Wrapping up another winter sports season
I don’t know if I can express what a delight it was to be able to jump back into sports and follow a team as fun and as memorable as this year’s Hot Springs Lady Trojans, the Class 5A state champions.
The team radiated poise and excitement throughout their historic season. I was jealous of James Leigh as he was in Maumelle on March 1 for the girls’ frenetic, yet determined comeback in the state quarterfinals against Batesville. You just knew their run was not going to end there. They made sure of it.
The Lady Trojans were determined to go out in memorable fashion. They could have put some distance between themselves and Watson Chapel in the 5A final and coasted to their first state championship in three years. They missed 11 free throws in the fourth quarter of the state title game at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
Had to keep it interesting, right?
When the buzzer sounded, Ariana Guinn, Imani Honey and Trinitee Nevels received the ending they deserved: a state championship. It was a fitting end to an enthralling season with Bank of the Ozarks once again serving as the theater of Arkansas high school basketball dreams.
We will recognize the best of Garland County’s winter sports stars in Sunday’s edition of The Sentinel-Record. You will not be surprised with our picks for All-Garland County Winter Sports Girls Coach of the Year and our Girls Basketball Co-Players of the Year.
We will also recognize a Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a Winter Sports Boys Coach of the Year to go along with our first-, second- and third-team basketball selections for All-Garland County. Another five boys and five girls were chosen for our first All-Defensive Team.
It was an honor to be able to follow such stars as Guinn, Honey, Taylor Wells, Jacob Spradlin, Thea Rice, Parion Johnson, Cade Dodge, Mason Treat, Loke Miller, Summer Godwin, Fay Haywood and Alex Burleson through their final seasons in high school.
Garland County had four district champions in senior high this season. The Mountain Pine boys, Lake Hamilton boys and both of Hot Springs’ boys and girls teams earned trophies this season. Jessieville’s boys pushed Perryville to the brink in two classic district and regional finals.
It seemed like I was one of only a few who had faith in the Trojan boys throughout the season. Coach Rodney Echols’ strategy to test his young team against quality opposition early in the season helped the Trojans develop into a cohesive and formidable squad by the time conference play rolled around. It took an extremely talented Little Rock Parkview team to get the better of Hot Springs in the state semifinals. The Patriots, by the way, are the new Class 5A boys champions.
Echols brings much of his team back, which is enough reason to be excited for the 2018-19 season. Garland County can look forward to more next year from Santiair Thomas, Nya Moody, Kanaan Williams, Jenny Peake, Sawyer Lamb, Ashton Patrick, Joe Murphy, Jill Norman, Tyler Holloway, Jaidyn Fortenberry, Josh Walpole, Ryan Brown and many others.
I also want to acknowledge the talent Garland County is developing in other winter sports, namely wrestling and swimming. We selected All-Garland County athletes in each sport, as well as a Wrestler of the Year and Swimmer of the Year.
Lakeside has quickly become one of the state’s top wrestling programs, with upstarts Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton quickly behind. The Hot Springs Family YMCA Seals swimming program has helped foster talented athletes at multiple schools in the county.
Please help us salute the best of Garland County as we jump back into spring sports after the spring break.