.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Brought to you by Business Booster Ellen Hobgood Gallery
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Parade
Tag: Bauer Pruitt
Panthers host former conference foe for nonconference tilt
.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Changes from the original schedule will give the Heber Springs Panthers a rare opportunity beginning Friday night — three consecutive home football games.
The Panthers, who will play only nine games this season after Mountain View declared for 8-Man, look for that extra boost from playing at home and rebound from the season-opening loss at Clinton by hosting Southside Batesville in a nonconference game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Heber Springs will finish its nonconference schedule against Jonesboro Westside on Sept. 16. The 2-4A Conference opener and homecoming game against Cave City will be played on Sept. 23.
“The schedule worked out that way when Mountain View dropped out,” Panther coach Todd Wood said. “The players like playing at home. We had a fantastic crowd at Clinton, but playing at home will give them a boost to play at a higher level.”
Southside, which moved to Class 5A at alignment, is a former long-time conference opponent.
Kenny Simpson, who was the program’s first coach before leaving for Searcy High School two years, has returned to take the reigns of the program. The running game remains the main focus, but the Southerners will utilize the pass.
“Southside added a few wrinkles with RPOs (Run or Pass Options) and play-action passes,” Wood said. “The running game still is the staple. We must stop the run and forced them into doing things that they don’t want to do.”
Isaac Gregory of the Southerners had a breakout game in last week’s 28-0 win at Bald Knob by catching 18 passes for 202 yards and scoring three touchdowns.
“When a defense gears up to stop the run, it can open up the pass,” Wood said. “That always benefits a receiver. It will give us another phase of the game to work on. We have to stop the run, but we must be ready to stop the pass, too.”
Southside’s defense will play a similar scheme, as Bald Knob operates out of a spread offense like the Panthers.
“We expect a 3-man front with two linebackers walking up occasionally to a five-man front,” Wood said. “The safeties will play up close. It’s a defense that is aggressive against the run. Southside executes at a high level and plays with discipline.”
Heber Springs relied on its defense to stay close against Clinton in the 30-14 loss. Linebackers Kenan Sneed had 10 tackles, but he received support from Chris Edwards, who also had 10 tackles. Edwards was a starting cornerback last season.
“We had multiple players who played well on defense,” Wood said. “Two other guys that pleased me with their play were safety Chris Roberts and Zachary Parker at cornerback. Clinton passed to its big receivers multiple times, and he (Parker) made the plays. (Linebacker) Weston Warden also had a fantastic game.”
Four other defensive players also caught the coach’s attention with their performances.
“Jacob McMullin played well at inside linebacker,” Wood said. “Corbin Jones played both ways (offensive and defensive lines) and made a big difference. Luke Elliott came through, and Jordan Tidwell made an impact. I liked see that many players involved with the defense.”
Work on the offense became one of the dominant areas at practice throughout the week. Heber Springs had 225 yards of total offense (121 rushing yards, 104 passing yards).
Wood said few personnel changes are planned, but more emphasis will be on the running game.
“We need more guys to get active with the offense,” Wood said. “We need to put in a receiver like Bauer Pruitt more, who can catch the ball and also is a good blocker. We need Chris Edwards more involved, along with Chandler Webber.”
One of the concerns in the passing game was dropped balls, but Wood expects that will be an improvement against the Southerners.
“We had around nine drops in the Clinton game,” Wood said. “Other passes were not thrown well. We are working to correct that. We need to stop the turnovers and have longer drives than three downs and a punt.”
Wood said the offensive line, which has one returning starter, played admirely, and he expects steady improvement.
“After talking with (offensive line) coach Richard Clevenger, freshman Cade James had the highest grade among the linemen,” Wood said. “We had some breakdowns, but I was pleased with our pass blocking. Our run blocking did well most of the time, except for not sustaining our blocks long enough.”
Brought to you by Business Booster Tate Family Chiropractic
Heber Springs heads to Clinton to open ’22 season
.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
While most eyes may be on the top running back for each offense, the winner of the battle on the line of scrimmage may determine the winner of Friday’s football game at Jim Tumlinson Field in Clinton.
Heber Springs will open its season against the Yellowjackets at 7 p.m. tonight.
“The players are at the point of being tired of hitting each other in practice and want to play a game,” Panther coach Todd Wood said. “We had two weeks to prepare for Clinton, correct our mistakes from the Beebe scrimmage and put in new plays for this game. We feel comfortable going into the game.
Yellowjacket junior running back Zane Widner and his counterpart from Heber Springs, will receive plenty of attention. Widner highlighted Clinton’s 35-20 win at Cave City last Friday by rushing for 168 yards and scored one touchdown. Widner also caught one pass for 22 yards.
Brown, who rushed for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, will attract plenty of attention from the Clinton defense. Brown also caught 17 passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns.
But the battle on the line of scrimmage will influence the outcome more.
The Panthers have only one returning offensive starting lineman — junior Corbin Jones at left tackle. The other four starters will be limited or no high school game playing experience.
Junior Eli Presnull (5-11, 270), a transfer from Vilonia, will start at center. Sophomore Axley Davis (6-2, 270) and Junior Dustin Stone (6-0, 256) are the expected starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively. Freshman Cade James (6-0, 200) and sophomore Gauge Owens (5-9, 200) will split time at left guard.
“We made adjustments on the offensive line after the scrimmage at Beebe,” Wood said. “We need the offensive line to play well, secure their lanes and have a tight circle around our quarterback. We got to get our running game going, along with the passing game.”
The Yellowjackets scored five touchdowns on its seven possessions against Cave City. The Yellowjackets, who remain in the Wing-T, rushed for 334 yards and passed for 89 yards and one touchdown.
“Clinton is discipline at every position and knows how to play,” Wood said. “I was impressed with their offense that took advantage of what Cave City gave them. Clinton moved the ball when it mattered. I thought they made great adjustments at halftime for the second half.”
While Widner had the big stats, Wood said he was impressed with quarterback Jobe Chalk (4-of-6 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown), running back Spencer Bannister (7-46 rushing for one touchdown) and receiver Brody Emberton caught three passes for 67 yards and scored one touchdown.
“They are very good players,” Wood said. “I was impressed with their quarterback. He has a good arm and plays behind a very good offensive line. No. 7 (Bannister) impressed me. He ran hard in the open field and has good speed.”
Wood believes the Panthers can match Clinton’s firepower. Junior Xander Lindley returns at quarterback with three-year starter Easton Cusick leading the receivers. Junior Dalton Yancey started last season. Sophomore Logan Rutledge, and seniors Chris Edwards, Bauer Pruitt and Chandler Webber will provide options.
“Easton knows the ins and outs at receiver,” Wood said. “(Sophomore) Weston Warden will be a threat with (junior) Gideon Tate and (senior) Kenan Sneed.”
Wood liked the play by his defense at the scrimmage and expects steady improvement during the season.
“We had a lot of players getting to the ball carrier against Beebe and had few missed assignments,” he said. “Overall, we feel good about our starters and backups. We need to create turnovers, and the players went through drills during practices to do that better.”
Special-team play also count affect the outcome.
“I feel good about our kicking game,” Wood said. “Tate’s leg is getting stronger. We need more consistency kicking off into the end zone. But Clinton also has a good kicker.”
Finally, the Panthers have looked forward to this game since last year’s loss to the Yellowjackets at Panther Stadium. Wood challenged his team to stop the streak in the battle for the Battle of the Little Red Trophy.
Heber Springs has a long rivalry against Clinton through the years. The Yellowjackets have won their first six games for the trophy, as the Panthers seek to end that streak.
“I stressed the importance of the game and stopping the streak following the scrimmage,” he said. “We want to bring the trophy home. I know it has been in back of players’ minds. We want to be the team that stops the streak.”
Brought to you by Business Booster Tate Family Chiropractic
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Parade
.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
PHOTO IDS/TAGS: Each name in the photo is tagged (when known). Tags are used to help the user navigate the website. This can be done by clicking on the name and seeing all of the stories/photos for that particular individual. If a photo is not identified or a name misspelled, please leave ID and/or name correction in comments section (comments are not made public until approved). Also, photos needing identification include the tag, for example, “Heber Springs ID,” indicating the location and/or school in the photo.
Please consider helping support local and independent journalism by donating today.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED. The owner of the copyright does grant free personal and/or social media use for all photos as long as photo credit (when reasonably possible) is given to this website. Use for any other commercial purpose or other publication (such as other news or blog sites) without permission is prohibited. All photos are taken in a public setting where a reasonable right to privacy does not exist. They are taken for news gathering and informational purposes. If you wish to have photo removed, please get in touch with the publisher of the website through the comments section with the reason for removal request.
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Parade
.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
PHOTO IDS/TAGS: Each name in the photo is tagged (when known). Tags are used to help the user navigate the website. This can be done by clicking on the name and seeing all of the stories/photos for that particular individual. If a photo is not identified or a name misspelled, please leave ID and/or name correction in comments section (comments are not made public until approved). Also, photos needing identification include the tag, for example, “Heber Springs ID,” indicating the location and/or school in the photo.
Please consider helping support local and independent journalism by donating today.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED. The owner of the copyright does grant free personal and/or social media use for all photos as long as photo credit (when reasonably possible) is given to this website. Use for any other commercial purpose or other publication (such as other news or blog sites) without permission is prohibited. All photos are taken in a public setting where a reasonable right to privacy does not exist. They are taken for news gathering and informational purposes. If you wish to have photo removed, please get in touch with the publisher of the website through the comments section with the reason for removal request.
PHOTO: Heber Springs Homecoming Parade
.JPG?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
PHOTO IDS/TAGS: Each name in the photo is tagged (when known). Tags are used to help the user navigate the website. This can be done by clicking on the name and seeing all of the stories/photos for that particular individual. If a photo is not identified or a name misspelled, please leave ID and/or name correction in comments section (comments are not made public until approved). Also, photos needing identification include the tag, for example, “Heber Springs ID,” indicating the location and/or school in the photo.
Please consider helping support local and independent journalism by donating today.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED. The owner of the copyright does grant free personal and/or social media use for all photos as long as photo credit (when reasonably possible) is given to this website. Use for any other commercial purpose or other publication (such as other news or blog sites) without permission is prohibited. All photos are taken in a public setting where a reasonable right to privacy does not exist. They are taken for news gathering and informational purposes. If you wish to have photo removed, please get in touch with the publisher of the website through the comments section with the reason for removal request.
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.
Ozark takes care of Heber Springs senior boys
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Heber Springs Panthers couldn’t overcome a slow start and lost to Ozark 57-28 in a 4-4A Conference basketball game at the Panther Den Friday.
It was the conference opener for the Hillbillies. The Panthers lost their conference opener at Subiaco Academy last week.
Ozark (1-0 in conference, 9-1 overall) built a 16-3 first-quarter lead and never trailed. The Panthers (0-2 in conference, 1-10 overall) picked up the pace during the second quarter. Ozark outscored Heber Springs 14-11 and led 30-14 at halftime.
The Hillbillies didn’t slow down during the second half and increased their lead to 43-22 going into the fourth quarter.
Garrett Schaffer scored a game-high 30 points for Ozark. Jaxson Harris had 12 points. Conner Riddle led the Panthers with 11 points.
Heber Springs will not play again until at Sheridan on Dec. 30. Home games scheduled this week with Newport and Cedar Ridge were canceled.
The next scheduled home game will be against Rose Bud on Jan. 2.
Ozark 16 14 13 14–57
Heber Springs 3 11 8 7–29
Ozark scoring — Garrett Schaffer 30, Jaxson Harris 12, Cooper Watson 4, Vanden Bush 3, Sebastian Ross 3, Jace Richard 3, Kayden McAnally 2.
Heber Springs scoring — Conner Riddle 11, Ryan Crocker 5, Logan Monahan 3, Wyatt Winchester 3, Gus Hannah 2, Dakota Farmer 2, Dylan Screeton 2, Bauer Pruitt 1
Heber Springs claims first win of the season
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The season’s first win didn’t come easy for the Heber Springs Panthers.
Heber Springs went on a 19-4 third-quarter scoring run and pulled away with a 55-41 nonconference basketball win against the Shirley Blue Devils at the Panther Den Tuesday.
The Panthers trailed late in the second quarter, but Bauer Pruitt’s 3-pointer with seconds left sent the team into the dressing room with a 28-27 halftime lead. Heber Springs led 47-31 going into the fourth quarter.
Heber Springs ended a 24-game losing streak. The last win came at Dover (37-32) on Dec. 10, 2019.
“These guys have been through so much for the past two weeks,” coach Dusty West said. “The players kept fighting after they played three tough opponents (Batesville, Greenbrier and Guy-Perkins). We took our licks in those games. The players showed their maturity and composure.”
Ryan Crocker led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points for the Panthers. Conner Riddle and Gus Hannah each had eight points. Nash Little scored a game-high 17 points for Shirley. Arrick Nowell contributed nine points.
“It was a fun night, and they deserved this win,” West said. “The players refused to lose. Before the game, I drew a line on the board and told the players we will do what is needed to get across this line.”
Heber Springs held a four-point for most of the first quarter. Shirley tied the game at 7-7 midway through the quarter before back-to-back 3-pointers by Crocker and Zach Thomas broke the deadlock. Shirley pulled to within 13-12, but the Panthers answered and held an 18-13 lead going into the second quarter.
The Blue Devils remained close and took their first lead on Little’s 3-pointer, 26-25, with 1:30 left in the first half. Little made 1-of-2 free throws before Pruitt’s 3-pointer gave Heber Springs a 28-27 halftime lead.
“Our depth was a factor in the second half,” West said. “Shirley had two good shooters, and we did a good job defending them. This was a good way to go into Thanksgiving.”
Heber Springs (1-4) will return to action by hosting Conway St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“It will be a challenge and a tough matchup,” West said. “The players are hungry after getting that first win.”
Shirley 13 14 4 10–41
Heber Springs 18 10 19 8–55
Shirley scorers — Nash Little 17, Arrick Nowell 9, Hunter Bradford 8, Alex Eoff 5, Trey Mattison 2.
Heber Springs scorers — Ryan Crocker 11, Conner Riddle 8, Gus Hannah 8, Logan Monahan 6, J.T. Spears 5, Austin Winchester 5, Dakota Farmer 4, Zach Thomas 3, Bauer Pruitt 3, Harley Breshanan 2.
Greenbrier tops Heber Springs in senior boys play
.JPG)
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Heber Springs never got the offense rolling, scoring in single digits during each of the first three quarters, and lost to Greenbrier 65-28 in a nonconference boys’ high school basketball game at the Panther Den Thursday.
Greenbrier built a 13-2 first-quarter lead and went on a 25-7 scoring run during the second quarter and led 38-9 at halftime. Heber Springs trailed 52-16 going into the fourth quarter.
Wyatt Winchester scored six points for Heber Springs. Logan Monahan and Conner Riddle each had five points. Reece Jones led Greenbrier with 13 points and Marques Robinson contributed 10 points.
Heber Springs (0-3) is scheduled to play at Guy-Perkins on Monday and will host Shirley on Tuesday in nonconference games. Both games are set to start at 6 p.m.
Greenbrier 13 25 14 13–65
Heber Springs 2 7 7 12–28
Greenbrier scorers — Reece Jones 13, Marques Robinson 10, Bryce Webb 9, Jack Runsick 7, Jace Dunlap 7, Hayes Johnson 5, Dax Caughern 4, Nate Barrentine 3, Spencer Melton 3, Thomas Kendall 2, Gavin James 2.
Heber Springs scorers — Wyatt Winchester 6, Logan Monahan 5, Conner Riddle 5, Bent McClain 3, J.T. Spears 3, Trevor Myrick 2, Ryan Crocker 2, Bauer Pruitt 2.