McGEE: Lady Hawks are No. 7, Blackhawks are No. 11, in MaxPreps/CBS state polls

a big upside in that they have not played their best ball yet, while playing on a high level especially since Christmas. They have gotten better with each passing week and with their size and athleticism, they rate an excellent chance of making it into the 4A state tournament this season. The top four from the Northwest Region go to state. The region is composed of the 15 schools in the 4A-1 and the 4A-4 districts.

Lady Hawk fans have been of course disappointed with the four close losses in district competition, but everything, as they say, is relative.

With the ascension of Gravette into the girls 4A Top 10 list, the 4A-1 has five of the top nine teams in the state. Any of these five teams could be cruising to undefeated seasons if they could compete in the far south districts. This year’s district playoffs will be the toughest it has ever been in the history of the 4A-1. The only teams with a sure shot at getting into the regions are the East and West champions as they have a bye into the semi-finals and the automatic seed into the North Regional. With Farmington, Harrison, Pea

Ridge, Berryville and Gravette ranked in the Top 10 with Gentry a former Top 10 team with a good record until late, the four 4A-1 representatives will have to earn their way forward.

Ironically, the three girls teams that used to dominate the northwest and the state, Prairie Grove, Huntsville and Shiloh, are considered to have virtually no chance to move on past district. Of course, strange things can happen. A few years ago, a Gravette girls team that had finished next to last in the conference, got hot at the right time and played into the second round of the state tournament before getting eliminated.

Both boys and girls teams have excellent chances of playing in the state tournament which will be held this year in northwest Arkansas on the Farmington campus.

Come to the games and support the Hawks!

MaxPreps/CBS State 4A Poll Girls Top 25

1. Batesville 20-1 — 2. Farmington 18-3 +3 3. Star City 20-0 — 4. Harrison 19-1 — 5. Pulaski 16-2 — 6. Southside 15-4 — 7. Pea Ridge 15-4 — 8. Berryville 14-5 — 9. Gravette 12-7 +2

10. DeQueen 13-3 -1 11. Robinson 12-5 +1 12. Pottsville 10-7 -2 13. Nashville 10-5 +1 14. Pocahontas 10-6 +1 15. Morrilton 12-5 +1 16. Brookland 8-9 +3 17. Gentry 15-3 -3

18. Bauxite 14-6 — 19. Clarksville 10-10 +3 20. Gentry 15-5 -3

21. Magnolia 8-5 +3 22. Valley View 9-9 -1 23. Warren 7-7 +2

24. Wynne 10-7 NR

25. Heber Springs 11-7 -5 36. Shiloh 8-11 -4

37. Prairie Grove 7-10 -1 38. Huntsville 4-14 —

MaxPreps/CBS State 4A Poll Boys Top 25

1. Blytheville 18-3 — 2. Magnolia 13-0 — 3. Little Rock Mills 15-3 — 4. Little Rock Pulaski 12-3 — 5. Valley View 12-3 — 6. Arkadelphia 18-2 — 7. Westside 12-4 +1 8. eStem 16-9 -1 9. Monticello 14-5 +1 10. Robinson 11-7 -1 11. Pea Ridge 13-4 +2 12. Dardanelle 19-2 -1 13. Morillton 14-6 -1 14. Malvern 13-3 — 15. Batesville 14-6 +2 16. Farmington 11-6 — 17. Nashville 10-3 +2 18. Huntsville 12-6 +1 19. Berryville 14-6 -4 20. Warren 10-4 +1 21. Brookland 8-10 -1 22. Ozark 13-6 -2

23. Shiloh 10-8 +5 24. Harrison 9-12 -2 25. Star City 10-7 -2 26. Gentry 13-7 -2 27. Prairie Grove 9-9 +3 28. Gravette 10-7 -2

Girls NWA Area Top 15 Poll

1. Ft. Smith Northside 15-3 2. Bentonville 15-1 3. Fayetteville 12-4 4. Greenwood 13-4 5. Farmington 18-3 6. Springdale HarBer 13-4 7. Pea Ridge 15-4 8. Charleston 17-2

9. Lamar 19-2

10. Rogers 12-5

11. Rogers Heritage 10-7 12. Gravette 12-7

13. Alma 10-7

14. Ozark 13-6

15. Van Buren 6-11

Boys NWA Area Top 15 Poll

1. Rogers 14-1

2. Ft. Smith Northside 14-4 3. Springdale HarBer 13-2 4. Fayetteville 11-6 5. Bentonville 11-5

6. Pea Ridge 13-4

7. Siloam Springs 11-4 8. Dardanelle 19-2 9. Rogers Heritage 9-7 10. Waldron 17-4 11. Lavaca 22-3 12. Elkins 16-3 13. Farmington 11-6 14. Huntsville 12-6 15. Alma 9-8 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.