Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Golden Arrows duo want to leave their mark
SPECIAL TO NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Heading into his sixth season as Lavaca’s boys basketball coach, Renner Reed is confident this is the best team the Golden Arrows have had under his watch.
After Lavaca finished 23-10 a season ago and lost to eventual state champion Earle in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A state tournament, Reed will be relying heavily on perhaps the state’s best backcourt tandem.
Seniors Garrett Eck and Ryan Dockery will lead the charge with a chip on their shoulders and a lot of accolades under their belts.
The 6-foot-2 Eck was a unanimous all-state selection at point guard last year after averaging 20 points and six assists per game, while shooting at a 40 percent clip behind the 3-point line. Dockery, a 6-2 shooting guard, was also an all-state selection after contributing 20 points and eight rebounds per game.
“As far as our backcourt, we have a pretty good group — the best I have had since I’ve been here,” said Renner, a Winslow native who is in his 14th year overall in the coaching ranks.
Including fellow senior Chance Walker, who tallied 10 points per contest last season, the Golden Arrows look to push the ball and rely heavily on their outside shooting.
“It’s huge having guys returning with some success under the belts,” Renner added. “We have a pretty good sophomore class coming up as well, and they really look to those guys for guidance. This group of seniors has the ability to lead the team, on and off the court. And that is big for us.”
With senior Levi Simpson also bringing back some experience, Renner has a group that he has been coaching since they were in seventh grade. It’s also a foursome that has a long-standing friendship with each other.
“We all know that we can count on each other all the time,” Dockery said.
But its his special bond with Eck that makes this team go.
“It’s really cool, because off the court we are best friends,” Eck said. “We hang out all the time, so on the court it just helps our chemistry. We
just play really well together.” Dockery agrees.
“It’s huge.” he said. “I know what he’s going to do before he does it, and he knows what I’m going to do. If I’m off one night, he’s usually on, and if he’s off, I’m usually on. So it just seems to work out.”
Both players are getting some looks from some smaller colleges around the region, and hope to extend their careers to the next level. Eck is being recruited by the College of the Ozarks and already has a walk-on offer from the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith.
They are each hoping a successful senior season will generate even more interest.
“They are very coachable and can shoot the ball, and they’re just really good kids, on and off the court,” Renner said. “And academically, they really do well, so it’s a just rare group.”
The Golden Arrows won their conference and district last season and hope to build on that success, despite playing in a solid conference around the River Valley.
“In our area alone, the majority of the smaller schools are in the state tournament every year,” he said. “Charleston, County Line and Paris also made it to the quarterfinals last year, so the schools in our area have had a ton of success.
“And that’s a lot of fun, because the crowds are good, our players are putting a lot of time into their games and improving. There is just a lot of good basketball being played throughout the entire state right now.”
Girls basketball in the 2A and 1A ranks in Northwest Arkansas is always loaded, and this year is no exception. Perennial power Kingston leads the way and the Lady Yellow Jackets return all-state senior guard Brooke Barron.
Jasper was 31-8 last season and will be strong again as Leah Shellnut, a 5-4 senior guard who made the all-state team last year, returns for coach Jeff Lewis’ squad.
Down in the River Valley, Scranton returns all-state senior Amber Fox, and Diana Oudomvilary is a player to watch for County Line.
Omaha had a strong season last year and returns all-state junior forward Cas Yocham, who helped the team to a 29-11 mark.