Jordan Riley Archives

Heber Springs’ season ends with loss in district tournament

IMG_0740_(2) — Heber Springs’ Eli Riggs reacts after a collision with Ozark’s Kyle Archer in 4-4A District Tournament action on Saturday at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

One of the most successful basketball seasons for the Heber Springs Panthers in recent years came to a disappointing end on Saturday.

Ozark (7-18), which lost twice to the Panthers during the regular season, led from start to finish in a 38-20 win at the Panther Den in the play-in game for the 4-4A Conference tournament.

The Panthers (13-13) had the program’s best season record since the 2013-14 campaign when they finished at 18-9.

Heber Springs also showed more signs of progress by winning a tournament title (Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Tournament) and four conference games. The Panthers had one conference win during the previous two seasons.

“I’m proud how the players brought into what I wanted them to do from the beginning of the year to the end,” Heber Springs first-year head coach Jordan Riley said. “We improved in a lot of areas. This was not how we wanted to end the season, but we did avoid a losing record. Before the season, most people didn’t feel we could do that”

Riley had been the former head girls coach at Southside Batesville for two years and rebuilt the program into a contender before taking over the Heber Springs program. Southside was 25-1 this season and won the 3-4A Conference championship going into postseason play. Riley never hesitated when the opportunity came to coach at Heber Springs.

“A lot of coaches thought I was crazy to leave a good team at Southside and come to Heber Springs,” he said. “I believe Heber Springs is where I’m suppose to be.”

At Saturday’s game, Braeson Peters, who made three 3-pointers, led Ozark with 13 points. Landon Wright, who connected twice on 3-point shots, scored eight points. Kyle Archer, who made one 3-pointer, had seven points. Jace Richard also had a 3-pointer.

“Ozark had players who made big shots,” Riley said. “Peters didn’t score in the first two games against us and made three 3-pointers. Our plan was to make players other than Wright and (Kayden) McAnally beat us. We did a good job guarding those two players (Wright and McAnally), but other players were making shots. Even as well as Ozark shot, we still held them to 38 points. We felt if we did that, we would have had a chance to win.”

Heber Springs struggled most of the game on offense and held to six field goals. The Panthers played catchup throughout the game and scored four points during the first half. Ryan Crocker, who made the team’s only 3-pointer, led with nine points.

“Ozark deserves a lot of credit for the way it played defense,” Riley said. “The 2-3 zone made it tough on us. We couldn’t dribble and create good shots against the zone. It was one of our worst shooting games of the year. Offensively, it was a tough game.”

Ozark’s Eli Masingale started the game with a field goal, followed by a 3-pointer by Wright for a 5-0 lead. Parker Brown scored the only points of the first quarter for the Panthers on an inside move. The Hillbillies scored the next eight points and took a 13-2 lead into the second quarter.

Ozark increased its lead on 3-pointers by Archer and Richard. Crocker stopped the surge by hitting a jumper as Heber Springs trailed, 19-5. Peters mad two free throws, giving the Hillbillies a 21-4 halftime lead.

Gavin Vaughn sank two free throws and a field goal by Crocket gave the Panthers a bit of life early during the third quarter. Ozark finished on a 7-1 scoring run and led 28-9 going into the fourth quarter.

“The loss hurt against a team we had defeated twice,” Riley said. “I felt we were going to win the game and move on in postseason.”

Despite the season-ending loss, Riley said the program made progress, and he hopes to keep everything going next season.

“I believe the guys will continue to work and keep improving,” he said. “We won one tournament during our best stretch of games. I thought that was going to give us momentum coming out of the Christmas break. We were unable to carry it forward.”

Riley said players will realize the good points from the season in the near future before turning their focus to next season.

“Coaches must make sure the players keep improving in the right areas and do what is best to move forward,” he said. “We will miss Ryan and Zach (Thomas). Zach came off the bench and provided leadership needed for the younger players. We have five of the top seven players coming back, plus younger players who are coming.”

Ozark 13 8 7 10 -38
Heber Springs 2 2 5 11 -20
OZARK SCORING (38): Braeson Peters 13, Landon Wright 8, Kyle Archer 7, Eli Masingale 4, Kayden McAnally 3, Jace Richard 3.
HEBER SPRING SCORING (20): Ryan Crocker 9, Ladd Choate 4, Zach Thomas 3, Gavin Vaughn 2, Parker Brown 2.

Late run pushes Heber Springs past Clarksville

Heber Springs junior Gavin Vaughn dribbles past a Clarksville defender in 4-4A action at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Junior J.T. Spears turned in two pivotal second-half plays, one on offense and other on defense, and switched the momentum to the Heber Springs Panthers against Clarksville at the Panther Den on Saturday.

Heber Springs went on a 20-9 scoring run starting with 6:42 left in the third quarter before taking lead with 4:06 left in the game, and defeated Clarksville 54-49 in a Conference 4-4A basketball game.

Clarksville led Heber Springs 35-25 with 6:42 left in the third quarter. The key defensive play came when Spears drew a charge from Owen Ashlock with 2:42 to go as Clarksville led, 36-34. Spears gave Heber Springs the lead with 4:06 left in the game when he made a 3-pointer, 45-44.

Braxton Payne led Clarksville with 17 points, followed by Bush, who had 15 points, all of 3-pointers. Ashlock contributed 11 points.

“From the middle of the third quarter, we started to do a better job defensively,” Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley said. “No. 33 (Ashlock) and No. 3 (Bush) are good players and were hard to stop in the first half.”

The win kept Heber Springs (4-7 in Conference 4-4A, 13-11 overall) in position to avoid a play-in game for the conference tournament. Heber Springs will play at Pottsville on Tuesday in the regular season finale. Pottsville (3-7 in Conference 4-4A, 9-13 overall) and Heber Springs are tied in the loss column for fifth place. A win on Tuesday assures the Panthers of avoiding the play-in game.

Pottsville will end the regular season against Ozark at home on Friday. Clarksville (5-6 in Conference 4-4A, 10-12) is currently one game ahead of the Panthers in fourth place. A Clarksville loss to Morrilton at home on Friday would give the No. 4 seed to Heber Springs.

Gavin Vaughn, who hit three 3-pointers, scored 17 points for Heber Springs. Parker Brown added 16 points, 12 coming during the first half, and Ryan Crocker, who made two 3-pointers, had 14 points.

“I’m proud of how the guys worked throughout the game,” said Jordan when asked about his team’s comeback. “I kept telling them we can’t take any plays off or time to rest until the game was over. They made the right adjustments and answered the call. J.T. got us going when he took the charge and when hit made the 3-pointer.”

Heber Springs had struggled offensively by scoring 46 points combined in the last two games. Riley said contributions of more than one or two players were the keys to Saturday’s win.

“I was glad to see that,” Riley said. “That is what it is going to take because we can’t have just one or two guys doing it all. We had been struggling scoring and been too much one dimensional in recent games. Parker has been one of our most consistent players on offense throughout the year. We need Gavin, Ryan and J.T, as well as others to contribute on offense. Eli (Riggs) and Ladd (Choate) are capable of making big shots. We got to get all of the players involved to play winning basketball.”

Clarksville led 17-14 after the first quarter and increased it to 31-25 by half. Heber Springs trailed 41-36 going into the fourth quarter.

Riggs made one of the game’s biggest shots when he sank a layup for a 51-46 lead with 11 seconds left. Payne drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and made the free throws with five seconds to go. On the inbound pass after a timeout, Crocker threw deep to Brown, who caught the pass and drew an intentional foul with 3.6 seconds remaining.

Vaughn hit a 3-pointer from the deep corner at the buzzer.

“It sets up a big game at Pottsville,” Riley said. “We had two more big plays at the end of this game, especially the long pass. We showed already this season that we are capable of beating any team in the league. That makes the other teams feel a little nervous about playing Heber Springs.”

Clarksville 17 14 10 8 – 49
Heber Springs 14 11 11 18 – 54
CLARKSVILLE SCORING (49): Braxton Payne 17, Tobin Bush 15, Owen Ashlock 11, Landon Leeds 4, Cody Qualls 2.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (54): Gavin Vaughn 17, Parker Brown 16, Ryan Crocker 14, J.T, Spears 5, Eli Riggs 2.

Panthers fall to Dardanelle, host Clarksville Saturday

IMG_0073_(2) — Heber Springs’ Parker Brown goes up for a dunk attempt in the first half against Dardanelle Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley issued a challenge to the Panthers minutes following Tuesday’s 48-25 loss to Dardanelle at the Panther Den.

Despite the loss, the Panthers (3-7 in Conference 4-4A, 12-11 overall), trail fifth-place Pottsville (3-6 in Conference 4-4A, 9-12 overall) by one-half game. Heber Springs has two games remaining during the regular season, while the Apaches have three games left.

Heber Springs will host Clarksville (5-5 in Conference 4-4A, 10-11 overall) at 2 p.m. Saturday and play at Pottsville on Tuesday. Pottsville will play at Morrilton on Friday, with home games against Panthers on Feb. 8 and Ozark on Feb. 11.

The fifth-place team will avoid playing a play-in game at the conference tournament.

“We have a lot of basketball left to play,” Riley said. “It’s up to the players how this team will be defined after the season ends. The team already exceeded most expectations (of fans). They either will fizzle out or work hard and improve on offense and defense. Hopefully, we will fight, battle and finish the season strong.”

Braden Tanner scored a game-high 21 points for Dardanelle (7-3 in Conference 4-4A, 14-7 overall). Robert Millard contributed 11 points. Gavin Vaughn led Heber Springs with seven points.

“Dardanelle did a good job of keeping us on the from the middle of the court,” Riley said. “We were able to keep the ball in the middle of the floor and created more room for passes in the first game (a 45-42 loss at Dardanelle). We didn’t do a very good job of protecting the ball in (Tuesday’s) the game and shot poorly for the second straight game.”

Parker Brown opened the game by converting a short jumper to give Heber Springs its only the lead during the game. Tanner made a 3-pointer and Chase Jordan’s jumper and started a 17-4 run by the Sand Lizards. Brown scored again and Eli Riggs had a field goal, but Dardanelle maintained control and built a 17-6 lead going into the second quarter.

The Sand Lizards pulled away with a 10-3 second quarter scoring run and for a 27-9 halftime lead. Dardanelle took a 38-16 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Riley planned extra work on offense for Friday’s game against Clarksville. The Panthers scored 46 points in two games this week.

“You can’t win games when scoring in the 20s,” he said. “We were taking good shots, but didn’t make many. We will work on improving what we had been doing on offense.

Riley said the plan was to put pressure on Dardanelle’s two shooters (Tanner and Millard, who combined for six 3-pointers 32 of the 48 points.
“We let those two guys loose on the perimeter and make multiple 3’s,” Riley said. “We dug a deep hole for ourselves. We played better defense during the second half, but it’s tough when you are down by 18 points.”

Riley expects his team to accept his challenge, starting with Clarksville.

“Clarksville is playing well,” he said. “We will be ready to defend the Den and win. We need to win the next two games for a better tournament seed. I hope that is how the team will be defined during the remainder of the season, a team which fought until the end.”

Dardanelle 17 10 11 10 -48
Heber Springs 6 3 7 9 -25
DARDANELLE SCORING (48): Braden Tanner 21, Robert Millard 11, Chase Jordan 7, Chris Wrinkle 6, Noah Weisenbach 2, Tyler Spencer 1.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (25): Gavin Vaughn 7, Hud Haggard 6, Parker Brown 4, Ladd Choate 3, Austin Winchester 3, Eli Riggs 2.

Fast start, slow finish costs Panthers in 4-4A action

Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley reacts to call in the second half in 4-4A play against Pottsville at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers started fast, but scored only 10 points during the final three quarters and fell to Pottsville in a Conference 4-4A basketball game at the Panther Den on Monday.

Heber Springs (3-6 in Conference 4-4A, 12-10 overall) led 11-8 after the first quarter. Pottsville built an 8-5 lead before the Panthers responded with six unanswered points, all scored by Parker Brown, for an 11-8 lead going into the second quarter.

Pottsville (3-6 in Conference 4-4A, 9-12 overall) scored the next five points to seize control and finished with a 9-3 scoring run for the 22-14 halftime lead. The Apaches put the game away by outscoring Heber Springs 17-4 and took a 39-18 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The win moved the Apaches into a tie for fifth place with Heber Springs.
Landon Stanley, who made six 3-pointers, led Pottsville with 24 points. Parker Brown scored 13 points for the Panthers.

“The big difference was how Pottsville shot the basketball well, and we didn’t shoot well,” Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley said. “It’s difficult to beat a team that shoots that well. We settled for stuff on offense too much and that led to poor shooting. Pottsville showed patience and executed on offense. It was a rough night on both ends of the court.”

Ryan Crocker, who was held to two points, played until late in the fourth quarter with a badly sprained ankle. Crocker suffered the injury during Friday’s shoot-around. He led the defense with two blocked shots.

“I’m proud of Ryan for playing even though he was not 100 percent,” Riley said. “We are a better team when he is on the floor. Hopefully, he will get healthy, but it will be difficult with three games this week. We will do the best we can.”

The Apaches had eight 3-pointers, which didn’t catch Riley by surprise.

“Pottsville had been shooting well from three, especially Stanley,” he said. “At times, we contested shots, but not tight enough. We never made the adjustments to keep him (Stanley) from making those shots.”

Heber Springs will look to rebound at home against Dardanelle (6-3 in Conference 4-4A, 13-7 overall) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“It will be a tough game against Dardanelle, which is one of the top teams in the league,” Riley said. “We just have to battle through adversity and protect the homecourt. We need to win at least two more games to keep out of the play-in game for the conference tournament. Wherever we land, we will be ready to battle and give it our best shot.”

The Panthers’ final home game will be against Clarksville on Friday, with the regular season finale at Pottsville on Feb. 8.

Pottsville 8 14 17 5-44
Heber Springs 11 3 4 3 -21POTTSVILLE SCORING (44): Landon Stanley 24, Jackson Furrh 7, Trevor Lyles 5, Nico Ybarra 4, Landon Martin 2, Carson Palmer 2.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (21): Parker Brown 13, Ladd Choate 3, Eli Riggs 3, Ryan Crocker 2.

Heber Springs tops Ozark for home conference win

IMG_7210_(2) — Heber Springs’ **Ryan Crocker** looks to get past an Ozark defender in 4-4A senior boys play Friday night at the Panther Den. **PHILIP SEATON PHOTO**

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers made the plays during the final two minutes and completed the season sweep of the Ozark Hillbillies 39-36 in a 4-4A conference basketball game at the Panther Den Friday.

Gavin Vaughn, who scored a game-high 17 points, made a 3-pointer with 3:12 left to give the Panthers a 37-36 lead. Kayden McAnally’s 3-pointer had put Ozark ahead 36-34 with 4:11 remaining. Heber Springs sophomore Eli Riggs made 2-of-4 free throws during the final minute.

Landon Wright missed a 3-pointer for the Hillbillies, which would have sent the game into overtime, with two seconds to play. The win was the first against a conference team at home since defeating Subiaco Academy during the 2017-18 season.

Earlier this season, the Panthers won 38-36 in overtime at Ozark.

“The conference has been super competitive every game,” Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley said. “Ozark beat Subiaco (Academy), which then turned around and beat Dardanelle. Pottsville got its first conference win the other night. Every game matters at this point. We are in the mix for one of the two automatic berths to the regional tournament.”

Heber Springs (3-3 in conference, 12-7 overall) currently is in fourth place, one half game behind Subiaco Academy (4-3 in conference, 10-6 overall) and one game ahead of Clarksville (3-4 in conference, 8-10 overall). Dardanelle (5-1 in conference, 12-5 overall) and Morrilton (5-1 in conference, 12-6 overall) are tied for the conference lead.

The top four teams during the regular season will earn first-round byes for the conference tournament. The regular-season champion and runner-up automatically will qualify for the regional tournament.

The 12 wins is the most by the program in a single season since it won that many games during the 2015-16 season.

“We missed two free throws late, but Eli came through by making two and gave us the 3-point lead,” Riley said. “We did a good job of contesting shots. We came up with enough stops at the end of the game to win.”

Vaughan made five of Heber Springs’ seven 3-pointers. Ozark had six 3-pointers, led by McAnally and Tanner Bailie. The Hillbillies converted 9-of-12 attempts at the free-throw line, while the Panthers made 4-of-7.

“Gavin made big shots,” Riley said. “Ladd (Choate) hit two big 3-pointers. Parker (Brown) battled around the rim. It was a group effort. We are at our best when we are balanced on offense.”

Heber Springs broke a 5-5 tie by going on an 7-3 scoring run and led 12-8 going into the second quarter. The lead changed six times for the remainder of the first half. Vaughn’s jumper tied the game at 22-22 going into the dressing room at halftime.

The Panthers pulled ahead 30-26 midway through the third quarter. Masingale and Kyle Archer each made two free throws as the game was tied at 30-30 going into the fourth quarter.

Riley said the win will give the team momentum for the start of the second half of the conference season.

“We need to keep working hard and getting better,” Riley said. “Ozark’s slow pace didn’t surprise us. They have been trying to play a different way in recent games to take advantage of their strength. They were playing to get a good shot. It was a battle every possession. We made enough shots to win.”

Riley said it was another example of the team continuing its improvement.

“This group of players have dealt with a lot of adversity for the past two years,” he said. “We are playing better and then the Covid-19 altered our schedule. These players are resilient.”

Heber Springs will play two conference road games this week. The Panthers will travel to Morrilton on Tuesday and then play at Subiaco Academy on Friday.

Ozark 8 14 8 6 – 36
Heber Springs 12 10 8 9 – 39
OZARK SCORING (36): Eli Masingale 13, Kayden McAnally 6, Tanner Bailie 6, Kyle Archer 5, Braeson Peters 3, Landon Wright 3.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (39): Gavin Vaughn 17, Parker Brown 8, Ladd Choate 6, Ryan Crocker 4, Eli Riggs 4.

Morrilton wears down Heber Springs

IMG_5535_(2) — Heber Springs’ Parker Brown goes up for a first-half lay-up against Morrilton Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Morrilton’s dominance on the offensive boards wore down the Heber Springs Panthers in Tuesday’s Conference 4-4A basketball game at the Panther Den.

The Devil Dogs (1-1 in Conference 4-4A, 8-6 overall) seized control with a 10-3 scoring run during the second quarter and defeated the Panthers 60-38 and stopped a four-game losing streak.

Heber Springs (1-2 in Conference 4-4A, 10-6 overall) started its latest win streak with a win at Des Arc before sweeping three games and claiming the Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Tournament championship.

“We played hard for most of the game and did a good job of taking away some of the things they wanted to do with Pinion,” said Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley, referring to Razorback signee Joseph Pinion said. “The name of the game was offensive rebounds. We gave up too many. No. 11 (Ja Corey Mosley) crashed the offensive boards hard and probably had his career high scoring game. We must do a better job rebounding and play more physical.”

Mosley, who made 12-of-15 shots, scored a game high 26 points for Morrilton, mostly off offensive rebounds. Pinion had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Julian Brockman grabbed eight rebounds.

Gavin Vaughn, who had three 3-pointers, led the Panthers with 13 points. Ryan Crocker had 12 points. One of Vaughn’s 3-pointers was the only team’s points during the second quarter.

“We need to get Ryan going earlier in the game,” Riley said. “We need players to play more aggressive on offense. It looked like we were intimidated at times. We must learn it doesn’t matter the name on the back of the jersey or where he might be going to college.”

After a couple of lead changes during the opening minutes, Ladd Choate hit a 3-pointer and started a 7-0 scoring run. Crocker and Parker Brown each made field goals as the Panthers pulled ahead, 9-4.

Morrilton responded with an 8-0 run to regain the lead. Roderick Fordren began the charge with a field goal, followed by Dylan Fondren’s free throw. Mosley then scored off an offensive rebound to tie the game at 9-9. The Devil Dogs took the lead on Brockman’s 3-pointer. Morrilton increased lead to five points on Markel Swinton’s field goal.

Heber Springs stayed close and pulled to within 18-16 by the end of the first quarter on Vaughn’s 3-pointer.

The Panthers took the lead for the final time when Vaughn connected from behind the arc early in the second quarter. The Devil Dogs controlled the remainder of the first half by scoring 10 unanswered points for a 28-19 halftime lead.

Morrilton, who led by as much as 16 points, outscored Heber Springs 16-11 during the third quarter and built a 44-30 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Panthers will play their next two games on the road, beginning with Dardanelle on Friday. Heber Springs will travel to Clarksville on Tuesday.

“Dardanelle is going to be a very tough game,” Riley said. “They beat Morrilton (in overtime at Dardanelle). We need to bring our ‘A’ game. We will do our best to play at our pace and move forward.”

Heber Springs’ next home game will be against Pottsville on Jan. 14.

Morrilton 18 10 16 16-60
Heber Springs 16 3 11 8 -38

MORRILTON SCORING (60): Ja Corey Mosley 26, Joseph Pinion 15, Julian Brockman 8, Markel Swinton 8, Roderick Fordren 2, Dylan Fondren 1.

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (38): Gavin Vaughn 13, Ryan Crocker 12, Parker Brown 8, Ladd Choate 3, Eli Riggs 2.

Heber Springs wins tournament title, 10th game

IMG_4583_(2) — The Heber Springs senior boys basketball team after its win over Concord to claim the Mount Vernon-Enola holiday tournament. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

MOUNT VERNON – The Heber Springs Panthers finished 2021 strong and built momentum going into 2022.

Heber Springs held the Concord Pirates to four points during the third quarter and pulled away for a 54-36 win and won the Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Basketball Tournament championship Thursday.

The Panthers (10-5 overall, 1-1 in Conference 4-4A) trailed 9-8 after the first quarter before they rallied for a 19-17 halftime lead and increased it to 34-21 by the end of the third quarter.

Heber Springs reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since the 2015-16 season and won a tournament championship for the first time in more than a decade.

Concord fell to 12-7 on the season.

“They are starting to believe in themselves,” Panther coach Jordan Riley said. “It’s not anything special I’m doing. The players are the reason for the success. They just needed someone who believed in them. I’m proud of their effort, and everything is coming together.”

Riley said getting the 10th win was important.

“It was a milestone that the team wanted to achieve,” he said. “We just need to keep moving forward.”

Ryan Crocker, who finished with 14 points, led the third-quarter charge by scoring six of Heber Springs’ 15 points. Parker Brown led the Panthers with 15 points.

“We did a better job of taking away the things that Concord was doing against our defense during the first half,” said Riley when asked about the second half. “Ryan hit some big shots and gave us separation. Concord has a good team and did a good job attacking our zone defense during the first half. In the second half, we came away with enough rebounds and didn’t give them many second chances.”

The lead changed back and forth during the first quarter. Heber Springs led 8-4 until Concord finished by scoring five unanswered points. Gage Morgan scored on an inside move, and Eli Heigle hit a 3-pointer, giving the Pirates a 9-8 lead going into the second quarter.

The trend continued through the remainder of the first half. Crocker connected on a jumper late in the second quarter as Heber Springs led 19-17 at halftime.

The Panthers outscored the Pirates 35-19 during the second half.

“We didn’t make many shots during the second half,” Concord coach Keith Cornett, who led Heber Springs to the state semifinals during the early 2000s. “Heber should be credited for playing a good 2-3 zone defense. We didn’t take advantage of getting the ball into the post and to players in the corners during the second half. They made shots in the second half, and we didn’t.”

Heber Springs built a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Crocker and point guard Gavin Vaughn (who was selected the tournament’s MVP) went to the bench with four personal fouls. Concord pulled to within seven points before the Panthers finished with a flurry.

“I’m proud of the younger guys who took good care of the ball against Concord’s full-court press and kept the lead,” Riley said. “Once Ryan and Gavin went back into the game, we pulled away. It was a good way to wrap up our non-conference schedule.”

Cornett said the difference in the game came from how Heber Springs played defense during the second half.

“We played okay on defense, but struggle on offense throughout the game,” he said. “We showed fight in the fourth quarter when we reduced Heber’s lead.”

The Panthers will host Morrilton (7-6 overall, 0-1 in Conference 4-4A), led by Razorback signee Joseph Pinion, on Tuesday.

“Morrilton is going to be a tough game, just like the other conference games,” Riley said. “If we can keep playing hard, it will give us a chance for a win every night. Pinion is the best player in the conference.”

Riley said Tuesday’s game will be a challenge for his team.

“We are starting to look like a good basketball team,” he said. “We will do our best to put the guys in the right positions for a chance to win the game.”

Concord 9 8 4 15 -36
Heber Springs 8 11 15 20 -54
CONCORD SCORING (36): Eli Tate 12, Eli Heigle 12, Gage Morgan 9, Dylan Byrd 3.
HEBER SPRINGS SORING (54): Parker Brown 15, Ryan Crocker 14, Gavin Vaughn 9, Eli Riggs 5, J.T. Spears 4, Ladd Choate 3, Adam Winchester 3, Zach Thomas 1.

Panthers win nonconference contest with South Side

IMG_2092_(2) — Heber Springs’ Eli Riggs looks to get past defender, and former Panther, Conner Riddle in action Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Senior Ryan Crocker and junior Gavin Vaughn led a 9-0 scoring run late in the fourth quarter as the Heber Springs Panthers stopped a two-game losing skid by rallying past South Side Bee Branch 41-38 in a nonconference basketball game at the Panther Den on Tuesday.

The Panthers (0-1 in 4-4A, 5-4 overall) returned above .500 on the season before Friday’s 4-4A conference game at Ozark (4-6, 0-0 in the 4-4A).

Vaughn led the Panthers with 12 points, including two 3-pointers. Eli Riggs and J.T. Spears each made two 3-pointers. Crocker also had a 3-pointer.

Former Panther Conner Riddle was the leading scorer for Southside (10-11) with 15 points, including two 3-pointers.

“Ryan did a good job, especially on defense,” Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley said. “He contested shots around the rim and rebounded well. Galvin has come a long way. He is beginning to figure things out, running the show and getting the ball to the right spots.”

The Hornets claimed the lead on a 7-2 scoring run late in the fourth quarter. Riddle’s 3-pointer increased the Hornets’ lead to 35-30 with 3:42 left in the fourth quarter. Heber Springs started its final scoring surge after Crocker’s block of Reese Beaudin’s baseline jumper.

The defensive play resulted into a 3-pointer by Vaughn from the right wing with 3:22 left in the game. After a defensive stop, Crocker connected from behind the arc, giving the Panthers a 36-35 lead with 1:42 to go.

Vaughn converted two free throws and Brown added 1-of-2 for a 39-35 lead with 23 seconds remaining. The lead increased to six points after Riggs and Vaughn each sank 1-of-2 free throws.

South Side’s Whitt Holland hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer.

“We had two close losses (Benton Harmony Grove and Subiaco Academy) and needed to win and did it,” Riley said. “We came up with a turnover (Crocker’s blocked shot) and made a three to take the lead. We held on for the remainder of the game.”

Riggs, Spears and Brown each made field goals for a 6-0 Heber Springs lead early in the first quarter. Beaudin and Riddle each scored baskets, but the Panthers scored the next five points for an 11-4 lead going into the second quarter.

Riggs connected on a 3-point jumper for the largest lead of the game, 16-8. The Hornets finished with a 7-0 run, capped by Holland’s 3-pointer as Heber Springs led 16-15 at halftime.

The lead changed four times during the third quarter. South Side led 24-20 before Brown led the Panther charge late in the quarter with two free throws, and Spears hit a 3-pointer for a 25-24 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“J.T. stepped up and made two big shots (3-pointers),” Riley said. “I’m proud of the way we adjusted during the second half. Offensively, we had too many turnovers during the first half that caused problems. We started to play the right way during the second half and got the job done.”

Riley said the win will give his team confidence going into Friday’s game at Ozark as well as the second half of the season.

“If we can reduce turnovers and make free throws better, we have a chance for a good season,” he said. “We were two possessions away from being 7-2. I feel good where the team is right now. This win will give us confidence. I hope it also gets the players believing in themselves more. That will help put us on the right track.”

Southside Bee Branch           4 11 9 14--38
Heber Springs                 11  5 9 16--41
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (38): Conner Riddle 15, Reese Beaudin 9, Whitt Holland 6, Nathan Emmart 6, Tyler Sullivan 2.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (41): Gavin Vaughn 12, Eli Riggs 9, J.T. Spears 8, Parker Brown 7, Ryan Crocker 5.

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HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS
2021-2022
(Click on a game for previous details)
(Record: 5-4, 4-4A Conference: 0-1)
Nov. 18   Heber Springs 43, Bald Knob 37
Nov. 22   Guy-Perkins 54, Heber Springs 39
Nov. 23   Heber Springs 46, Shirley 34
Nov. 29   Conway St. Joseph 37, Heber Springs 30 +
Dec. 02   Heber Springs 43, Mayflower 41 +
Dec. 04   Heber Springs 36, South Side Bee Branch 25 +
Dec. 07   Benton Harmony Grove 31, Heber Springs 29
Dec. 10   Subiaco Academy 43, Heber Springs 40 *
Dec. 14   Heber Springs 41, South Side Bee Branch 38
Dec. 17   at Ozark (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Dec. 20   at Lonoke (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. 
Dec. 21   at Des Arc (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m.
Dec. 28-30 at Mount Vernon-Enola Tournament (SG, SB)
Jan. 04   Morrilton (SGJV, SBJV, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Jan. 07   at Dardanelle (JG, JB. SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 11   at Clarksville (SBJV, SG, SB), 5 p.m. *
Jan. 14   Pottsville (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 21   Ozark (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 25   at Morrilton (SGJB, SBJB, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Jan. 28   at Subiaco Academy (JB, SB), 5 p.m.
Feb. 01   Dardanelle (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m.
Feb. 03   Clarksville (SBJV, SG, SB), 5 p.m. *
Feb. 08   at Pottsville (SGJV, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Feb. 14   District Tournament at Subiaco Academy
( + - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)

Heber Springs tops South Side Bee Branch

Heber Springs’ Ryan Crocker looks to get past South Side Bee Branch’s Gage Johnston in action at the Family Activities Center in Conway. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

CONWAY – J.T Spears hit a 3-pointer right before the half and Heber Springs didn’t look back in claiming a 36-25 victory over South Side Bee Branch in a consolation contest from the St. Joseph tournament.

The two teams were tied at 15-all with 60 seconds left before the break when Spears hit the field goal.

The game would remain tight throughout the third quarter as Heber Springs led 23-19 with 1:53 left in the stanza before Spears and Ryan Crocker hit 3-pointers to push the advantage to double figures.

Heber Springs finished 2-1 in the tournament as all six teams finished pool play with 1-1 marks.

“It was a really strong field with competitive games,” Heber Springs coach Jordan Riley said. “(I am) proud of these guys. I think there were a couple of games that we might have lost early in the season. but we are learning how to play the right way.

“They are doing a great job of buying in and doing what’s asked of them, I am really proud of their effort.”

Spears was one of three Panthers to finish in double figures in scoring with 11 as Gavin Vaughn also finished with 11 with Parker Brown adding 10.

Heber Springs limited Conner Riddle, who played last season for the Panthers, to 2 points.

“They have a really good team,” Riley said. “Of course they have Conner Riddle, who played at Heber last year and was a big part of what they did, we followed the game plan which was to contain Conner and the rest of their shooters on the outside and try to limit the damage they did around the basket. Offensively we wanted to be really patient, take what shots were good for us and get guys the ball in the right spot. I thought the guys executed really well.”

With the win, Heber Springs improved to 4-2 on the season. The four wins are one more than the Panthers have had the past two seasons (three).

“Just like in this game, learning how to play the right when you have a double digit lead with four minutes left, we are not going to play exactly the same way you would the rest of the game,” Riley said. “They have never really played like that, and they are staring to figure that out.

“I am really proud of their effort. Learning how to win is part of the process. They are 4-2 and I am not sure how many people expected us to be here. I am not sure how many people in that locker rom expected to here, but they are buying in, working hard every day, and when you do those things the wins come.”

Heber Springs will open conference play Friday at home against Subiaco Academy.

“They are really tough, but it’s going to be like that every night in our league,” Riley said. “We play in a really tough league. We are going to have play the right way consistently to be able to compete and hoepfully come up with quite a few wins.”

HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (36): Gavin Vaughn 11, Ryan Crocker 6, J.T. Spears 11, Parker Brown 10.

SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (25): Whitt Holland 3, Nathan Emmert 2, Gage Johnston 10, Conner Riddle 2, Reece Beaudin 5, Hayden Black 3.

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HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS
2021-2022
(Click on a game for previous details)
(Record: 4-2, 4-4A Conference: 0-0)
Nov. 18   Heber Springs 43, Bald Knob 37
Nov. 22   Guy-Perkins 54, Heber Springs 39
Nov. 23   Heber Springs 46, Shirley 34
Nov. 29   Conway St. Joseph 37, Heber Springs 30 +
Dec. 02   Heber Springs 43, Mayflower 41 +
Dec. 04   Heber Springs 36, South Side Bee Branch 25 +
Dec. 07   at Benton Harmony Grove (JG, SG, SB), 5 p.m.
Dec. 10   Subiaco Academy (JB, SB), 5 p.m.
Dec. 14   South Side Bee Branch (JG, SG, SB), 5 p.m.
Dec. 17   at Ozark (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Dec. 20   at Lonoke (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. 
Dec. 21   at Des Arc (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m.
Dec. 28-30 at Mount Vernon-Enola Tournament (SG, SB)
Jan. 04   Morrilton (SGJV, SBJV, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Jan. 07   at Dardanelle (JG, JB. SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 11   at Clarksville (SBJV, SG, SB), 5 p.m. *
Jan. 14   Pottsville (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 21   Ozark (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m. *
Jan. 25   at Morrilton (SGJB, SBJB, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Jan. 28   at Subiaco Academy (JB, SB), 5 p.m.
Feb. 01   Dardanelle (JG, JB, SG, SB), 4 p.m.
Feb. 03   Clarksville (SBJV, SG, SB), 5 p.m. *
Feb. 08   at Pottsville (SGJV, SG, SB), 6 p.m. *
Feb. 14   District Tournament at Subiaco Academy
( + - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)

Riley takes reigns of Panther basketball program

*New Heber Springs senior boys basketball* **Jordan Riley** *. Riley’s father, Alvin, coached the Heber Springs boys team to one of the program’s best seasons ever in 1988-89.* **PHILIP SEATON PHOTO**

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Jordan Riley said becoming the new head boys’ basketball coach at Heber Springs was like coming home.

Riley was born in 1990 at Heber Springs when his father, Alvin Riley, coached the Panthers and his aunt, Kristie Dunlap was head coach of the Lady Panthers.

“It will give me a chance of living closer to family,” said Riley when asked about what attracted him to the job. “Heber (Springs) boys do have a good history, but not great lately. It’s an opportunity to build the program back to success. Heber (Springs) is an awesome community with good fan support I feel good about what we can accomplish.”

Riley’s wife, Kelsi, who is a business teacher at Midland High School, will serve in a similar capacity at HSHS. The Rileys are parents of a son, Drew, 14-months-old.

Alvin Riley coached the Panthers for three years, beginning with the 1988-89 season. Riley led the Panthers to a 24-8 record and the quarterfinals of the Class 3A tournament. The 24 wins was a school single-season record at that time.

Heber Springs advanced to the regional tournament under Riley during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons.

Riley said his father has been the biggest influence on his coaching career.

“He won more than 800 games during his career, and he is a tough path to follow,” Riley said. “I will try and carry on that legacy.”

Jordan Riley is a graduate of Vilonia High School. At that time, Heber Springs superintendent Dr. Andy Ashley was the Vilonia assistant principal. Heber Springs athletic director Tim Bullington, who was an assistant coach for Alvin Riley, severed as a school administrator at Vilonia.

Jordan Riley graduated with a degree in management information systems from the University of Central Arkansas in 2013. He worked the next four years at Acxiom in Conway before deciding to pursue his dream of becoming a coach.

Riley received a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2017 and was named assistant coach at Two Rivers High School in Ola. He was promoted the next season to head coach and held that position for the next three years.

Riley led Two Rivers to back-to-back state tournaments before becoming head girls coach at Southside Batesville in 2019.

Riley coached the past two seasons at Southside Batesville. The Lady Southerners were 6-21 the year before he was named head coach and finished 17-9 last season.

Riley will be a head coach of a boys’ team for the first time, but he believes the transition will go smooth.

“The key is learn how to handle each player,” he said. “Every person is different. The main thing is to show the players you care for them and want to help them become the best it can be.”

Riley is ready to start as soon as his schedule allows and plans to meet this week with his new players. He will look at the strengths of his players in formulating a system for the Panthers.

“We will play at the pace that benefits us,” he said. “We will not necessary play just fast or slow. I prefer playing a physical man-to-man defense. The most important thing on offense is taking good shots.”

Riley hopes to get a start on Riley will juggle time between Southside and Heber Springs for the remainder of the school year.

“I would love to start practice because some of the players will be in football,” he said. “It takes time to put in a system.”

Riley will become the fifth head coach in six seasons of the Panthers and looks forward to turning the program around. Heber Springs was 1-23 last season.

“I watched the team on film and they have some good players,” he said. “The junior high group coming up is talented. The pieces are there for a good team.”

Dusty West served as interim coach this past season and was teammates with Riley at Vilonia.