Into his 25th season, Lofton continues quest for 500 wins
North Little Coach Daryl Fimple has been an assistant coach at the collegiate level, but he made his mark coaching girls high school basketball.
Back in mid- December, Fimble achieved a noteworthy milestone when he picked up his 500th career coaching victory after the Lady Charging Wildcats beat West Memphis 64-58.
That caught the attention of Forrest City boys basketball coach Dwight Lofton, who is into his 25th basketball season with the Mustangs and owns more than 400 career victories of his own.
Before making the move to Forrest City, Lofton coached nine seasons at North Little Rock. He also collected 23 wins in two seasons coaching in Louisiana.
Fimple spent time on both the Arkansas Tech men's and women's basketball teams' coaching staffs prior to beginning a successful 22- year career at the prep level. He coached at Shirley and Lonoke before taking over at North Little Rock in 2005, where he's won four state championships.
Lofton, so far at Forrest City, has two state titles under his belt, winning the Class 5A championship in 2014 and again in 2016 and is a member of the Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame.
Unofficially, Lofton's career victory count stands at 408 without the junior high seasons.
"Getting 500 wins is something not many coaches have done," Lofton said after learning of Fimple's achievement. "I feel like I would like to coach for as long as my health and my desire is there. Right now, my health is good and as a coach the desire to keep winning is always there. So we will just have to see. I don't think I can count the junior high wins."
Another longtime Arkansas basketball coach, Buster Campbell in his 45th coaching season, recently achieved a coaching milestone of his own, reaching career victory 900 when his Riverside Rebels basketball team defeated Northeast Home Educators 65-39.
According to the Arkansas Activities Association record book, Campbell is only the eighth coach in Arkansas history to earn his 900th career victory, joining a group that includes a couple more area legends in Morgan Gilbert ( Tyronza, Bay, Tuckerman) and Bob Paynter ( Johnson City, Tenn., and Paragould).
The National Federation of State High School Associations lists only 32 coaches with 900 or more wins in boys’ basketball in its record book.
Campbell has averaged 20plus wins over 44-plus seasons in the same school district. Riverside opened as the consolidation of Lake City and Caraway in the 1985- 86 school year.
Campbell was inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018. Later that year he also received the Arkansas Diamond Award, given by the Arkansas Secretary of State to those who have made significant contributions to their community through time, talent and dedication.
While Campbell vividly remembers specific games from years past, personal milestones aren’t among them. He doesn’t remember who the Caraway Tigers defeated for his first victory in 1975, nor does he recall beating Augusta in the 2013-14 season for No. 800.
Campbell’s 600th victory came against Maynard in the 2004-05 season.
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After having Monday night's junior high conference game cancelled, Junior Mustang head coach Darious Williams is anxious to get his team back on the floor tonight when the Wynne Junior Jackets come to Mustang Arena for a two eighth grade games and a pair of ninth grade games.
eStem cancelled Monday's scheduled game.
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The Forrest City Mustangs and Lady Mustangs will make the short trip Friday to play at Wynne as 4A- 5 conference basketball action continues.
Both Forrest City teams are coming off home losses Tuesday to eStem.