Resident News Network

2021 Fishing Guidebooks Available Online

Outdoors

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6:16 pm

2021 Fishing Guidebooks Available Online

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — The latest editions of the Arkansas Fishing Guidebook and Arkansas Trout Fishing Guidebook are en route to sporting goods stores and license vendors across the state, and people looking to get the digital version for their computer or smartphone can download their own copy today at www.agfc.com/en/resources/regulations/guidebooks.

The 2021 fishing season sees a slew of changes for anglers, and while a few may be more restrictive because of biological concerns, the vast majority of changes are simplifications or elimination of previous regulations.

Chris Racey, deputy director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, says the simplifications are the result of many hours of work within the Fisheries Division as well as a larger committee of AGFC staff who looked at areas where regulations had become outdated or become a roadblock to responsibly enjoying the resource.

“We know we have many anglers who have either just taken up fishing or have come back to fishing in the last year, and we also have heard from existing anglers about some of the regulations that have become overly complex,” Racey said. “Our job is to manage the natural resources through science, but we also need to balance the regulations so that the public can understand and enjoy that resource.”

Some of the regulations introduced this year also are the result of new opportunities being explored in Arkansas’s fisheries. A new catch-and-release rule on smallmouth bass at Lake Catherine is part of an effort to establish a smallmouth population on this reservoir. A new regulation to restrict anglers to only one tiger trout with a minimum length of 24 inches was introduced on Bull Shoals and Norfork Lake tailwaters because this species (a cross between the brown trout and brook trout) is being stocked in these tailwaters as a new trophy opportunity for coldwater anglers as well.

“As an angler, I can understand how someone may be a bit overwhelmed by the size of the ‘New This Year’ section of this year’s guidebooks, but if you sit down and read what some of these changes are, you’ll see that nearly all of the changes are ways we are trying to make things easier for the angler to understand and enjoy the resource,” Racey said.

This is only the first step in the process.

“We still have a significantly large codebook,” Racey said. “We need to constantly look at how we can still manage with science and the best interest of the resource, but do so in a way that is easier for the hunter and angler to understand.”

Changes to this year’s fishing guidebooks include:

The number of free-floating fishing devices and yo-yo’s allowed have both been changed to 25.
Crappie shorter than 10 inches must be released immediately on Lake Dardanelle.
The daily limit for crappie on Blue Mountain Lake changed to 20 per day.
All boat plugs must be removed before leaving the loading area to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Trotlines and limblines must be checked every 48 hours and removed when not in use.
Catch-and-release restrictions for smallmouth bass on Lake Ouachita have been removed.
Anglers may keep an additional 10 spotted bass over the daily limit on Lake Ouachita, Lake DeGray and Lake Greeson.
Anglers may keep an additional 10 channel catfish of any size over the daily limit on the Arkansas River.
The special creel limit for Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass on Bull Shoals Lake has been removed.
There is no daily limit for white bass on Bob Kidd Lake and Greers Ferry Lake.
There is no daily limit for channel catfish on Lake Erling.
There is no daily limit for crappie on Lake Frierson and Lake Hogue.
Spearfishing for black bass is now permitted on Millwood, DeQueen, Dierks and Gillham lakes.
The minimum length limit for largemouth bass on Greers Ferry Lake has been reduced from 15 inches to 12 inches.
Walleye must be 14 inches long to keep on Greers Ferry Lake.
Anglers may keep 10 largemouth bass per day at Lake Atkins.
Possession limits changed from twice the daily limit to triple the daily limit.
An Alligator Gar Permit is no longer required for alligator gar fishing (A trophy alligator gar tag is still required to harvest an alligator gar over 36 inches long).
Catch-and-release restrictions on Lake June have been removed for largemouth bass.
Statewide creel limits have been implemented for bream and crappie on Lake June.
Slot limit on Lower White Oak Lake for largemouth bass has been replaced with a length limit of one fish over 21 inches.
Black bass creel limit now matches statewide regulations on DeQueen Lake.
Smallmouth bass must be released immediately on Lake Catherine.
Big Lake length limit for largemouth bass has been removed.
One Tiger Trout over 24 inches may be kept on the Bull Shoals Tailwater and Norfork Tailwater.
Restrictions on dragging chains on the Norfork Tailwater has been removed.
All special regulations on the Spring River for cutthroat trout and brook trout have been removed.
No restrictions of common carp used for bait on Lake Fayetteville.
Bullfrogs may be taken with any archery equipment as well as by hand, hook-and-line or gig.
Rough fish gigging is permitted year-round.

Effects of Deer Disease Being Studied

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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6:13 pm

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Jeff Williams Editor, Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

A team researching chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer in the heart of the area where it is most prevalent in Arkansas will begin capturing and monitoring deer in January.

Most people won’t notice research is occurring, although others may run across activity or structures that aren’t familiar, especially in Newton and Searcy counties. The purpose of the study is to obtain a better understanding of how deer afflicted with CWD move across the landscape, survive and reproduce, according to Dr. Jenn Ballard, state wildlife veterinarian with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The team will capture deer, test them for CWD, put collars on them and track their movements. When deer die, necropsies will determine the cause of death.

“By understanding the way CWD changes survival and reproduction, we can calculate the effect the disease is having and will have on our population dynamics,” Ballard said. “We’ll be able to use this information to inform future disease management efforts.”

People in the area may see helicopters and traps set during the next few years, as well as deer with collars and ear tags. A phone number on the tags will allow hunters who harvest one of the deer to call to find out when the animal was sedated. Deer that have been injected with drugs should not be consumed if they were harvested within 14 days of sedation. If a hunter harvests an animal within that time, a replacement deer tag will be issued.

The AGFC is working with several partners on the five-year project, including the University of Georgia-Athens, Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Colorado State University, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Much more about the study will appear on AGFC social media pages and on agfc.com as the research progresses.

Since the first case of CWD was confirmed in Arkansas in early 2016, 1,090 deer and 30 elk have tested positive for the disease. The AGFC encourages everyone to report deer and elk that show signs of the disease by calling 800-482-9262 or emailing agfc.health@agfc.ar.gov.

“That email address is used for all wildlife disease reports in Arkansas, so it’s a good one to have saved to your phone just in case,” Ballard said.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects cervids – animals in the deer and elk family. It was discovered among mule deer in Colorado in 1967 and has spread to 26 states, plus Canada, South Korea, Finland and Norway. The disease progresses slowly until animals begin to show signs of weakness, excessive thirst, drooling and listlessness. Visit agfc.com/cwd for details.

Charleston Sweeps Paris at Tiger Center

Sports

Resident News Network

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5:32 pm

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In a time when so many things in our world seem to matter so much more than sports, the Paris basketball program traveled to Charleston to play senior high girls and boys basketball games on Tuesday night. Both programs were resuming their conference seasons following a long holiday break that saw very little activity or games played by either school in over two weeks. And for this reporter, it was the first time I had returned to Tiger Center to cover a basketball game since the final state semi-final game was played in Charleston for the 2020 state basketball playoffs. I was struck by how different everything seemed since that last day in late February.

Both Paris and Charleston are proud programs that are coached by very good coaching staffs. Both staffs are attempting to navigate their ways through player injuries, quarantines, and a host of other issues that all Arkansas coaches have had to address this year due to the COVID pandemic. The Charleston Lady Tigers, who were hit very hard by the graduation of an extremely talented team last year, dressed just seven players for their game with the Lady Eagles. The Paris Lady Eagles were missing one player due to COVID quarantine, and the boys program was missing a player as well. But just as I have observed all year in other sports, our high school coaches are doing a phenomenal job of keeping their teams together, protecting their health, and at the same time putting a very good product on the floor with respect to the quality of play.

But Tuesday night belonged to Charleston as both the senior boys and senior girls teams recorded double-digit wins over Paris. Charleston girls coach Jason Rucker, and boys coach B.J. Ross were very pleased with their teams’ efforts, especially in light of not knowing how their teams were going to respond after the long layoff.

Charleston Lady Tigers coach Jason Rucker commented, “By far our most complete game. I thought we pushed the ball better in transition and really moved the ball better as a whole tonight.” The hallmark of Coach Rucker’s teams has always been very tough, pressure defense, and a relentless fast break offense that is constantly looking to push the ball up the floor and create easy scoring opportunities. Although the team graduated a talented senior class last season, several of this year’s teams played significant minutes last year, and Charleston is once again poised to make a playoff run in January and early February. The Lady Tigers are exceptionally well-coached by Jason Rucker, and you can never count his teams out of contention. If the Lady Tigers continue to improve, look for Charleston to be a force in both the district and regional post-season tournaments.

And much in the same fashion as the girls game, it was the Charleston Tigers, a young and talented team, overcoming a tight first quarter to move on and defeat the Paris Eagles. Charleston coach B.J. Ross said after the game, “I was really proud of our guys. We started out extremely flat offensively as it was our first game since December 11, but our defense and rebounding kept us in the game. We are very inexperienced as a team but we play so hard that we make up for some things we are lacking in as a team. I was proud of the way we came out in the third quarter and changed the game.”

For the Paris boys, that has been an issue for the team since early December. After a fast start to the season, the team has struggled and is starting to collect several double-digit losses. And the season will not get any easier for Paris. The Eagles go on the road next Tuesday to play one of the early favorites in the conference, Cedarville, in a gymnasium that is very difficult to play in for visiting teams. After Tuesday’s game in Charleston, boys coach Blain Brewington, not pleased with his team continuing to lose their focus during games, commented, “We played well in the first quarter. Lost our focus after that. We have to continue to grow and focus for four quarters. I feel we have not put a whole game together this season. Lost our composure offensively when we were not making shots and that led to us doing things on the defensive end that hurt us. We have to continue to show up and work everyday. We can’t hang our heads.”

The Paris Lady Eagles were clearly bothered by the tough pressure defense of Charleston. Playing without Akira Robinson, the Lady Eagles had difficulty taking care of the basketball and finding a source of scoring on the floor. The girls, just like the boys team, must find a solution to their problems and get them fixed in a hurry or the Lady Eagles will struggle to earn a relatively high seed for the district post-season tournament. Paris is expected to get Robinson back next week, so the chemistry issues that could be a factor have to be addressed. In short, Paris has to develop short-term memory and put Tuesday night in their rear view mirrors and focus on the next game which is now the most important game of the year for both teams.

So, just as I started this story, COVID continues to be the wild card for all teams as the season moves along. And it has caused a schedule change for this Friday, as there will not be a senior boys game with Cossatot River on Friday night. That game is a conference game and will be made up on January 28 in Paris at 5 p.m. This could be to Paris’s advantage as they will have additional practice time before they travel to Cedarville next week. Friday’s home schedule for Paris will be a junior girls at 5:30 p.m. and the senior girls will play immediately afterwards. There will be no boys games played in Paris on Friday.

Charleston, after a big conference double-header sweep on Tuesday, will play Friday at Waldron. First game at the Waldron Multi-purpose building will begin at 6 p.m. This should be a great showdown for both schools as the games will have a significant impact on the early conference standings. I look for the Charleston boys and girls to make a strong January run through their conference schedules.

So as we all pause to think about the events of the day in our nation’s capitol, take a moment to think about all that is good in our country and give thanks that our children can play the games that they love. Thanks to them and all of the coaches for giving us a momentary break from all of the bad news in our nation to watch them play.

Fans from both schools can view / download additional pictures from the games on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports.

Stay safe out there, and I look forward to seeing you at the gymnasiums across the area to celebrate our kids and our communities.

Lady Rattler Robinson Plays Both Cop And Robber On The Court

Sports

Megan Hecox

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2:31 pm

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Lady Rattler Robinson Plays Both Cop And Robber On The Court

This season, the 2A Magazine Sr Lady Rattlers have not only been facing bigger schools but they are overthrowing those schools to boot. The Lady Rattlers are averaging around 46 points a game and sitting towards the top of their conference. One player though which fans are taking notice of is junior, Kylie Robinson. Kylie has been averaging 15 points and 6.7 rebounds per game along with shooting 75% from the free-throw line.

But all of that comes as no surprise to Robinson’s family and friends because Kylie was not only born into sports, it’s her life’s passion as well. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was in kindergarten,” Robinson exclaimed. “I have always been interested in sports because that’s what my dad did and my grandma used to coach at Magazine.” But this season there has been a different spark igniting Kylie’s basketball flame. “The best thing about this year as a Lady Rattler is the friendship I have between my teammates and my coach.”

“This year I have realized I am so much closer to graduating and how much I’m going to miss playing high school ball. Plus, it’s my coach’s (Randy Loyd) last year of coaching and all of my best friends are seniors this year so I wanted to push myself so that we can go as far into the season as possible. So far, my favorite game would have to be against Lavaca because we definitely played more as a team!” Magazine scooped up a huge 64-28 win against the Lady Arrows when they played them back on December 15.

After high school, Robinson plans to go to Tech and get her master’s in coaching. But with that goal being a little ways off, Kylie’s next big goal is focused on this Friday, January 8th. “Honestly I’m really ready to take on Mansfield because not only is that where my uncle coaches (Layton Robinson) and my boyfriend’s dad works but a dub against them would be an awesome fete!”

Photo courtesy of Amber Canada

Jr Lady Pirates Cruise Past Hackett

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:18 am

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Pictured is #10 Rylee Partain and #15 Makalie Carter

On Monday, January 4th, the Cedarville Jr Lady Pirates hosted the Hackett Jr Lady Hornets. For four intense quarters, the Lady Pirates and the Lady Hornets went back and forth flexing their basketball muscles and applying more heat than an iron to the opposing team members. By halftime, Cedarville led 17-14 and was able to stretch that lead to 31-21 at the end of the third quarter. “We got in some foul trouble and made some poor decisions late but were able to hang on,” coach Andrew Tencleve stated.

The Lady Pirates glided away with a 41-37 victory upgrading their season record to 10-4. Cinching a career-high of 26 points from the game was freshman, Makalie Carter. Included in that was three made 3’s in the second half of the match. “I have always loved basketball,” stated Carter. “It provides me a motivation and release! Honestly, earning 26 points was something I didn’t expect to accomplish as a freshman. I was just tired of people saying I couldn’t do it or that I wasn’t good enough. I’ve had people tell me that I wouldn’t get over 10 points. It was a little shocking to realize that’s what I had scored and it gave me the drive to do even more!”

“To any struggling young basketball players out there, you can do anything you set your mind to! Never give up, take it day by day, and just keep pushing harder!” Rylee Partain also added 8 points to that final tally. When Partain takes to the hardwood, her opponents stop and take notice. She has a presence on the court that cannot be ignored as she’s not only lethal at the net but she deploys dominating pressure on her competition a well. Next up for the Cedarville Jr Lady Pirates, the girls will be hosting Lavaca on Thursday, January 7th. In their last go-round, the Jr Lady Pirates fell 38-45. This time though, they have found their groove and they aren’t afraid to use it.

Photos courtesy of Malinda Mizell

Arkansas State Parks

Madison VanRavensway

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9:41 am

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Are you looking for an ambitious goal for 2021? Visit one Arkansas state park a week! Okay, that goal is a little too ambitious for most of our lifestyles, but with 52 state parks and 52 weeks in a year the numbers line up superbly!

While I don’t know that we will cross off all 52 state parks in 2021, I do have a personal mission to visit every one at some point! ArkansasStateParks.com has a breakdown of activities and things of interest at each location. Anywhere in the state there is a state park not too far away!

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources-Smackover, AR
Arkansas Post Museum- Gillett, AR
Bull Shoals-White River State Park- Bull Shoals, AR
Cane Creek State Park- Star City, AR
Conway Cemetery State Park- Little Rock, AR
Cossatot River State Park- Wickes, AR
Crater of Diamonds State Park- Murfreesboro, AR
Crowley’s Ridge State Park- Paragould, AR
Daisy State Park- Kirby, AR
Davidsonville Historic State Park- Pocahontas, AR
DeGray Lake Resort State Park- Bismarck, AR
Delta Heritage Trail State Park- Helen/West-Helena, AR
Devils Den State Park- West Fork, AR
Hampson Archeological Museum State Park- Wilson, AR
Herman Davis State Park- Manila, AR
Historic Washington State Park- Washington, AR
Hobbs State Park Conservation Area- Rogers, AR
Jacksonport State Park- Newport, AR
Jenkins’ Ferry Battleground State Park- Leola, AR
Lake Catherine State Park- Hot Springs AR
Lake Charles State Park- Powhatan, AR
Lake Chicot State Park- Lake Village, AR
Lake Dardanelle State Park- Russellville, AR
Lake Fort Smith State Park- Mountainburg, AR
Lake Frierson State Park- Jonesboro, AR
Lake Ouachita State Park- Mountain Pine, AR
Lake Poinsett State Park- Harrisburg, AR
Logoly State Park- McNeil, AR
Louisiana Purchase State Park- Brinkley, AR
Lower White River Museum State Park- Des Arc, AR
Mammoth Springs State Park- Mammoth Springs, AR
Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park- Fordyce, AR
Millwood State Park- Ashdown, AR
Mississippi River State Park- Marianna, AR
Moro Bay State Park- Jersey, AR
Mount Magazine State Park- Paris, AR
Mount Nebo State Park- Dardanelle, AR
Ozark Folk Center State Park- Mountain View, AR
Parkin Archeological State Park- Parkin
Petit Jean State Park- Morrilton, AR
Pinnacle Mountain State Park- Little Rock, AR
Plantation Agricultural Museum- Scott, AR
Poison Springs Battleground State Park- Camden, AR
Powhatan Historic State Park- Powhatan, AR
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park- Prairie Grove, AR
Queen Wilhelmina State Park- Mena, AR
South Arkansas Arboretum- El Dorado, AR
Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park- Scott, AR
Village Creek State Park- Wynne, AR
White Oak Lake State Park- Bluff City, AR
Withrow Springs State Park- Huntsville, AR
Woolly Hollow State Park- Greenbrier, AR

* Photo courtesy of ArkansasStateParks.com for more information about any and all parks visit their website.

Bulldogs Circling The Wagons Around Wagner

Sports

Megan Hecox

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8:31 am

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Bulldogs Circling The Wagons Around Wagner

Waldron Bulldog, Gada Wagner, was always destined to play basketball. It’s in his blood. He grew up in a family of talented ballplayers who spent their whole lives dominating the sport. From the moment he could walk, Gada had a basketball in his hands dribbling or shooting around the clock. Wagner knew that to be as good or better than his family, he was going to have to put in long hours at practice and work extremely hard in games. Now, for his senior year of high school, all of that hard work is paying off as Gada, who wants to go to college to become an electrician, sits at the top of the Bulldog pack.

Waldron holds an 11-4 season record so far and from those 15 matches, Gada averages 16.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.6 steals, and 4.5 deflections per game, shoots 59% inside the arc and 38% from the three-point line and has netted 20 plus points from 6 games each. “All the work, effort, and time I have put in the gym is paying off,” expressed Wagner. “Everyone around me is being very supportive and is expecting me to do big things so I’m trying not to let them down.”

“So far, our Ozark game has been the biggest one of the season. They are a very good team and the energy level in the gym was crazy that night! It was a back and forth game and we were down 5 points with 30 seconds left but our team never gave up and we fought back and got the DUB in overtime!” The Bulldogs walked away with a 54-51 victory over Ozark.

For the remainder of the season, the only thing that Wagner has in his direct line of sight is competing in State. And to get there, Gada and his teammates take it one game at a time. “Our team has high expectations for ourselves and we look forward to playing every game. And playing in front of our Waldron fans is always exciting as well and makes it great to be a Bulldog!”

City of Greenwood Receives CARES ACT Grant Award

Tammy Teague

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7:44 pm

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City of Greenwood Receives CARES ACT Grant Award

The Greenwood City Council met in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday evening, January 4 at 7 p.m. Members present included Rod Powell, Tim Terry, A.C. Brown Jr., and Ralph Meeker. Councilmen Daniel McDaniel and Lance Terry were absent.

After approving the minutes from the December meeting, the council moved on to agenda items. Mayor Doug Kinslow recognized the street and parks department for their hard work in making the city look festive throughout the holiday season.

In committee reports, the council reviewed submissions by the Boys and Girls Club, the SRCA, parks commission, and water/waste water commission.

Greenwood District Court Judge Michael Wagoner was present at the meeting to administer the oath of office to aldermen Meeker, Powell and Tim Terry.

Next, the financial report was presented by Finance Director, Thomas Marsh. Marsh noted that the city sales and use tax ended 16.1% above last year. Marsh also added that the county sales tax was also up 5.5% over last year. He concluded that this would have an effect on the funds available for the 2021 budget. “The good news is that the rate increase we’ve experienced as far as city sales tax is phenomenal…,” Marsh stated. Adding that the city’s financials were “healthy.” The council agreed to set a study session to discuss the budget on Wednesday, January 13 at 6 p.m.

The next item on the agenda, matters of new business. The motion was made to approve the resolution adopting procedural rules. The motion carried unanimously. The next item of new business, an amendment to Resolution 120-29, salary schedule adding positions to the street and fire departments. The motion was made to adopt the amendment, and it carried unanimously.

In the last item of new business, a resolution accepting and appropriating CARES ACT grant awards. The City of Greenwood received $354,658 from the CARES Act grant for payroll reimbursements due to COVID-19. The funds will help “defray the expenses incurred by the city because of the public health emergency.” Those funds, which were a dollar for dollar reimbursement, were non-restricted and deposited into the city’s general fund. “This is wonderful news, we held it back for a little bit until we got it,” stated Mayor Kinslow. In addition to the reimbursement, the city also received an A&P grant for $2,000.

The council then reviewed and discussed departmental reports. Plans for the Greenwood bypass dominated the discussion.

With no other items on the agenda, the motion was made to adjourn the meeting of the Greenwood City Council.

Best Is Best And Better Than The Rest

Sports

Megan Hecox

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1:34 pm

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Lady Hornet, Teonna Best, is at the top of Hackett’s stat book leading in field goals made, FG%, steals, assists, and free throws. “Teonna’s a sophomore and has started every game,” said coach, Broc Adams. “She has come in and made an immediate impact. She is still quiet but has made up for that shyness with her play this year. She is shooting just under 40% from the floor, has made 19 free throws, averages 10 points per game, is 2nd on the team with 31 rebounds, earned 12 assists, 19 steals, and 28 FGs.”

Teonna started her basketball career as a Hartford Lady Hustler in the fourth grade before having to transition to Hackett. “At first I wasn’t interested in basketball at all,” explained Best. “I was very indecisive on if I really even wanted to play or not but my parents never let me quit a sport and I will forever be thankful for that. I fell for the game very fast and it has been my passion ever since then!”

“This season has been my first year of Sr High play so in my first game I was very nervous considering I was a sophomore playing against seniors. After the first game was over and my game jitters were gone, I was ready to play the next game. I understood that even though I’m younger, I am good enough to play against girls older than me and I have the talent to be a Sr High ballplayer.”

So far, Teonna’s favorite game this season has been against the Mountainburg Lady Dragons where she walked away with a whopping 29 out of 45 total points from the game. “Not only did that game prove that I am good enough to play against seniors and juniors, but it was also the highest-scoring game of my career so far. I also think that game helped my confidence when it comes to Sr High play.”

“Next I am looking forward to playing Cossatot again because that was probably my worst game of the season and I would like to prove to myself and to my team that I am better than how I played against them last time.” Last time, the Lady Hornets took home a 22-57 score versus Cossatot but they are looking to reverse that when they re-match them on January 29th at home. “The best part about being a Lady Hornet this year is most definitely the love the team has. We have lost every game this season yet our entire team still comes in to push and try and get better for the next one.”

“Coach Adams also continues to push us and help us improve in spots we need. I also love the support we get from the team. When we do something wrong nobody on the team pushes us down, they always help us right back up and encourage us to do better.” With plenty of time left for Best to strengthen her basketball skills before graduating high school, she’s already making plans for after graduation. “After High School, I am hoping to attend UAMS to become a general surgeon. Here lately I have been looking into furthering my basketball career, but if that doesn’t end up working out, I have a back-up plan.” The Lady Hornets are hoping for a big conference win tonight when they face the Cedarville Lady Pirates.

Sr Bulldogs To Resume Conference Play

Sports

Resident News Network

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12:35 pm

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The Waldron Sr Bulldogs will travel to Cossatot River on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 to resume 3A-4 conference play. The Bulldogs played three games last week, over Christmas break, in place of the Bill Frye Invitational, that they traditionally attend annually. Due to Covid restrictions, the Bill Frye Invitational was put on hold for the year.

On Monday, December 28^th, the Bulldogs played Horatio and came away with a 78-42 victory. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 22-9 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. At the end of the half, the Bulldogs had extended their lead to 21 with a 41-20 edge. Waldron didn’t let the half cool them off as they added 27 more points in the 3^rd quarter. Entering the 4^th quarter, the Bulldogs were leading 68-36 and came away with the 78-42 win. The Bulldogs were 53% from the field, connecting on 9/19 (47%) 3-pointers. Gada Wagner had a game-high 25 points. Fourteen Bulldogs were in the scoring column for the night. Luke Bright was the leading scorer for the Lions with 16 points, respectively.

Box Score:

Team	1^st Quarter	2^nd Quarter	3^rd Quarter	4^th Quarter	Final
Waldron	22	19	27	10	78
Horatio	9	11	16	6	42

Waldron: Gada Wagner (25), Isaac Villarreal (9), Trevor Hunt (8), Trenton Hunt (6), Lidge Stinson (6), Camdon Holcomb (4), Petey Justice (3), Caden Fuller (3), Jayden McConnell (3), Jesse Dees (3), Jacob Daggs (2), Jaden Hutchens (2), Bryson Bailey (2), Braden Williams (2)-78

Horatio: Luke Bright (16), Wyatt Nelson (13), Blake Pickett (8), Unknown Player (5)-42

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs traveled to Ozark to take on an old conference foe. The Bulldogs raced out to a 6-2 lead to start the game but Cooper Watson knocked down back-to-back 3 pointers to give Ozark the 8-6 lead but the Bulldogs used a 4-0 run to end the quarter with a Gada Wagner turnaround jumper and a Braden Williams transition basket. Gada Wagner would score the first basket of the second quarter hitting a 3 point basket and giving the Bulldogs a 13-8 lead. After a few possessions, Jaxson Harris would answer with a 3 pointer for the Hillbillies.

The teams would trade baskets for the rest of the quarter but with the game tied 19-19, Gada Wagner drained a long three-point basket just before the buzzer to end the half. To start the second half, the Hillbillies’ Jaxson Harris hit his second three of the night to tie the game. That would spark a run of 6 made threes in a row with each team exchanging three-point baskets. Isaac “The Real” Villarreal came right back down the floor for the Dogs to hit his own three. Cooper Watson answered for the Hillbillies, followed by Gada Wagner for the Dogs.

Garrett Schaffer would hit a three for Ozark making the score 28-28. Jaden Hutchens would answer right back with his first three of the night and sparking a personal 7-0 run for the Bulldogs making the score 35-28. Ozark would go 4/4 from the foul line to make the score 35-32 before Hutchens would add another three for the Dogs late in the 3rd and give the Bulldogs the 38-32 advantage going into the fourth quarter. The Hillbillies would use a 7-0 run with baskets from Schaffer and Watson and a three-pointer from Vanden Bush to give Ozark their first lead since the 1^st quarter.

Wagner would tie the game up for the Bulldogs with a jumper inside the paint. The Hillbillies would use a 7-2 run to manage a 5-point lead, 47-42. However, with 30 seconds to go in the game, and looking like this one may be out of reach, the Bulldogs had a little magic left. Gada Wagner knocked down a huge three-point basket in the corner. After a timeout, the Bulldogs went to a full-court press. The Bulldogs were able to trap and Bryson Bailey deflected the pass, which was stolen by Caden Fuller. Fuller then passed it to Bailey who finishes at the rim. Ozark had an opportunity to win in regulation but their attempts inside the arc came up short.

In the overtime period, Isaac “The Real” Villarreal started the scoring with a running jumper inside the paint followed by a three-point basket by Gada Wagner making the score 52-47. The Hillbillies would strike back with back-to-back baskets from Schaffer. With the score 52-51, and 5 seconds left in the game, Caden Fuller came up with a deflection and Gada Wagner got the steal and was fouled. Gada made both free-throws to make the final score 54-51, Waldron.

The Bulldogs shot 62% from the field on the night with 12/20 (60%) inside the arc and 9/14 (64%) from beyond the 3 point line. Gada Wagner led all scorers with 26 points. And Jaden Hutchens and Isaac Villarreal each had 10 for the Bulldogs. Cooper Watson led in scoring for Ozark with 19 while Garrett Schaffer added 16 for the Hillbillies. Coach Brown stated, “Didn’t play a lot of players in our game against Ozark but every player made an impact. Every fan who came to the game made an impact. What a great high school basketball game and a great atmosphere!”

Box Score:

Team	1^st Quarter	2^nd Quarter	3^rd Quarter	4^th Quarter	Final
Waldron	10	8	16	9	54
Ozark	8	11	14	14	51

Waldron: Gada Wagner (26), Jaden Hutchens (10), Isaac Villarreal (10), Braden Williams (6) Bryson Bailey (2)-54

Ozark: Cooper Watson (19), Garrett Schaffer (16), Jaxson Harris (6), Vanden Bush (6), Sebastian Ross (4)-51

To end 2020, the Bulldogs played host to the Mavericks of FS Southside on December 30th. The Mavericks took the early 9-4 lead on the Bulldogs to start the game but back-to-back baskets from Villarreal would get the Bulldogs within 1 and a Wagner lay-up would give the Bulldogs their first lead, 10-9. Southside would answer right back with a three pointer from Tristan Lane.

Waldron would score the next four points with lay-ups from Braden Williams and Bryson Bailey but the mavericks would finish the quarter on a 4-0 run to take the 16-14 lead to end the first. Caden Fuller would start the scoring in the second quarter with a pass from Wagner. With the score at 21-20, the Mavericks would use a 6-0 run to take the 27-20 lead. After a timeout, the Bulldogs would use an 8-0 run to take the lead but it was short-lived as Yazed Taforo would hit a floater.

Isaac Villarreal would answer right back giving the Bulldogs the 30-29 lead. Jack Williamson hit a 3 for the Mavericks making the score 32-30. The Bulldogs missed a three with 1 second on the clock and Braden Williams just beat the buzzer to tie the game 32-32 at the half. The third quarter saw the teams trade baskets and with the score 40-38 in Southside’s favor, Villarreal hit a three-pointer to give the Dogs a one-point lead and spark a 9-0 run.

With under 5 seconds to go in the third quarter and the Bulldogs leading 47-40, the Mavericks were able to get a basket to make the score 47-42 going into the 4^th. The fourth quarter was all Southside as they outscored the Dogs 20-8 in the final frame, giving the Bulldogs their first loss in 8 games. Waldron finished the game 20/31 (65%) inside but was just 2/19 (11%) from the 3 pt. line. “We took one on the chin Wednesday night at home. Had the lead going into the 4th quarter but ran out of gas. Went cold and couldn’t get some shots to fall late. I’m proud of the way our kids competed and throughout the first half of the season.” The Bulldogs are 11-4 (3-0) on the year.

Highlights from the end of the Bulldogs vs Ozark game

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