New coach, Lady Rebels are clicking
Luke Cornett confessed that when he was appointed in May to become the head coach of the Rural Special girls basketball team, he wasn’t certain how his new team would react to his hiring.
All skepticism has been erased after 25 games.
Rural Special (22-3) hasn’t lost since a 52-38 setback to Class 3A No. 5 Valley Springs on Dec. 10, and won the 1A-2 Conference championship while ascending to the No. 1 ranking in Class 1A.
Not bad for a guy who had reservations at the start of the season.
“It’s been a joy, it really has,” Cornett said. “I was kind of worried about them buying in because only a couple of them knew me coming in. But they’ve all taken in everything, and it’s be amazing. I’m not taking any credit for their success thus far, though.
“They’ve just been playing some great basketball. They just don’t quit, and they don’t ever back down.”
The Lady Rebels own victories over Mount Vernon-Enola and West Side Greers Ferry, which are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in Class 1A.
Cornett’s group also has knocked off a Viola team that spent much of the season as Class 1A’s No. 1 and beat the Lady Rebels in early November. Rural Special’s only other loss was to Norfork on Dec. 7, and the Lady Rebels avenged that setback two weeks ago on the road.
With the exception of Valley Springs, Rural Special has defeated everyone it has faced.
“We’ve been down a couple of times, but we’ve had a next-play mentality all year,” Cornett said. “We talk about that a lot. If we get down, we have to keep grinding. And the girls have done that.”
Senior Abbey Linville provides the Lady Rebels with a little bit of everything, and junior Brinley Morgan and sophomore Kylan Stevens have been steady, according to Cornett.
“Kylan has come a long way,” he said. “She came in over the summer and was a little timid, I guess, because she was the youngest. But she’s stepped up. And Brinley has shot the ball better this year than she ever has in her entire life.
“You can see the confidence in them. Gabi Welch, a senior, Bailey Perry, another senior … they’re all doing what they have to do for us to win.”
The winning has persisted, and Cornett believes Rural Special has a good shot of continuing that trend.
“We play as a team,” he said. “We’ve had a couple of good wins recently, but I tell them all the time in my postgame speeches that we’ve got to come in the next day and get ready to get better again.
“Whether it’s in practice or another game, that’s how we’ve approached things all year.”
BAPTIST PREP BOYS 3A-5 up for grabs
There’s no way Baptist Prep Coach Steve Miller could’ve known months ago that today’s game against Mayflower would have conference-title implications, especially since it was rescheduled from Jan. 21.
Yet, that will be the case when the two face off at Baptist Prep gymnasium.
Mayflower (18-1, 13-1 3A5) has a one-game lead over Baptist Prep (17-4, 12-2) in the standings and won the first game between the two Dec. 18 behind an 18-point, 10-rebound performance from Braxtyn McCuien. Miller believes McCuien will be the key tonight for Mayflower, which can win an outright regular-season crown with a victory.
“He can do it all,” Miller said of Mayflower’s 6-6 senior forward. “He can get you inside, beat you on the outside, take you off the dribble if he wants to. He’s got great touch when he shoots the three-pointer. He really does a great job.
“But it’s not a one-man band. He’s got a lot of good ones around him.”
Baptist Prep has used a balanced attack to win games this year. Senior guards D.J. Townsend and Daniel Cobb, and junior guard Ethan Clouser have been the core that’s guided the Eagles, who can grab a piece of the title by evening up the score with Mayflower.
“They’ve just done a fantastic job of leading us,” Miller said of the three. “They’re my three leading scorers, and they’ve just been getting it done. They come to practice every day and work hard.
“But to win this game, it’s going to take a team effort. We’ve got to be all locked in, defend and be able to put the ball in the hole.”
KIRBY GIRLS Break here or there
Kirby has played a little more than half of the games it normally would’ve played at this point in a season because of cancellations pertaining to covid-19.
Now with inclement weather roaring through the state, the number of games remaining for Kirby is unknown.
“We’re 16-5, but usually we would have got in about 32 games by now,” Kirby Coach Robert Tucker said. “That’s one of the biggest issues that’s hard for me to deal with. We’ve always had more playing time with games to give some of those other kids a chance to play more and get experience. It’s really tough, especially when you’re trying to develop some depth off the bench.
“That’s hurt us a little bit. But it’s the same for everybody right now.”
The Lady Trojans have made do as they prepare to defend their Class 1A state title. Kirby, ranked No. 4, had its seven-game win streak snapped last week against No. 3 West Side Greers Ferry, but shook it off to beat No. 6 Ouachita on Monday.
Senior forward McKenzie Jones has been the team’s leading scorer all year despite being double-teamed often. Seniors Allison
Stracener and Gracie Davis have been shooting well, said Tucker, as has junior
Jaci Vines.
Tucker believes the Lady
Trojans will have a good shot at repeating as state champions, despite the challenging circumstances.
“When you get to the big dance, anything can happen,” Tucker said. “I think this year, it’s kind of wide open, and a lot of us know that. If you can get going at the right time.
You’re going to need some breaks, too, though.”
BENTON BOYS Scratching the surface
A recent string of inspiring effort may be a sign of things to come.
At least, that’s what Panthers Coach Dexter Hendrix is longing for.
“I do think we’ve played well in stretches,” said Hendrix, whose team has won two of three and been competing well since 5A-Central play began in early January. “The thing is that ever since the season began, all together we’ve been out six weeks due to quarantines. It’s like we’ll get going for about four or five games, then have to sit out a few games. I definitely don’t want to sit and complain about it because we feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to play at all.
“But now, we’ve been able to put together a couple of good weeks of practice and games. Our kids are getting their legs under them a little bit, too. And you definitely need that in this conference.”
The 5A-Central is home to three of the top five teams in Class 5A (Maumelle, Little Rock Parkview, Sylvan Hills), which makes it tough on the other five programs in the conference. The Panthers have played tough in games against the league’s upper echelon.
Junior guard Cam Harris has been big for the Panthers and put together a breakout game Tuesday when he finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in a 53-23 victory over Little Rock Hall.
“He’s worked so hard to get back to where he was,” said Hendrix, referring to injuries Harris has endured in his career. “He had a great season for our football team, and it’s carried over. Last year, we had to play him at the one, but now we’ve been able to play him off the ball more because our point guard Jaylen Bell has play well at times.
“We knew Cam was gonna have to score and shoot it a lot more for us, but he’s unselfish and really just wants to make the right play. He’s been huge, especially down the stretch as we try to claw our way back into things.”
TIP-INS
Jacksonville forward Jordan Maxwell received an offer from North Arkansas College earlier this week. The junior is averaging more than 14 points and eight rebounds for the Titans. His teammate, T.J. Stewart, received an offer from Arkansas State MidSouth. … Bryant forward Will Diggins has been huge for the Hornets this season, but the 6-4 junior recently picked up a football offer from Middle Tennessee State. … Beebe junior guard Madelyn Atkins went over the 1,000-point mark Tuesday in a loss to Jacksonville.