Honey, Moody, Kersey among new faces for Nighthawks

Multiple area athletes have joined the ranks of the National Park Nighthawks basketball program, including several Garland County standouts.

Hot Springs graduate Imani Honey and Lake Hamilton graduates Nya Moody and Lane Kersey are among the 17 new players between the women’s and men’s teams.

Four women return for the Nighthawks, including Lake Hamilton’s Logan Keener and Mountain Pine’s Summer Godwin. Also returning are Poyen’s Makayla-Kai Montiho and West Fork’s Brianna Barger.

In addition to Honey and Moody, Centerpoint’s Jaide Vavra and Arkadelphia’s Haley Langley lead the team’s freshman class along with Monticello’s Charlayah Ridgell and Southwest Christian Academy’s Katie Walthall. The team will also welcome a pair of sophomores in Kyndal Hardy of Mount Vernon and Grace Crawford of Bee Branch.

“We are returning four players from last year and have added eight players to our family,” said head women’s basketball coach Marvin Moody, who was named All-Region Coach of the Year for the 2018-2019 season. “In the players added, we bring high school championship experience and size needed to compete at this level.”

Six return to the men’s team from last season, including Mayflower’s David Jagers, Manila’s Brady Woodall, Pine Bluff’s D.J. Martin and Gravette’s Dayten Wishon. First Team All-Region honoree Patrick Greene, of Little Rock Mills, and Hope’s Desmond McDonald also return.

Joining Kersey in the freshman class are El Dorado’s Joe Ramey, Mayflower’s Tyler Tolliver, Hope’s Clyde Ricks and Conway’s Terry Clardy Jr. and Jakilyn Kaiser. Two sophomores join the ranks from out of state in Reyhan Cobb, of Decatur, Ga., and Jeremiah Brantley, of Belton, Mo., and Central Arkansas Christian’s Kamryn Vick transfers to the program from Oral Roberts.

The men’s team will open its season on Nov. 1 against Parkland College in the Greyhound Classic at ASU MidSouth in West Memphis, and the women’s team will take on Southwest Tennessee Community College in the Lady Greyhound Classic on Nov. 8. Both teams will have their home opener against Arkansas-Cossatot on Nov. 12 with the women’s game starting at 5 p.m. The Arkansas-Cossatot game also marks the first conference contest of the season for both teams.

“We have added some length and athleticism to this year’s team, which I’m happy with,” said NPC athletic director and head men’s basketball coach Jason Hudnell. “We understand that we play in a very competitive league, but I think Hot Springs will be proud of the team we put on the floor this fall.”