Although heartbreaking, this move is a great opportunity that will be putting Coach Whitsett closer to home. Taking over his Hornet duties will be Ryan Pointer out of Alma. Longtime friend and coworker, Lonnie Hester, had this to say about Coach Whitsetts new adventure. “I want to wish Coach Matt Whitsett the very best and to let him know just how much we appreciate the impact he has made at Hackett. (I personally hate it because I’m selfish and don’t want us to lose him) I think most guys who came through our program would agree that Coach Whitsett is an amazing Coach that has definitely played a huge role in our success. Coach Whitsett, the Hornets will miss you, but we wish you all the best on your new adventure!”

Assuring the Hornets that he would most definitely be back for games, Coach Whitsett gave his final farewell. “Hackett is a wonderful place. I have nothing but good memories and good things to say about the administration, teachers, coaches, kids, and staff at the Hackett School District. I can’t thank Coach Hester, Coach Ray, and Coach Richardson enough for all the valuable knowledge I was able to gain while working with them over the years. This was an extremely tough decision for me but one that I feel is best for me at this stage in my career.”

From the boys’ team, the Hornets had three players that stepped up and played a good game. Tanner Wright was cool and collected in his gameplay and ended the night bowling a 191. Combined, Kade Banning and Brandon Howard bowled an almost 300 point game.

As always, the Lady Hornets brought with them guts and devotion. They play hard and keep going no matter the outcome. Rachel Widmer played a good match and brought in a score of 137.

The Hornets have a big week coming up as they will have 3 matches almost back to back. On Monday, January 14 they will face Alma. Then on Wednesday, January 16 they will take on Ozark. To end the week, the Hornets will get a chance at victory when they play former rivals, Mt.Pine. All games start at 4 pm. Head Coach, Matt Whitsett, says of the upcoming schedule, “I think its good to have 3 matches next week. It gets us back in the rhythm since we were off for two weeks. Mt.Pine will probably be our toughest match. They used to be in our conference but moved to 2A. They are traditional good.”

Pacey McBride and Tanner Wright have been a steady duo for Coach Whitsett and with the extra bowling skills from Nathan Childs, the Hornets have plenty of potential to get the job done. For the Lady Hornets, Kayla Richardson, Audrey Channey, and Rachel Widmer, all have the knowledge and talent to bring home a victory.

This Thursday, January 10 at 4 pm, the Hornets will be at Bowling World in Fort Smith to strike out some Bulldogs with plenty of time to spare.

The Hackett Bowling teams crossed lanes against the Hillbillies from Ozark yesterday. The Hornet Boys team won by 93 pins over Ozark in a one-sided matchup. Tanner Wright and Pacey McBride combined for 341 pins for the Hornets as the Hackett boys cruised past Ozark.

The Lady Hornets came up just a few pins short against the Hillbillies in a thriller of a match. Leading the Lady Hornets was Rachel Widmer with an awesome 165 pins scored. The Lady Hornets have been in some really close matches this season and aren’t afraid of any team that steps up to the line.

Hackett’s Bowling Coach Matt Whitsett said this about his swarm of bowlers “It’s hard to keep them motivated this time of year with semester test going on and everyone ready for Christmas break. We will practice a couple of times over the break and try to refocus and get back into the swing of things in January”.

The Hornets will be excited for a late Christmas present WIN as they face off against Greenwood January 10th.

The Hackett Hornets Bowling team played a good game last night against Haas Hall. Although the Hornets didn’t walk away with a win, they are looking to polish up some areas and get ready for their next match. The boys’ team lost by 40 pins and the girls’ team lost by just over 100 pins.

Pacey McBride was the top scorer for the Hornets boys team, bowling a 170 average. Tanner Wright was next with a 160 average. For the Lady Hornets, Kayla Richardson was the top bowler with a 140 average.

The Hornet Bowlers are working hard to perfect their scores and are excited about showing off their “striking” skills during the rest of the season. Hackett will have their next bowling match this Thursday, December 13th at Midland Bowl against Van Buren at 4 pm.

The Hackett Hornet Bowling Club is settin’ em up and knockin’ em down. Their bowling season started with their first game on December 3rd against a very talented Alma team. The boys’ team fell short by 85 pins while the Lady Hornets won their game by 100 pins. All games are played at Bowling World in Fort Smith unless otherwise indicated and the matches start at 4 pm.

The Bowling Club is lead by Coach Matt Whitsett. The top bowler from the Hornets team is Pacey McBride and the top bowler from the Lady Hornets is Kayla Richardson. Pacey McBride ended his match against Alma with a score of 226. Along with Kayla, Rachel Widmer and Audrey Chaney also bowled a really good game against Alma.

Playing for the boys’ team is Pacey Mcbride, Tanner Wright, Nathan Childs, Kobe Stanfill, Layne Dennis, Barrett Locklear, Blayde Chappell, Kade Banning, and Hunter Christenberry. Playing for the ladies team is Kayla Richardson, Audrey Chaney, Rachel Widmer, Kenady Wright, Hailey Reves, Chloe Patton, and Mason Hice.

On Thursday, December 13th the Hornets will play against Van Buren at Midland Bowl. Then on Friday, December 14th, the Hornets will play Mt.Pine.