Warriors riding defense to brink of another title
Defense may or may not be at a premium when the Class 4A boys state title game unfolds today, but Little Rock Christian Coach Kyle Pennington sure would like for his team to invest.
It may not be a bad ideal for the Warriors to do so either, based on the way their opponents have been lighting up scoreboards this season.
Farmington (35-2) has scored at least 70 points 29 times this season and is led by one of the state’s top players in Layne Taylor, who’s amassed more than 3,100 points in his high school career. Those aspects alone have given Little Rock Christian (27-7) enough incentive to bear down on the defensive end when the teams meet at 7:45 p.m. at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for Coach [Johnny] Taylor and his team,” Pennington said of Farmington’s coach. “They have such a unique system set up around Layne for them to be successful. I just have tons of respect for what they’ve done, and that Farmington program has been good, but Coach Taylor has taken it to another level.
“For us, it starts with our defense and how we guard their guys.”
The Warriors, who are trying to win back-to-back titles, have been guarding guys at a high clip, especially during the second half of the season. Since Jan. 2, Little Rock Christian has allowed an average of 38.2 points per game. Since the postseason began, it hasn’t allowed a team to score more than 47 points.
“Defensively is where I’m most proud of our kids,” Pennington said. “I really believe they’re locked in. They kind of have a chip on their shoulder on that end of the floor, to hold people to a low number.
“Everybody says defense wins championships, and we know that’s going to travel. We just hope offensively we’re putting that ball in the hole, too.”
Scoring points hasn’t been a problem for Little Rock Christian. It’s eclipsed the 67-point plateau 14 times over the past 65 days.
J.J. Andrews and Landren Blocker were the catalysts offensively during the regular season, and it’s carried over in the playoffs. The duo teamed to score 39 of their 53 points during their 10-point semifinal win over Brookland. It was also the second time the Warriors had beaten the Bearcats in a week.
But it’s not necessarily the offensive and defensive efficiency that Little Rock Christian has played with that’s impressed their coach the most. It’s how they’ve handled being the hunted after capturing a state championship last season.
“I’m just so proud of those guys,” Pennington said. “We put a really, really tough nonconference schedule together. In fact, I would say that nobody, outside of a couple of the 6A teams, had a schedule like ours in this state, but that was on purpose in order to get us where we’re at.
“The way that we’re going to do it is the way we’re always going to do it. Scott Bowlin, one of my mentors taught me that … go play the toughest competition. If you lose five, six, seven games, don’t worry about it, just as long as your team is ready to go.”
The Warriors are expected to be ready in a showdown between teams that were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 during the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s early-season poll. That clash is now a reality, and Pennington said he is anxious about it.
“The opportunity to win back-to-back state championships, that’s big,” he said. “Not only would it be the first time here, but that’s hard to do anywhere. Any time you can do that, it’s pretty special. We’ve got a great group of players and a great coaching staff.
“I’m just proud to be a part of it, and excited for the opportunity.”