The boys Blackhawk basketball team shook off a two-game losing streak to run their record to 13-3 and claim the No. 12 spot in the MaxPreps/CBS 4A State Basketball Poll.
With a game looming against Huntsville on the road this Friday, the 'Hawks have a shot at the top 10 should they prove victorious. Pea Ridge is coming off a dominating victory over Prairie Grove last Friday after steamrolling three opponents in the Southwest Tournament before that.
The 'Hawks were at home against Berryville, another top 20 team in the state poll at No. 19. If the 'Hawks prevail over the Bobcats and win Friday, they will have sole possession of first place by half a game over Huntsville.
The Lady 'Hawks are definitely on the upswing this year, ranked at the No. 31 spot in the girls state rankings. They have played several teams closer than pundits expected, losing by only 5 to Gravette on the Lady Lions' home floor. Gravette is ranked 21st in the state.
Overall, the Huntsville Eagles are ranked in a lofty No. 3 position to lead the conference in both the rankings and the standings. On the girls side, traditional power Prairie Grove is ranked with the elite in the No. 4 spot. Both teams lead the district with unblemished conference records.
Worthy of note is the state of Shiloh basketball this season. The anti-recruiting rules have seem to have their desired effect, with both their girls and boys teams evolving into cellar dwellers without a conference win among them.
State MaxPreps/CBS 4A poll, boys
1. Monticello
2. Malvern
3. Huntsville
4. Riverview
5. Jonesboro Westside
6. Dumas
7. Pottsville
8. West Helena
9. Ozark
10. Gosnell
12. Pea Ridge
13. gentry
19. Berryville
25. Gravette
40. Shiloh
42. Lincoln
43. Prairie Grove
State MaxPreps/CBS 4A poll, girls
1. Riverview
2. Star City
3. Pocahontas
4. Prairie Grove
5. Ozark
6. Central Arkansas
7. Pottsville
8. ESTEM
9. Nashville
10. Lonoke
14. Gentry
19. Berryville
21. Gravette
31. Pea Ridge
43. Lincoln
4A-1 District standings
Boys
1. Huntsville 3-0
2. Pea Ridge 3-1
3. Gentry 2-1
Gravette 2-1
5. Berryville 2-1
6. Prairie Grove 1-3
7. Lincoln 0-4
Shiloh 0-4
Girls
1. Prairie Grove 4-0
2. Huntsville 3-1
Berryville 3-1
4. Gravette 2-2
5. Gentry 1-3
Pea Ridge 1-3
7. Lincoln 0-4
Shiloh 0-4
Chief's Eric Berry enjoying resurgence
All-pro safety Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs has helped lead his team in the 2016 NFL playoffs, with the Chiefs flattening Houston 30-0. Berry has already been named to the Pro-Bowl and is almost certain to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award after the season's conclusion.
It's not that Berry had a bad season in 2014, it was that he didn't have a season at all, having spend a good bit of it in the hospital after falling victim to cancer, a large mass in his chest that turned out to be lymphoma.
Berry not only survived the disease, it would seem that he is now better at his position than he was prior to the diagnosis and chemotherapy treatments that he had to endure last year. When asked how he pulled it off, he remarked that "you beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live." A deeply religious man, Berry cited the power of prayer and the support of friends and family to get him through.
It was speculated that it might end his career or that it might sideline him for a couple of years, but it didn't. He was right back into the next year, helping the Chiefs mightily in their current 11-game winning streak. They are playing at New England as decided underdogs this week, but we will see.
Berry's story especially struck a nerve with me. Over the weekend, my 37-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in a developed stage. While we don't know what is going to happen, we do know we are going to spend a lot of time in prayer, and we are going to fight it. My daughter has been a fighter all her life, always striving to do the right thing. I'm betting she will be my Comeback Person of the Year.
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Editor's note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports on 01/13/2016