Coach Neal’s Lady Blackhawks make history
Over the past few years, Blackhawk athletes have been adding so much to the history and record books, and Monday morning’s release of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette State High School Basketball Poll added a little more.
Heath Neal’s Lady Hawks, recent victors of the 4A-1 District Tournament, were voted the No. 2 team in the state behind defending state champion Star City. This is the first time the Pea Ridge girls’ basketball team has ever been ranked that high in any poll.
As coach Neal will tell you, polls never put any points on the board and he, like most coaches, don’t pay them much mind. Having said that, it is a great honor that the voting panel recognizes the Blackhawks for the success they are having.
The girls’ athletic program is coming off a second place state finish in cross country last November and are working on a string of five straight track and field state championships. Success breeds success.
The current Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Poll.
State 4A poll
1. Star City 26-3
2. Pea Ridge 20-4
3. Mena 20-2
4. Harrison 16-1
5. Farmington 18-6
6. Brookland 17-5
Region play starts today (Wednesday, March 3)
With covid-19 rules and regulations still in play, the Blackhawk girls are playing a 10 a.m. game Wednesday at Ozark High School in the opening game of the 4A North Regional.
Their opponents will be the Dardanelle Sand Lizards, who bring a 4-18 record to the tourney. The Lizards upset the Clarksville Panthers in the quarterfinals of the 4A-4 tourney, a tourney with only six teams. The 4A-1 District has nine teams in the league with five of them ranking in the state’s Top 10 at some point this season.
In other first round games involving the 4A-1, Harrison (17-1) takes on the host school Ozark’s Hillbillies (16-8), Farmington (17-5) goes up against the Pottsville Apaches (10-8), with Berryville taking on the top seed from the 4A4, Morrilton’s Devil Dogs (18-3).
If the Hawks win, they will face the winner of Harrison/Ozark. The winner of Pottsville/Farmington will play the winner of Berryville/Morrilton, with the semifinal games set for Friday, overall finals set for Saturday.
Over in the East Region, Brookland (17-5) will play Stuttgart (9-10) with the winner to play the winner of Batesville Southside (157)/Little Rock eStem (14-8). In the other bracket, Little Rock Pulaski ((19-4) will play Pocahontas (13-8) with the survivor set to play the winner of the Valley View (16-6)/Little Rock Robinson (4-12) game. These games will be played in Blytheville, located in the extreme northeastern part of the state.
Down in the South Region, defending state champion Star City (25-3) will open with DeQueen (12-14). The winner will pay the survivor of the Nashville (23-5)/Camden Fairview (13-9) contest. The other bracket sees Mena (20-2) open with Crossett (13-10) with the winner to take on the winner of the Watson Chapel (12-11)/Arkadelphia (10-13) game.
The top three teams favored in the North are all from the 4A-1 — Pea Ridge, Harrison and Farmington. There is some speculation that the North semifinals may be all 4A-1 teams with Berryville having a decent chance to knock off Morrilton. Harrison will have its hands full with the host team Ozark and Farmington likely will get by Pottsville. Both Farmington and Harrison have been ranked
No. 1 in the state at one time or another with the Hawks as high as No. 3.
Over in the East, Pulaski looks to be the favorite with Brookland also a heavy weight in that region.
Down in the South, a trio of teams look to make some noise. Nashville, Mena and Star City look tough. Star City is the defending champ with lots of talent back from last year. Nashville has the most wins in the state, but two of their five losses are to Mena. Mena bested the Scrappers for the district title, while Star City had little trouble with their district, the likely weakest one in the state.
Teams from the 4A-1 have the benefit, some say challenge, of playing in the toughest conference in all of 4A. With most 4A-1 conference members being ranked in the state’s Top 10 at one time or another, the league’s representatives have been through tough competition on a regular basis. The old saying, you are as good as who you play with, may come true for the four 4A-1 teams.
A big week for the Razorbacks!
It was a HUGE week for the Arkansas Razorbacks this past week.
The Razorback baseball is ranked as high as No. 2 in national polling after their fast 7-0 record in their first 10 days of competition.
They whipped three nationally-ranked Texas teams in the season opener Classic in Texas Ranger stadium, then they swept Southeast Missouri State in four games that ended Sunday.
The men’s basketball team won their ninth straight SEC conference game and are climbing in the NCAA TOP 20, 16th the last I heard it, though their taking down of SEC leader Alabama after losing by 30 back last January. Coach Eric Musselman is building the kind of program that we have not seen in a long time. Insider reports reveal that The Hogs could get as
high as a No. 3 seed for the coming NCAA tournament.
The Razorback women’s softball team is doing well, ranked No. 24 in the nation with an 11-2 record.
The Razorback women’s track team is ranked No. 1 in the country right now, with a huge victory in the SEC championships last weekend. The Hogs beat second place Florida 14181, a whopping 60-point margin.
The men’s track team has been in the SEC for 30 years now, and they took home their 24th title this past weekend. The biggest news from the meet is that they won the meet by 20 points over LSU without a single athlete winning a gold medal. There’s lots of depth with the Razorback program.
With the football team on the rise, the Hog futures are looking good in Fayetteville.
••• Editor’s note: John McGee, an award-winning columnist, sports writer and art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted through The Times at prtnews@nwadg.com.