Here’s what you missed in Garland County sports during the week of Jan. 15
Garland County college basketball teams reach top spots in the nation, while frozen precipitation cripples most, but not all, area sporting events.
TUESDAY Off the court with Lakeside’s Jacob Hermosillo
Lakeside High School’s Jacob Hermosillo, recently trading out a football for a basketball after leading the Rams to 9-4 season at quarterback, is now helping lead the Rams on the hardwood at guard.
He recently sat down with The Sentinel-Record to give people a glimpse into his life off the court.
The right-handed threesport athlete shows the importance of having fun while also competing hard.
WEDNESDAY Third annual Dugan Invitational tourney returns to Majestic Park
The third annual Dugan Invitational will be held Feb. 1-4, as eight teams from three collegiate athletic conferences descend on Hot Springs for early-season baseball.
Majestic Park will host the event inspired by the late Mike Dugan. Dugan, the long-time Hot Springs baseball historian, spearheaded the creation of Majestic Park.
Majestic Park general manager Derek Phillips said the tournament will be played the same weekend as the Ronnie Hawkins and Mike McGhee Memorial College Fastpitch Invitational.
Nighthawks earn No. 1 national ranking, 15-0
National Park College claimed the No. 1 ranking in the nation Monday and remain undefeated at 15-0.
The Nighthawks are the only undefeated team left in the National Junior College Association (NJCAA) division II level of basketball. Despite the ice and snow, the Nighthawks were still hard at work practicing. Head coach Dillon Hargrove said the Nighthawks are trying to prepare and make sure the weather cancellations do not affect his team.
“I think we have played really good people. Did not exactly know the season would go how it is going right now, going into it, but we just really try to prepare for our tournament and Arkansas league. Because it is a really good league. These guys just every single game, going into it even against ranked opponents, they step it up when the time gets big,” Hargrove said of being undefeated.
Off the court with Lakeside’s Molly Reeves
Lakeside Rams’ 5-10 senior Molly Reeves has played a pivotal role in her team’s success at her position as forward this season, helping the team secure an 11-7 overall, 6-1 conference record so far.
After recently suffering their lone conference loss to cross-town rivals Lake Hamilton, the Rams bounced back to secure conference wins over Sheridan and El Dorado.
She recently visited with The Sentinel-Record to give readers a glimpse into her life off the court.
THURSDAY McGhee-Hawkins Memorial Softball Tournament set for Majestic Park
The second annual McGhee-Hawkins Memorial Softball Tournament will be held at Majestic Park, Feb. 2-3, with six college teams from
Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma competing.
“That should be a really good (invitational),” Majestic Park General Manager Derek Phillips said. “Last year was the first year for (the softball) side of it, and it was the same weekend that we unveiled the Babe Ruth statue, and we had to have the statue sort of hidden and protected from view. It was a really interesting weekend. I am really excited this year to have it where we do not have other stuff going on.”
Phillips said Majestic Park will be hosting a full house that weekend, with the Dugan Invitational Tournament taking place at the same time.
Tigers reach No. 2 in NCCAA coaches poll
The Champion Christian College men’s basketball team has been ranked No. 2 in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II coaches poll.
Head coach of the Tigers, Mo Capaci, said the Tigers have never been ranked this high in the coaches poll.
“It is pretty neat,” he said. “It is the highest we have ever been ranked in the coaches poll. Last year the highest we got was No. 3. We have been consistently in the top 10 for the last four years since I have been here, but never two, which is pretty cool.”
FRIDAY The Holy War: Lady Lions and Lady Conquerors meet again
The Gospel Light Christian Lady Lions are gearing up to host crosstown rivals, the Christian Ministries Academy Lady Conquerors,
today at 6:45 p.m. in the “Holy War” at the Champion Community Center.
The Lady Lions (16-6, 9-1 Heartland Christian) and Lady Conquerors (7-8, 6-5 Heartland Christian) are two faith-based high schools in Hot Springs.
Crystal Frye, Gospel Light’s head girls coach, said that after the winter weather, the Lady Lions are ready for today.
Homecoming Holy War: Lions and Conquerors face off
The Gospel Light Christian Lions will play their Holy War rivalry matchup with Christian Ministries Academy today at 7:45 p.m. at the Champion Community Center.
Gospel Light (5-15, 4-5 Heartland Christian) is finding its stride, head coach Zo Capaci said.
“We have got some things to improve on, but for us especially, I think every team would say the same thing,” he said. “I think for us more than other teams, we definitely need the extra preparation, the extra practice/ experience to get these guys ready.”
Smarty Jones Stakes top two on Derby short list
The top two horses from Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 1 are separate betting interests in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager from noon Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Catching Freedom gave trainer Brad Cox his third Smarty Jones victory in four years in the local track’s first of four Derby qualifying events, worth 10 points. Just Steel, trained by Hall of Famer and four-time Derby winner Wayne Lukas, was second in the mile-andsixteenth race for freshly turned 3-year-olds.
Three winners on Oaklawn’s second all-juvenile card Dec. 31 are separate betting interests. Two represent Hall of Fame trainer and North American career leader Steve Asmussen, whose resume lacks only a Kentucky Derby victory.
SATURDAY Southwest, filly stakes reset Feb. 3
Formerly anchoring Oaklawn’s Presidents Day card, the Southwest Stakes has undergone another schedule adjustment, returning to a February date but a week later than planned.
Carrying a record $800,000 purse, the Grade 3 race for 3-year-olds has been moved to Saturday, Feb. 3. when it and three other stakes dot an 11-race card. On the same date are the $250,000 Martha Washington, $150,000 King Cotton and $150,000 American Beauty.
The Grade 3 $250,000 Bayakoa is moved up by one day to Friday, Feb. 2. The $150,000 Fifth Season, scheduled today before an outbreak of winter weather scrubbed weekend racing, is now carded Saturday, Jan. 27.
Wintry weather freezes most GC sports this week
With this week’s ice came school closings, and with the school closings came game cancellations for Garland County sports.
Hot Springs head girls basketball coach, Josh Smith, said Friday he will be glad when the ice is gone.
“I think roads are safe enough to travel, but I think most people are in the same situation as us where you have not practiced in a week,” he said. “And since you have not practiced, what kind of game are you going to have, and where are your kids at mentally and physically?
Second annual Hot Springs Half Marathon to kick off as planned
Wolf Creek Race Management is hosting its second annual half marathon today at 8 a.m. The weather has put the race into question, but the show must go on.
“I think (the weather) makes it more exciting and memorable,” co-owner Andrew Mascio said Friday. “It’s unique to have this type of weather in Hot Springs, so it’s going to be quite the experience for people.”
The weather is finally starting to cooperate the day before the race, and the community is hard at work making sure the trails are clear enough to run.
SUNDAY
FL girls succumb to Morrilton’s height
Third-ranked Morrilton (22-1, 9-0) started three six-footers in its, 49-29, victory over the Lady Cobras Friday night at Irving J Bass Gymnasium. The Devil Dogs swept the regular season series in 4A-4, winning the first encounter at Morrilton, 47-34, on Dec. 12.
“It was a long road trip for us, and the weather wasn’t great (cold); that might explain why we didn’t play well early,” said Morrilton head coach Carin McNabb. “You’ve got to credit Fountain Lake for our slow start. We have no excuses, we just didn’t play good defense in the first quarter. We did play much better the next three quarters.”
The Devil Dogs did score the game’s first six points. Paige Davis got the Cobras on the scoreboard with 4:39 left in the first period. It was 8-2 when Fountain Lake (811, 4-4) went on a 10-0 run to capture the lead. Senior small forward, Lainey Mungle, hit back-to-back 3-pointers during that stretch, and Baylea Wallace’s layup put the host team on top, 12-10. It was 13-12 after eight minutes of action.
Runners shrug off cold temps in half marathon
Wolf Creek Race Management hosted its 2nd annual Hot Springs Half Marathon Saturday morning, kicking off in the heart of downtown at 369 Central Ave.
Despite the icy conditions, the event went off without a hitch.
“Contestants started showing up bright and early at run stop for packet pickup, and the start went off pretty smooth,” Wolf Creek co-owner Andrew Mascio said Saturday, during the race.
Devil Dogs remain unbeaten in 4A-4 with win over Fountain Lake
It took Morrilton’s fourthranked boys the first half, and two more minutes in the third quarter to put doubts into Fountain Lake’s plans of a shocking upset.
The host Cobras (11-10, 2-6) scored the game’s first four points Friday night, and only trailed 24-22 with six minutes remaining in the third stanza.
The Devil Dogs (19-3, 100) outscored Fountain Lake 28-13 the final 14 minutes for a 52-35 win.