ACADEMIC ATHLETE

Perryville senior excels on court, in class

Perryville High School senior Chandler Roland is a three-sport athlete, but basketball is his favorite, he said, and he excels at it. He plays baseball for the Perryville Mustangs and runs track. He’s played basketball since he joined a community league in the third grade, and the sport has grown on him. “I’ve just really come to appreciate it, and over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten to where I’ve enjoyed playing it a lot. It’s a fun activity where I can get rid of stress,” he said. If it seems like an 18-year-old shouldn’t have a lot of stress, consider that Roland has a 3.9 GPA, so he has to balance a packed schedule of athletics with his academics. New Perryville basketball coach Dion Hargrove has been impressed with Roland in a short amount of time. Hargrove, a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, is in his first year coaching the team. He came to Perryville from Flippin. Hargrove said Roland “had a really good year last year; he’s had a good preseason for us. He can score with it; he’s really worked on his defensive skills and ball-handling skills. He does some really good things.” Roland averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. He’s able to roll with changes, too. “I’ve actually had four coaches throughout high school,” Roland said. “It’s not bad. [Hargrove’s] a good coach, and he brings a good style of play to us, and I feel like he’ll really help us this year.” “[Hargrove’s style is] a slower pace that focuses more on defense than we had previously,” Roland said. “He also has a good amount of set plays that I think will work really well this year.” The Mustangs had a 20-11 season last year and went to the regional tournament, where they lost to Charleston 84-74. The 6-0 Roland is a shooting guard, sometimes a small forward. “My strengths are probably getting the ball in the basket. I feel like I have a pretty good jumping ability for my size,” he said. His favorite memory of a game was last year against Lamar, his highest-scoring game. “There was a big crowd for that night, probably the biggest of the year. I scored 16 points in the first quarter, and I ended up with 34 points,” he said. Roland averaged 19.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season. He is the Basketball Player to Watch for 2017-18. This season, Roland said some of the tougher opponents will be the 4A schools, such as Pottsville. “They’re a good team to play; they’re good competition,” he said. Roland also mentioned Dardanelle, “and of course, our big rivalry game with Bigelow.” Roland said the teams go back and forth in wins, which keeps it exciting. Roland enjoys keeping up with NBA players such as LeBron James and Seth Curry. “I admire how they can keep their poise; they’re smart and intelligent,” Roland said. Roland is a son of John and Beth Roland, and he has an older sister, Kelsie, a cheerleader at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, and a younger brother, Mason, who also shows his skills on the hardwood for the junior high team. John Roland is the mayor of Perryville and owns Roland’s Drug. Chandler Roland hopes to play college ball, but he’s keeping the schools he’s considering close to the vest. He’s got some ideas for his future career, too. “I’m thinking maybe pharmacy, follow in my dad’s footsteps, but I don’t have a specific plan yet,” he said. Until then, he plans to keep working hard on the court and in the classroom. “God’s just blessed me,” he said.