Eagles hope to retool with new coach

The Cutter Morning Star Eagles are coming off one of their best seasons in school history, winning 33 games. However, that season ended in the Class 2A state semifinals with a loss to Marked Tree. Coach Jesse Slick left the program, and enter former Jessieville girls coach Matt Carter, a 1992 graduate of Cutter. “Coach Slick and I were classmates and are very good friends,” Carter said of the coach who retired from education following last season. Carter has a career record of 377-98 in stops at Des Arc, Berryville and 10 years at Jessieville. Cutter started the 2016-17 season 29-0 before losing to Bearden in the finals of the regional tournament. The Eagles return one starter from last year’s team — sophomore point guard Ryan Brown. “He’s a great player,” Carter said. “He’s the straw that stirs the drink.” Carter said Brown is the team’s best outside player. “He’s an explosive point guard who can get to the rim and shoot the 3 well,” Carter said. “He really controls the game.” Carter said junior guard Rhett Barrett is a skilled guard. “He can score in a lot of ways and really shot the 3-pointer,” Carter said. “He is a zone buster.” The Eagles’ best inside player is senior Mason Treat. “He’s athletic and physical and finishes around the rim,” Carter said. “He has a lot of game experience and played his best ball in the postseason last year.” Carter told the Hot Springs SentinelRecord that he plans no major changes with the Eagles. “Coach Slick’s a good friend of mine,” Carter said. “I can’t replace him as far as what he was able to do for you guys. What I’m going to do is come in here and piggyback off it. It’s going to be a smooth transition. Philosophically, we do a lot of the same things — man defense, we look to push the ball and stuff like that.” Slick resigned following the season, which was the team’s best since the 199293 season when the Eagles played in the state-championship game, losing to Buffalo Island Central, finishing 34-1. “We lost a lot of the platform from last year’s team but have a young crop of talented players this year,” Carter said. “Our goal is to play hard every night, and everything else will fall into place. “We will try to outwork our opponent every night.” Carter noted games against Mountain Pine as ones to watch because it’s the Eagles’ big rival. They host Mountain Pine on Dec. 12, then play at Mountain Pine on Jan. 16. “We are a young team with a lot of talent with some good experience in key positions,” Carter said. “I think we will be a strong defensive team with the ability to score. We could be inconsistent at times, but I expect to be there by the end of the season.” Cutter will open the season Nov. 17 at Acorn. “Cutter Morning Star has given me a great opportunity to come back home and coach a team that I played for a long time ago,” Carter said. “Coach Slick has laid a solid foundation for the basketball program for many years to come, and I am excited about the opportunity to lead this program into the future and help them to build off their recent success. “The CMS community has been very supportive and has made my wife, Kerri, our two little boys, Max and Sam, and me feel right at home. I am looking forward to basketball season. It should be a lot of fun.”