Harding Academy wins state-title game
SEARCY — After losing two games in the district tournament, the Harding Academy Wildcats faced a must-win situation in the regional tournament.
“After we beat Manila in the first game of the regional tournament, we began to think, ‘Maybe we can do this after all,’” head coach Brad Francis said. “That was a big win for us mentally.”
The Wildcats eventually won the regional tournament, earning the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. Harding Academy then went on to win the Class 3A state championship, defeating Mayflower 4238 on March 19 in Hot Springs. The Wildcats would overcome a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit for the win.
“It legitimizes a lot of work and effort by this group of seniors,” Francis said. “That was in their mind for what they wanted to do, and this win helped validate that for them.
“When you are able to do it, and people aren’t expecting it, there is a lot of satisfaction in that.”
Senior Carter Neal was named the Most Valuable Player after scoring 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
“It’s a dream a lot of us had growing up,” Neal said. “It means a lot to go out and win with your friends and accomplish something like that, and getting [a state title] in basketball was just extra special.”
Francis said he is proud of the way Neal developed and the run he had in the postseason.
“We had to win all the hustle plays and get every rebound that I could,” Neal said. “I knew I had to do everything in my power to get the ball back and score.”
Neal plans on attending Harding University to study exercise science and, hopefully, become a physical therapist.
“The whole team has grown up with each other and created a bond together,” Neal said. “Our chemistry and all the people on the bench rallying together made it worth the win.”
Thirteen of the 17 players on the basketball team also play for the Harding Academy football team, which won a state championship in the fall.
“It was just icing on the cake, and something that we all wanted to do,” Neal said. “We knew we had each other’s back, rallied together and got it done.”
Senior Adam Fager, one of the top offensive linemen for the Wildcats, has signed with Harding University to play football this fall.
“We haven’t been the most athletic team, but this group has been playing together since sixth grade with travel ball and [Amateur Athletic Union] basketball,” Fager said. “We all know each other and are great friends.
“Our bench players are the life of the team. It really was a huge reason why we won.”
Harding Academy won a state championship in football, basketball and baseball in 2013, and Francis said, “That was in these kids’ minds because they saw it when they were younger, and they were hoping to repeat it.
“I think how we played on the defensive end, for just hustle plays and heart plays — combine that with some guys who are pretty coachable and understand the team concept — it makes a lot of good things happen.”
Francis is in his 14th season as head coach for the Wildcats. He said Harding came into this season with two starters, Ty Dugger and Caden Sipe, who were asked to take on a bigger role offensively this year.
“When people saw the size that we lost and the offensive firepower that we lost, it tends to make people overlook us,” Francis said. “I think Ty became the focal point of a lot of teams’ defenses, but he just kept playing hard and didn’t
let [their defense] phase him.”
Sipe, who was named the MVP of the state championship football game, opened the state-championship basketball game with back-to-back 3-pointers. He finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
The coach said sophomores Kade Smith and Tyler Ferries played in every game and contributed well in the statetournament run.
“We didn’t think we would make it this far, honestly,” Fager said. “It was kind of a shock, even to us.
“We have great team chemistry — not necessarily that we were the best, but just play well together.”
Alex Francis, the coach’s son, is a volunteer assistant for both football and basketball, and the coach’s older son, Will, is an assistant football coach. He also kept the books for the varsity basketball team and is the head coach for the seventhgrade team.
“I got to coach [my sons] as players and share that experience, so sharing this experience with them has been a lot of fun,” Coach Francis said.