PEA RIDGE — The Lady Blackhawks celebrated Colors Day in fine fashion by taking down the Lady Pioneers of Gentry for their first conference victory.
The ’Hawks got up early and led throughout in posting the win. Although on the receiving end of a multitude of blowout losses during the 2012-2013, the ’Hawks as of late have been coming around, taking the state’s secondranked team into overtime before breaking out against Gentry.
One of the good things about playing in the 4A and lower classifications, is that you are never out of contention as long as the season continues. Schools in the 5A and higher classifications have no postseason schedule unless they finish in the top four teams in their conference. Schools in the 4A and lower always have a chance, albeit a tough one, in district competition.
Last place schools can pull upsets and move on to greater things. Recently, a sixth-place finishing Gravette girl’s team got hot, went to the district finals and played their way into a state tournament berth.
Maxpreps State 4A Boys Basketball Poll
Monticello
Pine Bluff Dollarway
Pottsville
Farmington
Brookland
Maumelle
Pea Ridge
Lonoke
Cave City
Central Arkansas Other 4A-1 District schools
Gravette
Lincoln
Berryville
Ozark
Prairie Grove
Gentry North Region Top 10 Poll
Pottsville
Farmington
Maumelle
Pea Ridge
Gravette
Waldron
Subiaco
Lincoln
Dardanelle
Berryville 4A-1 District Standings
Farmington 9-1
Pea Ridge 8-2 Gravette 7-3
Lincoln 6-4
Ozark 5-5
Berryville 4-6
Prairie Grove 1-9
Gentry 0-10 4A-1 girls totally dominate region rankings
The most recent Max-Preps/CBS Freeman 4A High School Basketball Poll reveals that the top seven teams in the 4A-1 District are ranked higher than all the teams in the 4A-4 District, the otherhalf of the 4A North Region.
The top seven teams in the region are all members of the 4A-1. Number No. 8 Maumelle is the topranked 4A-4 team.
Maxpreps State 4A Girls Basketball Poll
Malvern
Prairie Grove
Star City
Farmington
Central Arkansas
Valley View
Bauxite
Ozark
Lincoln
Berryville Other 4A-1 schools
Gentry
Gravette
Pea Ridge North Region Top 10 Poll
Prairie Grove
Farmington
Ozark
Lincoln
Berryville
Gentry
Gravette
Maumelle
Dardanelle
Pottsville 4A-1 Girls District Standings
Prairie Grove 10-0
Farmington 9-1
Lincoln 5-2
Ozark 4-3
Berryville 3-4 Gentry 3-4
Gravette 1-9
Pea Ridge 1-9 High school track season to begin Saturday
The first official high school track and fieldmeet will begin this weekend at the Arkansas Track Coaches Association State Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The meet for 7A, 6A, 5A and 4A schools will be held Friday and Saturday at Randall Tyson Indoor Track and Field Complex in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas.
The meet is sponsored by Wal-Mart which awards eight medals in each event, as opposed to only the top two in the outdoor state meet in the spring.
The indoor meet, while recognized by the Arkansas Activities Association, is not hosted or directed by the AAA although the high school organization has requested that they do so. The members of the coach’s association, upon consideration, decided to decline their offer.
Springtime Razorbacks look to dominate
The University of Arkansas may finally get something to cheer about this spring as the men’s baseball team and the men’s track and field team currently hold the No. 1 ranking among all NCAA schools.
Boasting a stellar bullpen and an excellent starting corps, the Hogs have enough bat power and fielding prowess to grab the No. 1 ranking in the year’s first published poll.
I think it may be the first time that the Hogs have been ranked so high so early.
While most of the time,the No. 1 team to start the year usually drops a place or two along the way, those teams are almost always included in the eight man field for the College World Series.
Meanwhile, the men’s track team is looking to get back their lost luster from the John McDonnell years. McDonell’s track Hogs won an astounding 42 NCAA national championships, far and away the best record that has ever been recorded. New coach Chris Bucknam inherited a program that for years has seen a national second place finish as an off year.
Bucknam’s Hogs last year won a second place national trophy behind Florida, who they defeated for the SEC title in 2012.
This year the Hogs are ranked No. 1 in the nation and will host the National Meet in Fayetteville this March. They have already qualified a solid field in the first month of competition, a very good sign.
While the quality and depth of the McDonellera years may never be matched or even approached, there is still room for a lot of honors to be won by the current Razorbacks.
◊◊◊
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 a regular sports column for The Times. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports, Pages 11 on 01/30/2013