Tag: Larry McCarty

Heber Springs falls to Pottsville

Heber Springs senior Adam Martin makes a move against Pottsville during Tuesday’s game at the Panther Den. MICHELLE McCARTY PHOTO

January 7, 2020

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Pottsville opened the game by scoring seven consecutive points and defeated the Heber Springs Panthers 59-26 in a 4-4A Conference basketball game at the Panther Den.

The Panthers trailed 18-4 after the first quarter and 41-15 at halftime. Pottsville led 50-18 going into the fourth quarter.

Adam Martin scored 12 points for Heber Springs. Zach Byrum led Pottsville with 15 points. Matthew Moore had 14 points and Kade Mainhart finished with 10 points.

“We got open shots, but we had too many turnovers,” Heber Springs coach Chad Johnson said. “The turnovers limited our scoring opportunities. Pottsville was quick and utilized its speed, which caused us problems.”
Heber Springs had eight healthy players available, and Johnson said that also was a factor.

“Our depth again was a problem,” he said. “Pottsville had 17 players and put in new five players throughout the games. The lack of depth prevents players from getting a break when they need one.”

Heber Springs (1-2 in conference, 1-12 overall) will look to even its conference record at Subiaco Academy on Friday. The junior high game will start at 5 p.m., followed by the senior boys.

“Subiaco Academy has good athletes,” Johnson said. “It will be a tough road test.”

POTTSVILLE 59, HEBER SPRINGS 26
Pottsville   18 23 9 9 - 59
Heber Springs 4 11 3 8 - 26
POTTSVILLE SCORING (59): Zach Byrum 15, Matthew Moore 14, Kade Mainhart 10, Trevor Lyles 6, Trey Thurman 4, Jan Francis 3, Drew Rust 2, Cache Linker 2, Quinn Lee 2, Ethan Bradley 1.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (26): Adam Martin 12, Garrett Hudspeth 6, Dalton McCollum 5, Wyatt Sanders 3. 
4A-4 SENIOR BOYS STANDINGS
                 Conference Season
Pottsville           3-0      5-6
Morrilton            3-0     11-5
Dardanelle           2-1     15-1
Ozark                1-1      7-6
Heber Springs        1-2      1-12
Clarksville          1-2      5-10
Subiaco Academy      0-2      4-9
Dover                0-3      4-11  
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE RESULTS
RECORD: 1-12
4A-4 RECORD: 1-2
November 21 - Riverview 68, Heber Springs 36
November 26 - Clinton 71, Heber Springs 35
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 44, Heber Springs 21 #
December 5 - South Side Bee Branch 50, Heber Springs 49 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 37, Dover 32 ^
December 12 - South Side Bee Branch 64, Heber Springs 53
December 13 - Marshall 69, Heber Springs 43
December 16 - White County Central 65, Heber Springs 43
December 20 - Ozark 69, Heber Springs 34 ^
December 26 - Rose Bud 68, Heber Springs 65 (OT) *
December 27 - Batesville 72, Heber Springs 60 *
December 28 - Mayflower 66, Heber Springs 41 *
January 7 - Pottsville 59, Heber Springs 26 ^
January 10 - at Subiaco Academy ^
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 7 - Subiaco Academy ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

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

Interviews for Heber Springs football coach continue Wednesday

January 7, 2020

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

A second round of interviews with Heber Springs High School head football coaching candidates will be held on Wednesday.

The five-member search committee met last week after the initial interviews of six candidates in December.

Assistant coach Will Cox was named interim head coach in July, replacing Darren Gowen, who resigned in June.

Heber Springs finished the season at 4-7.

Superintendent Dr. Alan Stauffacher earlier said he expected a recommendation for the school board’s January 20 meeting. Stauffacher said the recommendation may be delayed.

Athletic director Brad Reese, high school principal Marc Griffin, former school board member Richard Whybrew, current board member Dr. Ryan Buffalo, coach Jay Bishop and Stauffacher comprise the committee.

Lady Panthers fall in third-place game

Mayflower’s Hailey Carney and Heber Springs’ Mary Shearer battle for a loose ball during the third-place game at the Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

December 28, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

A week of no games may be coming at the right times for the Heber Springs Lady Panthers.

The Lady Panthers finished the Steve Landers Cowboy Chevrolet-Heber Springs Holiday Basketball Classic with a 58-37 loss in the third-place game to Mayflower at the Panther Den Saturday.

Heber Springs (10-4) started the tournament with a win against DeWitt before Friday’s loss to Pea Ridge in the semifinals. The Lady Panthers will not play again until resuming 4-4A Conference play by hosting Pottsville on Tuesday.

“We played fairly well in the first tournament game, played well in the second game until a bad fourth quarter,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “It seemed we didn’t get over Friday’s loss.”

Heber Springs had a good start and stayed close throughout the first quarter. The Panthers trailed 8-7 midway through the quarter and took a 9-8 lead on Libby Stutts’ field goal. Mayflower then seized control and outscored Heber Springs 9-4 for a 17-13 lead going into the second quarter.

Ellie Riddle, who led the Lady Panthers with 21 points, made two jump shots and 1-of-2 free throws to reduce Mayflower’s lead to 19-18.

Kamiah Turner, who also had 21 points for Mayflower and playing with a broken nose, scored on an inside move and the Lady Eagles followed with a 6-1 scoring run and increased their lead to 27-19 by halftime.

Mayflower returned for the third quarter and maintained control with a 13-9 scoring run and led 40-28 going into the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t shoot well and forced a lot of shots,” Jamey Riddle said. “Mayflower played well, especially the big post girls, and got good guard play. We didn’t do that.”

Shooting will become one of the areas the team will work on in practice, but Riddle said rebounding must improve.

“We need Ellie to play that way, but our rebounding must get better and that is one of her roles,” he said.

Riddle believes the extra practice time will benefit the team as it prepares to resume conference play.

“Sometimes coming off a tough loss and a game you didn’t play well, practices are what you need,” he said. “We need to get back into the gym and work on things.”

Heber Springs is 2-0 against conference teams and will play one of the contenders for its next game.

“It’s conference games for the remainder of the season,” Riddle said. “Pottsville is one of the top teams. We can’t play this way against them. We need to play like the first three quarters against Pea Ridge.”

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS 
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 10-4
4A-4 RECORD: 2-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - Marshall 70, Heber Springs 52
December 16 - Heber Springs 51, White County Central 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 55, Ozark 42 ^
December 26 - Heber Springs 70, DeWitt 34 *
December 27 - Pea Ridge 49, Heber Springs 44 *
December 28 - Mayflower 58, Heber Springs 37 *
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

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

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

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

December 20, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 20, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interviews begin today for Heber Springs football coach

December 18, 2019

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

A five-member search committee, along with Superintendent Dr. Alan Stauffacher, will interview six candidates to become the next head football coach at Heber Springs High School Wednesday.

Athletic director Brad Reese, high school principal Marc Griffin, former school board member Richard Whybrew, current board member Dr. Ryan Buffalo and coach Jay Bishop comprise the committee.

Stauffacher said the plan is to conduct the first round of interviews before Christmas and possibly calling for second interviews either in late December or early January. He said the committee’s goal is to have a recommendation ready for the Jan. 20 school board meeting.

Assistant coach Will Cox was named interim head coach in July, replacing Darren Gowen, who resigned in June.

“The committee and I met twice and reviewed the applications,” Stauffacher said. “We decided on who would be interviewed and possibly the best fit for the job. We plan to keep our options open. We wanted to do the first round of interviews before Christmas, and then we will look at where we are at that point.”

The search process began following the completion of the football season in mid-November.

“I’m pleased with the six candidates,” Stauffacher said. “We are looking for a quality person to lead the football program. We also want a coach who wants to be at Heber Springs, become vested into the community and build the program. We want a coach with high energy and a proven record. Those are some of the qualities we are looking for in the next coach.”

If a new coach is hired at the January school board meeting, Stauffacher hopes to have him on campus by late February or possibly early March.

“The holiday may delay it, but I believe we can have a recommendation by the next board meeting,” Stauffacher said. “We will have to wait and see how the process goes.”

Lady Panthers open 4A-4 play with victory

December 10, 2019

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

DOVER – The Heber Springs Lady Panthers withstood a barrage of 3-pointers and opened the Conference 4-4A basketball schedule by defeating Dover, 59-56, Tuesday.

Ellie Riddle led the Lady Panthers (1-0 in conference, 7-1 overall) with a game-high 22 points. Jillian Herring had 15 points. Libby Stutts and Claudia Newberry each scored 10 points.

Amelia Besterfeldt (19 points) and Kaylee Singleton (11 points) each made three 3-pointers for Dover (0-1 in conference, 5-4 overall). Avery Reichert made two 3-pointers.

“I knew Dover was small in size and could shoot the three,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We tried to spread our defense out and get a hand in their faces. Dover shot the ball well. We dug down, and we made stops and shots when it was needed to win the game.”

Riddle liked his team’s balanced scoring.

“One of the good things about this team is either of the five starters can be the leading scorer,” he said. “That can be good and lead to success.”

Riddle told the team before the start of the game that it was important to start the conference season with a win.

“I told them it will start with this game,” Riddle said. “If we have the desire of winning the conference championship, we needed a win.”

The Lady Panthers responded, but it was not easy.

“We won a tough game on the road,” Riddle said. “We switched defenses to try and throw them out. We made them rush some  shots, and we were able to get rebounds. We played with a lot of fire in the first half. Dover came back and made shots in the second half.”

Heber Springs led 11-9 midway through the first quarter before gaining its first double digit lead. The Lady Panthers finished with a 14-4 scoring run and took a 25-13 lead into the second quarter.

Dover gained ground with three 3-pointers and reduced Heber Springs’ lead to 38-30 by halftime. The Lady Panthers took a 53-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
Dover pulled to within 58-56 with less than a minute left in the game. Herring made 1-of-2 free throws, while Heber Springs held the Lady Pirates in the final seconds.

The Lady Panthers will play road games against Marshall on Friday and at White County Central on Tuesday.

“Those will be two tough games before hosting Ozarks (Dec. 20) in conference play,” Riddle said. “Both schools are having good seasons.”

Heber Springs 25 13 15 6 -59
Dover 13 17 12 14 -56
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (59): Ellie Riddle 22, Jillian Herring 15, Libby Stutts 10,  Claudia Newberry 10, Hailey Bresnahan 2.
DOVER SCORING (56): Amelia Besterfeldt 19, Kaylee Singleton 11, Jacqueline Fields 9, Avery Reichert 6, Audrey Reichert 6, Haley Villareal 4, Gracie Bowden 1.

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS 
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 7-1
4A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - 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 Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)

Heber Springs claims first win on Tuesday

December 10, 2019

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

DOVER – Heber Springs answered the challenge, broke into the win column for the first time this season and started the boys’ Conference 4-4A basketball schedule with a 37-32 win against Dover Tuesday.

The Panthers (1-0 in conference, 1-4 overall) played without Ryan Crocker and Logan Monahan, who missed the game because of illness. An ankle injury sidelined Hunter Griffin.

Adam Martin, who made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 30 seconds to preserve the lead, led Heber Springs with 15 points. Dalton McCollum contributed 11 points. Josh Besterfeldt led Dover (0-1 in conference, 4-5 overall) with nine points.

“This was a total team effort without a doubt,” Heber Springs coach Chad Johnson said. “We faced a lot of adversity with a starter (Crocker) and our sixth man (Monahan) out because of the flu. We lost one of our posts (Griffin) to an ankle injury. It was a tough environment, but we pulled out the win. I could not be more proud of the team.”

Dover took a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter. Heber Springs responded as Martin scored to tie the game. McCollum made two field goals, giving the Panthers a 6-2 lead going into the second quarter.

Heber Springs scored seven consecutive points to start the second quarter. Johnson said that was his team’s response to the challenge of starting the game fast.

“We had to play with intensity from the beginning of the game,” he said. “We wanted to take the game to them. We played a tremendous defensive game. Besterfeldt is a good player and Caden Frazier a good post. We defended both players well. Defense won this game.”

Dover kept within striking distance throughout the remainder of the first half. Each team each scored eight points as the Panthers led 21-10 at halftime.

Heber Springs’ advantage slipped to four points during the third quarter The Panthers withstood Dover’s challenge and took a 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter.

Dover pulled to within 34-30 with less than two minutes left in the game. Martin made 3-of-4 free throws during the final minute.

“I knew Dover would not roll over in the second half,” Johnson said. “They kept battling until the end of the game. We responded with good defense.”
Heber Springs will play three straight nonconference road games against South Side Bee Branch today (Thursday), followed by Marshall (Friday) and White County Central (Tuesday). The Panthers will return to conference play by hosting Ozarks on Dec. 20.


Heber Springs 6 15 3 13 — 37
Dover 2 8 7 15 — 32
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (37): Adam Martin 15, Dalton McCollum 11, Garrett Hudspeth 8, Wyatt Sanders 2, Zach Thomas 1.
DOVER SCORING (32): Josh Besterfeldt 9, Caden Frazier 8, Ross Laffoon 7, Landen Parker 5, Zeke Stanek 3.

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE RESULTS
RECORD: 1-4
4A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 21 - Riverview 68, Heber Springs 36
November 26 - Clinton 71, Heber Springs 35
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 44, Heber Springs 21 #
December 5 - South Side Bee Branch 50, Heber Springs 49 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 37, Dover 32 ^
December 12 - at South Side Bee Branch
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 10 - at Subiaco Academy ^
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 7 - Subiaco Academy ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)

Heber Springs takes consolation bracket at tourney

December 10, 2019

BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Lady Panthers won two of three games at the Joe Mallett Classic and hope the momentum carries over to Tuesday’s Conference 4-4A basketball opener at Dover.

Heber Springs (6-1) lost to host Conway St. Joseph, but the Lady Panthers finished strong by defeating South Side Bee Branch and Wonderview, the defending 1A state champions.

“We had a great tournament,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “It was good to play a team like St. Joseph for the first game. We didn’t shoot well after the Thanksgiving break, but it still was a good game. We beat South Side for the second time this season and Wonderview was a good game for us, too. We had a good tournament against tough competition. I’m pleased how we played overall.”

Heber Springs started the season with four wins before its first loss. Riddle said the defeat taught his team valuable lessons, which can be used to play better in the future.

“Sometimes it’s better to get a loss early in the season,” he said. “The team learned you have to be ready for every game. We adjusted our full-court press against St. Joseph and did a good job of doing it. We played our regular full-court press against South Side, and it worked in that game. We shot well against Wonderview We found a way to win the last two games.”

Riddle said the Lady Panthers benefited from the overtime win at Clinton before Thanksgiving and that helped in preparing for the tournament.

“Clinton was a great atmosphere,” he said. “We overcame foul trouble with our bench players playing well. We did a good job of handling Clinton’s pressure defense. We made shots and got rebounds. We were glad to come out on top.”

Heber Springs will look to continue the momentum from the first seven games against Dover.

“We play those games to get ready for the conference schedule,” Riddle said. “The situations we faced will help to prepare us. But we must shoot free throws better. Our free-throw shooting helped to win the Clinton game. If we had made more free throws, the Wonderview game would not have been as close. “

(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This story was posted after Heber Springs’ opening 4A-4 conference game on Tuesday. The Lady Panthers won 59-56. McCarty will have story later on MarkedTime.com about Tuesday’s win by the Panthers.)

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS 
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 7-1
4A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - 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 Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)


Panthers resilient despite 0-4 start

November 10, 2019

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

Heber Springs coach Chad Johnson never put his finger on pushing the panic button despite the Panthers starting the season at 0-4.

Johnson said the players, a majority who played football, continues to make the transition from the gridiron to the court, and he sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Heber Springs came close to that first win Thursday, falling to South Side Bee Branch, 50-49, at the Joe Mallett Classic in Conway.

“It was a battle,” Johnson said. “We trailed by 11 points in the first half and chipped away. We trailed by one point with 16 seconds left in the game. South Side had the ball and turned it over with 13.5 seconds to go. We got a good shot that rimmed out. We got the rebound and shot again, but it was blocked out of bounds with no time left.”

Heber Springs played tough competition, starting the season five days after the football playoffs The Panthers hosted Riverview, then played at Clinton and then played two games at the tournament.

The four opponents have winning records and a combined record of 21-9.

“I’m pleased with the team’s progress, especially against South Side,” Johnson said. “We could have folded by losing the first four games, but they didn’t. We are battling every game to the end. I’m proud of the players for doing that. We have a tough schedule and no creampuffs.”

Johnson said the players have improved, thanks to focusing on basketball, and he expects success to come soon.

“We are working on shooting at every practice,” he said. “We need more players contributing with scoring. We are playing good defense and our endurance is increasing. The players are playing with intensity for the entire game. They are playing with more energy, enthusisam and desire.”

Johnson said playing good competition will benefit the team in the long run.

“Our early schedule has been an eye opener and pushed the players to get better quickly,” he said. “We don’t have much height and must take advantage of our speed. We are excuting better on offense and need to make more shots. I’m pleased where we are right now.”

Heber Springs will open the Conference 4-4A schedule at Dover on Tuesday.

“Our conference is very tough, but we have a strong will to win,” Johnson said. “Four teams advanced deep in last year’s playoffs. That shows the strength of our conference. There are no weak teams.”

Johnson said work remains, but the team is capable of meeting the challenge.

“We must improve our shooting, but we also need improvement in all areas of the game,” he said. “We have players who want to win games and they are willing to put in the effort to be successful. We can do that with hard work.”

(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This story was posted after Heber Springs’ opening 4A-4 conference game on Tuesday. The Panthers won 37-32. McCarty will have story later on MarkedTime.com about Tuesday’s win by the Panthers.)

HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE RESULTS
RECORD: 1-4
4A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 21 - Riverview 68, Heber Springs 36
November 26 - Clinton 71, Heber Springs 35
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 44, Heber Springs 21 #
December 5 - South Side Bee Branch 50, Heber Springs 49#
December 10 - Heber Springs 37, Dover 32 ^
December 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 10 - at Subiaco Academy ^
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 7 - Subiaco Academy ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle

(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)