Eagles soar into 1A semifinals

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

GREERS FERRY – The West Side Eagles depended on their defense and opened the door to the Class 1A semifinals and an opportunity of earning a trip to the state championship game.

West Side (27-6) led from start to finish and defeated The New School (Fayetteville) 51-34 in Friday’s quarterfinals at Brady-Hipp Arena. The Eagles will meet Izard County at 1 p.m. Monday in the state semifinals.

“Congratulations for getting to the state semifinals,” West Side coach Keith Brown told his players after the game. “This is a good accomplishment. I’m very proud of them. The game turned into a defensive battle. I was pleased with our halfcourt defense. They (The New School) were averaging around 70 points a game, and we held them to 34 points.”

Travis Gentry led West Side with 16 points. Malachi Miller scored 14 points, and Nate Bittle came off the bench and contributed eight points. Michael Hardiman scored seven points for The New School.

The Eagles broke an early 2-2 tie by scoring nine unanswered points and never trailed. West Side led by as much as 14 points during the first quarter. The Eagles started the second quarter with a 20-7 lead.

Defense dominated on both sides as West Side scored seven points and held The New School to six points on the way to a 27-13 halftime lead.

“We got off to a quick start and would have liked if we had extended it,” Brown said. “The New School is a good team or it would not have advanced to the quarterfinals. They were 37-4 on the season.”

West Side increased its advantage during the third quarter, but it never could pull away. The Eagles took a 39-21 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We controlled the game and made shots when needed,” Brown said. “We did play with a lot of patience and tried to take what they were giving us. Defense was the difference. We played good man defense and did a good job of helping each other.”

Brown said another key to the win was the Eagles were able to control the inside.

“We also rebounded well,” he said. “When we rebound well, I knew everything would be fine for us. We were able to get the ball inside and got them into early foul trouble. We wanted to pound it inside.”

The New School 7 6 8 13–34
West Side 20 7 12 12–51
The New School scorers — Michael Hardiman 7, William Sturner 6, Holden Blankenship 6, Evan Goodman 5, Gunner Husnian 3, Max Warford 3, Quintus McNeal 3, Vontae Rimsey 1.
West Side scorers — Travis Gentry 16, Malachi Miller 14, Nate Bittle 8, Brenton Knapp 6, Jake Ballard 5, Zach Birmingham 2. 

Eagles advance to quarterfinals of 1A state tourney

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

GREERS FERRY – The West Side Eagles didn’t play one of their best games, but finished with a strong push and defeated the Bradley Bears 78-68 in the first round of the Class 1A state basketball tournament at Brady-Hipp Arena.

Bradley trailed after the first quarter before it rallied for a halftime lead before West Side pulled ahead by two points going into the fourth quarter.

“When you get to the state tournament, a team usually will have that one game when you didn’t play your best,” West Side coach Keith Brown said. “A team just has to find a way to win. We didn’t play our best game, but we won the game. We have a veteran team and showed maturity during the fourth quarter.”

Jonathan Easter led Bradley with 20 points. Jacardo Cornell had 17 points, while Jaylan Hardamon added 12 points. Colbie west scored 10 points.

Brown said a defensive adjustment during the halftime break led to a successful second half.

“We played excellent defense, especially during the fourth quarter,” he said. “We gave up 44 points during the first half. We made the adjustments and held them to 24 points during the second half. That gave us a spark. No. 2 (Easter) is a great player, and we had to put two guys on him.”

Travis Gentry, who made four 3-pointers, paced the Eagles with a game-high 32 points. Malachi Miller scored 23 points and Ashton Klepko had 12 points.

“It was not just one player, but a team effort,” Brown said. “Klepko made a big three during the first quarter and, Travis hit big shots throughout the game. The team showed its maturity. Our experience was the key to the comeback. We have five players who are starting for the third year.”

Cornell led the charge for Bradley during the first quarter. West Side countered with Gentry, who made three 3-pointers during the quarter, and Klepko connected from behind the circle.

The Eagles scored the final six points of the quarter as Klepko, Miller and Bittle scored field goals. West Side led 24-18 going into the second quarter.

Easter carried the hot hand by scoring 10 points as Bradley rallied for a three-point lead during the second quarter. Cornell hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds, giving Bradley a 44-38 halftime lead.

Bradley maintained an eight-point lead during most of the third quarter. West Side fell behind by nine points before the Eagles claimed the lead on a 10-0 scoring run.

Easter made 1-of-2 free throws and tied the game at 54-54. Miller scored on an offensive rebound right before the buzzer as West Side led 56-54 going into the fourth quarter.

West Side put the game away with a 13-2 scoring run and increased the lead to 69-56 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Eagles (26-6) will play The New School (Fayetteville) at 7 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals.

“New School is a good team,” Brown said. “We must come out and play better than against Bradley.”

Bradley 18 26 10 14–68
West Side 24 14 18 22–78
Bradley scorers — Jonathan Easter 20, Jacardo Cornell 17, Jaylan Hardamon 12, Colbie West 10, De’ontae Woods 9.
West Side scorers — Travis Gentry 32, Malachi Miller 23, Ashton Klepko 12, Nate Bittle 4, Zack Birmingham 4, Jake Ballard 3.

West Side girls advance at 1A state tournament

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

GREERS FERRY -Dermott briefly led Tuesday’s Class 1A state tournament first round game, but it didn’t take long for the West Side Lady Eagles to get rolling.

The Lady Eagles trailed 1-0 before scoring 14 unanswered points and advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinals with a 60-31 win at Brady-Hipp Arena.

Kamryn Sutterfield scored eight of her game-high 17 points during the first quarter. Sarah Carlton made two 3-pointers, while Kortner Finch and Haley Gentry also made a 3-pointer.

The Lady Eagles built a 23-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and increased it to 36-14 by halftime. West Side led 55-23 going into the fourth quarter.

Gentry finished with 13 points and Shawna Carlton came off the bench and scored 11 points for the Lady Eagles. Elizabeth Rowe led Dermott with 10 points.

“We started the game by playing with a lot of energy,” West Side coach Megan Berry said. “Dermott kept changing defenses, but we did a good job of adjusting, moving the ball and finding the open man. We made the shots and got off to a good start. We got the momentum and never let up.”

Berry complemented her team for preparing well for the game.

“We watched game film on Dermott and talked with other coaches,” she said. “Dermott played exactly how we thought it would. Our posts came off the bench and had good games. Sutterfield, Gentry and Ashtyn Knapp did good jobs of getting the ball inside.”

Despite being the first state tournament game, Berry said the players seemed ready to go.

“We played relaxed, but not sure if it was because we were playing at home,” she said. “It seems lately we have been playing well at the right time. I’m hoping that will continue.”

West Side (24-8) will play the Western Grove-Morrilton Sacred Heart, which are scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, at 4 p.m. Saturday in the quarterfinals.

Dermott 9 5 9 8–31
West Side 23 13 19 5–60
Dermott scorers — Elizabeth Rowe 10, E. Mari Wade 8, Kaliyah Griffen 6, Rochelle Piliota 3, Za’Kak Tyler 2, Radeja Ford 2.
West Side scorers — Kamryn Sutterfield 17, Haley Gentry 13, Shawna Carlton 11, Sarah Carlton 6, Kortner Finch 6, Alyssa Smith 5, Ashtyn Knapp 2. 


Panthers, May claim first win

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Monteri0 May will never forget his first win as head baseball coach at Heber Springs High School.

Garrett Hudspeth pitched the final two innings and hit a bloop single to drive home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the Panthers defeated Pottsville 8-7 in a 4-4A Conference game at the Heber Springs Sports Complex.

Hudspeth struck out five batters with one walk in relief of starter J.T. Spears.

Heber Springs picked up its first win in three games. The Panthers lost to conference foe Morrilton in the season opener and to Clinton in non-conference play.

Heber Springs loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Kenan Sneed hit a groundball against a drawn-in infield and Matthew Cook, who started the inning with a single, was thrown out at the plate for the second out.

Hudspeth hit a blooper behind second base that Pottsville shortstop Matthew Moore failed to catch as Xander Lindley scored from third base.

“We will take it anyway we can,” May said. “I told the players before the game we were going to fight every pitch, win every inning and let the outcome play out. I’m proud of how these guys completed with dedication every day. It paid off in this game.”

Heber Springs struggled at the plate during Thursday’s game at Clinton, and May challenged his team to reverse that trend.

“We want to swing through every pitch and try and stay away from check swings,” May said. “We wanted to put the ball in play. We struck out too much against Clinton and wanted to reduce that.”

Spears allowed seven hits and seven runs (one earned run) and struck out six batters in six innings.

“J.T. first met me in January and told said he had been working on pitching for the last year,” May said. “He said that he was going to be one of our best pitchers. He showed that in this game. I told him if he could throw strikes, he could become a good pitcher. We didn’t play great defense behind him, but he kept battling.”

May hoped to get five or six innings from Spears and then give the ball to Hudspeth.

“I told Garrett earlier in the day he will close out the game and be the leader that his teammates think he is,” May said.

Pottsville built a 4-1 lead by scoring one run in the top of the first inning and three runs in the second.

Heber Springs responded with three runs in its half of the second inning. The Panthers loaded the bases with one out as Cook scored from third base on an error. Spears then came home on an infield out. Lindley scored on Sneed’s RBI single to left field.

Pottsville increased its lead to 5-3 in the third inning.

Heber Springs led for the first time by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Conner Riddle scored on a bases-loaded walk to Cole Payton. Cook hit a 2-run single, scoring Sneed and Hudspeth, as the Panthers led, 6-5. Payton later came home on an error.

Pottsville tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth.

“This was a good win,” May said. “The field was wet and more rain was starting to come down. We hope to build on this and keep rolling along.”

Heber Springs (1-1 conference, 1-2 overall) is scheduled to play at Clarksville on Tuesday and return home to host Dardanelle on Friday in conference games.    

Pottsville 131 020 00–7 7 5
Heber Springs 030 400 01–8 9 4
Pottsville hitters — Aiden Owens single, double 1 RBI; Zach Gray single, double; Cade Linker double, 2 RBIs; Easton Stevens single 1 stolen base.
Pottsville pitchers — Matthew Moore 5 hits, 7 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 5 walks in 4.2 innings; Jacob McCurry 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk in 1 inning; Caden Caruthers 2 hits, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk in 1.2 inning.
Heber Springs hitters — Matthew Cook 2 singles, 2 RBIs, 1 stolen base; Garrett Hudspeth single, 1 RBI; Kenan Sneed single, 1 RBI; Conner Riddle single, 1 RBI; John McBroome single; Gage Buford single; J.T. Spears single; Xander Lindley single; Cole Payton 1 RBI.
Heber Springs pitchers — J.T. Spears 7 hits, 7 runs, 1 earned run, 6 strikeouts in 6 innings; Garrett Hudspeth (W, 1-0) 0 hits, 0 runs, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk in 2 innings.

Panthers fall in baseball opener

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Heber Springs breezed into the fifth inning with a 6-1 lead and apparently on the way to give first year head coach Monterio May a win in his debut, but Morrilton rallied to tie the game at 6-6 by scoring five unearned runs in the fifth inning and took the lead in the sixth and defeated the Panthers 8-6 in the 4-4A Conference baseball opener at home.

Despite the loss, May said he was proud of his team’s effort.

“We committed two mental errors (in the fifth inning), but we will work on correcting those mistakes,” May said. “We kept competing until the end of the game. We talked in practice about not worrying when we make one mistake. We don’t want it to become two mistakes, but it turned into five. When we face adversity, we need to keep competing and finish the rest of the game strong. We had too many things happen at one time and couldn’t slow the game down. We need to learn to step back and take a deep breath.”

Heber Springs scored runs in the second and third innings. Cole Payton, who walked earlier in the second, scored on Conner Riddle’s infield grounder. The Panthers added one run in the bottom of the third on a bases-loaded walk for a 2-0 lead.

Morrilton scored one run in the top of the fourth, but Heber Springs answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Riddle led off with a single, stole second base and scored on Matthew Cook’s single. The Panthers loaded the bases as John McBroome was safe on a throwing error that got past the first baseman and rolled into right field for three runs and increased the lead to 6-1.

Morrilton took advantage of two Heber Springs errors for three runs in the top of the fifth. Cade Halbrook hit an RBI single and the Devil Dogs tied the game at 6-6 on Maddox Hogan’s base hit.

May said Garrett Hudspeth had a good performance in his first pitching start. Hudspeth allowed six runs (five unearned) on seven hits, struck out four and walked two. Cook relieved Hudspeth in the fifth. Gage Buford relieved Cook in the sixth.

“Garrett pitched well and into the fifth inning and showed he will be one of our team leaders,” May said. “Morrilton players showed relief in their faces when he came out of the game.”

Morrilton took the lead on an infield out in the sixth, followed by Drew Tiner’s RBI single.

Riddle and Kenan Sneed each had two singles for the Panthers.

“Conner was one of our bright spots,” May said. “This was the first time we hit against live pitching. We had a good collective team effort. Garrett made a great defensive play in the sixth when he caught a line drive at shortstop and stepped on second.”

Heber Springs was scheduled to play at Clinton in a nonconference game Thursday. The Panthers will host conference foe Pottsville at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Morrilton 000 152 0–8 13 2
Heber Springs 011 400 0–6 7  5
Morrilton hitters — Cade Halbrook 2 singles, double, 1 RBI, 2 stolen bases; Maddox Hogan 2 singles, 1 RBI; Jackson Dixon 2 singles, 1 stolen base; Drew Tiner single, 1 RBI; Luke Carter single, 1 RBI; Casey Jones single, 1 RBI; Beau McElroy single; Braydan Garrett single; Hunter White single; Maddox Hogan 2 stolen bases; Phillip Drilling 1 stolen base.
Morrilton pitchers — Phillip Drilling 2 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, 5 walks in 3 innings; Braydan Garrett 4 hits, 4 runs, 1 earned run, 2 strikeouts in 1 inning; Casey Jons (W, 1-0), 1 hit, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk in 3 innings.
Heber Springs hitters — Connor Riddle 2 singles, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base; Kenan Sneed 2 singles; Matthew Cook single, 1 RBI; Gage Buford single; Garrett Hudspeth single.
Heber Springs pitchers — Garrett Hudspeth 7 hits, 6 runs, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks in 4.2 innings; Mathew Cook (L, 0-1) 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 strikeout in 2/3 of an inning; Gage Buford 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk in 1.2 inning.

Trojans keep Panthers winless in conference play

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The quest continues for the Heber Springs Panthers to win their first 4-4A Conference basketball game this season.

Heber Springs trailed by six points after the first quarter. But Subiaco Academy pulled away with a 20-9 second-quarter scoring run and defeated the Panthers 72-35 at the Panther Den on Friday.

Ivan Martijn, Matthew Kremers and Jonathan Mersara combined to score 58 of the 72 points for the Trojans. Martijn led the charge with 25 points. Matthew Kremers scored 17 points and Jonathan Mersara had 16 points.

Conner Riddle was the leading scorer for Heber Springs with 17 points.

Subiaco Academy started the game with 10 unanswered points. Logan Monahan’s jumper stopped the scoring run and put the Panthers on the scoreboard. Heber Springs finished the first quarter by outscoring the Trojans 9-5 and trailed 15-9 going into the second quarter.

An 8-0 scoring run by Subiaco Academy during the second quarter helped the Trojans recapture the momentum. Subiaco Academy maintained the advantage, outscoring the Panthers 12-10 for a 35-19 halftime lead.

The Trojans dominated and outscored Heber Springs 37-16 during the second half.

The Panthers (0-9 in conference, 1-19 overall) will play at Dardanelle on Tuesday.

Subiaco Academy 15 20 29 8–72
Heber Springs 9 10 16 0–35
Subiaco Academy scorers — Ivan Martijn 25, Matthew Kremers 17, Jonathan Mersara 16, Emre Gurel 5, Jeadan Nieveld 3, Jackson Fredrick 4, Conner King 2.
Heber Springs scorers — Conner Riddle 17, Ryan Crocker 7, J.T. Spears 6, Logan Monahan 5.

Morrilton slams Heber Springs

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Conference 4-4A basketball leader Morrilton scored early and often during the first half and defeated the Heber Springs Panthers 70-44 at the Panther Den on Tuesday.

Joseph Pinion led the Devil Dogs with 17 points. Devin Foster scored 14 points and Nate Zachary had 12 points.

Heber Springs sophomore Conner Riddle fired in a game-high 24 points. Riddle scored 11 of the Panthers’ 14 points during the first half. He made two 3-pointers, seven 2-point field goals and 2-of-2 free throws.

Morrilton took a 4-0 lead early during the first quarter. Heber Springs junior Gus Hannah hit a 3-pointer to the Devil Dogs’ lead to one point. Morrilton responded with a 15-2 scoring run and led 19-5 going into the second quarter.

The Devil Dogs returned to the court and went on a 9-0 scoring run and increased their lead to 28-5 lead by the midway point of the second quarter.

Riddle hit an outside jumper, but Morrilton maintained control. The Devil Dogs finished on a 14-7 scoring run for a 38-14 halftime lead.

Riddle continued his offensive assault by scoring 10 of Heber Springs’ 16 points during the third quarter. But Morrilton increased its lead to 61-30 going into the fourth quarter.

The Panthers showed more fight during the final quarter, outscoring Morrilton, 14-9

Wyatt Winchester came off the bench and made a 2-point field goal and a 3-pointer. Ryan Crocker had a field goal and two free throws. Riddle hit a 3-pointer and Bent McClain scored.

Heber Springs (0-8 in conference, 1-18 overall) will host Subiaco Academy at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The junior boys game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Morrilton 19 19 23 9–70
Heber Springs 5 9 16 14–44
Morrilton scorers — Joseph Pinion 17, Devin Foster 14, Nate Zachary 12, Brock Hendrix 8, Henry Cowles 6, Nevin Williams 5, Byron Hardiman 4, Keevon Moore 4.
Heber Springs scorers — Conner Riddle 24, Ryan Crocker 7, Wyatt Winchester 5, Gus Hannah 3, Logan Monahan 3, Bent McClain 2. 

Panthers battle Clarksville late

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers trailed by 16 points early in the third quarter, but didn’t go away with a battle late in the fourth quarter against Clarksville.

Heber Springs rallied within five points, but the Panthers’ comeback bid came up short in the 68-51 loss to Clarksville in a 4-4A Conference basketball game at the Panther Den Tuesday.

“The players played well during the fourth quarter,” Heber Springs coach Dusty West said. “We made shots, played with more intensity and made it a two-possession game. We couldn’t get the defensive stop.”

Clarksville led by 16 points with five minutes left in the third quarter. Heber Springs stayed close and pulled to within 46-34 going into the fourth quarter.
The Panthers reduced Clarksville’s lead to single digits on Ryan Crocker’s 3-pointer 53-45 with six minutes left in the game. Two minutes later, Conner Riddle drove and scored as Heber Springs trailed 55-50 with 3:53 to go. Clarksville finished the game on a 13-1 scoring run.

Riddle led the Panthers with 22 points, followed by Crocker’s 16 points. Owen Ashlock scored a game-high 27 points for Clarksville. John Case, who hit three 3-pointers, had 16 points. Hunter Buss, who made four 3-pointers, added 12 points.

“The players still are giving great effort and doing good things,” West said. “We’re trying to get over that hump during the fourth quarter. Conner played well, along with Ryan during the fourth quarter. The team tends to play better when Ryan plays well. We need him to play with more confidence and get going for the entire game.”

Clarksville emerged from a low-scoring first quarter with an 11-5 lead. The Panthers fell behind by double digits during the second quarter, but they remain within range and trailed 26-14 at halftime.

Heber Springs played even during the third quarter and trailed 46-34 going into the fourth quarter.

Clarksville’s 3-point shooting proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome.

“We knew they could shoot the threes,” West said. “No. 33 (Ashlock) worried us and we focused on containing him. Clarksville deserves credit for making the 3-point shots.”

Heber Springs (0-5 in conference, 1-15 overall) will play at Pottsville on Friday.

“We will be playing another good team,” West said. “The players still have a lot of fight left.”

Clarksville 11 15 20 22–68
Heber Springs 5   9 20 17–51
Clarksville scorers —  Owen Ashlock 27, John Case 16, Hunter Buss 12, Ryan Clark 6, Cody Qualls 4, Abel Dean 3.
Heber Springs scorers — Conner Riddle 22, Ryan Crocker 16, Logan Monahan 8, J.T. Spears 3, Bauer Pruitt 2.

Lady Panthers close out Clarksville on Senior Night

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Heber Springs provided the right responses against Clarksville during the final minute of Tuesday’s 4-4A Conference basketball game at the Panther Den.

Senior Ellie Riddle scored on a length of the court drive to regain the lead and Jaylea Hooten blocked an attempted 3-pointer by Clarksville’s Shelby Ross as the Lady Panthers celebrated senior night with a 59-55 win.

Ross, who made four 3-pointers during the fourth quarter, connected from behind the circle left wing and gave Clarksville a 55-54 lead with 1:45 left in the game.

Riddle intercepted a pass at the top of the free-throw line, dribbled the length of the court and made a lay-up with 1:05 to play.

Sophie Stone retrieved Hooten’s blocked shot, drew a foul and made two free throws for a 58-55 lead with 39 seconds remaining.

Clarksville called timeout with 13.9 seconds. Ross attempted a 3-pointer, but Hooten jumped and blocked the shot. Kylie Carr retrieved the ball and drew a foul. Carr hit 1-of-2 free throws with nine seconds to go.

“Clarksville got hot at the end of the game and made shots,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We responded every time. We would not have did that two weeks ago. This team is continuing to grow and improve.”

Ellie Riddle led all scorers by scoring 18 points for the Lady Panthers. Sophie Stone, who made two 3-pointers, contributed 16 points. Hailey Bresnahan had 11 points, and Hooten contributed 10 points.

“We fell behind by one point late in the game, but Ellie was able to score quickly to get it back,” Jamey Riddle said. “Sophie made big free throws down the stretch. Our defensive intensity was good. We have been waiting on Hailey to get going, and she did in the second half. It was good to see her play well. Sophie, Ellie and Jaylea also played well.”

Autumn Miller scored 15 points for Clarksville. Ross finished with 14 points, while Marcy Domerese, who made four 3-pointers, had 12 points. Abby Domerese added 11 points.

Heber Springs held the lead early during the first quarter. Clarksville gained the advantage by the midway point of the quarter, but it could never pull away. The Lady Panthers trailed 17-13 going into the second quarter.

A 10-0 scoring run ignited Heber Springs to a 23-17 lead. Clarksville controlled the next few minutes and tied the game twice at 25-25 and 27-27.

Riddle scored on a short jumper and Stone’s two free throws gave the Lady Panthers a 31-27 lead at halftime.

Heber Springs maintained control throughout the third quarter by outscoring Clarksville 14-7. The Lady Panthers built the lead to 45-34 going into the fourth quarter.

Riddle said the win came at the right time. Heber Springs moved into position to challenge for a spot among the conference leaders. The Lady Panthers (2-2 in conference, 8-8 overall) will finish the first half of the conference schedule at Pottsville on Friday.

“We hope this win helps us to build momentum for the Pottsville game,” he said. “That is the next step to climb in the standings. We are looking for continued improvement. It will be a big game, and we hope to play well again. Friday’s game will be just as important as this game.”

Clarksville 17 10 7 21–55
Heber Springs 13 18 14 14–59
Clarksville scorers — Autumn Miller 15, Shelby Ross 14, Marcy Domerese 12, Abby Domerese 11, Raquel Webb 2, Hannah Melton 1.
Heber Springs scorers — Ellie Riddle 18, Sophie Stone 16, Hailey Bresnahan 11, Jaylea Hooten 10, Hope Turney 3, Kylie Carr 1.

May tabbed to lead Heber Springs baseball

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Monterio May never envisioned becoming a head baseball coach this year and prepared for another season as director of player development at the University of Central Arkansas.

But that quickly changed with the resignation of Scott Bramlett as head baseball coach at Heber Springs High School in September.

May learned from a former teammate about the job opening at Heber Springs, submitted an application and the rest is now history. He took the reins of the Panther baseball program Monday and began preparation for the new season.

Monterio May

“I applied for the job and received an email within 24 hours asking me to come and interview,” May said. “I jumped out of my seat and was excited to get an interview. I met with the school administrators and school district staff, and they treated me like a member of the family. I’m grateful to the community, school district and (Superintendent) Dr. (Andy) Ashley for the opportunity.”

May began learning the game at an early age and took advantage of opportunities to play at different levels.

“I played baseball since the age of five,” he said. “I try to use the competitive edge to my advantage. One of my biggest accomplishments was being an alternate on the USA Baseball 16-and-under team.”

May started his collegiate baseball career at Shelton County Community College (Alabama). He transferred to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (Alabama) because of an injury and the school was closer to his home. May finished his playing career at Central Baptist College in Conway.

“After earning an associate’s degree, I made the best decision in my life in coming to Arkansas,” May said. “I played two years (at CBC) for coach Aaron Brister and was part of the team when it won a conference championship.”

After playing one year in an independent league, May accepted an opportunity to work for UCA and head coach Allen Gum.

“I worked at UCA for the last three years,” May said. “I was prepared to stay at UCA and wait to see what might open in a year. This job turned into the right fit for me.”

May is completing the final requirements for a master’s degree in educational and athletic administration. He then plans to start work on a doctorate’s degree.

May comes from a family of educators. A sister is a teacher and a brother-in-law is a strength and conditioning coach. May said that taught him the importance of education.

“Education can never be taken away from you,” May said. “My ultimate goal is to make an impact on people around me. Coaching and teaching allow me to do that. I want to make a positive impact.”

May met with players last week and held a parents’ meeting Thursday night at the Panther Den. He said everything has been positive and ready to start preseason workouts.

“I noticed that we have players with a lot of athleticism,” he said. “We had around 27 players at the first meeting, and I know of four basketball players who will join us when that season is completed.”

May said everything is in place for success.

“My philosophy is to finish strong,” he said. “We will learn how to compete at a high level. We have amazing facilities and a community that supports the program 100 percent. We will find ways to get the job done and build a foundation for the future of the program.”