’Hawks bounce Berryville, keep hopes alive

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

— The varsity boys Blackhawk basketball team kept their hopes for a top-two finish in the conference with a 67-48 drubbing of the Berryville Bobcats Monday night on the road.

Saddled with three losses on the campaign, the ’Hawks are a half-game behind Prairie Grove and a half-game ahead of Shiloh with two and four losses to the respective schools.

Farmington continues to lead the pack with an unblemished record which they risked Tuesday by traveling to Pea Ridge for the rematch (which was after press deadlines; game account in next week’s Times).

“We needed and used the chance to get the rust off,” head coach Charley Clark said after Monday’s game, “so we ought to be more ready to take on Farmington.”

“Our offense ran real smooth and we were able to assert ourselves well after the game got underway.

We got to clear the bench in the fourth quarter so the starters will more rested for the next game and it was get getting the younger players some more experience.”

That experience will be needed as the ’Hawks lost senior Levi Roughton for the rest of the season as he suffered a broken arm after a fall on the ice and snow left after last week’s blizzard.

“It was tough losing Levi because he has been a key player for us for the past couple of years,” Clark lamented, “The bench got a little shorter but we have to deal with it and we will.”

Against the Bobcats Monday, the ’Hawks started fast and never looked back, rusty as they were.

Six different ’Hawks made the scoring column as Pea Ridge pounded Berryville 20-9 in the first period.

Sophomore Joe Adams led the way with three field goals in the paint with senior Kasey Cooper scoring 5 points via a lay-up and a 3-point bomb. Sophomore Jacob Hall also sank a shot from behind the 3-point line while other solo field goals were dropped in by junior Dakota Woodward and junior Ethan Higgins.

Senior Cameron Thompson rounded out the scoring by going 2 for two from the free throw line.

Seven ’Hawks dented the scoreboard in the second stanza led by 4-point efforts by Higgins and Thompson. The ’Hawks’ burly man under drove for a pair of buckets with Higgins matching his scoring efforts with a goal and two free throws. Hall struck for a field goal and free throw while Woodward and RyanRoughton each sank a 2-pointer. Adams also added a single point on a free throw as the ’Hawks went into intermission sitting on a 37-21 advantage.

Higgins lit it up during the third period with three shots from the field to spark the ’Hawks. Thompson scored in the paint and added a free throw with Adams, Hall and Roughton tossing in lone field goals as the Pea Ridge lead ballooned to 20 as the third quarter ended with the ’Hawks on top 52-32.

After the ’Hawks got a flurry of points in the first two minutes of the final quarter, Clark removed his starters and top reserves for the rest of the contest.

Cooper quickly sank a 3-pointer and field goal in the short time he played with Higgins, Adams and Roughton also connecting from the field. Morgan scored 4 points via a field goal and two free throws to spark the subs as the ’Hawks won going away 67-48.

Though the ’Hawks suffered a three-game losing streak recently, they still hold a top 10 spot in the MaxPreps Freeman/CBS Arkansas 4A basketball poll. Pea Ridge is currently ninth with Farmington (last night’s opponent) still aloft in the No. 3 ranking.

Prairie Grove is just behind the ’Hawks with the No. 10 ranking while Shiloh has improved to be ranked 13th. Gentry and Ozark are ranked 29th and 30th, respectively with Gravette (40th) and Berryville (43rd) ranked rather lowly.

“Realistically, we are in a virtual three-way tie for second right now with Prairie Grove and Shiloh,” Clark said. “Anyone one of those three teams could take that No. 2 seed over the next couple of weeks and, of course, I hope it is us.”

The top two finishing teams in the conference will receive a bye into the district semi-finals with an automatic bid into the regional playoffs as an added bonus. Third-place conference teams and lower will have to play their way into the district semis with nothing guaranteed. The district tournament will be held on the Pea Ridge floor this year with high hopes of earning regional and state playoff berths.

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PEA RIDGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2011

Date Time Opponent Location Games

Feb.8 5:30 Farmington Home JVB, SG, SB

Feb.10 5:30 Shiloh Away JVB, SG, SB

Feb.11* 5:30 Ozark Home JVB, SG, SB

Feb. 12 TBA Prairie Grove Home SG, SB

Feb.14-19 TBA Sr. High District Pea Ridge SG, SB

* Sr. Night

Sports, Pages 7 on 02/09/2011