Fourth Quarter Heroics Fuel Cards

Organize “Battle of 62” Trophy Endeavor

PRAIRIE GROVE — The Farmington Cardinal junior boys and girls basketball teams utilized sterling fourth-period efforts to earn a sweep over the host Prairie Grove Tigers on Thursday at Prairie Grove’s Tiger Den Gym.

In the girls contest, Farmington had a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave them a 31-28 win, while the Farmington boys used a 14-3 final period run that turned a four-point game into a 43-28 blowout.

Junior Girls — According to Farmington coach Jessica Mccollough, Trish O’connell didn’t play one of her best games, by far, but the Cardinal eighth-grader stepped up big for Farmington (16-1, 6-1) in crunch time by hitting a running hook with 1:15 to play and then stroking the game winning 3-pointer at the buzzer after Prairie Grove (8-6, 3-3) had tied the score at 28-28 with six seconds left.

“Even though she (O’connell) struggled early, she stayed focused and found a way to help us at the end,” Mccollough said.

Farmington’s Kristi Duchanois had four first-period points and Brooke Larkin, who led the Cardinals in scoring with eight points, capped of the second period with a layup at the buzzer that gave Farmington a 15-7 lead at the break.

The Tigers held the Cardi- nals to three points in the third frame and got six points from Emily Sapp, who led all scorers with 10 points, which help Prairie Grove draw to within a point, at 19-18 going into the final stanza.

Four points from Sherra Irvin and a layup by Duchanois put the Cardinals up 25-18, but Sapp ended the run by stroking a 3pointer and then making a foul shot after being fouled for the “unconventional” four-point play.

Marie Grigson’s pull- up jumper cut the Cardinal lead to 25-24 and with 1:40 to play. Taylor Hartin converted a pair of free throws that tied the game at 26-26. O’connell’s hook shot was matched by a Grigson jumper with six seconds, tying the score at 28-28. That was plenty of time for O’connell to make her way up court and then launch the game winning triple just before the buzzer sounded, giving the Cardinals the 31-28 win.

Irvin, Duchanois and O’ Connell all finished behind Larkin with seven points each, while Mackenzie Sill ended the contest with two points.

Grigson followed Sapp in the Tigers’ scorebook with eight points. Taylor Hartin added four points, while Mattie Hartin, Stormy Roach and Taylor Spinks all finished with two points each.

Junior Boys — “Skyler Barnes did a terrific job. We needed someone to step up and make a big shot when we were in a bit of a slump and Skyler did just that,” Cardinal coach Matt Mahan said after Barnes scored 10 of his game high 19 points in the final three minutes, which turned a close four-point game into a 15-point blowout.

Five points from Barnes and three points apiece from Michael Ingram and Flint Oxford in the opening period, allowed the Cards to take a 13-5 lead.

Four points from Kaden Curry in the second frame helped swell Farmington’s lead to 21-9 going into halftime. Dylan Soehner had a offensive put-back for the Tigers with 40 seconds to play in the third period, that helped close the gap to 25-15, but Curry knocked down a trifecta with 16 seconds left that swelled the lead to 2815 going into the final stanza.

Five points from Prairie Grove’s Daniel Young helped fuel a 10-1 run to start the fourth period, allowing the Tigers to draw within four points, at 29-25. But in the last 2:55, Barnes stroked two 3-balls and converted four free throws, helping Farmington pull away for the 43-28 win.

Ingram followed Barnes in the scoring ledger with eight points, Curry tallied seven points; Oxford, five; while Justice Hobbs and T.J. Askegaard each finished with two.

Young led the Tigers in scoring with 10 points, followed by Parker Galligan with seven; Leighton Smith, five; while Soehner, Sam Dodd and Nick Kincaid each finished with two points.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This the second in a five-part series examining different aspects of the proposed “Battle of 62” trophy development. U.S. 62 NW ARKANSAS — The concept of awarding a trophy to the winner of the annual “Battle of 62” football rivalry game is more than a good idea.

U.S. 62 connects the neighboring Farmington Cardinals and Prairie Grove Tigers in northwest Arkansas. Farmington and Prairie Grove High Schools are six miles apart.

While the booster clubs figure to play a prominent role no matter how the communities decide to work this out, there may be others outside their membership ranks who wish to participate — like students/athletes, business people, alumni and elected officials.

A great opportunity has been presented to achieve and imprint mutual community ownership of a joint project. When birthed upon common ground, the legacy of the developmental phase will exert tremendous influence for years to come.

There are various elements that can be interwoven into formulating a plan to accomplish this vision. Like any grassroots initiative, the beginning is to identify stakeholders, followed by establishing diverse representation and granting an equal voice among stakeholders.

There are primary, administrative, activities, creative, community and local government personnel who may have vested interests in participation. The resulting conversation should set forth clearly defined objectives and put the wheels in motion. There must be an agreed upon method to document measurable progress within a mutually acceptable timetable.

Holding a two-day convention is a way to initialize and accelerate the process. At the end of a two-day convention, the assembly may decide to leave it to the booster clubs and that’s OK. If such a decision were to become the product of the dialogue, then, so be it.

Yet, there are alternatives to consider.

The assembly may appoint committee members, assign tasks, elect officers, and adopt by-laws. The convention may set various objectives to plan for the future, incorporate student input and draw from alumni interests.

Should an assembly convene and begin to draft and adopt guidelines, an emphasis should be to perpetually document the on- going discussion as a matter of reference and precedent.

Beginning with 50 persons from both communities, in a convention setting, widespread community input is assured, and, by then reducing the number of persons to eight, the objective can be accomplished in a small group representing many stakeholders.

Two obvious choices to put on this eight-person committee are Steve Halbert of Prairie Grove and Darin Strange of Farmington, which leaves the convention only having to decide on six additional members.

Now is the time to empower and entrust people from both communities to go forward with the project, regardless of what form it may take.