It was less than a week ago when I mentioned that a player from the Hackett senior boys team had left the game due to what appeared to be a knee injury. I commented that significant injuries are the fear of every athlete, not only for their personal safety, but the adverse effect it can have on their short time to play the games that they love. And for the second time this week, a significant injury occurred during the Paris senior boys game.
Danvlle’s Solomon Gilkey, a very talented and athletic player for the Danville senior boys team went high to the basket late in the fourth quarter for a “put in” shot off of a lob pass on the baseline. It was a beautiful move that had been repeated several times off of back door passes that had been very successful for the Little Johns. But this time, as Gilkey went up to take the shot, his legs were inadvertantly taken out and he fell from from near basket level to the floor, landing on his back and neck.
Since the time of the accident, social media posts have indicated that Gilkey did not sustain any severe injuries from the fall and is recovering well today. Since that good news has been shared among all who have been concerned about the talented athlete’s recovery, I have posted the sequence of photos from the game that show how the fall occurred. You don’t have to look long to know that Gilkey is a very fortunate young man, and we are all very relieved that he is recovering without having suffered severe injury.
The play occurred with 5:33 remaining in the game. The game was delayed approximately 20 minutes after emergency personnel stabilized Gilkey and eventually moved him from the court on a back board and stretcher. The large crowd of both Danville and Paris fans gave Gilkey a standing ovation as he left the floor. Both teams showed great sportsmanship by kneeling and praying for the safety of Gilkey. The game had been hotly contested all night, and the Little John’s gym was a loud and fun atmosphere all night. When the accident occurred, an eerie silence fell upon the entire facility.
Coaches will tell you that one of the most difficult things to do with any team is to collect them and attempt to restart a game after such an injury occurs. Both teams and their coaches did a good job with this last night, but it was apparent that the Little Johns, emotional from the loss of Gilkey, were determined to get the win for their fallen teammate. And for the final five minutes of the game, the Little Johns played extremely hard with an edge provided by their coach who was obviously very emotional from the injury of one of his players.
Playing on less than 24 hours rest, the Paris Eagles were playing on the road following an emotional and draining effort and win the night before at home versus Cossatot River. After perhaps their best performance of the year on Thursday, it remained to be seen how the Eagles would play the next night on the road.
Paris, just as in Thursday’s game, got off to a slow start and fell behind early. And once again, it was a furious second quarter rally that kept the Eagles within striking range of Danville. The high-flying Little Johns, who had scored on numerous lob passes to the basket and on one slam dunk, brought great energy and the Eagles had to play hard to keep up. But the Eagles continued to play hard and eventually took a one point lead late in the game. But unlike Thursday’s game, Paris was unable to stretch the lead and put the game out of reach. Danville went on to win the game 54-49.
Eagles coach Blain Brewington commented after the game, “Our kids battled after a major deficit early. We couldn’t hang on and get the win. We can’t dig ourselves in a hole and use the energy to get back into the game. I am proud of their effort and for battling back. We have to continue to learn and grow.”
For Paris, there are positives for the team that can be taken away from the game at Danville. Paris played with great energy on just 24 hours rest, as they have played all season. Defensively, the Eagles continue to excel, but will need to continue to improve as the season moves into February. Scoring has been inconsistent, and moving to next year, the Eagles will need to find consistent scoring ability on offense to take the next step in their development. But the team was very impressive, both in how they represented Paris last night during a difficult situation, and how hard they competed, almost pulling out their third consecutive win for the week. There is a lot to build on with this young and talented team.
The Lady Eagles went into Danville to play the conference-leading Lady Little Johns who were and remain undefeated in conference play. And it did not take Danville long to show why they are leading the conference. Behind precision offensive sets, great shooting, and good defense, Danville dominated Paris for the entire game.
After the game, Lady Eagles coach Donald Hart commented, “Not the outcome we were hoping for. Even after giving up 20 points in the first quarter, we only allowed 23 for the rest of the game. We just couldn’t knock down shots.” Scoring has been an issue with this team next year, and with the graduation of Jadyn Hart this year, the Lady Eagles will have to find a way to score next year.
Danville is a well-coached, talented, and experienced team that has played together for many years, both scholastically and during the off season in club sports. Danville appears to be the clear favorite to win the conference regular season, district tournament, and move on to regionals and state tournaments to compete for a state championship.
Paris ends the week by splitting with a win over Hackett and a loss to Danville on the road. The Lady Eagles will host Charleston on Tuesday night at Paris Gymnasium. The Lady Tigers handed Paris a lopsided loss early in January at Tiger Center. The Lady Eagles need to come out strong and compete Tuesday with Charleston to build some momentum going into the district tournament. The regular season ends on February 9 and time is running out to make a run before the first round of the district tournament.
But just like the senior boys team, the Lady Eagles are young and talented and have the chance to be a very good team over the next two years. This year’s off-season will be very important to the Lady Eagles as they need to continue to develop and get more court time before next November.
The junior Lady Eagles defeated Danville 16-8 in the first game of the night. There is talented coming that will add to the already young and talented roster at the varsity level for Paris. Time, practice, and development are all of the elements that are needed to bring them together for future success.
Additional photos from last night’s games will be available on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Saturday night. Photos from the Paris junior Lady Eagles victory over Danville will be available on Sunday night.
On behalf of Resident Press, all of us are thankful and relieved that Danville’s Solomon Gilkey is apparently going to be ok. We will be in Paris on Tuesday when the Charleston Tigers come to Paris Gymnasium. Finally, look for a special preview on Sunday night in Resident Press on this game that will recap the Charleston Tigers and will look forward to Tuesday’s game.
Thanks to all of our readers for making Resident Press the best source of small town high school sports in western Arkansas! See you Tuesday!
