With the top six teams in the 7A district advancing to the 7A state basketball tournament, should the ’Hawks’ winning ways with the Rogers Mounties, Springdale HarBer Wildcats and the Ft. Southside Rebels this season qualify them for a spot in the state’s biggest classification state tournament? Of course, no, but it is a sign to how tough the 2012-2013 edition of the hardwood Blackhawks might be this year.
Playing schools from larger classifications is always a tough assignment at best, but the ’Hawks this season are handling it quite nicely. Falling behind in all three previous 7A contests, the ’Hawks came rushing back to snatch victory. The ’Hawks will complete their schedule of playing half of the 7A West Conference when Bentonville comes to town next week. Probably the toughest of the four teams the ’Hawks will play from the 7A West, the game will be in Pea Ridge. If the ’Hawks can replicate their level of play from the Southside game, they might well finish their run through the 7A with a 4-0 record.
How did the ’Hawks become so formidable this year? Center Isaac Mangrum gives the ’Hawks a big man in the middle, an aspect of the game that most championship teams have. Transfer player Nick DeLeon has been solid handling the ball and has a beautiful jump shot, and versatile Jacob Hall can score inside, outside and anywhere else on the courtand is also counted on to be an accomplished ball handler. Deadly from the 3-point line, Hall keeps defenses on edge.
Forwards Levi Pitts and Evan Tillman have been scoring threats in every game, and the pair can rebound as well. Logan Rose has been a force off the bench as his point totals can tell you.
The Running Blackhawks play a fast paced, hard running style of play. Watching opposing players tugging at their shorts during a contest belies their winded state. As former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson famously once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
At any rate, expect the ’Hawks to be an improved product from the 2011-2012 season. How high can they go? I believe there really is no limit to what they can aspire to.
State sports news blackout?
I thought that the trouncing Pea Ridge gave Ft. Smith Southside last Saturday would have at least made the list of sports media game scores if an actual story was not written.
However, checking the papers Sunday, not one publication so much as even mentioned it. Not the statewide, not the countywideand not even the regional papers. The only place you will see anything about that game will be in this edition of The TIMES of N.E. Benton County.
Since the game was over at 4:30 p.m., there was no problem with “late results.” Paper staffs chose to ignore it. Hmmm.
No poll out just yet
Until more games are fed into the CBS sports computer, there won’t be a current MaxPreps/CBS-Freeman State 4A State Poll.
One thing will be certain. There will be changes at the top. State finalists Clarksville and Pulaski Academy have thankfully moved on up into the 5A ranks which leaves the 4A race this year a rather wide open affair this year.
The North Region, in which the 1-4A resides along with the 4-4A District will get an extra bye this year into the state tournament. There are only three regions in the 4A classifications, so the Arkansas Athletic Association has a state tournament consisting of 12 teams, four teams from each region.
Four teams get firstround byes into the quarterfinals. On a rotating basis, each region takes a turn having their runner-up take a quarterfinal berth. This spring, the north region will have that distinction, so whoever makes the finals of the North Regional this year will have automatic spots into the state quarterfinals.
The top four teams in the district tournament will qualify for the finals, with the top four in the regions going onto the state finals.
Last year’s final state poll
Things can change mightily from year to year.
Some schools get lots better, some play a little worse and a lot just look a lot like their previous team. Below is the final poll taken after the state finals last spring.
4A-1 MaxPreps/CBS Freeman Poll
District State
Rank Rank School
1st 11th Gravette
2nd 14th Berryville
3rd 19th Pea Ridge
4th 25th Lincoln
5th 27th Ozark
6th 30th Farmington
7th 32nd Prairie Grove
8th 45th Gentry
Lincoln was not in the4A-1 this past year but their power ranking and rating is transferable, meaning they would have been fourth inthe 4A-1 last year had they been in it.
Other basketball news sought
If you attend the junior high games or the senior girls games, and would like to report same to the paper, please contact the TIMES.
There are no paid sports writers on the local staff, and the one (me) doing the writing is rather limited in what time is available in covering games. Anyone attending the elementary school gamesis also invited to provide scores and brief accounts of the contests for publication.◊◊◊
Editor’s note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, coaches elementary track and writes regular sports column for The Times. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports, Pages 8 on 12/12/2012