Sheridan senior Tyler Cacciatori blocks out for a rebound against Batesville in the 2018 Cowboy Chervolet Holiday Classic at Heber Springs. Cacciatori signed with the University of Arkansas baseball team this week. His Yellowjackets will open with Mayflower on Dec. 26 in the 2019 tournament. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 21, 2019
The field has been announced for the annual Steve Landers Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic which will take place from December 26 through December 28 at the Panther Den in Heber Springs.
Defending champions Greene County Tech (boys) and Sheridan (girls) will be returning to defend their 2018 tournament titles. Almost the entire field returns for the 2019 version of the tournament with the lone exception of 2018 runner-up Riverview in the senior girls division. The Raiders have been replaced by Pea Ridge.
The two eight team divisions (boys and girls) features a bracket-style format with each team playing three games over three day.
STEVE LANDERS COWBOY CHEVROLET HOLIDAY CLASSIC
at HEBER SPRINGS
DECEMBER 26-28
SENIOR GIRLS
December 26
Game 1 - Southside Batesville vs. Greene County Tech, 11 a.m.
Game 3 - Mayflower vs. Sheridan, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Pea Ridge vs. Rose Bud, 4 p.m.
Game 7 - Heber Springs vs. DeWitt, 6:30 p.m.
December 27
Game 9 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 1, 11 a.m.
Game 11 - Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 5, 1:30 p.m.
Game 13 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m.
Game 15 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 7, 6:30 p.m.
December 28
Game 17 - Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11, 11 a.m.
Game 19 - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 1:30 p.m.
Game 21 - Loser Game 15 vs. Loser Game 13, 4 p.m.
Game 23 - Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 13, 6:30 p.m.
SENIOR BOYS
December 26
Game 2 - Southside Batesville vs. Greene County Tech, 12:15 p.m.
Game 4 - Mayflower vs. Sheridan, 2:45 p.m.
Game 6 - Batesville vs. DeWitt, 5:15 p.m.
Game 8 - Heber Springs vs. Rose Bud, 7:45 p.m.
December 27
Game 10 - Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4, 12:15 p.m.
Game 12 - Loser Game 8 vs. Loser Game 6, 2:45 p.m.
Game 14 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 2, 5:15 p.m.
Game 16 - Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 6, 7:45 p.m.
December 28
Game 18 - Loser Game 12 vs. Loser Game 10, 12:15 p.m.
Game 20 - Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 10, 2:45 p.m.
Game 22 - Loser Game 16 vs. Loser Game 14, 5:15 p.m.
Game 24 - Winner Game 16 vs. Winner Game 14, 7:45 p.m.
The 2019 Heber Springs Girls Cross Country Team. Pictured, front, from left, Allison Wildman, Katia Rubio, Waverlee Decker, Sydney Buffalo, McKenzie Becerra, and Natalie Buffalo. Back, from left, Taylor Hammons, Maddie Vowels, Sophie Lawrence, Maygan Jarvis, Ellie Riddle and Vallie Cantrell.
November 21, 2019
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Heber Springs High School cross country teams capped a successful season by finishing among the top 10 at the Class 4A state meet in Hot Springs and two runners named to the all-state team.
The Lady Panthers, who were ranked third going into the state meet, finished third, with Sydney Buffalo selected to the all-state team. The Panthers, who were ranked 10th, claimed eighth place, with Nathan Poff named to the all-state team.
Poff finished 13th in the boys’ race, while Buffalo was 17th in the girls’ race.
“Our top five boys’ runners set personal bests,” Heber Springs head coach Dale Cresswell said. “The girls ran well. All I want every meet is for each runner go out and do their best.”
For the girls, Vallie Cantrell and McKenzie Becerra finished among the top 50 at 24th and 34th places, respectively. Taylor Hammons (52nd), Maygan Jarvis (54th), Sophie Lawrence (69th), Allison Wildman (89th) and Waverlee Decker (92nd) were in the top 100. Katherine Rojas was 120th.
Four boys’ runners finished among the top 100 — Parker Hill (57th), Gabe Tate (67th), Mason Harris (80th) and Brad Baker (90th). Reagan Buell (128th), Dalton Scoggins (168th), Scott Shatterly (168th) and Evan Burgess (192nd) also competed.
“Our standards at Heber Springs are always high,” Cresswell said. “We have a lot of good young runners, like Harris and Hill. Hill missed most of the season because of an illness. He ran at the conference meet and one of the reasons the team moved up two spots at the state meet.”
The future looks bright for both programs.
“We have a lot of good young runners coming up,” Cresswell said. “We have runners that will come up from the junior high team who can help us next year. Both teams worked hard all season. They will never hear any complaints from me when they work hard and do their best.”
Cresswell hopes momentum will carry over into the spring for track and field.
“All of them will be on the track team, but not just as distance runners,” he said. “We expect a few football players to compete. I expect us to have a successful track season. “
Heber Springs’ Hailey Bresnahan drives past at a South Side Bee Branch defender Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE MCCARTY
November 19, 2019
By LARRY “SCOOP” MCCARTY
A week between games temporarily slowed down the Heber Springs Lady Panthers against South Side Bee Branch at the Panther Den Tuesday.
Heber Springs (2-0) tied the game at 13-13 late in the first quarter, then took and lead before pulling away to a 70-45 non-conference basketball game.
The Lady Panthers gained the lead on Ashley Spanel’s field goal with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. Ellie Riddle increased it to 17-13 before South Side connected on a 3-pointer and trailed 17-16 going into the second quarter.
Heber Springs went on a 25-7 scoring run during the second quarter and led 42-23 at halftime. The Lady Panthers took a 61-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
Claudia Newberry was one of four Heber Springs players who scored in double figures with 16 points. Hailey Bresnahan had 11 points, while Libby Stutts and Spanel each chipped in 10 points.
“That is why it’s important to practice with consistency,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We worked on what was needed during practice, so we will play well in the next game. South Side played well in the first quarter.”
Riddle liked how his team recovered from its slow start.
“We played fine and consistent and I liked how the players responded,” he said. “It changed late in the first quarter when we changed our defense to put more pressure on South Side’s 3-point shooters. Ellie came off the bench and gave the team a spark, and we also picked up our tempo.”
Riddle praised Newberry for her performance.
“Claudia performed well and I hope that will continue,” Riddle said. “She has improved her offensive moves and did a good job of finishing drives to the basket.”
Heber Springs will host Riverview on Thursday in four games starting with the junior high girls at 4 p.m., followed by the junior high boys. The senior girls’ game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., followed by the Panthers’ home opener.
“We need to come out and play with the same intensity and fire,” Riddle said. “Riverview will be a good team and a new challenge.”
HEBER SPRINGS 2019-2020 SENIOR GIRLS SCHEDULERECORD: 2-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - at Riverview
November 26 - at Clinton
December 2 - at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
December 10 - at Dover ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
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 4A-4 conference contest)
Heber Springs’ Landon Johnson running with the ball Friday night at Shiloh Christian. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 15, 2019
By PHILIP SEATON
SPRINGDALE – Shiloh Christian used a quick-strike, precision passing game and took advantage of four Heber Springs turnovers to end the Panthers season with a 62-27 victory Friday night in a first-round 4A playoff game.
The 27 points scored by Heber Springs was the most points Shiloh Christian (11-0) has allowed to an opponent all season.
Heber Springs finishes the season with a 4-7 record while Shiloh Christian advanced to the second round where the Saints will host Pocahontas Friday night.
It was the final game for 14 Panther seniors, who made three consecutive playoff appearances and won a share of a 4A-2 conference crown in 2017. Two of those seniors, Adam Martin (15 carries for 118 yards) and Julio Rubio (14 carries for 108), closed out their careers rushing for more than 100 yards on the night.
Senior Eli Reece was 26 of 32 for 395 yards passing with seven touchdowns for Shiloh Christian as the Saints needed only 36 seconds to take a 6-0 lead after Reece connected with Logan Raben for a 45-yard score. The 2-point conversion failed.
On the Panthers first possession, Heber Springs moved from their own 15 to their 49 after a pair of first-down runs by Rubio, the first for 23 and second for 11, but the drive fizzled at the Shiloh Christian 43 and the Panthers turned the ball over on downs.
The Saints didn’t waste much time going up 14-0 moving 57 yards on four plays in 39 seconds as Reece connected with Truitt Tollett for the score and Cam Wiedemann for the 2-point conversion.
Heber Springs responded as Rubio went 41 yards on second down to put the ball the Saint 18. Two players later Martin ran the ball in from the 14 with 6:44 to play in the opening quarter. Jackson Harrod’s kick made it 14-7 Shiloh.
The Saints drove to the Panther 14 before the Heber Springs defense stopped the Saints on a fourth-and-1 with 3:37 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers picked up a pair of first downs on their next drive, the second coming after Martin connected with Hunter Kent for eight yards on third-and-7 from the Heber Springs 28, but a holding penalty on a Landon Johnson run on the next play put Heber Springs in the hole for the series forcing the game’s only punt, a Martin 56-yarder on the first play of the second quarter.
From there Shiloh Christian marched 93 yards in 1:35 in five plays to go up 21-7 after Reece connected with Tollett again for a 34-yard score.
The Saints attempted an onside kick and recovered it after the ball after it bounced a Panther at the 50. Two plays and 20 seconds later the Saints would go up 28-7 after Reece found Tollett yet again for a 33-yard touchdown.
The Panthers pulled to within two scores on the ensuing drive after recovering the onside-kick attempt on their own 49. Martin rushed for nine yards for a first down at the Shiloh 32 and passed for another first down connecting with Nathan McKee for an eight-yard completion. Three plays later, Martin again connected with McKee, this time for a 16-yard touchdown with 5:45 left in the first half. The kick failed making it 28-13.
Shiloh Christian need only 90 seconds to respond as Reece found tight end Beau Cason for an eight-yard touchdown pass making it 35-13.
The Panthers kept it a two-score game on their next possession after Martin kept the snap, went off tackle and out ran a trio of Saint defenders for a 57-yard touchdown run to make it 35-20 with 2:12.
Shiloh Christian was driving for another apparent score before Kent stepped in front the Reece pass attempt at the Panther 20 for the interception, but after picking up 28 yards on the return, Kent had the ball knocked free and the Saints recovered. Seven plays later and with 16 seconds left in the half, Reece found Cason for a 17-yard scoring strike to make it 42-20 at the half.
Shiloh Christian put the game out of reach with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and invoke the Arkansas Activities Association 35-point Mercy Rule. The Panthers did score a late touchdown as Rubio plunged in from the 3 to set the final score.
HEBER SPRINGS COACH WILL COX
GAME NOTES
LEGEND IN THE HOUSE: Heber Springs High graduate and former Panther head coach Dennis DeBusk, who also served as the first head coach in Shiloh Christian history, was on the Heber Springs sidelines for the first half Friday night. DeBusk is retired and lives in Springdale.
LEGEND IN THE HOUSE TOO: Heber Springs High graduate and former Arkansas Razorback Braylon Mitchell was at the game with his family Friday night to catch Heber Springs (see video).
RARE PICK: Hunter Kent’s second-quarter interception of Shiloh Christian Eli Reece was only the third time this season the senior has been picked off.
BOOK-END CENTURY MARKS: Seniors Julio Rubio and Adam Martin opened the season by both rushing for more than 100 yards against Clinton and only accomplished it one another time this season, in the season-ending loss at Shiloh Christian.
DEFENSIVE ACTION: Senior quarterback Adam Martin played on the defense for the first time this season against Shiloh Christian. With the Saints vaunted spread passing attack, Martin was in the secondary.
ADAM MARTIN
IT’S HEBER SPRINGS: The public address announcer at Shiloh Christian made the mistake before kick off by calling saying “Herber Springs Panthers.” It was the only time he made the mistake on the night.
LIGHTS OUT: The stadium at Shiloh Christian uses LED lights and before kick off, the lights were turned off right before the Saint football team ran throw a lighted entrance to come onto the field.
ROUGH NIGHT FOR THE 4A-2: Central Arkansas Christian was the only conference team to advance to the second round of the playoffs. Riverview fell to DeWitt for the second time this season, 44-15. Southside Batesville lost to Star City, 47-20. Pea Ridge downed Lonoke, 49-13, and Central Arkansas Christian topped Gentry, 49-20. The Mustangs will travel to Joe T. Robinson Friday night for a second-round match-up.
SCORING
Heber Springs (4-7) 7 13 0 7 - 27
Shiloh Christian (11-0) 14 28 14 6 - 62
FIRST QUARTER
Shiloh - Eli Reece to Logan Raben 45-yard pass (pass failed), 11:24
Shiloh - Reece to Truitt Tollett 2-yard pass (Reece to Cam Wiedemann pass), 8:06
Heber Springs - Adam Martin 14-yard run (Jackson Harrod kick), 6:44
SECOND QUARTER
Shiloh - Reece to Tollett 34-yard pass (Keaton Carter kick), 10:14
Shiloh - Reece to Tollett 33-yard pass (Carter kick), 9:53
Heber Springs - Martin to Nathan McKee 16-yard pass (kick failed), 5:45
Shiloh - Reece to Beau Cason 8-yard pass (Carter kick), 4:15
Heber Springs - Martin 57-yard run (Harrod kick), 2:12
Shiloh - Reece to Cason 17-yard pass (Carter kick), :16
THIRD QUARTER
Shiloh - Reece to Tollett 1-yard pass (Carter kick), 8:19
Shiloh - Carter 40-yard interception return (Carter kick), 7:11
FOURTH QUARTER
Shiloh - Ben Baker 44-yard run (kick blocked), 10:49
Heber Springs - Julio Rubio 3-yard run (Harrod kick), 4:50
OFFENSERUSHING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 15/118/7.9/2, Julio Rubio 14/108/7.7/1, Landon Johnson 3/20/6.7, Nathan McKee 2/8, Levy Phillips 2/7, Team 1/(-1). Shiloh Christian, Cam Wiedemann 10/110/11, Ben Baker 3/77/25.7/1, Truitt Tollett 3/31/10.3, Hayden Brasuell 2/18, Eli Reece 1/7, Logan Raben 1/6, Ben Walton 1/2, Jacob Solomon Elias Hewitt 1/1, 1/(-1), Team 1/(-9).
RUSHING RUNS OF 50+: Heber Springs, Adam Martin (1)
RUSHING RUNS OF 40+: Heber Springs, Adam Martin (1), Julio Rubio (1). Shiloh Christian, Ben Baker (1).
RUSHING RUNS OF 30+: Heber Springs, Adam Martin (1), Julio Rubio (1). Shiloh Christian, Ben Baker (1), Truitt Tollett (1).
RUSHING RUNS OF 20+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (2), Adam Martin (1). Shiloh Christian, Cam Wiedemann (3), Ben Baker (1), Truitt Tollett (1).
RUSHING RUNS OF 10+: Heber Springs, Julio Rubio (4), Adam Martin (3). Shiloh Christian, Cam Wiedemann (5), Ben Baker (3), Truitt Tollett (1), Hayden Brasuell (1).
PASSING: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 13/27-96-1/2, Shiloh Christian, Eli Reece 26/32-395-7/1, Kyle Cason 1/1-2-0/0
RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Nathan McKee 5/70/1, Landon Johnson 4/8, Hunter Kent 2/10, Fate Berry 1/8, Matthew Cook 1/0. Shiloh Christian, Truitt Tollett 11/178/16.2/4, Cam Wiedemann 5/57, Luke Hutchinson 4/59, Beau Cason 4/37/2, Logan Raben 1/45/1, Hunter Mason 1/19, Sawyer Shankle 1/2
TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 214, Julio Rubio 108, Landon Johnson 20, Nathan McKee 8, Levy Phillips 7, Team (-1). Shiloh Christian, Eli Reece 402, Cam Wiedemann 110, Ben Baker 77, Truitt Tollett 31, Hayden Brasuell 18, Logan Raben 6, Ben Walton 2, Kyle Cason 2, Elias Hewitt 1, Jacob Solomon (-1), Team (-9).
PUNT RETURNS: None.
KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 2/48, Jackson West 2/8, Matthew Cook 2/0, Nathan McKee 1/8, Adam Martin 1/6, Hunter Kent 1/0. Shiloh Christian, Keaton Carter 2/23, Beau Cason 1/36, Ben Baker 1/32.
FUMBLE RETURNS: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 1/4 (offensive)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 29. Shiloh Christian, Keaton Carter 40.
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Adam Martin 124, Julio Rubio 108, Nathan McKee 86, Diego Rubio 52, Hunter Kent 39, Landon Johnson 28, Fate Berry 8, Jackson West 8, Levy Phillips 7. Shiloh Christian, Truitt Tollett 209, Cam Wiedemann 167, Ben Baker 109, Beau Cason 73, Keaton Carter 63, Luke Hutchinson 59, Logan Raben 51, Hunter Mason 19, Hayden Brasuell 18, Eli Reece 7, Ben Walton 2, Sawyer Shankle 2, Elias Hewitt 1, Jacob Solomon (-1).
Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle gives some instructions during the Lady Panthers season-opening victory over Nemo Vista last week. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 19, 2019
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Heber Springs senior girls started the basketball season with a bang with a 55-31 win against Nemo Vista at the Panther Den last week.
Heber Springs will begin a busy week with home non-conference games against South Side Bee Branch at 6 p.m. tonight and Riverview on Thursday.
HEBER SPRINGS LADY PANTHERS
COACH JAMEY RIDDLE
CONFERENCE 4A-4
LAST SEASON: 13-12, lost to Ozark in conference quarterfinals
The Lady Panthers have plenty of experience with four returning starters – Libby Stutts, Jillian Herring, Ashley Spanel and Ellie Riddle – and a fifth player – Claudia Newberry – who played a key role off the bench during the past two seasons.
“Those players’ experience showed in the first game,” Heber Springs head coach Jamey Riddle said. “They showed a lot of leadership and played with continuity on offense and played well on defense. They made good things happen.”
“Claudia is like a fifth returning starter,” Riddle said. “She played a lot of minutes during the past two seasons. Libby scored three points in the first game. That was one of many positives.”
Ellie Riddle led the Lady Panthers with 14 points against Nemo Vista and Ashley Spanel scored 13 points.
“Libby and Jullian (who had 24 points in a senior night victory over Morrilton last season) will be two of our leading scorers in most games,” Janet Riddle said. “We need seven to 10 points a game from Claudia.”
Heber Springs came within one win of qualifying for the regional tournament in each of the past two years. The coach said game experience will play an important role in the team’s success.
“We lost by three points (44-41) to Ozark on the road at last year’s conference tournament,” Riddle said. “One of our goals is to make the regional tournament.”
The coach said the team’s depth will lead to more success.
“We got good production from Mary Shearer coming off the bench at post against Nemo Vista,” Riddle said. “Hailey Bresnahan will give us depth at guard and post. LiLi Chaney is a very good defensive player. She will make good things happen and can make the other team play faster.”
Olivia Norton and Brandy Meredith are two players to watch on the inside.
“They will provide good minutes throughout the season,” Riddle said. “It was good to see all of the players playing well in the first game.”
Heber Springs will play non-conference games against Clinton and White County Central, plus the Conway St. Joseph tournament before the conference opener at Dover on Dec. 10.
“We will play at Clinton before the Thanksgiving break,” Riddle said. “The St. Joseph’s tournament will have a lot of good competition. We will use those non-conference games to work on different defenses and putting players in the best places on the court.”
Riddle believes the team is capable of finishing among the top half of the conference standings and make a run at the regional tournament.
“We need to play defense with more intensity,” he said. “We are not the talest team, but rebounding will be important. That can separate you against your opponent. We need to limit possessions of the other team and push the ball fast up and down the court.”
HEBER SPRINGS 2019-2020 SENIOR GIRLS SCHEDULE
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31November 19 - South Side Bee Branch
November 21 - at Riverview
November 26 - at Clinton
December 2 - at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
December 10 - at Dover ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
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 4A-4 conference contest)
Radio: Lance Hamilton with handle the play-by-play with Jamey Riddle providing the color on KSUG 101.9 The Lake. Panther Pregame begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the game. Listen Live Link
W L CP W L PS PA
Riverview 5 2 52 7 3 337 278
Southside Batesville 5 2 54 7 3 340 246
Central Arkansas Christian 5 2 59 7 3 296 220
Lonoke 5 2 47 6 4 293 297
Heber Springs 4 3 41 4 6 274 300
Bald Knob 3 4 13 3 7 160 310
Stuttgart 1 7 13 1 9 238 341
Little Rock Mills 0 8 0 0 10 202 264
Friday, November 1
Central Arkansas Christian 34, Bald Knob 6
Heber Springs 49, Riverview 35
Lonoke 35, Stuttgart 28
Southside Batesville 50, Little Rock Mills 23
Thursday, November 7
Lonoke 26, Riverview 14
Central Arkansas Christian 28, Stuttgart 6
Friday, November 8
Bald Knob 27, Southside Batesville 22
Heber Springs 28, Little Rock Mills 14
PLAYOFFS: No. 1 Riverview hosts Bauxite, No. 2 Southside Batesville hosts Star City, No. 3 CAC hosts Gentry, No. 4 Lonoke travels to Pea Ridge and No. 5 Heber Springs travels to Shiloh Christian.
NEXT WEEK: The winner of the Shiloh Christian/Heber Springs contest will face the winner of the Pocahontas/Gravette in a second-round playoff contest. If Shiloh Christian wins, they will be at home regardless of the opponent. If Heber Springs wins, they would travel to Pocahontas if the Redskins win or would host Gravette if the Lions win.
CONSECUTIVE STREAK: Heber Springs has qualified for the playoffs for six straight seasons, and 13 out of the last 14 years.
HEBER SPRINGS COACH WILL COX
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES: Heber Springs leads 2-1
SERIES HISTORY: The two teams first met during the 2011 season opener. Heber Springs defeated Shiloh Christian, 36-17, in a game played at the Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The Panthers also faced the Saints in a first-round playoff game in 2011 at Panther Stadium – a 48-35 Heber Springs victory. Shiloh Christian would return to Panther Stadium in 2016 for a second-round playoff contest, a 42-7 Shiloh Christian victory. This will be the Panthers first contest at the “Field of Champions.”
PANTHER CONNECTION: The first football coach in Shiloh Christian history was Heber Springs High School graduate and former head coach Dennis DeBusk. DeBusk, who went 71-53 as head coach at Heber Springs from 1976 through 1987, coach the Saints from 1989-1995 compiling a mark of 38-35 (though the team had to forfeit 8 wins from the 1994 campaign due to an ineligible player). DeBusk was followed as head coach at the school by current Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.
STATE TITLES: Shiloh Christian has won seven state titles since launching its football program in 1989.
SHILOH BY THE NUMBERS: The Saints are averaging 308 passing yards per game and another 124 on the ground. Senior quarterback Eli Reece is 184 out of 252 passing for 2,676 yards with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Reece’s favorite target has been senior Truitt Tollett, who has caught 82 passes for 1,336 yards and 21 touchdowns. Junior Cam Wiedemann is the Saints leading rusher with 584 yards on 91 carries with 12 touchdowns while senior Logan Raben has rushed for 11 scores.
FOUR TO GO: Heber Springs senior Julio Rubio needs four yards rushing to top the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
TEAM STATS (THROUGH 10 GAMES)
Heber Springs 54 90 54 76 - 274 (27.4)
Opponent 46 97 90 67 - 300 (30)
TEAM First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 100, Opponent 110
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 64, Opponent 54
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 7, Opponent 11
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 171, Opponent 174
Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 56/121 (46.2), Opponent 42/113 (37.1)
Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 12/31 (38.7), Opponent 18/33 (54.5)
Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 25/34 (73.5) (25 tds), Opponent 29/39 (74.4) (27 tds, 2 FG)
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 16/8, Opponent 17/9
Turnovers: Heber Springs 16, Opponent 13
Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 48, Opponent 28
Penalties/Yards: Heber Springs 81/598, Opponent 71/699
Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 612/3527/5.8, Opponent 604/3270/5.4
Rushing: Heber Springs 395/1984/5.0, Opponent 434/1997/4.6
Rushing Per Game: Heber Springs 198.4, Opponent 199.7
Passing: Heber Springs 126/211-1542-12/8, Opponent 109/190-1311-17/4
Completion Percentage: Heber Springs 59.7, Opponent 57.4
Passing Per Game: Heber Springs 154.2, Opponent 131.1
Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 20/107, Opponent 12/64
Punts: Heber Springs 29/1120/38.6, Opponent 29/975/33.6
Blocked Punts: Heber Springs 1
INDIVIDUAL OFFENSE RUSHING (ATT/YARDS/PER ATTEMPT/PER GAME/TDS): Julio Rubio 176/996/5.7/99.6/15, Adam Martin 161/727/4.5/72.7/8, Landon Johnson 52/239/4.6/23.9/5, Levy Phillips 4/21, Nathan McKee 1/6, Diego Rubio 1/2, Tri Johnson 1/(-2), Team 6/(-51)
RUNS OF 50+: Julio Rubio 2, Adam, Martin 1
RUNS OF 40+: Julio Rubio 3 Adam Martin 1
RUNS OF 30+: Julio Rubio 5, Adam Martin 2
RUNS OF 20+: Julio Rubio 10, Adam Martin 7, Landon Johnson 1
RUNS OF 10+: Julio Rubio 25, Adam Martin 24, Landon Johnson 4, Levy Phillips 1
100-YARD RUSHING GAMES: Julio Rubio 5, Adam Martin 3
PASSING (ATT/COMP-YARDS-TDS/INT): Adam Martin 126/211-1542-12/8
250-YARD PASSING GAMES: Adam Martin 1
RECEIVING (REC/YARDS/PER CATCH/TDS): Nathan McKee 24/274/11.4/3, Matthew Cook 22/198/9/1, Landon Johnson 21/261/12.4/2, Hunter Kent 16/211/13.2/3, Fate Berry 14/194/13.9/1, Julio Rubio 13/145/11.2, Tri Johnson 12/208/17.3/2, Jackson West 1/18, Dalton McCollum 1/9, Diego Rubio 1/8
100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES: Hunter Kent 1, Tri Johnson 1, Julio Rubio 1
TOTAL OFFENSE (OFFENSE/PER GAME): Adam Martin 2269/226.9, Julio Rubio 996/99.6, Landon Johnson 239/23.9, Levy Phillips 21, Nathan McKee 6, Diego Rubio 2, Tri Johnson (-2), Team (-51)
KICKOFF RETURNS: Tri Johnson 8/170/21.3, Nathan McKee 6/79/13.2, Hunter Kent 6/52/8.7, Matthew Cook 4/62/15.5, Julio Rubio 3/44/14.7, Levy Phillips 4/37/9.3, Jackson West 4/39/9.8, Diego Rubio 2/37/18.5, Lawrence Baureis 1/10, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 6, Tristan Thissen 1/0.
PUNT RETURNS: Nathan McKee 3/12, Tri Johnson 1/(-3)
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Nathan McKee 2/26, Dalton McCollum 1/4, Fate Berry 1/2
FUMBLE RETURNS: Matthew Cook 1/4
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS (YARDS/PER GAME): Julio Rubio 1078/107.8, Adam Martin 727/72.7, Landon Johnson 499/49.9, Nathan McKee 397/39.7, Tri Johnson 373/57.3, Matthew Cook 264/26.4, Hunter Kent 263/26.3, Fate Berry 196/19.6, Diego Rubio 47/4.7, Jackson West 57/5.7, Levy Phillips 58/5.8, Lawrence Baureis 10/1, Harley Bresnahan 6/1, Dalton McCollum 13/1.3,
DEFENSE TACKLES (ASST/SOLO/TOTAL): Fate Berry 73/26/99, Landon Johnson 70/26/96, Diego Rubio 47/13/60, Kaden Hughes 31/14/45, Hunter Kent 29/11/40, Nathan McKee 33/13/46, Levy Phillips 24/11/35, Lawrence Baureis 30/10/40, Matthew Cook 27/7/34, Nicholas Hitchcock 27/8/35, Jackson West 22/4/26, Tri Johnson 9/5/14, Dalton McCollum 11/5/16, Julio Rubio 13/6/19, Harley Bresnhan 6/4/10, Trevor Weathers 8/1/9, Preston Jones 2/2/5, Harley Hannah 3/2/5, Hunter Griffin 3/1/4, Devon Doxey 3/1/4, Tristan Thissen 1/2/3, Trent Barnes 2/1/3, Jackson Harrod 3/1/4, Nate Dearmond 0/1/1, Spencer Evans 1/0/1, Gus Hannah 1/0/1.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Fate Berry 15, Landon Johnson 15.5, Kaden Hughes 11.5, Diego Rubio 7, Nicholas Hitchcock 6.5, Julio Rubio 9, Lawrence Baureis 7, Levy Phillips 2, Jackson West 2, Tri Johnson 1.5, Hunter Griffin 1, Harley Bresnahan 1, Devon Doxey 1, Nathan McKee 1
SACKS/YARDS LOST: Fate Berry 4/28, Kaden Hughes 4/24, Tri Johnson 2.5/22, Levy Phillips 1/ 5, Harley Bresnahan 1/ 4, Diego Rubio 1.5/5, Julio Rubio .5/9, Landon Johnson 1/3, Matthew Cook .5/3, Nicholas Hitchcock .5/4.
INTERCEPTIONS: Dalton McCollum 1, Nathan McKee 2, Fate Berry 1
DEFENSIVE FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Hunter Kent 2, Diego Rubio 3, Nicholas Hitchcock 2, Nathan McKee 1, Landon Johnson 1,
BLOCKED PUNTS: Kaden Hughes 1
PUNTING (No./Yards/Avg./Inside20): Adam Martin 28/1087/38.8/7, Matthew Cook 1/33/33
SCORING: Julio Rubio 90 (15 tds), Adam Martin 54 (9 td), Landon Johnson 36 (6 tds), Jackson Harrod 34 (34-37 PAT, 0-1 FG), Hunter Kent 18 (3 td), Nathan McKee 18 (3 td), Tri Johnson 12 (2 td), Fate Berry 6 (1 td), Matthew Cook 6 (1 td)
MARKEDTIME.COM PLAYERS OF WEEK
WEEK 10 vs LITTLE ROCK MILLS
OFFENSE – Adam Martin. DEFENSE – Nathan McKee
WEEK 9 vs RIVERVIEW
OFFENSE – Hunter Kent. DEFENSE – Diego Rubio
WEEK 8 vs SOUTHSIDE BATESVILLE
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Diego Rubio
WEEK 7 vs. BALD KNOB
OFFENSE – Landon Johnson. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
WEEK 6 vs. CAC
OFFENSE – Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Kaden Hughes
WEEK 5 vs. STUTTGART
OFFENSE – Adam Martin. DEFENSE – Nathan McKee
WEEK 4 vs. LONOKE
OFFENSE – Fate Berry. DEFENSE – Landon Johnson
WEEK 3 vs. HARDING ACADEMY
OFFENSE – Tri Johnson. DEFENSE – Dalton McCollum
WEEK 2 vs. GREENBRIER
OFFENSE – Harley Hannah. DEFENSE – Levy Phillips
WEEK 1 vs. CLINTON
OFFENSE – Adam Martin and Julio Rubio. DEFENSE – Fate Berry
Always taking submissions of old photos, and other collections of old sports notes and scorebooks of any sport on any level, including recreational, as long as it is Arkansas based.
VHS tapes: Can convert them for free. Please e-mail me at: pseaton1970@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook.
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Heber Springs’ Luke Greenwald drives toward the basket during action against Nemo Vista Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 13, 2019
MARSHALL – The Heber Springs Junior Panthers captured their first win of the young season with a 54-50 victory over Yellville-Summit in the consolation bracket of the Marshall Junior High Tournament on Wednesday.
Eli Riggs paced Heber Springs (1-2) with 14 points, including 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Conner Riddle also finished in double figures with 11 points as every play on the Panther roster scored in the contest.
Heber Springs led 27-18 at the half and 40-27 at the end of three quarters before holding off a late Yellville-Summit charge.
The Heber Springs bench enjoys a light-hearted moment late in Tuesday’s victory over Nemo Vista. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 12, 2019
Heber Springs opened up early against a short-handed Nemo Vista in claiming a 55-31 season-opening victory in senior girls action Tuesday night at the Panther Den.
Nemo Vista (1-6) was playing without starter Kaylee Harrington, who was sitting because of an injury, forcing the Red Hawks to play with only five players.
Heber Springs (1-0) took advantage outscoring Nemo Vista 21-6 in the opening quarter and 17-6 in the second to hold a 38-12 advantage at the half.
Ellie Riddle and Ashley Spanel paced the Panthers with 14 and 13 points each, all coming in the first half as coach Jamey Riddle emptied his bench in the second half.
Heber Springs finished with nine 3-pointers in the win.
Kassidy Barnes paced the Red Hawks with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.
Heber Springs is off until Tuesday when the Panthers host South Side Bee Branch at the Panther Den. The junior boys “b” team will start things off at 4 p.m. followed by the junior girls, junior boys and then the senior girls contest.
Heber Springs’ Ladd Choate drives for a lay-up against Nemo Vista Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 12, 2019
Conner Riddle finished with 19 points in a losing effort as Heber Springs dropped its home opener to Nemo Vista, 45-37, in junior boys action Tuesday night at the Panther Den.
Heber Springs (0-2) trailed 16-6 at the end of the first quarter and 27-18 at the half.
Nemo Vista was 8 of 17 from the free-throw line on the night while the Panthers were 7 of 9.
Heber Springs’ Sophia Stone drives toward the basket in junior girls basketball action Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
November 12, 2019
The Heber Springs junior girls basketball team won its home opener 33-27 over Nemo Vista Tuesday night at the Panther Den.
Freshman Jaylea Hooten finished with 12 points to helping lead Heber Springs (2-0) to win as the Panthers led 18-10 at the half and 24-21 at the end of the third quarter.
Sophia Stone also finished in double figures for Heber Springs with 11 points.
Heber Springs was 9 of 13 from the free-throw line on the night.
Heber Springs scoring (33): Hooten 12, Stone 11, Hope Turney 3, Madison Clemons 3, Rylee Harrod 2, Riley Bailey 2.
Nemo Vista scoring (27): Peebles 15, Freeman 4, Barclay 4, D. DeSalvo 2, Eller 2
On Saturday, Heber Springs opened it’s season with a 27-16 victory over Greenbrier at the Marshall Junior High Tournament.
Hooten led the Panthers in scoring in that contest too finished with 13 points, including five-of-six from the free-throw line.
Heber Springs led 11-4 at the half and 17-12 at the end of three quarters of play.
