The 4A-1 District Tournament started Monday in Harrison with all nine teams of the conference slated for action.
The Lady Blackhawks are seeded into the fourth round on Thursday at 4 p.m., facing the survivor of games between Shiloh, Gentry, Gravette and Berryville. Coach Heath Neal's team captured the West Division championship to earn their automatic spot in the district semifinals, therefore also earning an automatic seed into the North Regional Tournament next week in Morrilton.
The girls' district tournament is by far the toughest one in the state this year, with four of the top-five ranked teams in the state in the 4A-1. No other district has more than two teams in the state Top 10. The North Region Tournament could possibly be the most formidable one in 4A with possibly seven of the Top 11 teams of the state in the field.
Trent Loyd's Blackhawk boys finished second in the West, earning a seed into the third round to face the survivor of the Shiloh/Gravette game. The 'Hawks play the late game at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Harrison, and if they prevail, they will play again Thursday night against Huntsville. A win Wednesday will earn the boys their 12th straight bid to regional play.
The season has been one of several highlights for Pea Ridge cagers. The girls have raced out to one of Pea Ridge High School's best all-time girls seasons (23-4) in history with chance to make it the best on record. The Lady 'Hawks finished the year undefeated at home.
The boys have also had an excellent season with two of the six losses by a single point while three other losses coming by only 2. Only Harrison defeated the 'Hawks ahead of the final few seconds.
This year has seen many changes in the 4A landscape with the addition of the 16 former 5A schools. Three-time defending boys 4A champion Baptist Prep moved down into 3A where they will almost certainly take their new classification championship with two of Batesville Southside's best two players transferring to play in Little Rock this season.
Harrison and Farmington's move of their girls team down into 4A has been good for them as they have both been ranked among the top five in the state most all season. One big change in the girls power structure in northwest Arkansas and the whole state for that matter, has been the decline of the girls programs at Shiloh, Huntsville and Prairie Grove.
Not long ago, all three schools were perennial contenders for state championships with enviable won-loss records. This past season, those three teams were among the worst four teams in the league.
Now the 4A-1 girls conference is the envy of the state, but with the changing of the guard, a new set of teams have risen to the top.
4A-1 District
Final standings
West Division Girls
Pea Ridge ^9-2
Farmington^8-3
Gravette^5-7
Prairie Grove^3-9
Gentry^1-11
East Division Girls
Harrison^10-1
Berryville^9-2
Huntsville^4-7
Shiloh^1-10
West Division Boys
1.Farmington^10-2
Pea Ridge^9-3
Prairie Grove^5-7
Gravette^4-8
Gentry^1-10
East Division Boys
Huntsville^9-2
Harrison^9-2
Shiloh^4-7
Berryville^2-9
MaxPreps 4A
Basketball polls
Feb. 8, 2019
North Region Girls
Top Eight Teams
Berryville^23-2
Farmington^20-5
Pea Ridge^23-4
Harrison^20-4
Clarksville^19-7
Morrilton^18-6
Pottsville^15-8
Gravette^12-11
North Region Boys
Top Eight Boys teams
Pottsville^20-4
Harrison^18-6
Pea Ridge^21-6
Farmington^17-7
Morrilton^15-10
Dardanelle^21-5
Huntsville^16-9
Ozark^14-10
MaxPreps State 4A
Overall girls poll
Feb. 8, 2019
Batesville^23-2
Berryville^23-2
Farmington^20-5
Pea Ridge^23-4
Harrison^20-4
Brookland^16-6
Star City^20-4
DeQueen^22-2
Clarksville^19-7
Morrilton^18-6
Pottsville^15-8
Highland^17-10
Stuttgart^21-3
Camden^18-5
Warren^12-5
Pocahontas^17-10
Pulaski^13-8
eStem^17-9
Gravette^12-11
Bauxite^19-7
Heber Springs^12-10
Nashville^13-7
Ozark^12-14
Valley View^10-14
Dardanelle^10-14
Prairie Grove^7-13
Monticello^11-10
Magnolia^11-10
Huntsville^8-17
Mena^11-11
Forrest City^10-11
Lonoke^13-11
Gentry^8-14
Southside^5-20
McClellan^8-12
Dover^8-16
Shiloh^6-19
Robinson^7-14
Crossett^10-12
Blytheville^4-19
Mills^8-15
Westside^4-17
Arkadelphia^6-16
Malvern^4-17
Hope^1-14
Hamburg^2-21
Wynne^0-21
MaxPreps State 4A
Overall boys poll
Feb. 8, 2019
Mills^21-4
Pottsville^20-4
McClellan^17-7
Blytheville^17-5
eStem^21-9
Westside^18-5
Magnolia^15-4
Brookland^16-6
Forrest City^12-9
Harrison^18-6
Pea Ridge^21-6
Monticello^15-6
Valley View^15-8
Farmington^17-7
Morrilton^15-10
Dardanelle^21-5
Mena^18-6
Robinson^11-11
Southside^16-10
Stuttgart^12-10
Huntsville^16-9
Lonoke^10-12
Ozark^14-10
Camden^10-10
Pulaski^7-12
Subiaco^12-12
Star City^12-10
Warren^9-10
Bauxite^13-12
Arkadelphia^10-7
Nashville^10-9
Hamburg^11-13
Dover^12-13
Highland^10-18
Malvern^8-14
Prairie Grove^7-13
Batesville^7-17
Crossett^6-14
Clarksville^7-18
Gravette^12-13
Hope^8-13
Shiloh^5-18
Shiloh^6-19
Heber Springs^8-17
Wynne^3-20
Gentry^8-14
Pocahontas^3-18
DeQueen^3-20
•••
Editor's note: John McGee, an award-winning columnist, sports writer and art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports on 02/13/2019