WEST FORK -- Sometimes a team lacks one piece to complete a puzzle.
The addition of one dynamic player, whose basketball skills complement players around him, may transform a perennial contender into a bona fide champion.
I personally witnessed such a story in my hometown of Hardin, Mont., during the 1994-1995 season. A town of about 3,500 with a high school enrollment around 500 had several key cogs, but like Pea Ridge they came close yet had missed the state tournament the previous two seasons.
Transferring in came Bobby Baker, a 6-feet-5-inch forward, who could handle the ball like a guard and consistently shoot 3-pointers. He was also a cross-country distance runner with a greyhound-like body with outstanding leaping ability finishing more than one breakaway with a thunderous slam-dunk. All season-long head coach John Whiteman never once showed an offense with this kid posting up on the low-block -- until crunch time in the state championship game. Baker hit 10 of 10 free-throws, scoring 26 points to win Most Valuable Player honors and lead his team to the state championship by a score of 73-65.
Like Pea Ridge in 2017, the 1995 Hardin Bulldogs entered their conference tournament as the No. 2 seed before winning the championship on their way to state.
This is a true-to-life script Pea Ridge may be well on their way to following with the transfer of former Farmington star Matt Thomas. Coming into this season, the Blackhawks had plenty of talent on their roster with seniors 6'2" Joey Hall, 6'1" guard Westin Church, 6'3" forward Britton Caudill and 6'1" Cole Wright along with 6'3" junior Kobe Rose and 6'1" junior Hayden Holtgrewe, among others.
The last two years this cast, minus Thomas, who was at Farmington, experienced the disappointment of hitting a bump on the road and missing out on the state tournament with first-round losses in the Regional tournament to Dardanelle (54-50) in 2015 and Pottsville (44-36) in 2016. If 2017 tournament host West Fork had any notions of repeating that scenario, Pea Ridge answered with a resounding "Not this time," by exploding for an 18-0 first quarter lead capped by Rose's 3-pointer last Wednesday.
Add Thomas to the mix and Pea Ridge is more potent offensively. The Blackhawks already possessed an abundance of 3-point shooters and raw athleticism. Thomas makes them even more dangerous in transition. At 6'5" he can claim defensive rebounds and bring the ball up, often drawing fouls from over-ambitious guards trying unsuccessfully to pick his pocket. As Farmington opponents found out when Thomas played for the Cardinals, he can short-circuit teams with his free throw shooting. West Fork learned the hard way as Thomas went 13 of 14 at the foul line, leading all scorers with 21 points. He even threw in an uncontested slam-dunk as the Blackhawks earned a trip to state with a 62-34 blowout of the Tigers.
Thomas can shoot 3-pointers, or post up or drive to the bucket and finish off the glass. His skills make him a threat anywhere in the half-court offense. Church (16 points against West Fork), Hall, Rose, Caudill, Wright and Holtgrewe are all capable of scoring and handling the ball, but Thomas takes pressure off each one and stabilizes the team.
Pea Ridge has emerged as a force that must be contended with in the 4A basketball post-season. They could go all the way.
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Editor's Note: Mark Humphrey is a sports writer for the Washington County Enterprise-Leader.
Sports on 03/01/2017