College recruiting - not an exact science

As a college football junkie and a native Arkansan, I'm head-over-heels into the high school recruiting scene. I check all of the recruiting experts and their tweets, blogs, reports and columns. I consider Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, one of the best resources.
I'm not so sure about some of the other so-called, "experts."
Former Camden Fairview standout Dominique Reed will be coming out of Coffeyville Community College this year. The 6-3, 195-pound wide receiver is considered, by most folks, a sure-fire prospect. I consider myself a reliable source on this young man after watching him for three years in high school.
He's a bad dude.
With Arkansas' current situation at receiver, I would think Reed would be a high priority. Then again, he's had some off-the-field issues at Coffeyville during his career. Coach Bret Bielema has proven time-and-time again, he doesn't waste a lot of time with trouble-makers, trouble-finders or trouble-followers. If you're trouble, Bielema ain't interested.
I don't know, first hand, of any of Reed's transgressions, if he has any. But, I felt confident Arkansas was recruiting him when I checked the ESPN recruiting page and saw the Razorbacks not only had offered him a scholarship but he went to Fayetteville for an official visit on Nov. 14.
According to ESPN, other schools to offer Reed included Arkansas State, Bowling Green, UCA, Florida, Louisiana-Lafayette, Minnesota, South Florida and Southern Mississippi. The list was last updated, according to the site, on Dec. 3.
Friday night, while covering the 22nd annual Camden Fairview Holiday Classic, Reed was in attendance. He walked past Camden News editor Kelly Blair, who posed the obvious question.
Reed would only say he's interested in Oklahoma, Louisville and Auburn.
We didn't have time to talk to the young man, who didn't seem real interested in revealing any secrets, anyway. It makes me wonder, though, is ESPN that far off base in its reporting? Or, did the kid just tell a little fib to throw the local media off the trail?
I guess the bottom line when dealing with teenagers, making life-altering decisions, you don't really know, probably because they don't really know.
Until they sign on the dotted line, whether it's ESPN or even Richard Davenport himself, don't believe anything you read when it comes to college recruiting.

Merry Christmas to me

How sad is it that I have to use my vacation day if I want to watch a good game?
I used Saturday as my Christmas vacation day in order to watch the El Dorado/Junction City boys basketball game at the Camden Fairview Holiday Classic. If I didn't use the day as a holiday, I would've been stuck in the office, waiting for Kev Moye' to send in his game story.
Oh hell, no. Not again.
People think, as a sports writer, I get to see all of the big games. It's actually the opposite. If I'm not actually covering the game, I have to be in the office putting the sports pages together. I miss a large chunk of the good stuff. And, I almost never get to watch the big games on television, anymore.
This isn't a poor, poor pitiful me, blog. I know how fortunate I am to have a job I enjoy. If all I had to do was watch games, I suppose it wouldn't be a job, now would it?
I actually pondered driving to Hampton to see Parkers Chapel's girls play Crossett at 3:50 and then swinging back by Camden to cover El Dorado's girls against Strong at 7 before watching the big boys game at 8:30. But, I didn't know if the games would be on time and I also wanted to get inside the gym at Camden before they locked the doors.
I barely made it.
I got to Camden at about 6:30 and the parking lot was already jam packed. I ended up parking all the way up into the softball parking area. They opened up two doors to enter the gym and the lines were all the way down the sidewalk and into the parking. If it wasn't for my press pass, I would never have gotten in. Remember, this is still two hours before the big boys game.
Unfortunately, but, somewhat predictably, Strong didn't have enough firepower to hang with El Dorado in the girls game, which got out of hand fairly early. But, El Dorado and Junction City's boys brought enough excitement and intensity for two games.
The roar from the jam-packed crowd just when the boys teams entered the gym in their street clothes sent a shiver down my spine. The place was electric.
"I just remembered why I became a sports writer," Camden News editor Kelly Blair yelled to me at the media table.
I couldn't help but to concur. I love football and all the other sports, but there ain't nothing like a gymnasium, overflowing with rabid basketball fans.
The game went, pretty much, as I expected. I want to see the 2A team that can beat Junction City this year. They just got off the football field and they're already soaring on the hardwoods. Jamario Bell is a beast and Tyrus Grayson looks like a college player. The Dragons outlasted the Wildcats 80-74 in a high-flying display of dunks and long-range shooting.
El Dorado's team is young, led by sophomore Czar Perry (speaking of a college caliber player). In my opinion, the crowd was probably in Junction City's advantage as the Dragons have performed on that type of stage before. I'm not sure the Wildcats have ever played in that type of atmosphere.
In any event, the game will benefit both teams. I know it helped me remember why I chose my profession. I love big games with raucous crowds - a hot gym on a cold winter night. It's the kind of stuff folks will be talking about for a long while.
I'm happy I'll be able to participate in those conversations.
How was my Christmas, you ask? Christmas Day was nothing special. But, Saturday, my Christmas holiday, was off the chain.
Merry Christmas!

Upcoming season ... perplexing

The local basketball season is still practically brand new and I'm already frustrated. Perhaps frustrated isn't the correct word. I'm perplexed.
El Dorado's girls are going to be good this year. They've already had a historic win over Star City last week. The Lady Wildcats have depth and scoring and, potentially, a go-to player in sophomore Mekaylan Hicks.
"I can't tell you or the fans or the girls how proud I am of them for maintaining their composure and making the stops defensively and making the pressure shots we needed to make at the end. It was a lot of chances for us to fold when Star City started coming back but this shows us we have grown," said El Dorado coach Stephen Harshaw. "We are continuing to grow and I'm exceptionally proud and happy."
The thing that's a concern with El Dorado is youth. Harshaw actually benched Hicks for a quarter in the first half against Star City because of a youthful moment. The Lady Wildcats will lean heavily on sophomores, which can be both exciting and frightening at the same time.
In the same boat is Henry Harrell at Junction City. The Lady Dragons are my pick to win the conference championship this season. That is, if they can find some consistency. Early in the year, the team has struggled to put two good halves together, which is ... perplexing.
Make no mistake, when the Lady Dragons are clicking, they are fun to watch and an absolute nightmare to go up against. But, they're either red-hot or ice cold. They'd better find the luke-warm to warm setting or Harrell will be gray-headed by the time February rolls around, which will be a neat trick since he's bald.
Speaking of hot-and-cold, Parkers Chapel is a hot 3-point shooting night away from beating most folks. Unfortunately, the Lady Trojans look to be 3-pointers or bust this season. They miss Caleh Wall and are going to really miss her once the conference season commences unless someone steps inside to fill that void. Lauren Brumley's health is always a concern at PC along with the Madison twins, who seem to be taking turns at the injury table.
The Lady Trojans have to get healthy and stay that way. They have to shoot the 3-ball consistently. They have to find a way to score when a defense takes away their perimeter game.
That's quite a few "have-to" scenarios for PC. We'll see.
I haven't seen Strong, yet. The Lady Bulldogs, on paper, return the most of any of the county schools from a year ago with Charria Perry, Moesha Thrower and LaTina Davis, among others. Then again, perhaps they lost the most when Coach Johnny Jackson left for Camden Fairview.
The Lady Bulldogs are the most perplexing team, to me, because of new coach Jason Porter, who will implement his own style. It's still to be determined how Porter and the returning players mesh. A lopsided loss to Crossett wasn't a good sign.
I don't have much to say about Smackover and Norphlet.
I will predict, though, the Lady Bucks will give Mikey Moss his first senior girls victory this season.
Don't know anything about the Lady Leopards, including the head coach. No one has called me and, obviously, I haven't made much of an effort to get information.
What can I say? I'm getting old and bull-headed, which should make for a perplexing season.

The problem with the Hogs - just an opinion

I keep telling myself to resist blogging about the Razorbacks. Everyone has an opinion on Bret Bielema's team, which is miles ahead of where it was a year ago but still back in the pack in the SEC West.
I'm not a football coach. I do love the game, though, and relish my position as sports writer because it gives me direct access to brilliant football minds like Scott Reed and John Panter. I can't even explain some of the facial expressions I used to get from Panter when I'd ask why the 1-5-5 defense I kill with on Xbox wouldn't work in real life. I also enjoy talking with Reed about why he did this or why this kid plays over that one. I love to talk football but I also listen and learn.
So, I consider myself slightly more knowledgeable than the average Hog fan hollering about every play that doesn't work. Some fools are even suggesting Bielema's job is on the line.
Are you crazy?
Bielema is doing great. He's elevated the talent and establishing a style of football that will be competitive in the toughest league in the country. Honestly, I can't wait until all of the guys who were there when he arrived, graduate. I just think there's a little bit of loser mentality left in the locker room from the previous regime.
As for the team's other fall guy, no, I don't believe quarterback Brandon Allen is the reason the Hogs are losing in the SEC. He's not losing games. The problem is, he's not winning games, either.
Allen is a leader, a good player with a great attitude and the ultimate home-town, home-grown Razorback. But, when it comes to the SEC and quarterbacks, he's just a guy. You can win in the SEC with just a guy at quarterback but only if he's surrounded by NFL personnel.
When you pair up just a guy at quarterback and just a bunch of dudes at wide receiver, you end up with a one-dimensional, run-heavy team that can push opponents around but can't knock them out. The top teams in the SEC have quarterbacks who can take over games, who can win games in the fourth quarter. Texas A&M's QB made plays to beat Arkansas in the fourth quarter. So, did Bama's and, if the Hogs play Mississippi State close this Saturday, the Bulldogs' quarterback will make the play down the stretch that breaks the hearts of the Razorbacks.
I was excited when Arkansas signed the Peavy kid because he looked like a play maker. I don't know what it says that he's a third-teamer, right now, because I don't think the younger Allen is the answer, either. To be fair, Arkansas' talent at receiver is in worst shape than the quarterback position.
But, until Bielema gets the right guy to pull the trigger to the offense, it's going to be difficult getting over the hump in the SEC.

Two QBs better than one?

El Dorado coach Scott Reed is a quarterback guru. That's probably not the title he puts on his business card but, after winning state championships with three different signal callers and starting four different QBs in title games, he's known for getting the most out of the position.
A former quarterback in high school and college, Coach Reed understands the position like few others. He knows the physical attributes a successful quarterback must have. More importantly, he understands the subtle, instinctive nuances the average eye doesn't notice. When he talks about his quarterback, Reed lists courage before arm strength on his list of priorities.
He told everyone before last season began that Clayton Waldrum would be good when most of us had our doubts. He never did. Even though Waldrum had never started a game on Friday night, Reed already knew the young man had everything he needed to, not only exceed, but excel.
Waldrum was MVP of last year's state championship game.
So, when this season began and Reed started talking about having dual quarterbacks, I raised my eyebrows but, how can you second guess the guru?
Five games into the season, despite a 4-1 record, my eyebrows are still raised.
During the summer, I thought John Sixbey would get the job just because Kawon Love was one of the team's top receivers. Putting Love under center would take away one of the team's proven offensive weapons.
But, under Reed's tutelage, Love emerged as a dual-threat quarterback, giving the Wildcats a different look. What can I say, the coach was right ... again.
Yet, El Dorado still plays both quarterbacks.
In blowout wins over Hall and Sheridan, Love got off to fast starts and then watched Sixbey come in to continue the onslaught. Last week, the Wildcats led Sheridan 28-0 in the first quarter but settled for a 35-7 win. It seemed as if the offense was clicking but, for some reason, got a little off kilter.
I asked Coach Reed if rotating the quarterbacks could get the entire offense out of rhythm.
“I’m confident in both of them. The good thing is, if something happens, we still would be able to execute our offense and be in good shape," he said. "That’s not my issue.”
Only a damn fool would second guess a man with Reed's track record on the subject of coaching quarterbacks. I might be a fool. But I'm not a damn fool.
If Reed believes in playing two QBs, it must be the right thing to do. Hey, I was pleasantly surprised at Waldrum's performance last year. I look forward to feeling that way again.

Scars

Scars
by Tony Burns
June 10, 2014

A person with no scars hasn’t lived a meaningful life.
Scars represent experience and knowledge of rocky roads traveled. Every scar has its own story of a lesson learned or an obstacle overcome. A person with no scars is a person with no failings.
If you’ve never been burned, you don’t truly understand the meaning of hot. If you’ve never fallen, you’ve never gotten up. If your skin has never been pierced by the jagged shrapnel of life then consider yourself ... unlucky.
A person unscarred is ignorant of life and all it truly has to offer.

Lady Leopards fight

I wasn't expecting much from Norphlet Tuesday when they took on top-seeded Rison in the 7AA-East District Tournament. The Lady Leopards' 48-44 loss was actually a pleasant surprise. I watched the game alongside Strong coach Johnny Jackson. We both marveled with delight as Norphlet players we didn't even recognize, played their hearts out in the win-or-go-home game. Lindsey Martin, bless her heart, played defense as if her life depended on it. Several of her teammates followed suit, diving head first onto the hardwood for loose balls. That's the way a defending state champion is supposed to relinquish its title. The Lady Leopards lost but they were kicking and scratching until the final buzzer. It's the way most of the girls teams in Union County represent themselves on the basketball court. Give Parkers Chapel credit, too, for playing as hard as it could in its loss to Bearden Tuesday.

Parkers Chapel falls short

Parkers Chapel's girls basketball season came to a sudden end. The Lady Trojans' best player, Lauren Brumley, watched from the bench as her teammates struggled in her absence in a season-ending loss. Sound familiar? No, I wasn't talking about Tuesday's 44-24 loss to Bearden in the 7AA-East District Tournament. I'm talking about last year when the Lady Trojans lost in the regional tournament after Brumley, then a sophomore, got into foul trouble and fouled out. Brumley missed Tuesday's loss after sustaining a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 7 against Norphlet. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Several players who struggled getting the basketball up the court without Brumley last year, struggled again on Tuesday. Dribbling the ball with your head up isn't a skill that's learned in practice. You learn that in the backyard on your own. It doesn't take a gym or a camp or another person. All it takes to work on your ball handling is a ... basketball. Well, that and a desire to improve. I'm not picking on the Lady Trojans. There's not a girl in South Arkansas who doesn't need to improve her ball handling skills. But, how many times will the same girls fall down the same hole? If you don't enjoy getting your heart broken two weeks before the state tournament, do something about it. If you care, pick up a ball, go outside in your driveway and work on the fundamentals. Hopefully, Brumley will be back at full speed for her senior year. Some of her teammates will be back, too. It takes a team to achieve success. But, a team consists of individuals who have to hone their individual skills away from the team, on their own when no one is keeping score. For two straight years, the Lady Trojans have left the court in tears because no one was able to pick up the slack when the primary ball handler and scorer wasn't around. If it happens next year, there will no one to blame except for the girl in the mirror.

What did you say?

I really love how white folks love to tell black folks how to act. An Oklahoma State basketball player fell into the stands Saturday at Texas Tech. A local Red Raider fan was yelling something at the player as he lay on the floor. The player heard the man, jumped to his feet and verbally confronted the gentleman. He then shoved the fan in the chest before being separated. The player was issued a technical foul but was not ejected by the officials. No one knows what the fan said to the young black man. But, all of the talking heads on ESPN have been quick to lay blame at the young man's feet. ESPN has made it clear. It doesn't matter what the fan said to the kid, he was not justified. It must be easy to sit back and tell someone else how they should feel when you have no idea how they feel. As a black man I can tell you, there are a couple things that, if said to me at the right time, would make me jump knee deep into somebody's ass. I don't know if the kid was just in shoving the fan. To me, it depends on what the fan said. But, to say no matter what he said, the kid was automatically in the wrong ... I'm not good with that. If that's a black man's opinion, I can discuss it with them. White guys? Don't tell a black man what he should be offended by. Trust me, there are some things that, if said to me at the right time, will get your ass kicked. Some people don't understand that and they never, ever will.