Sportsmanship isn’t always about sports

Blackhawks have heart!

At the Pea Ridge/Berryville football game last week, with the special event concerning the Little ’Hawk cheerleaders along with the visiting band performance, there wasn’t time for the Blackhawks’ own award winning band to do their thing during the usual half-time time slot.

No problem, as Director Kevin Hume had the band execute their program immediately following the game. I don’t know about other folks, but I have never seen a band program take place after a game was over, and the exit gates opened.

To the credit of the Pea Ridge football team, the Pea Ridge community and fans, and even the Berryville band, there was a good sized crowd that stuck around to support the band’s efforts.

Though a mist was falling and it was getting up into the evening, the marching Blackhawks treated onlookers to a marvelous program of choreography and music. The members of the band, who are fresh off winning high honors in competitions, gave a spirited performance and I believe that the showing of support from those who stayed to watch gave them a boost.

One of the reasons I solidly support football programs in schools is because the culture of it touches so many people.

Besides the ’Hawks’ large roster of high school football players who compete mightily for most of the year in games and in practice, there is also a large marching band whose members also put in countless hours practicing, entertaining and competing. Besides those groups of students, there is also a cheerleading squad, also dedicating lots of time and sweat towards their goals in supporting the school.

The past couple of seasons has seen even the elementary football athletes involved with pre-game activities. Each week at home games, a different grade’s football squads get to warm-up with the varsity, even getting the honor of running through the ’Hawk tunnel just before the kickoff.

You throw in all the fans and supporters of all things Pea Ridge, and you have stands full of good people and great tradition.

I have to admit that during halftimes, I am usually so engrossed in working out the stats and play results in the press box, that I don’t often have time to look onto the field during the intermission break.

This past Friday, I had the chance to just stop and take in a band performance.

It was a classy act, one that was enjoyed by a lot of classy spectators.

Sportsmanship isn’t always about sports.

Bauxite proves they are for real

Two years ago in 2016, the Bauxite Miners were a winless football program. They were 0-10 in the midst of a 16-game losing streak. Things have changed mightily.

Bauxite is a school close to 7A Bryant and 6A Benton high schools south of Little Rock. They were once a 3A team until they were moved up into the very tough 7-4A district and they took their lumps for awhile.

Former Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton, also a former head coach at Bryant, took over the Miners’ program and they have been cruising, heading into last week’s game against No. 2 state-ranked Robinson. Even though they were 7-0, nearly all observers gave them almost no chance to win their last three games against the powerhouse teams of Robinson, Arkadelphia and Nashville.

The Bauxite defense held the Senators to under 200 yards offense and won a close battle. Robinson has already beaten Arkadelphia and Nashville, so now the Miners are now all of a sudden candidates to win the title of the strongest league in the state. They are playing at Arkadelphia this week, and if they can knock off the defending state champion they will clinch the No. 1 seed for the state playoffs.

Also in the 4A-7, a former 3A team that moved up into a tougher conference has made some shock waves. Haskell Harmony Grove has beaten Nashville, putting the Scrappers into bind, Nashville is 3-2, with another loss dropping them into the fourth or fifth seed, something that never happens to the vaunted south Arkansas program

The 4A-1 will come down to either Pea Ridge or Shiloh for No. 1, with Stuttgart looking like they will walk away with the No. 1 seed from the 4A-2. Last week, Jonesboro Westside shocked the previously undefeated Rivercrest Colts with a 20-13 victory, giving the Warriors the inside track to No. 1.

Ozark looks to be in the driver’s seat in the 4A-4, whipping Dardanelle last week. The only thing stopping their run to the top could be the once beaten Elkin Elks. Bauxite has a chance to wrap up the 4A-7 title this week at Arkadelphia with Warren expected to cruise to another 4A-8 championship.

Warren may have been wounded mortally for state championship consideration with the loss of allstate super star Arkansas University bound Treylon Burks. The gifted athlete has been the workhorse for the Lumberjacks every season he has been on the roster, but he underwent knee surgery last week and his return is doubtful. With a college scholarship in the offing, another injury would really dampen his future.