Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lady Cardinals Best In Arkansas
FARMINGTON — A flurry of postseason awards arrived for the Farmington girls basketball program in the wake of an April 6 announcement by the Arkansas Activities Association crowning the Lady Cardinals as co-champions.
All this attention attests to a monumental season in which the Lady Cardinals ( 32- 3) won a conference championship going 12-0 in league play, then went undefeated in postseason while claiming the District 4A-1 tournament and 4A North Regional tournament championships and advancing to the state finals with wins over Pocahontas and Batesville.
The Class 4A State finals were scheduled for March 13 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, but were postponed then cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. Farmington and Star City, which won the other semifinal (55-53) versus Pulaski Academy, were named co-champions.
Coaches Awards
Farmington head coach Brad Johnson was selected as 4A Coach of the Year by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association. In 11 years at Farmington, Johnson has accumulated 241 wins, winning more than 72 percent of games he’s coached. Johnson has been named league All- Star/ Coach of the year eight times guiding the Lady Cardinals into five final four appearances and two state finals.
Farmington assistant Denver Holt was tabbed as Transformational Coach of The Year by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association for his efforts as assistant basketball and strength/ conditioning coach for the Lady Cardinals.
All-Tournament
Senior point- guard Makenna Vanzant received the 4A State Tournament MVP award. Vanzant averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in the victories over Pocahontas (65-48) and Batesville (76-64) while leading her team to the 4A State championship.
“She is one of the most fun people to play with,” said junior Trinity Johnson. “She pushes the ball so well and sets me up for a lot of the shots that I get during the game and for a lot of fastbreak layups that I get and my teammates get.”
Junior forward Tori Kersey was named to the 4A All- State Tournament Team. Kersey averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist per-game during State tournament play.
Trinity Johnson was named to the 4A All State Tournament Team. Trinity averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist per-game helping Farmington win its first state title in girls basketball since 2004.
All-Conference
Vanzant was voted into the 4A Top 5 by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association. Vanzant was also named All- State and All- Conference. Vanzant averaged 16.4 points and 5.4 assists per-game.
Kersey was voted into the 4A Top 5 by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association. She also received All-State and All-Conference recognition. The 5-11 forward averaged 15.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per-game.
Trinity Johnson was Ho n o ra ble Me n t ion All- State. She was named to the All-Conference team. She averaged 10.6 points per- game with 96 made 3-pointers and went 24-of-24 at the free-throw line.
Senior Audrey Culpepper became an All-Conference selection. Culpepper habitually busted an opponent’s bubble deflating the best hopes for any game plan to succeed against Farmington. Coaches drew up designs in vain as Culpepper threw back many a shot operating as Farmington’s “Rim Protector” patrolling the paint. On offense she seemed to carry around an invisible quiver of arrows. She’d let a 3- pointer fly plunging a dagger deep into the heart of teams destined to go down in defeat, doing that very thing to begin the fourth quarter against Batesville after the Lady Pioneers made a run.
Senior Joelle Tidwell also brought home All- Conference honors. Tidwell turned in two strong state performances with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in the March 5 quarterfinal 65-48 win over Pocahontas and followed that up with 5 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block versus Batesville.
Sophomore Carson Dillard was voted Honorable mention All-Conference coming off the bench as the Lady Cardinals sixth player in the rotation.
College Looks
Vanzant signed with Central Missouri of Warrensburg, Mo., in November while Culpepper has commited to Crowder College of Neosho, Mo. In February Trinity Johnson received an offer from Northeastern State of Tahlequah, Okla., and on April 9 Tidwell entertained offers from Lyon College and Crowley’s Ridge College to continue her playing career at the next level.