Coaches build character

Undefeated, the Blackhawks are on a roll.

Head coach Trent Loyd knows these young men. He has coached them since seventh grade and they work extremely well together as a team, Loyd said, without any one seeking personal glory.

Loyd, entering his sixth year at Pea Ridge, loves basketball and loves his Blackhawks.

"It's just the competitive nature about me," he said of his love of coaching. "I love that it's a fast-paced game and a lot of kids have a chance to impact the game. It's fun watch kids get out there and compete -- not only as basketball players, but as people as well."

"Their skills set is high. We have a lot of unselfish players," he said. "We have a lot of guys with a high basketball IQ. When you have that, they create for one another and create open looks. That kind of basketball is extremely fun to watch."

"They play extremely well as a team. We are better when they play together than when we've got guys who go out there and get their own plays.

"The thing that we need to do from now to end of season is to focus on getting more physicality in general... defensive side, offensively attacking the room, boxing out.

"It's a big time help as far as a trust factor, I've been with these guys since seventh grade. I've been someone who's been there with them as they've matured, gone through different stages of life. When you've been with guys this long, they know, you hope they know that I'm someone they can count on and who always has their best interest in mind," Loyd said.

Two players relatively new to the Blackhawks are Blake Willis and Matt Thomas, both from Farmington. Both fit in well with the team. Several players compete in multiple sports and when the football Blackhawks went to the state tournament, other players stepped up until they rejoined the team.

"We're going to be a disciplined group that is going to play extremely hard on both sides of the ball, be unselfish and play extremely hard. We plan put a product out on the floor that the community is going to be proud of," Loyd said.

Loyd said the fans may see a different line up as players excel.

"We'll go with the hot hand. If a guy is going really well, we're going to roll with them."

"The most impressive about these players, especially the juniors and seniors, is seeing all these kids improve from your number one guy to your bottom guy. They are all better players. They have a good work ethic with the time they're putting into it. It's fun to watch kids grow, get better and improve."

Loyd, 27, is married to Shelby.

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Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part series on Blackhawk basketball coaches.