters are senior point guard Alex Brengard and junior Blythe Benefield. Tate is counting on Brengard to provide leadership and shoulder a bigger share of the scoring load.

“She’s going to be our floor general; she has been the last three or four years here,” Tate said of her point guard. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with

her and she’s going to score for us as well, which she hasn’t had to do the past couple of years. She’s got a big role. But as a senior she’s knows everything. She knows how to be successful.”

The Paragould coach described Benefield as experienced and a top defender, but would like to see junior look to score more.

“She has so much untapped potential,” Tate said.

“As a coach it’s my job to get that out of her and get her confident. I’ve tried to map it out for her, telling her this what we need from you and this is how you need to get it done. I think that’s helped her, mapping it out for her.”

Tate said senior Brittian Roleson can hit the outside jumper and play tough defense. Sophomore guard Carson Defries is expected to play significant minutes, with Tate describing her as “that third (scorPlease see 5A GIRLS | 31

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4A boys

Blytheville poised to make run in 4A-3

BY CORY CLARK Sun Staff Writer cclark@jonesborosun.com

BLYTHEVILLE — Blytheville comes into a new season with a bevy of talented, experienced players coming back.

The Chickasaws finished 22-7 and 12-3 last year in the 4A-3 before making a run to the second round of the Class 4A state tournament.

With four starters returning who all average around 10 points per game mixed with six more returnees who saw time last year, Blytheville has the potential to once again make a deep run in the postseason.

“This group plays extremely hard and extremely well together,” Blytheville coach McKenzie Pierce said. “Nobody cares about stats, only about winning. It has a chance to be a very special year.”

Senior 6-3 point guard Tedrick Washington leads the Blytheville returning starters after averaging 13 points per

game as a junior.

Also back in the starting lineup is 6-5 senior forward Deveon Smith, who averaged 10 points and eight rebounds, and 6-3 forward Johnny Anderson, who averaged nine points and eight rebounds.

Curtis Smith, a 5-10 senior guard, is also back to start after averaging 10 points and six assists.

Junior Lamont Jackson, a 6-3 guard, is also back after playing a lot last year and averaging 7 points per game.

Other players who are expected to contribute include junior 6-1 forward Tavarres Townsend, senior guard Vancell Lewis and junior guards Tyreon King, Kylen Wells and Brian Jones.

Pocahontas A year’s worth of injuries at Pocahontas High School finally caught up

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Blytheville’s Tedrick Washington (10) shoots over Westside’s Riley Felkins during the Northeast Arkansas Invitational last season at First National Bank Arena. WashPlease see 4A BOYS | 30 ington returns to lead the Chickasaws after averaging 13 points per game last season.

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4A girls

Seniors give Lady Rebels high hopes

BY CORY CLARK Sun Staff Writer cclark@jonesborosun.com

Highland hopes to build off a good 2018-19 season with four starters returning for 2019-20.

The Lady Rebels finished 19-14 last season, but have high hopes with four key senior starters back.

Highland coach Carrie Eoff, going into her seventh season as head coach, said her team doesn’t mind playing hard and doing the dirty work.

“We are going to play hard, gutsy and be competitive,” Eoff said. “We are going to make a conscious effort to do the little things right night in and night out.

“We plan on outworking our opponents and to put a lot of emphasis on the defensive side of the ball so we have a chance to beat an opponent that is better than us.”

All-state senior Abby Dietsche (6-2), the Best Under The Sun Newcomer of the Year two years ago, is back to lead the Lady Rebels after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as a junior.

Dietsche signed with Pittsburg State during the

n

early signing period.

Senior forward Macy Qualls (5-10) also returns to the starting lineup after averaging 12 points and eight rebounds.

Senior guards Cheyenne Yates (5-5) and Molly McBryde (5-6) are also back after starting last season with each averaging eight points per game as juniors.

Highland also brings back senior guard Taylor Parker (5-7) and classmate and 5-10 forward Kirsten Medlock, who both saw time last year.

Three sophomores also join the team, including 5-10 forward Bailee Duhme and guards Tressie Carter (5-6) and Cee Jay Moore (5-7).

y e

Pocahontas

i 3 H

Pocahontas has the talent and experience to once again be in position to battle for a postseason berth.

The Lady Redskins graduated two seniors, but bring back three starters and several other players who saw significant time a year ago.

Please see 4A GIRLS | 30

s f W w l

t B m W

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Highland’s Abby Dietsche rises up for a shot during at game against Westside last season. Dietsche, who hasA signed with Division II Pittsburg State, returns to lead theg Lady Rebels after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds andS four blocks per game last season.

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3A boys

Manila, Osceola set to contend again

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE AND CORY CLARK Sun Staff Writers

Eighth-year Manila coach Lee Wimberley said there is nothing easy about playing in the 3A-3 conference.

“The conference is good, period,” Wimberley said. “If you get a top four spot, you will have had to fight for it every night.”

Manila and Osceola dueled for league supremacy last season. Wimberley’s Lions won the regular-season conference race, losing just once in 3A-3 play, but Vernon Wilson’s Seminoles won the district tournament and went on to reach the state tournament semifinals before losing to eventual champion Ashdown.

Both Manila and Osceola appear poised to compete for the league title, but Trumann returns an all-state guard in Ben Turner, and Rivercrest is coming off a state tournament appearance. Corning, Gosnell, Hoxie, Piggott and Walnut Ridge will also battle for position in the 3A-3.

Harrisburg, Newport and Tuckerman, which played in the state tournament last season, are once again in 3A-2 along with Bald Knob, Cave City, Cedar Ridge, Harding Academy, Palestine-Wheatley and Riverview.

Manila returns three starters from last season’s team that finished 23-6 with a first-round loss to Harding Academy in the Region 3 tournament. Senior point guard Daley Belew earned all-state and Best Under The Sun honors after averaging 15.2 points, 3.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Ty Wagner, a 6-1 junior guard, averaged 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Brian Gonzalez, a 6-5 senior forward, returns to patrol the paint after adding 3.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season.

Brayden Nunnally, a 6-3 freshman forward who is the first ninth-grader Wimberley has moved up to the senior high team, is expected to start at power forward.

Possible starters with Belew and Wagner in the backcourt are 5-11 junior Brayden Mattingly, 5-11 junior Austin Harmon and 5-10 sophomore Jake Baltimore.

The Lions are also counting on 5-8 senior guard Anthony Lopez, 6-2 senior forward Garrett Hart, 5-8 senior guard Coby Hollis and 5-10 junior guard Ladd Wimberley to provide depth.

Coach Wimberley considers ball-handling, shooting and rebounding to be team strengths, but he wants to see improvement on the defensive end.

“We will have a mixture of three returning starters and a lot of kids with talent, but not game experience,” Wimberley said. “We have a returning all-state point guard in Daley Belew, a post in Gonzalez who started as a sophomore and junior, and junior Ty Wagner started every game last year and has improved his shooting in the off-season.”

Corning Three starters return as the Bobcats look to improve

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Tuckerman’s Ben Keton puts up a shot surrounded by Marked Tree defenders during the second half of their Northeast Arkansas Invitational game last season. Keton returns to lead the Bulldogs after averaging 16 points on last season’s state tournament team. on last year’s 8-19 finish. Corning finished seventh in the 3A-3 last season with a 4-12 conference record.

Returning starters include 5-10 senior guard Rylee Grubb, 6-2 junior forward Jayden Wiedeman and 5-9 junior guard Colby Briney. Senior post Dylan Richmond, one of the team’s tallest players at 6-3, and 5-9 senior guard Cole Guthrey round out the starting five.

“We will not have a lot of size, but will have tons of quickness and ball-handling ability,” coach Chris Murray said. “I have several kids who shoot the ball very

well. When we shoot it well, we will have a very good chance to compete.”

Other returnees who are expected to contribute include 5-9 junior guard Cole Briney, 5-9 junior guard Cyle Briney, 5-10 junior guard Kaleb Zepecki, 5-10 junior guard Brydon Hewett and 5-9 junior forward Hunner Swint.

Clayton Kemp, a 6-3 junior post, is among the new-

Please see 3A BOYS | 28

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3A girls

Versatility key for Lady Wildcats

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE

Sun Staff Writer kturbeville@jonesborosun.com

The Trumann Lady Wildcats are hoping to make another postseason run after coming up just one game short of a trip to the state finals last season.

Seeded third out of Region 3 after winning two games on their home floor in the tournament, the Lady Wildcats earned two victories in the state tournament at Osceola. Trumann upset Region 4 runner-up Centerpoint 50-46 in the first round, then defeated Lincoln 53-44 in the quarterfinals.

Eventual state champion Mountain View stopped Trumann’s postseason run with a 67-30 victory in the semifinals.

While Mallory Hartley has graduated after earning all-state and all-state tournament honors, the Lady Wildcats return three starters and have high expectations after posting a 25-8 record last year. Trumann was 14-2 in conference play, the only losses coming against league champion Hoxie.

“By far the most talented team in my four years as head coach,” Trumann coach Aaron Ballew said in assessing the 2019-20 Lady Wildcats. “This team will be able to do a lot of different things and give you a lot of different looks. Our goal is to compete night in and night out and give ourselves an opportunity to win every game.

“Our goals are to win the conference, regional and make another state tournament appearance. We believe that we have the pieces to make a run at a state championship. As long as we stay healthy and play for each other, we will have a shot.”

Coming off a 29-3 season and state quarterfinal appearance, defending 3A-3 champion Hoxie will have a different look with Scott Brown taking over as head coach and the graduation of all-state selections Sydney Gillham and Tessa Glenn. The league also features Corning, Gosnell, Manila, Osceola, Piggott, Rivercrest and Walnut Ridge, where all-state junior Bailey Augustine returns after averaging 27.8 points per game last season.

Three area schools — Harrisburg, Newport and Tuckerman — will compete in 3A-2 along with Bald Knob, Cave City, Cedar Ridge, Palestine-Wheatley and Riverview. Tuckerman played in the state tournament last season after finishing second in the 3A-2 district tournament and winning its regional opener.

Out of 3A-3, Corning and Osceola made regional tournament appearances last year along with Hoxie and Trumann.

“Our conference is going to be tough this year,” Manila coach Zach Birmingham said. “I feel like Hoxie, Please see 3A GIRLS | 24

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Trumann’s Mycha Mason-Wilson puts up a shot during a Class 3A Region 3 game last season. Mason-Wilson averaged eight points and three assists last season as the Lady Wildcats reached the Class 3A state semifinals.

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2A boys

Indians counting on backcourt

BY CORY CLARK AND KEVIN TURBEVILLE Sun Staff Writers

Marked Tree begins a new season with three returning starters and a ton of youth around them.

The Indians are coming off a 24-6 season and a trip to the second round of the Class 2A state tournament. Marked Tree brings three starters back from last year’s squad in guards Eli McCrary, Brennon Honeycutt and Israel Malone.

Indians coach Barbara Wilburn said the leadership from those three will be a key for her team this year.

“Those three are going to have to do a whole lot, that’s just how important they are to us,” Wilburn said. “More so mentally, being leaders on and off the floor, that’s going to be the biggest challenge that we have right now.

“They are going to have to step up in places that they’ve never dreamed that they are going to have to step up in.”

Junior Zay Shaw saw a little time last

year along with sophomore Ictavious Nesbit who is set for a much larger role this season.

Nesbit, 6-4, gives the Indians some much-needed size inside along with classmate and fellow forward BJ Marshall (6-3).

Behind those six players are several sophomores who hope to earn time along with juniors Waylon Driver and Trevon Wofford.

The Indians finished 9-1 in the 2A-6 last year. With some changes, Wilburn said the league seems to be even deeper in 2019.

“You’ve got to play everybody twice so of course you’ve got Clarendon who went to the state championship game last year, and you’ve got Marianna who is good this year, Barton, Earle, you’ve got to be ready to play every night,” Wilburn said.

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Marked Tree’s Israel Malone launches a jump shot during a game against Tuckerman during last season’s Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament. Malone rePlease see 2A BOYS | 26 turns to the Indians’ lineup after earning all-state tournament honors last season.

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2A girls

Another big year expected in 2A-3

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE Sun Staff Writer kturbeville@jonesborosun.com

Any team that makes it out of the 2A-3 girls’ district tournament figures to have a chance to make a run in the regional and state tournaments.

That was the case last season as three of the final four teams in the state tournament — eventual champion Melbourne, runner-up Riverside and semifinalist Marmaduke — came from the 2A-3. All three expect to field strong teams again this season.

“Our conference is the best in the state,” Rector coach Mitchell Weber said, writing the sentence in all caps for emphasis. “Melbourne lost the conference player of the year, but should still be the favorite; they’re the defending state champs. Riverside lost in the state finals, but has everyone back and the best coach in the league (Spencer Hoffman). Marmaduke has two studs back from the semifinals and is well coached.”

Weber considers those teams to be a cut above, with his team battling along with Sloan-Hendrix, Salem, Buffalo Island Central and Bay for position. Sloan-Hendrix grabbed the league’s fourth regional berth last year, exiting with a first-round loss to eventual state semifinalist Earle.

Area teams competing in the 2A-6 conference this winter include East Poinsett County, Marked Tree and Cross County. EPC advanced to regionals last season before ending its season with a loss to Melbourne.

All signs point toward another banner season at Riverside, which returns all five starters from last year’s team that finished 35-8. To challenge his team, Hoffman arranged a non-conference schedule with Jonesboro and Nettleton, among others. He lists shooting and half-court defense as team strengths, but hopes to see better execution in the half-court offensively.

“We feel we will be in the conversation for a deep tournament run,” said Hoffman, who was the 2019 Best Under The Sun Coach of the Year. “We will have to stay healthy. This senior group has won 101 games in three years.”

Riverside point guard Carolina “Bean” Hoffman, a 5-6 sophomore, earned all-state honors and was the Best Under The Sun Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13.7 points per game. Lotti Hoffman, a 5-4 senior guard, also earned all-state tournament honors and averaged 11.3 points per game.

Grace Puckett, a 5-9 senior forward, averaged 12.6 points per game. The Lady Rebels also return Briley Douglas, a 5-11 senior guard, and Hailey Carr, a 5-11 senior forward, to their starting lineup.

Spencer Hoffman also expects contributions from 5-7 junior guard Alexis Courtney, 5-8 junior guard Anna Please see 2A GIRLS | 39

Paragould Daily Press

Marmaduke all-state guard Reesa Hampton drives to the basket during a game last season. Hampton returns for her senior season, hoping to guide the Lady Greyhounds on another postseason run.

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1A Boys

Warriors expect to contend in 1A-3

BY KEVIN TURBEVILLE AND MIKE MCKINNEY Paxton News Bureau

Ridgefield Christian coach Blake Thompson doesn’t expect the Warriors to sneak up on anyone after the success they enjoyed last season.

The Warriors won their division of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational and also added the championship of the Battle of The Border in Corning to their trophy case. Ridgefield Christian shared the 1A-3 regular-season title with Hillcrest before losing to the Screamin’ Eagles in the tournament final.

Western Grove stopped Ridgefield Christian one victory short of the state tournament, prevailing 59-52 in the first round of the Region 2 tournament.

The Warriors finished the season 2610.

“From the eyes of the staff, we have sights on contending again for conference champs and also positioning

ourselves for postseason tournament action,” Thompson said. “We will have plenty of firepower to put points on the board, but will continue to work on the physical things of defense.

“The confidence of our team should be high after coming off the season we had last year. We no longer will be under the radar with the majority of teams on our schedule, but rather now seen as one of the local teams that should be competitive night in and night out for each game.”

The Warriors return a couple of starters in 6-0 junior guard Garrett Finnicum and 5-9 senior guard Chris McAdams. Finnicum averaged doubledigit points and four assists per game last year while earning all-state honors.

McAdams contributed four points and four assists per game.

Ridgefield’s lineup also includes 6-4

Quentin Winstine | The Sun

Senior guard Chris McAdams (12) returns to Ridgefield Christian’s lineup after Please see 1A BOYS | 23 helping the Warriors win 26 games last season.

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1A girls

Experience favors Lady Bears Staff report

The Mammoth Spring Lady Bears have plenty of experience with four returning starters from a team that won the 1A-3 district tournament championship and went on to play in the state tournament.

Second-year coach Scott Small said 5-5 senior guard Terra Godwin and 5-10 senior forward Lauren Mitchell both earned all-conference and all-region honors last season. Small also lists 5-6 junior guard Shelby VanGinhoven and 5-9 sophomore forward Megyn Upton as returning starters from a team that was 16-17 a year ago.

The Lady Bears also expect contributions from 5-2 sophomore Chevelle Graves, 5-6 freshman guard Lauren Skaggs and 5-7 sophomore forward Tessa Smith. Graves joins the four returning starters in Mammoth Spring’s lineup.

“I’m excited to see how much this group can accomplish this year,” Small said.

Mammoth Spring, Armorel, Hillcrest, KIPP Blytheville and Maynard will compete for the 1A-3 girls’ conference title. Crowley’s Ridge Academy and Ridgefield Christian are not fielding high school girls’ teams this season.

Armorel Three starters return as Wes Sanders takes the helm for his first season to lead

Second-year Mammoth Spring coach Scott Small said 5-5 senior guard Terra Godwin and 5-10 senior forward Lauren Mitchell both earned all-conference and all-region honors last season. Small also lists 5-6 junior guard Shelby VanGinhoven and 5-9 sophomore forward Megyn Upton as returning starters from a team that was 16-17 a year ago. the Lady Tigers.

Returning starters include 5-6 senior guard/forward Abby Kennedy, 5-3 senior guard Briley Miller and 5-8 junior guard Mayson Carr. Armorel finished 2-24 last season, including a 1-5 mark in the 1A-3 East conference.

Abby Simmons, a 5-7 sophomore forward, and Allison Carter, a 5-10 sophomore guard/forward, join the returnees in the starting five. Sanders said the Lady Tigers need to get stronger and grow defensively, but he also expects them to have a strong inside presence and a perimeter threat on offense.

“We have a strong veteran presence with several returning players, as well as some newcomers who are going to help us,” Sanders said. “This group works hard and worked well together, and has the potential to do some really good things this year in our conference. We will be competitive every night, no matter who we play, and I am excited to see what this season holds for us.”

FORREST OFFICE MACHINES

Others who are expected to contribute include 5-2 junior guard Grace Martin, 5-6 junior guard Kaitlynn Widener, 5-2 sophomore guard Jerralien Martinez, 5-6 sophomore guard Anna Simons, 5-2 sophomore guard Peyton Gestring and 5-8 freshman forward Holly Nixon.

Hillcrest Senior all-state guard Mickayla Smith returns as Hillcrest looks to improve on last year’s 5-23 record.

One of five seniors on the roster, the 5-3 Smith, scored 27 points earlier this month against Pangburn. A three-time all-conference player, she signed last month to continue her basketball career next year at Crowley’s Ridge College.

Molly Emison, a 5-4 sophomore guard, put up 23 points against SloanHendrix. Others who have scored in double digits for Hillcrest this season include 5-4 senior guard Kamdyn Willmuth, 5-9 senior center Gabby Jones, 5-3 junior guard Marissa Murphy and

5-6 sophomore guard Kylie Baxter.

Smith, Willmuth, Jones, 5-5 forward Abby Orrick and 5-5 forward Hanna Parker comprise the Lady Screamin’ Eagles five-player senior class.

Maynard The Lady Tigers are reworking their rotation after losing most of their scoring from last year’s team that won the 1A-3 regular-season crown and reached the state tournament before closing with a 22-16 record.

Emma Cline, a 5-6 senior forward, is the lone returning starter. Two more returnees, 5-8 senior post Alicia Martin and 5-4 senior guard Richelle Lhamon, move into starting roles along with a couple of sophomores, 5-5 guard Maddy Jones and 5-11 post Jayden Seawel.

Coach David Byers expects the Lady Tigers to be able to pressure the basketball.

“Some returnees will develop new roles and should mesh well with the sophomores, who were 19-10 in junior high,” Byers said. “Mammoth Spring is the conference favorite and every night should be competitive.”

Lexi Dobbins, a 5-6 junior forward, also saw action last season. Other sophomores in Byers’ plans include 5-8 post Aziza Tahki, 5-4 guard Olivia Crawford, 5-4 guard Amanda Nelson and 5-5 post Megan Mustread.

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1A BOYS CONTINUED FROM 21

senior Alex Roark, 5-11 senior Luke Imrie and 6-2 junior Isaiah Ellenburg.

Noah Stracener, a 6-3 sophomore, is also playing key minutes.

Other returnees include 6-2 senior Josiah Cooper and 5-10 junior Nicholas Gillham. Sophomores Wil Archer, Tyler Fronzaglio, Evan Massey and Matt McAdams are also expected to contribute.

“We continue to grow our season expectations, and this team has the potential to be one of our best overall teams for Ridgefield,” Thompson said.

Hillcrest also expects another banner season after posting a 28-10 record and reaching the state tournament semifinals last season. The Screamin’ Eagles prevailed 55-51 at Ridgefield Christian earlier this month and the teams will meet again on Hillcrest’s home floor in early January.

Other area teams in 1A-3 include Armorel, Crowley’s Ridge Academy, KIPP Blytheville and Maynard. Mammoth Spring also competes in 1A-3.

Armorel Shannon Miller takes over as Armorel’s boys’ coach after leading the school’s girls’ team for eight years, inheriting four returning starters from

last season’s team that finished the year 4-29.

The Tigers return 6-0 senior guard Quinn Crosskno, 5-10 junior guard Hunter Holland, 5-9 senior guard Michael Peterson and 6-2 senior center C.J. Simmons. Cameron Martinez, a 5-8 sophomore guard, rounds out the lineup.

Miller is also counting on contributions from 6-1 junior forward Paxton Brown, 5-11 junior forward Drew Culp and 5-11 sophomore forward Jayce Fondren.

“We are a quick group that will need to learn how to use it to our advantage,” Miller said. “We have a couple of guys who can get hot from behind the arc and a couple who can get to the rack. We can be competitive when we play as a team and remain positive.

“Hillcrest and Ridgefield are projected to be our two best teams in conference. There will be a battle for those last two spots to qualify for the regional tournament.”

Crowley’s Ridge Academy Josh Longino’s team improved to 1816 last season, earning its first trip to the regional tournament in his tenure at Crowley’s Ridge Academy If the Falcons want to improve further, it’s going to take a strong sense of

team to get them there.

“Since I’ve been here we’ve improved (record-wise) every year,” Longino said. “We’ve talked about taking that next step. Last year we went 18-16 and finished third in our conference and got to the regional tournament for the first time in about 10 years. But that was a big step for us. Now we know what that feels like, we’ve now challenged them to take that next step.

Let’s win a game in regionals and get to the state tournament and from there we can figure it out. That’s kind of been our goal.”

CRA returns three starters from a team that finished third in the conference, led by senior post Keaton Sheppard.

“We have to look inside for him. If he’s effective inside it will open the floor for our shooters,” Longino said.

Other returnees from a year ago are guards Will Layne and Jake Tillery, who sank 91 3-pointers last season.

Layne, the team’s point guard, and the sophomore Tillery will be counted on to provide most of the team scoring punch until others gain more confidence.

Senior Avery Perkins has won a starting spot after gaining experience as a junior. Longino said juniors Kayden Trout and Mitch Baker are

battling for the remaining starting slot, but both will play. Others vying for court time are sophomores Jude Stewart and Jay Kern.

Longino is looking for the Falcons to finish again in the conference’s top four, along with Hillcrest, Ridgefield Christian and Mammoth Spring.

“I feel like we’ve got all the pieces to be successful. We have a big guy down low, who’s surrounded by good shooters, and with that we have a point guard who’s a pretty good driver. We have the right pieces to have a good team, we’ve just got to put it together.

We start to getting it clicking, we’ll be fine,” Longino said.

Hillcrest Coach Cade Niswonger’s Screamin’ Eagles went a long way last winter.

Hillcrest’s postseason surge began by winning the 1A-3 district tournament, beating Ridgefield Christian 7360 in the finals. The Screamin’ Eagles went on to knock off Viola and Calico Rock in the Region 2 tournament before falling to eventual state champion Izard County in the finals.

In the state tournament, Hillcrest ousted The New School of Fayetteville 62-53 and Mount Vernon-Enola 62-47 Please see 1A | 30

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3A GIRLS

Gretchen Morgan, a 5-5 junior guard, moves into the lineup after averaging five points per game in a reserve role last season. Kiley Lovell, a 5-8 junior forward, and Khalan Jones, a 5-5 sophomore guard, are also projected starters.

Lilly Betts, a 5-5 freshman guard, is also expected to play a key role.

“Our team is very young,” Baker said.

“This year, we will have our struggles at the beginning of the season, but hopefully by the end of the season we will have shown growth to help us be more competitive and build for next season.”

CONTINUED FROM 19

Trumann and Walnut Ridge have separated themselves as the top three teams, and I feel like the other six teams will all be very competitive. You look at teams, almost everyone returns three, four starters, so each team will be experienced and better than last year.”

Ballew said Trumann has the personnel to utilize multiple starting lineups this season.

Trumann’s returning starters include 5-6 senior guard Mycha Mason-Wilson, an all-district selection who averaged eight points, three assists and two steals per game; 5-5 junior guard Caroline Morgan, who averaged four points and two assists; and 5-6 junior guard Hannah McClaughlin, another all-district player who averaged seven points per game.

Key returnees include 5-9 senior forward Kayla Spence, who averaged six points and five rebounds per game; 5-10 junior center Haley Mathis; and 5-9 junior center Christina Jean-Paul.

Newcomers include 5-9 freshman guard Kaydence Jones, 5-7 sophomore guard Nygeria Jones, 5-8 sophomore forward Jaidyn Chappell and 5-5 junior forward Carla Ventosa.

Corning Veteran coach Jerry Songer anticipates strong guard play and perimeter shooting from the Lady Bobcats this winter.

Corning returns four starters from last year’s team that finished 17-13 overall and was fourth in the 3A-3 with a 9-7 conference record. The Lady Bobcats lost to Harding Academy in the first round of the Region 3 tournament.

Two-double digit scorers return in 5-7 senior guard Kelsey Watson and 5-8 senior guard Katie Clifton, who was all-district last season. Watson averaged 15 points per game, followed by Clifton at 10 points per game. Emma Russom, a 5-3 senior guard, and Haley Arnold, a 6-0 junior post, added eight points per game each.

“This team has everybody back except one player. We should improve on last year’s record,” Songer said. “I feel the conference will be open for anybody to win. How successful we are will depend on how hard we work.”

Other key returnees include 5-5 senior guard Abby Bauschlicher, 5-3 senior

Hoxie

Ashley George | Special to The Sun

Walnut Ridge’s Bailey Augustine drives to the basket during a game last season against Trumann. Augustine, a 5-11 junior, earned all-state and Best Under The Sun honors last season after averaging 27.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. guard Jerri VanNada, 6-0 junior post Ariel Martin, 5-5 junior guard Haylee Branum, 5-8 junior post Makayla Ward and 5-5 junior guard Addi Goodman.

Newcomers who factor into the Lady Bobcats’ plans include 5-5 sophomore guard Makenna Lunsford, 5-5 sophomore guard Ralasha Farmer and 5-5 junior guard Liz Ennis.

Gosnell The Lady Pirates are a team in transition after losing seven seniors off last year’s eight-player roster.

Coach Ronnie Stratmoen said 12 of the team’s 13 players are new to high school athletics. Alyncia Boyd, a 5-7 senior forward, averaged 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds on last year’s team that posted a 6-21 record.

Ty Young, a 5-2 sophomore, will handle point guard duties. Sophomores Shimya Anderson and JaMyria Jones will share the shooting guard role and Stratmoen says either can play the point if necessary.

The forward rotation will include 5-6 senior Callie Robinson, 5-8 sophomore Takara Blankenship and 5-5 freshman Jaelyn Davis. Boyd, 5-9 senior Kristin Sutton and 5-6 freshman Lauren Hines

are among the possibilities at power forward, while 5-10 freshman Mya Britman, 5-8 sophomore Ally Ketchum and 5-10 sophomore Tykiria Heard will play in the post.

“I have a lot of different players who can play a lot of different spots,” Stratmoen said. “I think we are going to be pretty quick on defense. We know what to do. It’s just a matter of doing the right thing at the right time.”

Stratmoen said three of the team’s four seniors are playing basketball for the first time since they were freshmen.

Gosnell’s roster also includes three freshmen moved up from the junior high level.

Harrisburg Second-year Lady Hornets coach Lonna Baker hopes her young team will make progress as the season goes along.

Harrisburg returns two starters in 5-8 junior guard/forward Anna Walker and 5-6 junior guard Lessie Dowty. Walker averaged six points and five rebounds per game while Dowty contributed five points, four rebounds and two assists per game as the Lady Hornets finished 9-15 overall and 7-9 for fifth place in the 3A-2.

While the Lady Mustangs lost two all-state players off last year’s 29-win squad, they have plenty of talent and experience returning.

Emily Davis, a 5-9 senior guard, and Jaedyn Brown, a 5-10 junior forward, both earned all-district honors last season. Hoxie’s lineup also includes 5-11 senior center Ellie Britt, 5-10 senior forward Cassidy Clayton and 5-7 sophomore guard Jaecie Brown.

“Our strengths will be experience and the ability to score,” first-year Hoxie coach Scott Brown said. “We have five players with tons of experience. They get along great together and are very unselfish. They couldn’t care less about who scores, they just want to win.”

Off the bench, the Lady Mustangs are counting on 5-7 junior guard Haiydon Sexton, 5-10 sophomore center Leighanna Rice, 5-8 sophomore forward Jordan Montgomery and 5-10 sophomore center Mykala Johnson.

Coach Brown said the Lady Mustangs need to improve in every area, but he believes they have the talent to play deep into the postseason.

“I’m very fortunate to be able to coach this team,” he said. “They are very talented with lots of experience. I think we have the potential to win a lot of games.

Our goal is to make it to Hot Springs.”

Manila The Lady Lions are banking on strong guard play as they look to improve on last season’s 9-16 record.

All-district point guard Brailey Hampton, a 5-6 senior, averaged 13 points and three assists per game last season. The Lady Lions also return 5-7 senior shooting guard Meg Gifford, who averaged nine points and four rebounds, to their starting lineup.

“Brailey can get to the basket and Please see 3A GIRLS | 25

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3A GIRLS CONTINUED FROM 24

can shoot it from outside, and is our best scorer,” second-year coach Zach Birmingham said. “Meg Gifford can really shoot it from outside and has a great first step that helps her get to the basket.”

Three sophomores are expected to join Hampton and Gifford in the starting lineup. Birmingham said 5-9 forward Sadie McDonald can get to the rim and has improved her perimeter game as well. Olivia May, a 5-8 guard, can also attack the basket and Macy Darby, a 5-9 forward, is expected to help in the post.

Anna Grace Adams, a 5-7 junior guard, averaged 10 points per game while shooting 39 percent from the 3-point line before undergoing ACL surgery in January. Birmingham expects Adams and 5-5 junior guard Sadie Massey, the team’s best defender, to provide a boost off the bench.

Ella Miller, a 5-9 senior, and Kara Watts, a 5-8 sophomore, will see action in the post.

“Our biggest team strength is definitely our guard play,” said Birmingham, whose team posted a 5-11 record in 3A-3 play. “We return our top three guards from last year and our top three scorers. Our team speed is better than last year, so we will look to speed up the game, push the ball and get easy points in transition.”

Newport The Lady Greyhounds will look to move up in the 3A-2 conference with four returning starters from last year’s team that went 4-12 in the league.

Jerikah Balentine, a 5-3 senior guard, averaged 15 points, three rebounds and three steals per game last season. Other returning starters include 5-6 senior guard Taniya Keener, who averaged eight points, five rebounds and two steals; 5-10 senior forward Lindsey Marlar, who averaged six points and five rebounds; and 5-2 senior guard Alicia Neal, who averaged six points, four assists and three steals per game.

Jakayla Dixon, a 5-9 junior forward, contributed six points and six rebounds per game in a reserve role. Other key returnees include Takeyah Worsham, a 5-5 senior forward, and Hilda Price, a 5-2 junior guard. Top newcomers include 5-5 sophomore guard Mari Jarrett and 5-4 sophomore guard Annabelle

Armstrong.

“Our strength this year will be experience. I have six seniors this year that will see the court a lot and get a lot of minutes,” third-year coach Victoria Atchley said. “I think this year we have a lot of strengths we can contribute off of, but we have to make sure we use those to our advantage each game, the entire game.”

Osceola The Seminoles are looking to get back to the postseason with four starters returning from last year’s team that posted a 14-10 overall record, including 11 wins in conference play. Osceola was seeded third out of the 3A-3 district tournament and lost to Tuckerman in the first round of the Region 3 tournament.

Serenity Flie, a 5-9 all-district senior forward, averaged 12 points per game while leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Lakiya Turner, a 5-6 senior guard who was also all-district last season, averaged 10.5 points per game while Shacorreya Weatherspoon, a 5-9 junior forward, averaged seven points per game. Zaria Tramble, a 5-5 senior guard, averaged 3.8 points as a defensive specialist.

Coach Shane Young said 5-7 senior point guard TT Turner has great floor vision and 5-7 junior guard Dez Jackson is a talented on-ball defender. TT Turner and Jackson are projected to join Flie, Lakiya Turner and Tramble in the starting lineup, with Weatherspoon first off the bench.

Other returnees who are expected to have roles include 5-9 senior forward Ja’Mya Harris, 6-0 junior forward Ashanti Bogan, 5-7 sophomore guard Heavenly Hopper and 5-6 junior guard Destiny Dyson. Freshmen Kayla Newson, J. Dandridge and Amyia Wilkins are also expected to contribute.

“This team can have an excellent season if we play together, love one another and give max effort every practice and game,” Young said. “Our strength of our team is the front-court players with Flie, Weatherspoon and Harris, great floor vision in TT Turner, the scoring ability of Lakiya Turner and our speed on the defensive end of the floor.”

“With this being my first year coaching, as well as my first team, this may come as a bit naive, but I believe this group of girls can win a conference championship,” Lane said. “We have a combination of speed and size that I believe can be a nightmare matchup for opposing teams. If we can become more consistent from the 3-point line, I can see us challenging anyone. We have a lot coming back from last year’s team, but we aren’t that same team. I think we are going to surprise some people.”

Rivercrest returns 5-3 junior point guard Railee Powell and 6-0 senior center Zoe Warhurst, a pair of all-district selections, to its starting lineup along with 5-9 junior guard Tatiunna Burks and 5-9 senior forward Haleigh Collins.

Carlisha Barfield, a 5-8 junior guard/ forward, is expected to join them in the starting five.

Lane also expects help from 5-8 senior forward Rylee Graham as well as a quartet of sophomores that includes 5-6 Macy Henderson, 5-6 Emma Barnett, 5-11 Thalia Jones and 5-7 Malayshia Lomack.

Tuckerman

Tuckerman.

Two freshmen and two sophomores are in the starting lineup for Chad Soden’s Lady Bulldogs. A third freshman is also playing a key role.

“We need to grow up, we have to get some games under our belt at the senior high level,” Soden said. “We had a very good summer, and we hope to build off of that this season. We need to develop more depth off the bench.

“We have a chance to be really competitive this season if our young ones can step up like I think they can. If we remain healthy and driven, this group has a lot of potential this season.”

Hannah Miller, a 5-4 junior guard, started every game last season as the Bulldogs produced a 24-14 record and reached the state tournament after finishing fourth in the 3A-2 regular-season race. Kenadi Gardner, a 5-3 sophomore guard, also started at different times according to matchups, Soden said.

Raigan Head, a 5-8 freshman forward, has emerged as the team’s leading scorer. Shanley Williams, a 5-6 sophomore guard, and Kenzie Soden, a 5-6 freshman guard, are also in the lineup.

A youth movement is under way at

Please see 3A GIRLS | 27

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.

- Michael Jordan

Rivercrest New coach Garrett Lane believes the Lady Colts can make a push toward the top of the 3A-3 with four returning starters from last year’s squad that posted an 11-15 record, including a 6-10 mark in conference play.

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Teams from the 2A-6 swept their 2A-3 opponents to claim all four of the North Region’s state tournament berths last season. Clarendon defeated Earle for the state title. In addition to Marked Tree, other area teams in 2A-6 are Cross County and East Poinsett County.

Bay won the 2A-3 regular-season title last season, and Rector took the district tournament title. The league also includes Buffalo Island Central, Marmaduke, Riverside and Sloan-Hendrix from The Sun circulation area.

Bay The Yellowjackets will put an imposing front line on the court this winter with two starters standing 6-foot-4 and another listed at 6-3.

Brad Brannen’s Yellowjackets return two starters in 6-0 senior guard Tyler Hartgen and 6-4 senior forward Aaron Jolly. Bay’s lineup also includes 6-3 junior guard Paiton Hartley, 6-4 sophomore Gunner Darby and 5-10 junior Jay Jones.

Off the bench, Bay’s rotation also includes 6-1 senior center Kolby Belcher, 6-3 senior forward Gavin Thomas and 6-2 senior Braison Morris.

“We need to develop team chemistry and figure out who are are,” Brannen said. “I know we can shoot, and we have a lot of length, but putting it all together is what the season is for.”

Bay has won four 1A state championships under Brannen, and the Yellowjackets have been competitive in 2A. Last season Bay won the 2A-3 regular season title, losing only one game in conference play, before falling to Rector in the district tournament final.

The Yellowjackets lost to eventual state runner-up Clarendon in the first round of the North Region tournament to finish 23-13.

junior guard Jesse Kinard, who gives the Mustangs a scoring threat, and 6-2 sophomore forward Brayden Carmichael.

Eli Couch, a 6-0 junior forward, is also expected to give the Mustangs a boost. Senior guard and team captain JG Edwards is trying to return from ACL surgery, while Mike Kinard said senior guard Reese Harris is recovering from injuries suffered in an automobile accident and hopes to return before the end of the season.

“The keys to success will be our continued development defensively and our ability to control the boards,” Mike Kinard said. “Our team has the potential to be very good, but there is very little margin for error due to some injuries to key personnel.”

Cross County Tony Jones expects to put an entertaining team on the floor this winter in his third season as the Thunderbirds’ head coach.

“This year’s team will be very exciting to watch,” Jones said. “We will have the speed to play with the teams in our conference. We play in a tough conference, and it’s going to be hard, but I believe we will surprise a lot of them.”

Cross County, which finished sixth in 2A-6 with a 10-17 record, return two starters in 5-8 junior guard Jamamille Beale and 6-0 senior guard/forward Torrian Warren. Other newcomers who are expected to have key roles include 6-4 junior forward/center Tristan Daniels, 6-0 junior forward Richard Harshberger and 6-0 junior forward Eli Callicott.

Jones expects 5-8 sophomore guard/ forward A.J. Beale, 5-7 sophomore guard Austin Hill, 5-9 sophomore guard/forward Tyce VanHouten and 5-7 sophomore guard/forward Stephen Morrow to contribute as well.

Buffalo Island Central

East Poinsett County

Mike Kinard takes over the boys’ program at BIC after leading the girls’ team last season.

The Mustangs, who tied for fourth in the 2A-3 last season while finishing 1312 overall, return one starter in 6-2 senior point guard Tate Schooley. Kinard said Schooley is an excellent passer who sees the court well.

Drake Mitchell, a 6-1 senior forward, and Grady Peel, a 5-8 junior guard, step into the starting lineup along with 6-2

The Warriors saved the best for last in a 14-14 season, reaching the Class 2A state tournament and then going on a run to the semifinals.

EPC held off Rector 55-54 in the North Region tournament to earn a state trip and, after losing 53-51 to Earle in the semifinals, beat Marked Tree 7266 in the third place game.

The Warriors ousted Yellville-Summit 59-50 and Quitman 68-46 in the state tournament before falling 66-47 to

eventual state champion England in the semifinals.

EPC’s roster features four seniors in 5-9 Rayshon Gates, 6-2 Nick Garrett, 6-3 Michael Williams and 5-10 Luis Lopez. Juniors Preston Rains, Larry Bell Jr., Gavin Constant, Jamarrio Burris and Deuce Moore are also in the Warriors’ plans.

Marmaduke Four starters return as the Greyhounds look to improve on last season’s 19-16 record. Marmaduke earned a berth in the North Region tournament at the end of the season, falling 63-49 to Marked Tree in the first round.

“Conference will be very tough; lots of good players and well-coached teams.

My team has the potential to be the best group I’ve ever coached, but we will need to put in the appropriate time, effort and discipline,” fifth-year coach Justin Ward said.

Austin McCoy, a 6-1 senior, can play either guard position. McCoy averaged 15 points per game as a junior. Bradley Horton, a 5-10 junior, added 11 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line.

Andy Agee, a 5-11 junior guard, added eight points per game and Parker Lentz, a 5-8 junior, also returns to the lineup.

Easton Bradshaw, a 6-5 senior, takes over in the post.

Ward is also counting on quality minutes from 6-1 junior forward Clay Farmer, 6-0 senior forward Zach Lee, 6-0 sophomore center Keagan Gamel and 5-9 junior guard Hunter Tuberville.

Rector The Cougars return two key starters from last year’s team that won the 2A-3 district tournament.

Max Ford, a 6-0 senior guard, earned all-state honors after averaging 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Adam Romine, a 5-10 senior guard, was also an all-conference selection after putting up 10.2 points per game.

Rector finished 19-12 last season, including a 10-4 mark in conference play.

The Cougars fell 55-54 to East Poinsett County in the first round of the North Region tournament, narrowly missing a state tournament trip.

This season’s team is young with six sophomores and a freshman out of 11 total players, but head coach Matt Mills is excited about Rector’s potential.

“This group should be an exciting one

to watch with enough talent to compete with anyone in the league,” Mills sad.

“We had several key players on the football field as well as several moving up from junior high, so it will take us some time to put all the pieces together. We are hoping by January to be one of the top teams in the league.”

Zane McNeely, a 6-0 senior post, is another returnee who is expected to contribute. Key newcomers include 6-2 senior post Jacob Carter, 6-0 freshman guard Kameron Jones, 6-2 sophomore forward Lane Stucks, 5-10 sophomore forward John Hendrix and 5-11 sophomore guard Trey Horton.

Bay won last season’s regular-season championship in 2A-3, while Rector won the district tournament. Both teams have key returnees in place as they look to challenge again this winter.

Buffalo Island Central, Marmaduke, Melbourne, Riverside, Salem and SloanHendrix will also jockey for position in the 2A-3.

“Our league should be very balanced with everyone returning key players,” Rector coach Matt Mills said. “Melbourne should be the front runner after finishing third last year and returning basically everyone. Bay always has to be considered a front runner.”

Riverside Buster Campbell enters his 44th season of coaching with a team that will rely on several new faces.

Two starters, 6-2 senior forward Gage Crews and 6-3 junior post Ethan Boatman, return from last year’s squad that finished 5-26. Crews averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Boatman put up 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.

Demo Bowers, a 5-10 senior guard, has enjoyed several big games already, including a 46-point outburst against Shirley and a 34-point performance against Crowley’s Ridge Academy.

Campbell projects Crews, Boatman, Bowers and 5-10 junior guard M.J. Wilkinson as regular starters for the Rebels, with the fifth slot up for grabs between 5-8 sophomore guard Trae Barnes, 6-0 junior forward A.J. Chamness, 5-10 junior guard Trevor Mangrum and 5-11 sophomore forward J.M. Shinall.

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Campbell said. “We should be much improved over last year, but you never know until they get under the lights.

“Our conference should be well balanced and doesn’t seem to have a prohibitive favorite. If we do things right, we should have enough physical talent to be in the mix.”

Grant Smith, a 5-10 junior forward, and Brennen Laird, a 5-9 junior guard, return from last year’s squad. Along with Barnes and Shinall, Riverside’s sophomore class includes 5-11 forward Carl Gallapoo, 5-10 guard Easton Hatch and 5-11 forward Briley Pace.

Sloan-Hendrix A new head coach will guide Sloan-Hendrix to the 2019 season as Daniel Bates takes over for the Greyhounds.

A year ago Sloan-Hendrix finished 18-15 overall and 8-6 in the 2A-3 conference.

Bates likes the mentality his team brings to the court.

“The team works hard, and has a great attitude,” Bates said.

Two starters come back from that squad in 6-2 senior guard Bryson Vance and 5-8 junior guard Gage Passmore.

Senior center Hunter Clark (6-2) gives the Greyhounds size inside along with returning junior forwards Kyle Roark (5-10), Garrett Morris (6-0) and Markus Johnson (6-0).

Junior guards Dylan Bookout (5-10) and Brendan Dail (5-10) are also expected to see time this year.

Ansley Dawson, a 5-6 freshman guard, is also contributing.

Tuckerman also expects contributions from 6-0 junior center Michelle Brock, who gained some starting experience last season; 5-8 junior forward Katrina Tarno, who is returning from a summer ACL injury; 5-5 junior guard Jessica Turner; 5-3 senior guard Olivia French; 5-4 senior guard Savannah Higgins; 5-5 junior guard Kalei Holt; 5-6 sophomore guard Bethany Woodson; and 5-8 sophomore forward Gracie Pickle.

Walnut Ridge Bailey Augustine is back to build on a stellar sophomore season and second-year coach Chase Halbrook expects the 5-11 junior guard to have more help this winter.

Augustine averaged 27.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore, leading the Lady Bobcats to an 11-win improvement as they finished 15-10. She earned all-state and Best Under The Sun honors after a season

“We thought we were good enough to make the regional tournament last year and we fell short.

We want to make it to regionals and find a way to make it to state. Those are our goals.”

Chase Halbrook

Walnut Ridge girls head coach that included three games where she scored 40 or more points, including a 45-point outburst against Osceola.

“She’s really developed an outside shot, she just doesn’t have to use it very often. She scores a lot in transition,” Halbrook said.

“She’s the fastest player on the court, more than likely the best player on the floor night in and night out unless we’re playing a pretty salty team.”

Alexis Dalton, a 5-4 junior

guard, and Shyanne Foley, a 5-8 senior post player, also return to the lineup. A pair of sophomores, 5-5 guard Alex Jones and 5-4 guard Chloe Davis, have moved into the starting five.

Halbrook expects Davis, who had a 40-point game in junior high, and Jones to add perimeter punch. They combined for seven 3-pointers in Walnut Ridge’s season opener.

Off the bench, the Lady Bobcats are relying on 5-6 senior guard Jacey Jones, 5-7 sophomore guard Hannah Hatfield and 5-4 junior guard Anna Saffell.

Halbrook said Walnut Ridge’s rotation goes eight deep this season after the Lady Bobcats were only six deep last season.

And with the additional experience and depth, expectations are higher.

“We believe we’re good enough to compete for a conference championship,” Halbrook said.

“We thought we were good enough to make the regional tournament last year and we fell short. We want to make it to regionals and find a way to make it to state. Those are our goals.”

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comers who could factor into Corning’s plans. Murray lists several sophomores who could play roles, including 5-10 guard Camden Hudson, 5-9 post Luke Wheeler, 6-0 forward Parker Davis, 5-11 forward Charlie King, 5-11 forward Rhett Eddington, 6-0 post Fisher Francis and 6-1 forward Kekoa Villaluna.

Gosnell The Pirates figure to have new faces in several positions as they look to improve on last season’s 13-12 record. Brayden Burcham, a 6-0 junior guard, and Jordan Lewis, a 6-5 senior forward, return to the starting lineup after helping last season’s team finish fourth in the 3A-3.

“It might take us some time to gel together. A lot of what we do will go through Brayden and Jordan,” coach Kirk Glintborg said. “Jordan will be a three-year starter for us. He took over 30 charges as a junior. Brayden had shoulder surgery this summer and is working on getting back to form.”

Amarion Partee, a 5-10 senior guard, also gained experience last season.

Glintborg expects newcomers such as 5-11 sophomore guard Travelle Anderson, 6-0 junior forward Cooper Pieri, 5-11 sophomore guard Daniel Sullivan, 5-11 junior guard Isaac Azucena and 5-9 junior guard Connor Milligan to contribute.

“Amarion Partee and Travelle Anderson are very strong and athletic. Both can get to the basket and finish,” Glintborg said. “Cooper is a great shooter and gives us scoring from the perimeter, along with Burcham.”

Harrisburg Second-year coach John Rountree said his Hornets attacked the offseason after finishing 0-24 last season.

“I look forward to our seniors bouncing back after a year in the program and higher expectations,” Rountree said. “All of our players attacked the summer and preseason. We have a group of sophomores that are coming in and pushing for playing time, which brings competitive practices.

“After going 0-24, we understand that we can only go up from here and are ready to attack each game.”

Presley Witt, a 6-1 senior guard, averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds while playing only half the season because of injury. The Hornets also return 6-0

senior forward Chase Faulkner, who averaged three points and two rebounds, and 5-11 senior forward Ray Michael Jones, who averaged four points and seven rebounds, to their lineup.

Samuel Moore, a 5-7 sophomore guard, is expected to take over as point guard and Conner Speer, a 5-11 junior guard/forward, is also expected to be in the lineup. Rountree also expects contributions from 6-0 junior forwards Keaton Speer and Darrin Wilson.

Hoxie After a successful run as girls’ head coach that included a state championship in 2017, Mike Chipman has taken over the boys’ program at Hoxie.

The Mustangs return two starters, point guard Ethan Blocker and forward/ center Tracer Keeling. Hoxie was 6-21 last season, including a 2-14 finish in 3A-3 play.

Three newcomers are expected to join the starting lineup on a team that Chipman said will be more athletic than in previous years.

“I’m excited about this team. We will be young and inexperienced in a lot of positions, but very athletic,” said Chipman, who led the Hoxie girls’ team to a 29-3 record and the state quarterfinals last season. “This group has depth and will bring a style of play that should be fun to watch. I believe we will be competitive in what I consider one of the toughest leagues in the state, the 3A-3.

The conference is loaded from top to bottom, and there are no easy nights.”

Blocker, a 5-8 senior, averaged 15 points per game last season while Keeling, a 6-1 senior, averaged 10 points and five rebounds.

Daylon Powell, who took over as the football team’s quarterback after transferring from Jonesboro, is also expected to play a major role on the basketball squad. A 6-1 junior, Powell is expected to start at forward. Two sophomores, 6-0 guards Mason Woodard and Cade Forrester, are also expected to start.

Chipman also expects contributions from returnees such as 6-1 senior forward/center Gabe Baiza, 6-4 junior forward/center Weston Whited, 6-1 senior forward River Brewer and 5-6 senior guard Riley Felton.

Other newcomers who are expected to contribute include 5-8 junior guard ShunDerrick Powell and 6-1 sophomore forward/center Seth Brooks.

Anthony Cossey | Poinsett County Democrat Tribune

Trumann’s Ben Turner, a 6-6 senior guard, is a two-time all-state and Best Under The Sun selection. He averaged 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds to lead the Wildcats last season.

Osceola After making a run to the Class 3A state semifinals last year Osceola isn’t planning on taking a step back this year.

In fact, the Seminoles should be just as fun to watch as they were a year ago, according to coach Vernon Wilson.

“This is going to be exciting this year.

These guys can go inside and out, they can shoot, they’re long. We’ve got about five or six of them that are dunking the ball so it’s going to be exciting,” Wilson

said.

Six strong seniors form the core of the team in Dan Newson, MJ Vance, Greg Hooks, Bill Estell and Treyvion Moore.

Newson (6-0) returns after starting at point guard, while Vance (6-2) also saw significant time inside along with Hooks (6-1) who was a starter.

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more size inside at 6-3 while Moore is a 6-1 guard who coach Wilson calls a sleeper.

Junior Chris Littleton, a 6-2 guard/ forward, got a ton of playing time last year and will again this year along with classmates Stephon Coleman (6-3) and Rodrick Hale.

Junior move-in Terry Harris could also work his way into the rotation.

Osceola also has talented sophomores including 6-3 forward Devin Brown, who averaged 16 points per game last year in junior high. Other members of the sophomore class include 6-5 post AJ Harris, point guard Don Littleton (6-0) and 6-2 forward Kemarion Brooks.

Wilson hopes his team can be near the top once again this year.

“I think it’s going to be pretty tough,” he said.

Piggott Second-year coach Chris Brantley said the Mohawks will be smaller this year, but also a little quicker.

Piggott returns two starters from last season’s team in 6-0 senior Holden Tarno and 5-10 senior Cooper Harris.

Both averaged nine points per game as the Mohawks posted a 6-23 overall record and a 2-14 conference mark.

Michael Palmer, a 5-11 senior, rejoins the squad and is expected to join Tarno and Harris in the lineup along with 5-10 senior Ben Holcomb. The other starting slot is expected to be filled by 5-6 junior Brandon Seal or 6-2 sophomore Ethan Ralph.

Two more sophomores, 5-11 Bryon Poole and 6-0 Brandon Palmer, are also expected to contribute.

“We will be able to put more pressure on teams as well as shoot the ball better than last year,” Brantley said. “If this team is able to come together and fight consistently with the grit I know they possess, we could be a big surprise in our conference.

“Both Holden Tarno and Cooper Harris had 30-point games last year, so they’ve proven they can go off. Michael Palmer rejoined the team this year and will give us another real offensive threat.”

Rivercrest Rivercrest brings back four starters from a successful squad in 2018.

The Colts finished 21-13 last year and

advanced to the Class 3A state tournament before falling in the opening round.

Coach Hunter Robinson, entering his second season in charge of the Colts, said his team is much more comfortable with his style coming into his second year.

“The players have bought in and put in the time since last season and have a had a great summer improving their overall game and basketball IQ,” Robinson said.

Three players who averaged double figures lead the Rivercrest returnees including 6-1 senior guard Shmar Jones who averaged 16.1 points last year, 6-7 classmate Cullen Brown who averaged 10.3 points per game and junior Alex Askew who put up 10 points per game as a sophomore.

Juniors Shaq Moore (5-10) and Omar Phillips (5-10) are also back for the Colts while several newcomers are expected to contribute including 6-0 sophomore Melo Vasquez who averaged 16 points per game last year in junior high.

Kam Turner, a 5-11 junior, and Jylan West, a 6-4 junior, are also newcomers to the the team this year.

Tuckerman Josh Bateman’s Bulldogs are in transition after losing all-state guard Bomani Roberson and other seniors off last season’s team that posted a 33-8 record and won its division of the Northeast Arkansas Invitational.

Tuckerman finished second in the 3A-2 and reached the state tournament before falling to eventual state champion Ashdown in the first round.

“Lost five of my top seven players from last season, but I am very excited about this group,” said Bateman, who is entering his seventh season. “They have been working hard every day to get better and are excited to finally get their chance to play. As long as we play hard and play together, I believe this group can have a good year. This group has a chance to be really good defensively, and I believe they will get better offensively as the season goes on.”

The Bulldogs feature 6-2 senior guard Ben Keton, who averaged 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season.

Jayden Shannon, a 6-0 junior guard who defended the opponent’s best player on a nightly basis last season, also returns to the starting five.

Tuckerman’s lineup also includes 5-10 senior guard Porter Hutchinson, 5-11 junior guard Cameron Jones and 6-1

junior guard/forward Dayton Watson.

David Platt, a 6-1 sophomore forward, gives the Bulldogs another scoring option.

Bateman is also counting on 6-1 senior forward Landon Brock, 6-0 senior guard Dakota Armstrong and 5-11 senior guard Dylan Jones in his team’s rotation.

Trumann One of the area’s top players leads the charge for coach Billy Phelan’s Wildcats.

The Wildcats feature 6-6 senior guard Ben Turner. A two-time all-state and Best Under The Sun selection, Turner averaged 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds last season in leading Trumann to a 16-10 record and third place in the 3A-3 conference race. He began his senior season 21 points from becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer.

Aaron Phelan, a 5-10 senior guard, also returns to the lineup after contributing 7.4 points and 3.2 rebounds last season. Other returnees who are expected to contribute include 6-0 senior guard Dedrick Coleman, who averaged 3.3 points and two rebounds last season; 5-10 junior guard Milton Lewis, who averaged 3.3 points; 6-2 sophomore forward Azani Smith, who contributed six points and four rebounds per game; and 5-10 senior guard Mario Burks.

Other sophomores in Trumann’s plans include 6-0 guards Drew Osment

and Ja’Qavious Love, 5-10 guard Devin Miles, 5-11 guard Trenton Creekmore and 6-1 forward Rian King.

Trumann finished behind Osceola and Manila in the 3A-3 last season. The Wildcats bowed out of the postseason with a first-round loss to Tuckerman in the Region 3 tournament.

“We will have to be giant slayers this season as we are learning how to win,” Billy Phelan said. “We expect to compete.”

Walnut Ridge Second-year coach Blake Coffman said the Bobcats simply need experience going into his second season as head coach.

Walnut Ridge returns one starter from last year’s team that finished 14-13 in 6-3 senior center Nash Gill. Gill averaged 12 points and eight rebounds per game as the Bobcats finished sixth in the 3A-3 with a 7-9 conference record.

Jace Turner, a 6-2 senior forward, and Isaiah Mabry, a 6-0 senior forward, also return from last year’s team. Key newcomers include Ty Flippo, a 6-0 sophomore guard, and Jayden Hollister, a 6-1 sophomore guard.

Coffman said the Bobcats should have plenty of shooters and a deeper bench this season.

“We go back into a tough conference,” he said. “We know what to expect and our kids are up for the challenge.”

Go Cougars!

Looking forward to a GREAT Season!

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to the basketball team last year as the Redskins finished 3-20.

But the Redskins are excited about a new start in 2019, according to coach Anthony Brewington who enters his 15th season at Pocahontas.

Aside from one graduated senior, Pocahontas returns virtually all of its contributors from last year and gets a boost from a talented sophomore class.

“We have everybody back except Devon Adams, our point guard. Other than that we have everybody back plus we have the addition of seven sophomores and our junior high won the conference and got beat in the district tournament final. So we’ve got a lot

of promise with that group, and we’re still a little bit of a work in progress.

But we have gotten so much better over the summer,” Brewington said.

Seven seniors lead the way for Pocahontas, including returning starters Kyle Kaczmarski and Gary Jackson.

Derek Kimble and Logan Lewallen are both working their ways back from ACL injuries while juniors Rob Mason and Trey Baker also return along with classmate Carter Privett, who is battling a shoulder injury.

Talented sophomores Mason Baltz, Isiah Jackson (6-5), Landon Edwards (6-2) and Justin DeJournett (6-3) are also expected to see time this year after leading the junior high to a conference title last season.

The Redskins went 3-13 in a very difficult 4A-3 conference a year ago. And while some of the top players from last year have graduated, Brewington said plenty of talent is also coming back across the league.

“Blytheville has four back, Westside has two really good scorers back, Valley View has four back, Batesville has all five starters back so it’s going to be a really tough league,” he said.

Highland Former Cedar Ridge head coach Isaac Middlebrooks enters his second season in charge at Highland after going 11-19 last year.

The Rebels finished second to last in

4A GIRLS CONTINUED FROM 16

Coach Harlan Davis, entering his eighth year as head coach, expects his team to be fighting for a postseason berth this season.

“I think we’ll be a whole lot like we were last year. We’ve got five or six kids back that got a lot of playing time, and those kids are still there,” Davis said. “Those sophomores who are moving up will get quite a bit of playing time, and I think they’ll be instrumental kids.”

Senior Kate Sorg (5-7) is back after starting last year at point guard. Davis said Sorg could see a move off the ball this year to better utilize her skills.

“She was one of our leading kids last year offensively and defensively and was a leader for us,” Davis said.

Classmate Brynlee Ellis (5-7), another senior who got some starts last year returns along with junior Kendra Johnson (5-8) who was a starter as a sophomore.

Senior forward Madilyn McDowell (5-7), and classmate Christa Prichard, a 5-6 guard, should also see more time this season than a year ago.

Two sophomores joining the team will also be in the rotation in 5-10 athletic forward Diamond Kimble and guard Peyton Edington (5-7).

A year ago Batesville finished atop the 4A-3 conference and won the 4A state championship.

Davis believes the league is deeper than last season.

“I think the league top to bottom may be better than it was last year. I don’t think anybody is going to be as strong as Batesville was. Even Batesville won’t be quite as good as they were, but the league I think is going to be pretty good

the 4A-3 conference with a 2-12 mark but return three starters in 6-3 senior Joel Hoppe, 5-9 senior Colby Hopkins and 6-1 senior Camden Rhodes.

Senior Cade Lewis also started the final few games for Highland and also returns along with 6-4 senior David Jones, 6-4 junior Jon Daggett, 5-11 junior Grant Sanders, 5-9 junior Austin Circle and 5-8 junior Branden Dennis.

Five sophomores also join the team including Wyatt Goodman (5-9), Colt Throckmorton (6-4), Lindon Whitlow (6-0), Nate Kulczycki (5-8) and Warren Burton (5-10).

“Once we are in shape from football and we are in basketball mode we can be really competitive,” Middlebrooks said of his team.

1A BOYS again,” Davis said.

Blytheville Blytheville will be seeking improvement this year after finishing 4-19 overall and 2-9 in the 4A-3 conference a year ago.

Head coach Melissa Young, entering her 25th season as a head coach, says this year’s group doesn’t mind putting in the time to improve.

“They work hard daily and as a team,” Young said.

One starter returns for the Lady Chickasaws is 5-8 senior post TraVeanna Mays. Last year Mays averaged six points and five rebounds per game.

Although no other starters are back, five players with playing experience are back including 5-5 senior guard Sandi Gillespie and 5-7 forward Zion Haynes.

Wynne Former Valley View and Gosnell head coach Tim Hawkins moves south on Arkansas 1 to coach the girls at Wynne this year.

Wynne finished 0-24 last year and came into the 2019-20 season on a 92-game losing streak. The Lady Jackets ended that streak on Nov. 12 with a win over Cross County.

Wynne’s roster includes seven juniors and nine sophomores.

Hawkins will utilize a lot of players this year as he settles into his new job.

“Our strength lies in our quickness and we will play 10 most nights,” Hawkins said. “We are young but if we take care of the basketball, we should be much more competitive in the 4A-5 conference.”

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before falling 58-38 to Nevada in the semifinals.

Colton Rose, a 6-1 guard who is one of seven seniors on the roster, returns to lead the Screamin’ Eagles after earning all-state and all-state tournament honors last season.

Rose scored 48 points in three state tournament games last season.

Caleb James, a 6-1 junior guard, scored 40 points in Hillcrest’s state tournament run last season and put up 32 earlier this season against Pangburn.

Hillcrest also has scoring options in 6-1 senior forward Nick Powell, who scored 26 points in the season opener against Buffalo Island Central; 6-2 senior forward Trevor Nunnally; and 6-0 senior guard Clint Nunnally.

Maynard Three newcomers will join two returning starters on the floor for coach Adam Blackwell’s Maynard Tigers.

James Vandergriff, a 5-10 junior guard, averaged 13 points and three assists for last season’s team that finished 10-24 overall. Brent Jones, a 6-2 junior forward, averaged six points and four rebounds for the Tigers.

Maynard is also counting on 6-1 junior guard Jacob Pepper, who moved in from Portageville, Mo.; 6-0 junior forward Steel Clark, who joined the team this season; and 6-4 sophomore Corey Rowe, who averaged 10 points and eight rebounds at the junior high level last season. Jarred Jones, a 5-8 sophomore guard, is also expected to contribute.

“This will be a fun and exciting group to work with,” Blackwell said. “It will take some time putting the pieces together, but I look forward to watching this team learn and grow over the course of the season.

“Our conference, as always, will be very competitive. We have some great coaches who always have their teams prepared and playing hard.”