Congratulations are in order to a pair of Union County's top athletes.
El Dorado's Whitney Frazier and Parkers Chapel's Savanna Langston were both, reportedly, named to the preliminary list of contenders for McDonald's Girls Basketball All-American.
Langston, a 6-2 post, was named second team All-Arkansas by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette while Frazier, a 5-10 forward, was named third team All-Arkansas.
Both players have verbally committed to play basketball at Louisiana Tech.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Butler Didits
So, about 20 or so years ago, a young sports writer named Rick Butler gave me an ultimatum.
"If you send me to cover girls basketball, I will not go to the game. I'll just stay in the office and take call-ins."
That's what he told me when we were discussing assignments that season.
Rather than force Rick to cover girls sports, I split the assignments with me taking girls and letting him handle all the boys sports. It's been that way ever since at the News-Times.
Fast forward to Monday and here's the same Rick Butler - a little heavier and perhaps a lot wiser. I say wiser because he has become a tennis dad ... to his daughter.
Rick and April's 10th grade daughter Arielle won two matches Monday and is now in the semifinals of the 6A State Tennis Tournament.
Rick Butler, who at one time wouldn't go to a girls game if you paid him, suddenly is heavily involved in girls sports. He travels across the state and region watching girls tennis. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
He still refuses to watch the WNBA, though. But, I haven't lost faith in him. He has an even younger daughter named Addison. If she falls in love with basketball, I'm might personally take his picture when he takes her to a WNBA event.
That is, if I can keep the camera from shaking from me laughing so hard.
"If you send me to cover girls basketball, I will not go to the game. I'll just stay in the office and take call-ins."
That's what he told me when we were discussing assignments that season.
Rather than force Rick to cover girls sports, I split the assignments with me taking girls and letting him handle all the boys sports. It's been that way ever since at the News-Times.
Fast forward to Monday and here's the same Rick Butler - a little heavier and perhaps a lot wiser. I say wiser because he has become a tennis dad ... to his daughter.
Rick and April's 10th grade daughter Arielle won two matches Monday and is now in the semifinals of the 6A State Tennis Tournament.
Rick Butler, who at one time wouldn't go to a girls game if you paid him, suddenly is heavily involved in girls sports. He travels across the state and region watching girls tennis. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.
He still refuses to watch the WNBA, though. But, I haven't lost faith in him. He has an even younger daughter named Addison. If she falls in love with basketball, I'm might personally take his picture when he takes her to a WNBA event.
That is, if I can keep the camera from shaking from me laughing so hard.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Run for it
I called Parkers Chapel athletic director Clancie Laymon last week to inquire about the school's cross country program. PC introduced cross country as a sport two years ago when Lexie Howell and her family moved to Arkansas from Utah.
Howell and volunteer coach Mark Hardenbrook got the program started and headed in a positive direction. She finished in the top 10 last year, earning All-State honors. Kyle Coke did the same thing on the boys team.
Even more impressive was the slew of young runners who were developing at the school. Hardenbrook said at least two and maybe three eighth grade girls had the potential to be as good or better than Lexie.
It was exciting to hear.
But, Lexie and her family moved to the New Orleans area at the end of the school year. Hardenbrook also moved to another job.
That's why I wanted to see how the program was doing this year.
My heart sank when Coach Laymon basically said the program has died. None of the kids are interested anymore. The eighth grade girls who had so much promise are playing tennis.
"But, they can play tennis and run cross country?" I said to Coach Laymon, who replied they just weren't interested in running.
Like I said, it's heart breaking.
Tennis is a great sport but there are so many opportunities in running. El Dorado's Irene Jadic was a great tennis player, 6A State champion last year and one of the top three or four girls in the state, period.
But, she's running cross country and track at the University of Pennsylvania. She ended up having a lot more college opportunities as a runner than as a tennis player.
Why? It's just a matter of competition. There are more girls playing tennis and soccer and softball than are running cross country. Cross country is a difficult sport. I've said it over and over. It takes a lot of heart and guts to be a distance runner. It's not a lot of fun. It's a lot of work.
One of my all-time favorite athletes - El Dorado's Kayla Waldrup - was faced with the dilemma of choosing soccer or cross country in high school. She loved soccer. Cross country? Not so much.
But, she made a business decision and never looked back, moving on to Arkansas Tech and now to a career.
"Soccer is my first love while cross country is my second," she said. "Looking back onto why I chose cross country over soccer, I realize that it was not because I was bad at soccer or did not want to be in that environment or did not have friends into soccer. I chose cross country over soccer mainly because cross country opened SO MANY doors of opportunity compared to soccer. I received a cross country scholarship for college, learned that I had a bigger family in cross country and on top of that, the more I learned about running and progressed in the sport, both in high school and college, the more I started liking it! I still pick up a soccer ball today whenever I get the chance but cross country has become my life."
Kayla Waldrup is a success story. She gave running a try and never looked back.
I hope the administrators at Parkers Chapel and other schools will emphasize cross country as a major sport. There are so many opportunities in that sport, especially for girls, but boys as well. It's not an easy sport. It takes heart and guts and hard work. But, the rewards are there.
Again, I'm not trying to sway anyone away from tennis or soccer or any other sport. The most important thing is - play something. But, if you have a child who has a talent for running, it would be in their best interest to at least give cross country a try.
Howell and volunteer coach Mark Hardenbrook got the program started and headed in a positive direction. She finished in the top 10 last year, earning All-State honors. Kyle Coke did the same thing on the boys team.
Even more impressive was the slew of young runners who were developing at the school. Hardenbrook said at least two and maybe three eighth grade girls had the potential to be as good or better than Lexie.
It was exciting to hear.
But, Lexie and her family moved to the New Orleans area at the end of the school year. Hardenbrook also moved to another job.
That's why I wanted to see how the program was doing this year.
My heart sank when Coach Laymon basically said the program has died. None of the kids are interested anymore. The eighth grade girls who had so much promise are playing tennis.
"But, they can play tennis and run cross country?" I said to Coach Laymon, who replied they just weren't interested in running.
Like I said, it's heart breaking.
Tennis is a great sport but there are so many opportunities in running. El Dorado's Irene Jadic was a great tennis player, 6A State champion last year and one of the top three or four girls in the state, period.
But, she's running cross country and track at the University of Pennsylvania. She ended up having a lot more college opportunities as a runner than as a tennis player.
Why? It's just a matter of competition. There are more girls playing tennis and soccer and softball than are running cross country. Cross country is a difficult sport. I've said it over and over. It takes a lot of heart and guts to be a distance runner. It's not a lot of fun. It's a lot of work.
One of my all-time favorite athletes - El Dorado's Kayla Waldrup - was faced with the dilemma of choosing soccer or cross country in high school. She loved soccer. Cross country? Not so much.
But, she made a business decision and never looked back, moving on to Arkansas Tech and now to a career.
"Soccer is my first love while cross country is my second," she said. "Looking back onto why I chose cross country over soccer, I realize that it was not because I was bad at soccer or did not want to be in that environment or did not have friends into soccer. I chose cross country over soccer mainly because cross country opened SO MANY doors of opportunity compared to soccer. I received a cross country scholarship for college, learned that I had a bigger family in cross country and on top of that, the more I learned about running and progressed in the sport, both in high school and college, the more I started liking it! I still pick up a soccer ball today whenever I get the chance but cross country has become my life."
Kayla Waldrup is a success story. She gave running a try and never looked back.
I hope the administrators at Parkers Chapel and other schools will emphasize cross country as a major sport. There are so many opportunities in that sport, especially for girls, but boys as well. It's not an easy sport. It takes heart and guts and hard work. But, the rewards are there.
Again, I'm not trying to sway anyone away from tennis or soccer or any other sport. The most important thing is - play something. But, if you have a child who has a talent for running, it would be in their best interest to at least give cross country a try.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A win is a win
El Dorado's 37-0 win at Little Rock J.A. Fair on Friday was a little bit lackluster. Sure, the Wildcats scored on their first three plays and scored four touchdowns in their first seven snaps from the line of scrimmage.
But, that's what made the victory so bittersweet.
J.A. Fair might be the weakest football team from a big school that I've ever seen.
I'm not saying this to be mean. The War Eagles tried hard. They played about as hard as a team can play. One back, Benjamin Clark, showed an incredible amount of heart and toughness. Every single time that kid toted the football, it looked like he was in an alley fight.
Despite the War Eagles' efforts, the game was as big of a mismatch as I've seen on the 6A level. The Wildcats almost seemed to be embarrassed to be out there.
On one play, Fair lined up to punt. At least four El Dorado players closed in on the punter. It could've been any one of the four who blocked it. Hell, maybe all four got a piece of it.
But, after that, the Wildcats didn't rush the punter again. They just stood and let them kick the ball, even though most of the deep snaps bounced on the ground like weak grounders to second base.
On El Dorado's first touchdown pass, quarterback Taylor Reed stood and waited patiently for Wendall Thompson to get open. He was so open, in fact, Thompson came back and waited for Reed's underthrow, caught it and still pranced into the end zone.
The score was so easy, one of the guys on the radio had to remove his headset he was laughing so hard.
I didn't laugh only because I couldn't believe it. It was the easiest touchdown I've ever seen.
I was under more pressure playing football in my uncle's backyard with my cousins when I was about nine. I'm less comfortable sitting in my recliner playing Xbox.
El Dorado scored 37 points in the first half and, mercifully, the clock kept ticking the rest of the game. The Wildcats were very, very nice.
As for Fair, like I said, they didn't quit. They tried hard. I don't know if they'll win a game this season. I hear McClellan is pretty weak, also.
But, I doubt that any team will celebrate a victory over the War Eagles this season.
But, that's what made the victory so bittersweet.
J.A. Fair might be the weakest football team from a big school that I've ever seen.
I'm not saying this to be mean. The War Eagles tried hard. They played about as hard as a team can play. One back, Benjamin Clark, showed an incredible amount of heart and toughness. Every single time that kid toted the football, it looked like he was in an alley fight.
Despite the War Eagles' efforts, the game was as big of a mismatch as I've seen on the 6A level. The Wildcats almost seemed to be embarrassed to be out there.
On one play, Fair lined up to punt. At least four El Dorado players closed in on the punter. It could've been any one of the four who blocked it. Hell, maybe all four got a piece of it.
But, after that, the Wildcats didn't rush the punter again. They just stood and let them kick the ball, even though most of the deep snaps bounced on the ground like weak grounders to second base.
On El Dorado's first touchdown pass, quarterback Taylor Reed stood and waited patiently for Wendall Thompson to get open. He was so open, in fact, Thompson came back and waited for Reed's underthrow, caught it and still pranced into the end zone.
The score was so easy, one of the guys on the radio had to remove his headset he was laughing so hard.
I didn't laugh only because I couldn't believe it. It was the easiest touchdown I've ever seen.
I was under more pressure playing football in my uncle's backyard with my cousins when I was about nine. I'm less comfortable sitting in my recliner playing Xbox.
El Dorado scored 37 points in the first half and, mercifully, the clock kept ticking the rest of the game. The Wildcats were very, very nice.
As for Fair, like I said, they didn't quit. They tried hard. I don't know if they'll win a game this season. I hear McClellan is pretty weak, also.
But, I doubt that any team will celebrate a victory over the War Eagles this season.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Jadic loves Quaker life
El Dorado's Irene Jadic began her collegiate cross country career by competing in the Fordham Fiasco in Bronx, New York. The University of Pennsylvania won the meet with Jadic placing 29th in the event in a time of 20:11 for the 5K on what she described as a "hilly" course.
"My first college meet was pretty nerve wracking," she said via email. "But, I ended up running a good race. Not as good as I wanted. It kind of showed me how much work I have to do. But, for a first meet it was good."
Jadic said she will compete in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring for the Quakers.
"Practice is pretty intense," she said. "The ladies are all amazing. The team is like a big family. We have 23 ladies running cross country and a few are out with injuries but they are still expected to come to practice and cross-train or help with practice. We all push each other and help each other get better. It is such an awesome experience. Penn also does so much to make sure the students' experience is phenomenal."
"My first college meet was pretty nerve wracking," she said via email. "But, I ended up running a good race. Not as good as I wanted. It kind of showed me how much work I have to do. But, for a first meet it was good."
Jadic said she will compete in cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring for the Quakers.
"Practice is pretty intense," she said. "The ladies are all amazing. The team is like a big family. We have 23 ladies running cross country and a few are out with injuries but they are still expected to come to practice and cross-train or help with practice. We all push each other and help each other get better. It is such an awesome experience. Penn also does so much to make sure the students' experience is phenomenal."
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Har-Ber handles El Dorado
El Dorado certainly had its opportunities. Although just looking at the 42-13 final margin, people who weren't at Friday's game might find that hard to believe.
But, El Dorado led 7-0 after one quarter and could've easily been up 14-0 or at least 10-0. The Wildcats dominated nationally ranked Springdale Har-Ber so much in the first quarter, the local media called into their office to keep them on alert for the upset.
But, the squandered opportunities came back to haunt the Wildcats after Har-Ber found a soft spot in the middle of the defense. Har-Ber began running power counters up the gut and El Dorado never found a way to stop it.
The final score is unfortunate because the game was much more competitive than that.
El Dorado fans who want to blame the officiating? Well, you can if you'd like. There were certainly a few calls for the home team from the Fort Smith officiating crew.
Then again, did you really expect to drive five hours and play the 7A state champion on its home field and get favorable calls, too. There's a reason it's called homefield advantage. Hopefully, El Dorado will enjoy that same advantage next season.
Yeah, I saw the obvious holding on Har-Ber's first touchdown. An El Dorado defender was held so clearly, his jersey was stretched like a beach blanket.
No, no flag was thrown. There was also no flag thrown on a late hit on the quarterback. No flag was thrown on an interception when the El Dorado receiver was being bumped. And, I swear, from my angle it looked like both El Dorado field goals were good, although the officials ruled otherwise.
Again, El Dorado fans can blame the officials if they'd like.
The referees didn't drop three passes. The referees didn't let a punt bounce for 65 yards. The referees didn't sail a snap over the punter's head. Finally, the refs weren't opening up cavernous holes in the middle of El Dorado's defense.
You're not going to get the benefit of the whistles every Friday night. El Dorado had to overcome the refs at times last year. The Wildcats will have to do it this year, too. That's just part of the game.
Thankfully, El Dorado's players and coaches know that. That's why they're studying the film and looking at their own mistakes and not the officials'.
Another thing Wildcat fans, learn when to make noise during a game. You don't start screaming, "Let's go, Cats!" when the offense is at the line of scrimmage. In case you didn't know, El Dorado uses a no-huddle offense. This means they call the plays at the line. This means when you make noise when they're at the line of scrimmage, it's hard for them to hear the play that's being called.
By the way, the Wildcats should get back on stride this week against Magnolia. El Dorado won't play a better team than Har-Ber the rest of the year. And, although you can't tell it by the final score, the Wildcats showed they do belong on the field with the 13th ranked team in USA Today.
But, El Dorado led 7-0 after one quarter and could've easily been up 14-0 or at least 10-0. The Wildcats dominated nationally ranked Springdale Har-Ber so much in the first quarter, the local media called into their office to keep them on alert for the upset.
But, the squandered opportunities came back to haunt the Wildcats after Har-Ber found a soft spot in the middle of the defense. Har-Ber began running power counters up the gut and El Dorado never found a way to stop it.
The final score is unfortunate because the game was much more competitive than that.
El Dorado fans who want to blame the officiating? Well, you can if you'd like. There were certainly a few calls for the home team from the Fort Smith officiating crew.
Then again, did you really expect to drive five hours and play the 7A state champion on its home field and get favorable calls, too. There's a reason it's called homefield advantage. Hopefully, El Dorado will enjoy that same advantage next season.
Yeah, I saw the obvious holding on Har-Ber's first touchdown. An El Dorado defender was held so clearly, his jersey was stretched like a beach blanket.
No, no flag was thrown. There was also no flag thrown on a late hit on the quarterback. No flag was thrown on an interception when the El Dorado receiver was being bumped. And, I swear, from my angle it looked like both El Dorado field goals were good, although the officials ruled otherwise.
Again, El Dorado fans can blame the officials if they'd like.
The referees didn't drop three passes. The referees didn't let a punt bounce for 65 yards. The referees didn't sail a snap over the punter's head. Finally, the refs weren't opening up cavernous holes in the middle of El Dorado's defense.
You're not going to get the benefit of the whistles every Friday night. El Dorado had to overcome the refs at times last year. The Wildcats will have to do it this year, too. That's just part of the game.
Thankfully, El Dorado's players and coaches know that. That's why they're studying the film and looking at their own mistakes and not the officials'.
Another thing Wildcat fans, learn when to make noise during a game. You don't start screaming, "Let's go, Cats!" when the offense is at the line of scrimmage. In case you didn't know, El Dorado uses a no-huddle offense. This means they call the plays at the line. This means when you make noise when they're at the line of scrimmage, it's hard for them to hear the play that's being called.
By the way, the Wildcats should get back on stride this week against Magnolia. El Dorado won't play a better team than Har-Ber the rest of the year. And, although you can't tell it by the final score, the Wildcats showed they do belong on the field with the 13th ranked team in USA Today.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Texas football 80, Arkansas football 26?
In its football history in Arkansas, Shiloh Christian has dished out more than its fair share of beatings. The Saints got to see what the other side of that woodshed looked like Monday when they ventured into Texas to take on the number one ranked team in the country, according to USAToday.
Euless Trinity (Texas) thumped Shiloh Christian 80-26 in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic. The Trojans, who are the defending Class 5A state champions in Texas, had 706 yards of total offense, including 565 yards rushing.
The game was televised on Fox SportsNet.
It wasn't a case of a team running up a score. Euless Trinity went deep, deep into its stable of running backs and they all broke off big runs.
So, if Shiloh Christian, ranked 23rd nationally by USAToday and regarded by most as one of the top football programs in Arkansas, goes to Texas and has a hard time keeping the opponent out of triple digits, what does that say about the high school football in the Natural State?
Springdale Har Ber is the top-ranked team in Arkansas. Har Ber coach Chris Wood admitted he was surprised at what happened to Shiloh Christian.
"It's all about matchups," he said Tuesday. "Whenever you play another school, it's about the matchup. I figured the matchup would be a tough matchup for Shiloh just from the standpoint of the style that Euless Trinity is. I mean, they're a power, physical, right-at-you, smash mouth team. I knew Shiloh was going to score points on them. I never imagined Shiloh was going to give up 80 points. I didn't see that happening. But, I did feel like Shiloh does a great job offensively and they were going to get some points and they did.
"It's just that ... man, I just didn't see them giving up 80 points."
It certainly doesn't look good to outsiders when an Arkansas power gets taken apart in Texas on national television. But, Wood said it was just one game.
"No, it doesn't make a statement," he said. "It was about the matchup. There are some programs in this state that can handle themselves in Texas."
El Dorado travels to Har Ber Friday. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Jarrell Williams Stadium.
Euless Trinity (Texas) thumped Shiloh Christian 80-26 in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic. The Trojans, who are the defending Class 5A state champions in Texas, had 706 yards of total offense, including 565 yards rushing.
The game was televised on Fox SportsNet.
It wasn't a case of a team running up a score. Euless Trinity went deep, deep into its stable of running backs and they all broke off big runs.
So, if Shiloh Christian, ranked 23rd nationally by USAToday and regarded by most as one of the top football programs in Arkansas, goes to Texas and has a hard time keeping the opponent out of triple digits, what does that say about the high school football in the Natural State?
Springdale Har Ber is the top-ranked team in Arkansas. Har Ber coach Chris Wood admitted he was surprised at what happened to Shiloh Christian.
"It's all about matchups," he said Tuesday. "Whenever you play another school, it's about the matchup. I figured the matchup would be a tough matchup for Shiloh just from the standpoint of the style that Euless Trinity is. I mean, they're a power, physical, right-at-you, smash mouth team. I knew Shiloh was going to score points on them. I never imagined Shiloh was going to give up 80 points. I didn't see that happening. But, I did feel like Shiloh does a great job offensively and they were going to get some points and they did.
"It's just that ... man, I just didn't see them giving up 80 points."
It certainly doesn't look good to outsiders when an Arkansas power gets taken apart in Texas on national television. But, Wood said it was just one game.
"No, it doesn't make a statement," he said. "It was about the matchup. There are some programs in this state that can handle themselves in Texas."
El Dorado travels to Har Ber Friday. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Jarrell Williams Stadium.
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