Ridger Sports Blackhawks take 2nd in tourney, lose in overtime

— The Pea Ridge boys’ basketball team, while taking their second loss on the season, still managed to earn more respect as an up and coming basketball.

The Blackhawks lost in overtime to the defending State 5A basketball champion Panthers, on the Siloam Springs home floor.

Had the game been played here or on a neutral floor, the Benton County Tournament might have turned out differently. In the semifinals, the ’Hawks buried their conference foe Gravette Lions by 30 points.

’Hawks Kasey Cooper and Kip Kelly were named to the All-Tournament Team as was Lexi Paryzek for the girls’ squad.

The boys’ team has great potential with rebounding ability, speed and just general athleticism. Coach Charley Clarke’s team will be a force to reckon with in the post-season playoffs.

Deja vu all over again

Its “deja vu” all over again with the fourth-grade Lady Blackhawks featuring a “B” squad composed of all third graders.

Five years ago, a similar situation existed when there was a dearth of fourth grade girls signed up to play basketball forthe school’s YCB teams.

Third graders Afton Danner, Audrey Gibson, Kaylee Laster, Jerika Schooley, Shelby Rose and Michaela Tuszinsky played on that 2004 fourth grade “B” team, a team that went on to win the conference and district tournament and ended with a 15-1 overall record. That team was the first girls’ team to ever win a district championship on any level.

Another “deja vu” connection is the fact that one of this year’s players, Halley Laster, is the sister of Kaylee, a player on that first third-grade team. This year’s edition started their season with a 14-4 victory over Lincoln last week with Laster, Hollyn Davis, Leala (Smiley) Sorrell, Bailey Johnson and Myranda Head filling starting positions.

Reports are that the local YCB teams won the series, which is a 12 game extravaganza beginning at 8:30 in the morning and running all day until the sixth-gradeboys’ “A” plays sometime around 6 p.m. All three grades (fourth, fifth, sixth) have A and B teams for both boys and girls.

The current fifth grade A boys were the first YCB team from Pea Ridge ever to go through a season undefeated as they were double champs in the fourth grade. They started their new season with a 20-point victory over the Wolves.

Farmington out of track?

The Dec. 1 deadline passed for track declarations and Farmington High School did not submit their intention to participate, leaving just seven schools to compete in the 4A-1 District meet later this year. They could pay a penalty later and still compete but it probably means that they aren’t going to field a team this year.

Their program was down pretty far last year.

Free throws for Arkansas families

The Arkansas Activities Association has teamed up with Charity Stripe, a charitable organization, to conduct a special free throw event on Jan. 20.

The free throw events are “Free Throws for Heroes” and “Free Throws for the Fight.” The first isto raise money to benefit Arkansas families who have family members in the military and who are in need. The second is to raise money to help Arkansas cancer patients.

On that date, athletes on any level of the AAA membership will shoot 50 free throws. Each shot made will represent money made to go towards the aforementioned worthy programs. Private individuals and businesses are expected to put up pledge money for each shot made by the athletes.

Lance Taylor, AAA executive director, said that “this statewide initiative is perfectly aligned with our mission to promote interscholastic participation that develops thinking, productive and prepared individuals as they become contributing citizens in our communities and our state.”

The idea was dreamed up by Mitch Salztein who wanted to help athletes “make shots that really mattered.”

As he put it, “free throws in basketball games often determine the outcome of a game, and these free shots will also help determine the outcome of some peoples lives.”

School, Pages 8 on 12/09/2009