Life Beyond Basketball

Basketball season for area teams from Lincoln and Prairie Grove came to an abrupt end last week at the District 4A-1 tournament held at Bobcat Arena hosted by Berryville.

Four area teams, Lincoln boys and girls, plus Prairie Grove boys and girls, played just one tournament game apiece. As of Wednesday when the final horn sounded on the nightcap with the Prairie Grove boys losing, 60-56, to Shiloh Christian, they were all eliminated from postseason competition.

“It hurts right now, but what I told the boys was look at the big picture, things we were able to do, what we were able to accomplish,” said Prairie Grove boys coach Steve Edmiston.

A season highlight for the Tigers occurred in a stunning, 59- 56, upset of Pea Ridge, previously unbeaten in conference play on Feb. 7. Seniors Isaac Disney, Cameron Simmons, Taylor Moore and Zeke Laird enjoyed productive moments. Sophomore Will Pridmore transferred from Fayetteville and became a starter. Originally listed as a forward due to his 6-feet-3 height, Pridmore’s ball-handling and shooting skills made him more suited for point-guard.

The boys loss came on the heels of the Lady Tigers suffering a 48-35 season-ending loss to Gravette, making the remainder of the 4A-1 District competition seem irrelevant unless local fans could be coaxed to cheer for Farmington transfer Matt Thomas playing for the Pea Ridge boys.

Lincoln’s boys were already out, having been done in, 75-43, by Huntsville on Monday, Feb. 13. Ditto for the Lincoln girls, knocked out, 54-35, by Huntsville.

Interim Lincoln girls head coach Stan Karber finished with a record of 2-5 after taking over the program in late January. The Lady Wolves beat Haas Hall and upset highly- touted West Fork which came in with only one loss in the mixed 4A/3A District-1.

“They played hard, it wasn’t for a lack of effort,” Karber said of the tourney loss. “They are a good group of kids, I feel bad for the seniors. They were good for three quarters tonight, they just didn’t finish.”

Second-year Gentry head boys coach Brent Hester could still smile after Gravette beat them, 53-42, Wednesday because he has been embraced by the community. Manager Madison Boyd, who plays on the freshmen girls basketball team, said Hester has done well in building relationships.

“He cares about everyone, he doesn’t take people lightly,” Boyd said. “You can talk to him, he will listen to you.”

Boyd thinks Hester mixes well with student-athletes.

“He’s only been here two years, I think he’s grown a strong relationship, more so than the previous coach who was here five years,” Boyd said.

Some fans wondered what might have been if Thomas was still playing for Farmington. Even Pea Ridge coach Trent Lloyd admits the two skilled offensive threats provided a dynamic punch when they played together at Farmington.

“It would have been interesting to watch those two play together, they are both so good,” Lloyd said while watching 4A-1 District tourney games Feb. 15. “But, make no mistake, we are glad to have him (Thomas). He is a force for us. He makes us better.”

Pea Ridge knocked off tourney host, Berryville, 52-33, on Feb. 13. Prior to that game, Thomas talked about a concern that has become part of his personal platform regarding a potential he sees among professional basketball players earning millions of dollars.

“If the NBA players wanted to,” Thomas said, “With the millions they make, they could end world hunger.”

Thomas scored 14 points and reached the 2,000-point plateau for his career, as Pea Ridge won the district championship Saturday over Huntsville.

Steve Nash, who played for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angles Lakers, has involved himself in the type program Thomas envisions, starting a foundation working to increase access to critical needs resources for children in underserved communities and populations.

Nash, who is now retired from pro basketball, tells how when a season is done, basketball never really goes away. All one has to do is step on the court and shoot around.

“Shooting (baskets) is also something, you know, practicing is something that can be just a little bit meditative cause it gets you away from everything else,” Nash stated in a 2013 documentary about his basketball career. “You forget about everything else. Sometimes, you’re thinking about other things when you’re shooting (baskets), but its still good for you. Its good for you to let your mind go, to let your mind go and to not have to be in a regimented place or time always.”

That’s the beauty of basketball, a sport tailormade to ease the soul.

“They are a good group of kids, I feel bad for the seniors. They were good for three quarters tonight, they just didn’t finish.” Stan Karber Interim Lincoln girls head coach