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.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
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!
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!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)