Resident News Network

Finance Director Reports on Positive City Water/Sewer Audit

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7:49 pm

Finance Director Reports on Positive City Water/Sewer Audit

The Greenwood City Council met in regular session on Monday evening, January 1 at 7 p.m. Members present- Ralph Meeker, Lance Terry, Tim Terry, and A.C. Brown. Aldermen Rod Powell and Daniel McDaniel were absent. Also present, Mayor Doug Kinslow and City Clerk/Treasurer Sharla Derry.

After approving the minutes of the previous meetings, the council heard the committee reports.

A representative with the Sebastian County Boys and Girls Club was present and reported a “skyrocketing” number of kids with the after-school program. He went on to share about the current flag football drafts and ongoing basketball and future baseball signups. He concluded by expressing his gratitude towards the city, “we appreciate everything you all do for us.”

Next in the citizen’s forum, Councilman Tim Terry read a comment from Mark Anderson. “He wondered if I would ask tonight what the city council would like to do with any additional funds the city receives as a result of the census count.” Mayor Kinslow responded that the question was difficult to answer until if and when that happens.

Next, Michael Jones from Hackett addressed the council regarding the lack of residential development. He reaffirmed his offer to the city for future possible development on 68 acres of land above Maple Ridge. “We are very invested in the community,” stated Jones. “We think it would benefit the city in a large way.” Kinslow agreed and stated that there has been ongoing conversations regarding the issue.

Next, Tom Marsh gave the financial report. Following Marsh’s favorable financial report on the city, the council moved on to new items of business.

Planning and Development Director Sonny Bell

Mayor Kinslow asked to table the first item of new business, an amendment to Ordinance #502 prohibiting loud and unnecessary noises. The next item, the adoption of a curative amendment to Ordinance #18-09 zoning regulations, was passed unanimously.

The 2019 water/sewer audit review was presented. Marsh discussed “mitigating controls,” or issues within the audit that are common for cities the size of Greenwood. Other issues noted included accounts receivable balances and meter deposit payables. The last issue dealt with the 2016 bonds to fund and agree to maintain at least 110% coverage of the debt service requirement for each fiscal year. In 2019, the fund had a shortage of $125,000. “It requires us to put in place a plan in order to resolve that issue,” stated Marsh. The city is in technical compliance because they have in reserve the entire amount of the principal balance assigned for that purpose. In conclusion, Marsh stated that the findings showed a “clean opinion…with no problems with management…and a very well-received audit.” The council voted unanimously to accept the audit report.

The next item of discussion, the resolution to amend Resolution 117-18, a salary schedule adjustment for COLA. The motion was made, seconded, and passed to make the amendment.

The council discussed and approved the following non-profit contracts: Chamber of Commerce, SRCA (Sebastian Retired Citizens Association), Boys and Girls Club, and the Sebastian County Library.

The last three items of new business pertained to salary schedules. A motion was made and seconded to repeal Ordinance #20-24 and amend Ordinance #16-09, amending the city clerk/treasurer’s salary. The motion was made and seconded to amend ordinance #20-03, adjusting the salary for the city attorney. And finally, the motion was made and seconded to amend the ordinance adjusting the salary for the mayor. Each amendment was passed unanimously.

Next, the council heard the departmental reports. Police Chief William Dawson presented his report, which included information about a new patrol vehicle. The council also discussed the proposed annexation, favoring the Shadow Lake area, and Highway 10 to Hendrix Road, south.

With no other items of business, the meeting of the Greenwood City Council adjourned.

Jr Lady Tigers “Boa”-Up To Lady Rattlers In Win

Sports

Megan Hecox

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1:33 pm

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Jr Lady Tigers “Boa”-Up To Lady Rattlers In Win

Pictured is Destiny Corley

The Mansfield Jr Lady Tigers have proven so far this season that they are gamers. They’ll play Scrabble and pull off the word OXYPHENBUTAZONE by the second round of the game. They can play six straight Draw 4 cards in Uno, change the color, and win with a Red 1 card. They are the holders of Boardwalk, Park Place, all four Railroads, and both utilities in Monopoly. When it comes to basketball, the Jr Lady Tigers can’t help but win that game too. They gave another example of that on Monday, February 1^st with a 55-15 victory over an up incoming Magazine Lady Rattlers program.

Mansfield’s defense was again dominant in the game as they held the Lady Rattlers to a goose egg at the end of the first quarter with a 19-0 score. This is the second game in a row that they have been able to shut out their opponents in scoring in the first quarter (JC Westside and Magazine). But the Lady Rattlers didn’t just stand there and take it though. They made the Lady Tigers earn every point that they garnered. Defense isn’t Mansfield’s only weapon though. The Lady Tigers checked off every box in the stat book with 3 point shots, layups, box shots, free throws, and put back points against the Lady Rattlers. With an unmovable defense and unstoppable offense, Mansfield walked off the court into halftime with a 39-6 score.

Playing the first half with a set of starters that are on a roll is one thing. Being able to continue that run from the benches though is something special. As the Lady Tigers rolled fresh bodies in and out of the game, it became very evident that this team is much more than a few good players. The defensive play from the subs was just as stingy as the starters. It was during the second half of the game though that the Lady Rattlers came to life more than doubling their points from the first two quarters. The offensive play covered just as many stat boxes from both of these teams. Although the Lady Tigers gave up a few more points in the closing minutes of the game, they were still able to walk out of The Jungle with a final score of 55-15 and the W.

Securing the 55 points for the Lady Tigers was Kynslee Ward hoppin’ and boppin’ with 14 points followed by Alyson Edwards and Harlie Fuller who tied with 11 each. Shelbie Fuller had one of her best nights snagging 6 points. Kaylee Ward ruled defensively while also earning 6 points in the process. Raine Hecox jumped into action with 5 points. And Ambria Whittaker perfectly assisted her teammates as well as also netting 2 points. The Lady Rattlers had the perfect liftoff countdown of 6,5,4 as Jailynn Sims (6), Destiny Corley (5), and Gracee Franklin (4) were the offensive ringmasters for Magazine.

Lady Rattler, Presley Crosby and Lady Tiger, Trinity Triska

The Mansfield Jr Lady Tigers have only two conference games left in the regular season schedule and boy are they doozies. The Lady Tigers will have to travel into hostile territory on Wednesday, February 3^rd to face an Acorn Lady Tigers team who are more than capable of being a threat to their supremacy and they follow that up with a trip up north to another hostile environment on Friday, February 5^th as they enter the cave of the Mountainburg Lady Dragons.

The Magazine Jr Lady Rattlers are also wrapping up their final week of conference play as they prepare for another round of war with the Lady Indians of County Line on Thursday, February 4 and they turn around the next night on Friday, February 5 for a shootout with the JC Westside Lady Rebels.

Lady Rattler, Ainslee Chappell and Lady Tiger, Ambria Whittaker

City of Hackett Hires New Full Time Officer

Tammy Teague

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1:20 pm

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City of Hackett Hires New Full Time Officer

On Monday, February 1, Hackett Police Chief Ricci Pyle was terminated. Mayor Trini Harper could not comment on the action but did state that the city would welcome a new full-time officer beginning Friday, February 5.

Pyle’s termination comes on the heels of Wednesday’s incident at Hackett High School. The district requested Pyle respond to an alleged threat by two juveniles. However, Pyle failed to respond, stating he “was at home and would not come out.” The school incident is being described as “communicating a false alarm” and remains under investigation.

Pyle has served as chief of police since September 2019.

Sr Bulldogs Pull Off Upset In Shallow Waters Vs Pirates

Sports

Resident News Network

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12:17 pm

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Sr Bulldogs Pull Off Upset In Shallow Waters Vs Pirates

On Friday night, the Bulldogs traveled to take on the Cedarville Pirates in a 3A-4 conference match-up. The Pirates were hoping to keep their conference championship hopes alive and the Bulldogs were looking to get one step closer. The Bulldogs had won six games straight and the Pirates had won six of their last seven games. This set up a battle that would be an instant classic!

Darryl “The Kraken” Kattich got the night started off with a put-back basket for the Pirates to give them the early 2-0 lead but then Bulldog, Caden Fuller, answered back with his own basket on the next possession knotted the score 2-2. The Pirates and the Bulldogs would exchange back and forth baskets before Austin Cluck hit a three and get fouled. Cluck completed the four-point play, to put the Pirates up 8-4 early in the first quarter. The Bulldogs then used a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 10-8, behind a basket from Gada Wagner and back-to-back baskets from Braden Williams. That lead was short-lived for the Bulldogs though as Kattich scored a two-point basket on the following possession. Wagner hit a pull-up jumper to put the Bulldogs back on top 12-10. Cedarville ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run, with a Kattich three-pointer and a Tommy Metcalf lay-up, to take the first-quarter lead, 15-10.

The second quarter saw an offensive explosion that made a Fourth of July fireworks show look puny. Dylan Cluck started the second quarter with a basket at the rim and gave the Pirates a 17-12 lead. Jaden Hutchens next scored on the following possession for the Bulldogs. Austin Swaim hit his first of four three-pointers in the quarter to give the Pirates the 20-14 lead. Hutchens came back and connected again for the Bulldogs but Swaim shot back connecting on his second three giving the Pirates a 23-16 lead. In the following possession, Wagner got the basket and free throw to bring the Bulldogs back within four, 23-19. Waldron and Cedarville were relentless in exchanging free throws and baskets to make the score 30-25, Pirates. The Pirates then used an 8-0 run with all 8 points going to Swaim, to take the biggest lead of the night, 38-25. Isaac “The Real” Villarreal stepped up and stopped the bleeding with a deep three and along with a free throw from Jaden Hutchens, the Pirates lead 38-29 going into the half.

Kattich left fans with deja-vu as he got the scoring underway in the second half just as he did to start the game. He netted a running jumper to give the Pirates an 11-point lead. The Bulldogs responded right back with a Wagner 3-pointer to cut the lead to 8 and spark a 12-2 run. Isaac Villarreal hit his second three of the night while Wagner and Hutchens combined for three baskets, and Cedarville’s lead was cut to a point, 42-41. Dylan Cluck stopped the run with a basket from the post giving the Pirates a three-point lead. The Bulldogs used a 4-0 run from Hutchens to take their first lead since the 1:20 mark in the first quarter, 45-44. The one-point lead for the Bulldogs turned into a 5 point deficit as Austin Cluck buried two threes to end the third quarter and give Cedarville the 50-45 lead.

To start the final quarter in this epic showdown, Austin Cluck extended the lead to seven for the Pirates with a put-back basket making the score 52-45. The Bulldogs turned around and used a 10-2 run to retake the lead 55-54 with 4:30 to go in the game. After a block call, Kattich gave the Pirates the lead after two made free throws. Austin Swaim added a bucket to make the score 58-55. Then Jaden Hutchens logged a three for the Bulldogs to even the score once again. Swaim connected again for the Pirates giving them the three-point lead but Jaden Hutchens, who scored 18 of his game-high 23, would answer right back with his second three of the quarter.

Waldron #33 Camdon Holcomb and Cedarville #23 Connor Templeton

The Pirates then added a free throw from Swaim to gain a 1-point advantage. After trading possessions and 13 seconds to go in the game, Gada Wagner found Caden Fuller for the go-ahead layup for the Bulldogs. After a missed three-point attempt, the Pirates fouled Villarreal, who went on to make both free throws giving the Bulldogs a 65-62 lead with 1.9 seconds left on the clock. After a deflection at half-court, the Pirates had one shot with .6 seconds to tie the game but their attempt hit the front of the rim and the Bulldogs took the victory.

Coach Brown stated about the game, “Cedarville is a tough-nosed team and a tough team to beat at home. I’m very proud of our young men and the way they carried themselves. When things didn’t go our way, we responded. When they hit big shot after big shot, we responded. Down 1 with 20 seconds left, we responded! Thank you to every fan that came and made it known that the Bulldogs were in the building. You were the 6th man! I’m proud of every young man that put on that jersey tonight because they have put in the work each day. Games aren’t won on just Tuesday and Friday. They’re won on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and these guys come to work every day!”

Cedarville #22 Darryl “The Kraken” Kattich and Waldron #13 Isaac “The Real” Villarreal

Coach Brown added, “Our team is resilient. They faced adversity early in the week at Danville and then again Friday night on the road but they found a way. This was a big game and our guys knew what was at stake. We moved one step closer to reaching one of our goals and that is winning a conference championship but we still have work to do!”

The Bulldogs move to 17-5 in total season play and 9-1 in conference and will next play host to Cossatot River on Tuesday, February 2. They will then travel to Charleston on Friday, February 5. Cedarville will next host Hackett on Tuesday, February 2.

Box Score:

Team	1^st Quarter	2^nd Quarter	3^rd Quarter	4^th Quarter	Final
Waldron	12	17	16	20	65
Cedarville	15	23	12	12	62

Waldron—Jaden Hutchens (23), Gada Wagner (22), Isaac Villarreal (10), Caden Fuller (6), Braden Williams (4)—65

Cedarville—Austin Swaim (20), Austin Cluck (14), Dylan Cluck (12), Darryl Kattich (11), Lane Hightower (3), Tommy Metcalf (2)—62

Photos courtesy of Malinda Mizell

Jr Tigers Take Up Arms In Victory Over Rebels

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:44 am

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Jr Tigers Take Up Arms In Victory Over Rebels

Pictured is Dakota Langford and Peyton Martin

Basketball season is closing quickly and every game is being treated as what could be the last. There is no exception for the Mansfield Jr Tigers as they continue to aim to play a better game each week. Instead of a rush mentality though, Mansfield is slowing things down and taking it easy, and soaking in the close of the season. The Tigers played the Eagles on their long drive to Coal Hill on Friday, January 29^th and they chose to “Take It To The Limit” against the JC Westside Rebels in a 34-24 win.

The Jr Tigers played cat and mouse with JC Westside in the first half allowing the Rebels to stay in the game for an upset. The Tigers and Rebels fired back and forth at each other closing the 1^st quarter with a tie and going into half with the Tigers only up by one point at a 12-11 score. If you’re a Mansfield Jr Tiger basketball fan then you know that getting splinters in your rear from sitting on the edge of the bleachers the first half is common. But in the second half, that’s when the Tigers tend to explode the boards. It was no different against JC Westside. Mansfield got hot, hot, hot and lit every fuse the Rebels had as they jumped to a 25-15 lead at the end of the 3^rd quarter. The 4^th quarter was more of the same as the Tigers would score another 9 points on the Rebels to close out the game with a 34-24 victory.

“Mr. Do It All” Tyler Turnipseed scored every way possible in the game as he hit free throws, jump shots, layups, and sank a three for a total of 8 points in the game. Peyton Martin was clutch for the Tigers at the free-throw line and drilled a 3 pointer from the perimeter to put up 8 points as well. Dakota Langford dominated the backboards reigning in offensive and defensive rebounds over the Rebels while also putting up 8 points. Travis Toby was the solid player he’s been known to be on both sides of the court and also scored…….you guessed it, 8 points. To round out the scoring, Zach Hayslip was able to score 2 points in the game but was more valuable as a rebound and deflection weapon.

The Jr Tigers now sit at 7-6 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Their season isn’t over though. Not by a long shot. So long as there is a team on the schedule, the Jr Tigers will not quit giving it all they have. Next up is the Magazine Rattlers on Tuesday, February 2nd at The Jungle in Mansfield.

Jr Hornets Cause Pirates Seasickness

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:34 am

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Pictured is Wyatt Hester

The 7th Grade and Jr High Hackett Hornets have been on fire this basketball season and for the Jr Hornets, things aren’t over just yet. The 7th Grade Hornets finished their season with a 7-3 total play record and went 4-1 in conference play. “The 7th-Grade group continued to grow and was a joy to coach! I look forward to a promising future,” expressed Coach Kent Elmore. “My Jr High team continues to improve and play good basketball!” Last night, the Jr Hornets hosted the Cedarville Jr Pirates and unfortunately for the Jr Pirates, the fire was out before they could even get it started.

Cedarville did their best to crush Hackett’s offense but to no avail. The Jr Hornets walked away with a 44-15 victory and their third straight win placing them with a total play record of 12-8. Wyatt Hester was nonstop all night bringing in 13 points. Hot on his heels with 10 points was Cole Ketchum. Eli Slavens was all the buzz with 7 points. Dawsyn Clay and Jesse Perez were back and forth ballers with 5 and 4 points respectively. And earning a free throw was Waylon Potter. Colton Arnold was the points captain for the Pirates with 9.

#22 Hornet, Hayden Foster and #20 Pirate, Brady Hightower

Next up for the Jr Hornets will be the Bearcats on Thursday, February 4 at Booneville. The Bearcats took the “Dub” in their first faceoff 33-30. And yes although bearcats can be a bit scary at first glance when encountered in the wild, the last I checked, the nation wasn’t running frantic over any “Killer Bearcats”!

Photos courtesy of Mandy Foster

7th Grade Tigers Close Season With 21 Gun Salute Vs Rebels

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:49 am

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7th Grade Tigers Close Season With 21 Gun Salute Vs Rebels

Pictured is Joseph Carter and Ethan Martin

Sometimes there are situations that you have no control over. With a pandemic ever-present in the day to day lives of everyone, the Mansfield 7^th Grade Tigers fell victim to one of the side effects by being handed a shorter than normal basketball season. But, just because a situation isn’t in your control doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with it as the Tigers closed out their season with a BANG against the JC Westside Rebels with a 21-8 victory.

The game tipped off sluggish for the Tigers as they struggled to wake up from their long trip from Mansfield to Coal Hill, AR. But once they shook the cobwebs off though, Mansfield was all hoops. The Tigers strolled into the half with a 15-3 lead. Coach Keith Stovall gathered his players for the final time with them as 7^th Graders, coached them up, and sent them right back into battle. JC Westside came out on fire but so did Mansfield as they were able to roll up another 6 points in the second half. To make the game even better for the Tigers, Mansfield was able to clear their bench one final time as every player was able to contribute minutes in the match.

When it comes down to the points Mansfield scored in the game, you’ll notice an unplanned but nice touch in the win that only these boys could pull off. The Rebels may have had canons at their battle for Coal Hill, but Mansfield brought their own “Kanon”. Kanon Fisher led the Tigers with 6 points in the game and secured multiple rebounds on the afternoon. Cooper Edwards tallied his final points of the year hanging up 5 points on the scoreboard. Traevin Copeland was able to dip, dive, juke, and jive his way to 4 points and Joseph Carter tacked on three points. Logan Newman sent the bench on fire with a sweet two-pointer and Ethan Martin capped off Mansfield’s scoring with a free throw for 1 point. Now, if you were keeping up with the scoring, you noticed the unplanned oddity. The Tigers scored 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 points with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 players.

The 7^th Grade Tigers ended their season with a 5-3 record and now have the Tigers Eye on the 2021-2022 basketball season. Although they didn’t play very many games and many on the team were greenhorns, the Tigers found a way to make success out of this COVID mess. If all players return for next season, coupled with the heavy talent in this season’s 8^th Grade, Mansfield could see one heck of a Jr High team next year.

Obituary – Eva Joyce Hawkins (1935 – 2021)

Obituaries

Tammy Teague

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1:53 pm

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Obituary – Eva Joyce Hawkins (1935 – 2021)

Eva Joyce (Hollcroft) Hawkins of Waldron, Arkansas, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on January 31, 2021, at the age of 86, surrounded by her loving family in Greenwood, AR. Joyce was born January 14, 1935, in Booneville, AR to her loving parents Norman and Lucy (Brigance) Hollcroft.

Joyce loved to tell stories about growing up with her five brothers in California. As the only girl in the family she was proud of keeping up with her rowdy brothers and very much enjoyed telling the stories from her point of view. Her love of music was inherited from her parents; her dad led singing at church and her mom played the piano. Joyce loved singing in the church choir, especially singing alto for the cantatas at Waldron Church of the Nazarene. She also loved singing in the choirs at Southside Baptist Church and Temple Baptist Church. Many long term Waldron residents will remember her friendly smile while working at Piggly Wiggly and Super Sav Drug; she took great pride in providing excellent customer service and was also known for sharing her delicious homemade cinnamon rolls with her co-workers and friends. Called “Mamaw” by her grandchildren, the name soon stuck and she was affectionately known throughout her life as Mamaw to all who loved her. Her grandchildren certainly remember riding in Mamaw’s famous blue VW bug to catch those early Saturday morning yard sales or a drive to Jiffy Mart to fill a bag with candy! There are certainly too many to mention, but it should be said how much she loved all her McKay family throughout the years and all her Brigance cousins.

Joyce leaves behind to cherish her memory, daughter Judy and husband Vestal Hutchens of Waldron; son Lonnie and wife Lynn McKay of Fort Smith; daughter Tracy and husband Troy Hunt of Greenwood; and two step-daughters Kathy Pate; Judy and husband Bill Coleman both of Fort Smith. She is survived by one brother Gary and wife Judy Hollcroft of California; sister-in-law Mary Hollcroft of Florida; and sister-in-law Janie Elmore of Waldron. Mamaw will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Brian and wife Cathy Hutchens of Watertown, NY; Kelly and husband Jeremy Slaten of Waldron, AR; Crystal and husband Tony Wagner of London, AR; Autumn Coffey of Booneville, AR; Eva “Niki” Hutchens of Killeen,TX; Kyle and wife Valerie Hunt of Searcy, AR; Kari and husband Micah Turnipseed of Mayflower, AR; Josh Hunt of Greenwood, AR; Steven Hunt of Greenwood, AR; Rachel and husband David Stills of Springdale, AR; Caitlin and husband Shane Williams of Fort Smith, AR; Travis and wife Brenda Newberry of Greenwood, AR; and Charlotte Franklin of Fort Smith, AR. She was also blessed with 28 great grandchildren and two great-great granddaughters. Joyce will also be missed by her many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and a host of friends and acquaintances.

Joyce is preceded in death by her husband Dalton Hawkins; parents Norman and Lucy; her brothers Nathan, Mason, Ben, and Larry Hollcroft; and her “sister of the heart”, Bennie Hutchens.

Mamaw’s honorary pallbearers are her grandsons: Brian Hutchens, Tony Wagner, Jeremy Slaten, Kyle, Josh, and Steven Hunt, Micah Turnipseed, David Stills, and Shane Williams.

Joyce’s celebration of life will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, February 4, 2021 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Joyce’s visitation will be Wednesday, February 3, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.

The family would like to thank Mercy Hospice for their wonderful love and care of Mamaw in her final days, and for their amazing support of our family.

Jr Lady Hornets Fly Over Waldron

Sports

Megan Hecox

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1:28 pm

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The Hackett Jr Lady Hornets are starting their final week of regular season play until next week’s Districts. The Lady Hornets ended last week on a high note after taking a 35-24 win against the Waldron Jr Lady Bulldogs on Friday night. With a slow start to the first quarter which ended with a score of 8-3 Hackett, the pace started picking up big time for the Lady Hornets. Hackett was able to hold Waldron to just 5 points to go into halftime up 22-8. The Lady Bulldogs ruled the defense department in the third quarter by keeping the Lady Hornets grounded with just two points. But for the big finish, Hackett managed to release themselves from the Lady Bulldogs grip and go big for the win.

“Some of the things we have been pushing hard in practice are starting to show up in games and I’m so proud of them,” expressed Coach Broc Adams. Sitting on top with a bunch of points for the Lady Hornets, 18 to be exact, was Alex Bunch. Jessie Mendenhall scooped up 8 points against the Lady Bulldogs. And Aaliyah Escoffier and Maya Carter flew in and netted 5 and 4 points respectively. Leading the pack for the Lady Bulldogs was Emilee McConnell with 13 points followed by Kaylee Underwood with 6.

For Round 2 of conference play, the Jr Lady Hornets will host the Cedarville Lady Pirates tonight, February 1. In their first match-up, the Lady Pirates dropped anchor on the Lady Hornets with a score of 41-37 Cedarville. But with Hackett having homecourt advantage, its not going to be very easy to pierce through the Lady Hornets hive!

Charleston Travels to Paris to Begin Final Stretch of Conference Season

Sports

Resident News Network

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1:09 pm

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Charleston Travels to Paris to Begin Final Stretch of Conference Season

It is that time of year where the end to the long regular season is in sight and the start of a new season, the post-season, is just around the corner. Teams have approximately three conference games remaining starting tomorrow night, and one such game will be the Charleston Tigers and Lady Tigers playing at Paris. Both schools would like to be in better position in the conference standings than they see themselves at the moment, but both can make a run in their last three games to improve their first round district tournament match-ups and hopes to advance to regional tournament play.

On the girls side, the Charleston Lady Tigers, winners of their district last year, and state semifinalists, are 6-4 in conference play. Paris, playing with three starting sophomores, a junior, and one senior, entered the year with very little varsity experience and are hoping to also make a run to avoid possibly playing Cedarville on their home court in the first round of the district tournament.

Resident Press Photos / Ronni Tate Young

According to Arkansas Scorebook Live, the 3A-4 girls conference standings as of Monday, February 1 are:

Danville 9-1

Cossatot River 8-2

Cedarville 8-2

Charleston 6-4

Booneville 4-6

Paris 3-7

Waldron 1-9

Hackett 1-9

Charleston has remaining games at Paris, Hackett, and Danville. They have a final home game on Friday versus Waldron.

The Paris Lady Eagles have games remaining with Charleston and at Cossatot River on Friday. The Lady Eagles will finish their regular season with a home game versus Cedarville on February 9 and a road game at Booneville on February 12.

On the boys side, the Charleston Tigers are 6-3 and tied for third place in the conference. Charleston is tied with Booneville and is two games behind conference-leading Waldron who is 9-1. Paris is 4-6 going into Tuesday’s match-up with Charleston and currently resides in fifth place in the conference. The conference boys standings as of today are:

Waldron 9-1

Booneville 6-4

Charleston 6-3

Cedarville 5-4

Paris 4-6

Hackett 3-7

Danville 2-6

Cossatot River 2-7

Charleston has remaining games at Paris and Hackett. The Tigers final home game will be this Friday when Charleston welcomes Waldron to Tiger Center.

Just as in the case of the girls teams, both Charleston and Paris boys are focused on having a big week this week, and closing out the season on high notes next week to make a move in the conference standings.

This year’s senior district tournament will be held at Cedarville, and the Pirates will have a significant home court advantage for the tournament. This makes it that much more important to finish high in the standings to avoid playing the Lady Pirates or the Pirates on their home floor early in the tournament.

Injuries, fatigue, and disappointment in the way the season has gone are all factors that can affect teenagers playing high school basketball this time of year. But senior leadership, coaching, and fan support can inspire teams to get on a roll at post-season time. Many times, a team that has had a mediocre season can get hot a post-season time and win a few games in a row and all of the sudden find themselves playing for something very important. That is the beauty of the post-season tournament, and the name of the game now is just to get there and start out with the best possible path to the finals.

And I haven’t mentioned it, but it is always out there…anytime Paris and Charleston get together, you can throw out the records. Both schools, separated by just a few miles, always come to play when they see each other on the schedule. It should be a good night for basketball. Charleston fans travel well and always support their Tigers, and the same can be said for the Eagles fan base.

So, Tuesday’s night’s games at Paris Gymnasium are important for many reasons, and at 5 p.m., the fun and the action will begin. Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action in Wednesday evening’s online edition of the Resident Press. We thank all of our loyal readers in both communities for following Resident Press!

See you tomorrow night at Paris Gymnasium!

R

RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK