Ozark drops Heber Springs in 4A-4 match-up

Heber Springs’ Adam Martin defends against Ozark’s Wyatt Clauson in Friday night 4A-4 action at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

December 20, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Ozark’s depth proved too much for the Heber Springs Panthers to overcome in Friday’s 69-34 loss at the Panther Den in a 4-4A Conference basketball game.

The Panthers stayed close throughout the first half. Heber Springs trailed 17-14 after the first quarter and 32-24 at halftime.
Ozark blew the game open with a 20-4 scoring run and took a 52-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We played well during the first half,” Heber Springs assistant coach Dusty West said. “Our defensive effort was outstanding. Ozark pressed the entire game and played physical. It wore us down in the second half when we get a little winded and couldn’t make many shots.”

West stepped in for head coach Chad Johnson, who missed the game because of illness.

Adam Martin scored a game-high 19 points for Heber Springs. Garrett Schaffer led Ozark with 14 points, followed by Ethan Dorrough with 13 points. Corbin Pelts and Wyatt Clauson each scored 10 points.

Heber Springs (1-1 in conference, 1-8 overall) will seek to bounce back at the Steve Landers Chevrolet Heber Springs Holiday Tournament which begins Thursday. The Panthers will play Rose Bud at 7:45 p.m. in the opening round.

“We are excited about the tournament,” West said. “I believe if we play up to our capabilities, we can get to the championship game. The players have a good attitude and keep playing hard. We are looking forward to playing Rose Bud.”

On Dec. 16, Heber Springs traveled to White County Central and was handed a 65-43 setback. Martin led all scorers with 23 points for Heber Springs while Garrett Schaffer had 14 points for the Bears.

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS BOXSCORE
December 20 vs. Ozark
Ozark         17 15 20 17 - 69
Heber Springs 14 10  4  6 - 34
OZARK SCORERS (69): Garrett Schaffer 14, Ethan Dorrough 13, Corbin Pelts 10, Wyatt Clauson 10, Sebastian Ross 7, Javson Harris 5, Brock Burns 4, Kayden McAnally 2, Kirkland Quinton 2, Clayton Elmore 2.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (34): Adam Martin 19, Wyatt Sanders 7, Garrett Hudspeth 4, Dalton McCollum 2, Zach Thomas 2.

December 16 at White County Central
White County Central 18 18 22  7 - 65
Heber Springs         6 10 10 17 - 43
WHITE COUNTY CENTRAL SCORING (65): Dillon Hopkins 12, Ethan Jones 9, Weslee Whitaker 9, Carson Brown 8, Weston Sherwood 7, Blake Dickerson 6, Drew House 4, Landon Swindle 3, Deklan Stevens 3, Grant Walker 2, John Shivers 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (43): Adam Martin 23, Wyatt Sanders 9, Garrett Hudspeth 6, Zach Thomas 3, Dalton McCollum 2 
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE RESULTS
RECORD: 1-8
4A-4 RECORD: 1-1
November 21 - Riverview 68, Heber Springs 36
November 26 - Clinton 71, Heber Springs 35
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 44, Heber Springs 21 #
December 5 - South Side Bee Branch 50, Heber Springs 49 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 37, Dover 32 ^
December 12 - South Side Bee Branch 64, Heber Springs 53
December 13 - Marshall 69, Heber Springs 43
December 16 - White County Central 65, Heber Springs 43
December 20 - Ozark 69, Heber Springs 34 ^
December 26 - Heber Springs vs. Rose Bud *
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 10 - at Subiaco Academy ^
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 7 - Subiaco Academy ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest) 
(* - Steve Landers' Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic at Heber Springs)

Heber Springs’ girls claim key 4A-4 win over Ozark

Heber Springs’ Mary Shearer and Ozark’s Summer Joy fight for the basketball during 4A-4 action at the Panther Den on Friday. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

December 20, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Improved accuracy at the free-throw line paid dividends for the Heber Springs Lady Panthers at the Panther Den Friday.

The Lady Panthers made 14-of-18 free throws during the fourth quarter and defeated Ozark, 55-42, in a 4-4A Conference basketball game.

Libby Stutts hit 6-of-8 at the free-throw line during the fourth quarter. Ashley Spanel made 4-of-4 and Hailey Bresnahan converted 3-of-4 attempts. Ellie Riddle was 1-of-2 at the line.

The Lady Panthers made 25-of-33 free throws for the game.
Jillian Herring led Heber Springs with 16 points. Ellie Riddle added 11 points and Stutts had 10 points. Carter Crane scored 17 points for Ozark and Mary-Grace Ree had 10 points.

“Our free-throw shooting was very big in winning the game,” coach Jamey Riddle said. “We had not been shooting free throws well. We also did what was needed during the final three games to win. We outplayed them in the last three quarters.”

Heber Springs switched its full-court press at the start of the second quarter and it led to success.

The Panther trailed 13-8 after the first quarter and reduced it to 22-19 by halftime.

“The full-court press we started was not working and I decided to make a change,” Riddle said. “We contained them better and kept the ball from Ozark’s big girl. We wanted to speed up the game.”

Heber Springs tied the game at 24-24 two minutes into the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Herring.

The Lady Panthers, who outscored Ozark 20-7 during the third quarter, gained a double digit lead and took a 39-29 lead into the fourth quarter.

Ellie Riddle and Claudia Newberry committed their fourth personal fouls late in the third quarter, but strong play off the bench helped to increase the lead. Riddle and Newberry returned with two minutes to play in the game.

“Mary Shearer has a lot of playing time and a senior that you can count on playing well,” Jamey Riddle said. “She goes hard for rebounds and does what we need to help the team succeed. Hailey gave us good minutes, made free throws and got defensive rebounds.”

Riddle also credited Herring and Stutts, especially for their play during the fourth quarter.

“Libby and Jillian waited for their time and got good shots in the fourth quarter,” Riddle said. “We were able to create one-on-one opportunities for them to drive.”

Heber Springs (2-0 in conference, 9-2 overall) is one of three teams (Morrilton and Clarksville) undefeated in conference play.

“We had to win at home because it will be tough at Ozark,” Riddle said. “We must win the home games. We got a big road win at Dover.”

Heber Springs will return to action at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against DeWitt at the Steve Landers Chevorlet-Heber Springs Holiday Tournament.

“We didn’t play well at the St. Joseph Tournament and hope to play well at our tournament,” Riddle said. “We will take the approach of a end-of-the-season tournament. We would like to win the tournament.”

On Dec. 16, Heber Springs traveled to White County Central and came away with a 51-31 nonconference victory.

Heber Springs led 30-14 at the half and 41-23 at the end of three quarters.

Ellie Riddle (13) and Claudia Newberry (11) each finished double figures in scoring for the Panthers.

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS BOXSCORES
December 20 vs. Ozark
Ozark         13  9  7 13 - 42
Heber Springs  8 11 20 16 - 55
OZARK SCORING (42): Carter Crane 17, Mary-Grace Ree 10, Kelsee Barnett 5, Briley Burns 4, Summer Joy 3, Tanner Richard 3.  
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (55): Jillian Herring 16, Ellie Riddle 11, Libby Stutts 10, Ashley Spanel 5, Hailey Bresnahan 5, Claudia Newberry 4, Mary Shearer 4.  

December 16 at White County Central
White County Central  8 6  9  8 - 31
Heber Springs        21 9 11 10 - 51
WHITE COUNTY CENTRAL SCORING (31): Jaidyn Koerdt 6, Abigail Mullins 6, Makayla Baker 5, Hailey Jackson 4, Ashlyn Mullins 4, Destiny Clark 4, Kalista Altom 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (51): Ellie Riddle 13, Claudia Newberry 11, Jillian Herring 9, Ashley Spanel 7, Libby Stutts 6, Hailey Bresnahan 2, Kylie Carr 2, LiLi Chaney 1.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS 
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 9-2
4A-4 RECORD: 2-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - Marshall 70, Heber Springs 52
December 16 - Heber Springs 51, White County Central 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 55, Ozark 42 ^
December 26 - Heber Springs vs. DeWitt *
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
(* - Denotes Steve Landers' Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Tournament at Heber Springs) 

Junior Panthers fall to Ozark

Heber Springs’ Conner Riddle gets past Ozark’s Kyle Archer as Heber Springs coach Dusty West looks on during junior boys action Friday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

December 20, 2019

A sluggish start cost the Heber Springs junior boys basketball team Friday night at the Panther Den in a 4A-4 contest against Ozark in a 46-28 setback.

Ozark led 17-0 at end of the first quarter before a Xander Lindley free throw with 5:43 left in the second quarter put Heber Springs on the board.

Heber Springs would only manage Wyatt Winchester and Bauer Pruitt field goals in the first half as they trailed 29-9 at the break.

The Panthers would outscore the Hillbillies in the second half as Conner Riddle scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the half

Cooper Watson paced Ozark with 18 points while Eli Masingale added 12.

Heber Springs (4-9 and 1-1 in the conference) will return to action on Jan. 7 when they host Pottsville in a 4A-4 contest at the Panther Den.

HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR BOYS BOXSCORE
December 20 vs. Ozark
Ozark         17  12  13   4 - 46
Heber Springs  0   9   9  10 - 28
OZARK SCORING (46): Cooper Watson 18, Eli Masingale 12, Landon Wright 4, Kyle Archer 3, Parker Stane 3, Gavin Gilbreth 2, Caleb Cowell 2, M.J. Parker 1, Daxton Schaffer 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (28): Conner Riddle 19, Bauer Pruitt 4, Wyatt Winchester 2, Xander Lindley 2, Eli Riggs 1 
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Chad Johnson
OVERALL RECORD: 4-9
4A-4 RECORD: 1-1
November 9 - Greenbrier 37, Heber Springs 17 ^
November 12 - Nemo Vista 45, Heber Springs 37
November 13 - Heber Springs 54, Yellville-Summit 50 ^
November 14 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 36 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 38
November 21 - Riverview 51, Heber Springs 21
November 23 - Cabot South 8th 37, Heber Springs 33 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 71, Heber Springs 39 *
November 26 - Clinton 44, Heber Springs 27
December 10 - Heber Springs 45, Dover 33 #
December 13 - Marshall 46, Heber Springs 38
December 16 - Heber Springs 36, White County Central 35
December 20 - Ozark 46, Heber Springs 28 #
January 7 - Pottsville #
January 10 - at Subiaco Academy #
January 14 - Dardanelle #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola
January 23 - Marshall
January 24 - Dover #
January 27 - at Mayflower
January 28 - at Pottsville #
January 31 - at Ozark #
February 3 - Quitman
February 4 - at Dardanelle #
Februaryr 7 - Subiaco Academy #
February 10 - District Tournament at Ozark

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game) 

Heber Springs junior girls even conference mark

December 20, 2019

The Heber Springs junior girls improved to 8-4 overall, but more importantly 1-1 in 4A-4 play, with a 21-7 victory over Ozark Friday night at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, but outscored the Hillbillies, 9-0, in the second quarter to take a 13-3 lead in the half.

The Panthers led by eight after the third quarter before shutting out Ozark in the final quarter to claim the win.

Heber Springs was playing without one of its top scorers, Sophia Stone, but Jaylea Hooten picked up in her place scoring 12 points while Addison Hudspeth added four.

The Panthers are off until January when they will host Pottsville on Jan. 7 in a 4A-4 contest at the Panther Den.

JUNIOR GIRLS BOXSCORE
DECEMBER 20 at HEBER SPRINGS
Ozark           3  0  4  0 -  7
Heber Springs   4  9  2  6 - 21
OZARK SCORING (7): Sisk 4, B. Burns 3
HEBER SPRIGNS SCORING (21): Jaylea Hooten 12, Addison Hudspeth 4, Madison Clemons 2, Rylee Harrod 2, Riley Bailey 1 
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Jamey Riddle
OVERALL RECORD: 8-4
4A-4 RECORD: 1-1
November 9 - Heber Springs 27, Greenbrier 16 ^
November 12 - Heber Springs 33, Nemo Vista 27
November 14 - Dover 60, Heber Springs 49 ^
November 16 - Heber Springs 40, Marshall 25 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 22
November 21 - Heber Springs 46, Riverview 13
November 23 - Heber Springs 62, Cabot South 8th 10 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 35, Heber Springs 29 *
November 26 - Clinton 48, Heber Springs 40
December 10 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 33 #
December 12 - Heber Springs 52, South Side Bee Branch 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 21, Ozark 7 #
January 7 - Pottsville #
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola
January 23 - Marshall
January 24 - Dover #
January 27 - at Mayflower
January 28 - at Pottsville #
January 31 - at Ozark #
February 3 - Quitman
February 4 - at Dardanelle #
February 10 - District Tournament at Ozark

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game)