Tag: Wyatt Winchester

Panthers continue to work toward opener

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By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY


Heber Springs coach Todd Wood and his staff hopes to learn answers after the Panthers tangle in a benefit football scrimmage at Beebe on Tuesday.
Action will start at 6 p.m. with the teams participating in sets of plays on offense and defense. The scrimmage will conclude with the two teams playing for two quarters.

Wood, who was 2-9 in his first year as head coach, and the staff is optimistic that the team will enjoy success during the 2021 season.

“One of the big changes has been a spring camp and summer workouts going into fall practice,” Wood said when asked about the team’s progress. “We are more advanced at this point than last year. .”

Wood said the addition of one coach to the staff helps to spread teaching responsibility among coaches with players at all positions. Ryan Bridges, who previously coached at White Hall, is working primarily with the defensive line. He also is the school’s new baseball coach.

One of the big questions on offense going into the season is determining a starting quarterback. Wood said senior John McBroome, who started two games last season, and sophomore Xander Lindley have emerged as the top two candidates. Wood hopes for a starter to emerge from the scrimmage.

“John has a little more experience with the offense,” Wood said. “Xander was a receiver on last year’s successful junior high team, but he has prior quarterbacking experience. Xander has a good arm and a lot of speed. We plan to give them equal reps at Tuesday’s scrimmage. We also will take at look at Wyatt Winchester.”

Jackson West and sophomore Parker Brown are battling for the starting role at running back. West and Brown also are in the plans at receiver.

“Jackson is slightly ahead at running back,” Wood said. “We also plan to look at Gideon Tate at running back.”

The receiving corps may be the most experience group of players. With a year in the system, Wood believes they will have a bigger impact this season

“Gus Hannah is one of our fastest players on the team and runs excellent routes,” Wood said. “Easton Cusick gained speed and size during the offseason. Dalton Yancey played well for the junior high team last year. Austin Winchester can play a role and will get playing time. Chris Edwards may play at receiver and also start at cornerback. We need to figure out how to use all of the players.”

Three starters return on the offensive line — center Zach Thomas, left guard Peyton Owens and left tackle Thad Bray. Tristan Thissen is the leading candidate at right guard and Corbin Jones at right tackle.

Wood said Lucas Langster, who will start at defensive end, is the backup behind Owens. Blaze Emerson is the likely backup at right guard.

“Thad is our anchor on the line,” Wood said. “Zach can make the calls for the line. We are thin in numbers on the line, but we have players to fill all positions.”

Wood expects the defense will be improved and trying to limit the number of players playing both ways.

“We are looking for effort from the defense,” said Wood when asked about objectives of Tuesday’s scrimmage. “We want to play more physical than last year and tackle well.”

Langster and Jones will play the ends on defense with Emerson at nose guard. Owens and Joenah Cordell will provide depth.

Kenan Sneed, the leading tackler for the Panthers last season, leads the linebacking corps. Thissen is the likely starter at the other inside linebacker with Thomas also expected to play. Chris Roberts, Hayden Johnson, Hayden Davis and Tate rotating at the outside linebackers.

Except for Edwards, the secondary lacks varsity experience, but Wood is confident of the players to play well.

Zane Lozeau, a transfer from Dover, and Zack Parker are battling for the starting job at the cornerback opposite Edwards. Chandler Webber will also play at cornerback. Gage Buford and Colton Turley are the likely starters at the safeties.

“Edwards is one of the strongest players on the team,” Wood said. “We have the players and just need to put them in the right spots.”

After Tuesday’s scrimmage, the Panthers will have a three-week wait until the season opener at Newport on Sept. 3.

“The best thing about the time from the scrimmage to the season opener is the team can make the necessary adjustments,” Wood said. “We will not show everything against Beebe during the scrimmage.”

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Panthers wrap up spring practice, head into summer

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

What a difference one year makes for head coach Todd Wood and the Heber Springs Panther football team.

After surviving the trials of COVID-19 and a 2-9 record during the 2020 season, Wood and the Panthers completed their first spring practice and head into the 2021 season with high hopes.

“We worked out three times a week, and Tuesdays and Thursdays were learning days,” Wood said. “The players remembered what they learned last year, and we tried to build on that. We fine-tuned what we learned. One of our goals was to put players in the right position on offense and defense going into fall practice.”

Wood said the year of experience helped he and his staff to learn more about players’ skill level.

“I made the defensive calls during previous years and needed time to learn in calling the plays for the offense,” he said. “I’m not where I want to be, but farther ahead for next season. The best part is is we have a better idea where each player should be on offense and defense.”

One of the team’s questions going into next season will be developing a new starting quarterback. Matthew Cook, who has graduated, moved into that role beginning with the third game last season.

Sophomore Xander Lindley, junior Wyatt Winchester and senior John McBroome took most of the snaps during spring drills.

“McBroom (who started the first two games last season) is back,” Wood said. “He has been working on improving his footwork and increased his speed, so he can escape out of the pocket and throw on the run. We are working with him to read defenses and where to throw the ball.”

Winchester worked at quarterback last year, but he had limited game action.

“He (Winchester) has the strongest arm of the three players,” Wood said. “He needs to work on his footwork and being more of a mobile quarterback, plus read defenses better.”

Lindley, who was on last year’s junior high school team, has limited experience.

“He has a good arm, very mobile, reads defenses well and throws to the right receiver,” Wood said. “He will get a strong look because of his mobility. We hope to have a starter in place by our preseason scrimmage (at Beebe on Aug. 17).”

Jackson West is the leading candidate to start at running back.

“He was the backup last year,” Wood said. “We like him at receiver with his height and good hands. Parker Brown also has good hands, along with a lot of speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash). Parker also is a possibility at running back, along with Gideon Tate.”

The Panthers also have experience back at receiver with Gus Hannah, Easton Cusick and West. Brown, Austin Winchester and Dalton Yancey also are candidates.

“Gus will be one of our quicker receivers and a primary target,” Wood said. “Easton has worked hard during the offseason to build his body up and increase his speed. Gus and Easton will be our mainstays. Austin had a good spring and is a big target for the underneath passes. I feel good about our receivers.”

Chris Edwards, a projected starter at cornerback, could see action at receiver.

Three starters return on the offensive line — tackle Thad Bray, center Zach Thomas and guard Peyton Owens. Tripp Young is a projected starter at the other guard with the other tackle spot  undetermined.

“We were able to get into the weight room and steadily increased our maximum lifts during the spring,” Wood said. “The players gained weight, and we should be OK on the line.”

Wood said Lucas Langster, who is projected as a starter on the defensive line, and Corbin Jones could play on the offensive line.

Wood liked the defense’s progress and hopes few players will have to go both ways.

“I’m happy with the defense, particularly in the secondary,” he said. “We will have two new linebackers. We will do more fine-tuning going into fall practice.”

Wood said the goal is to have as few players as possible playing on offense and defense fulltime.

“We may go with players who you didn’t see on the field much last year,” he said. “Chris Benton is a big boy and give us more size at nose guard.

Blaze Emerson and Jones also will play with Langster at defensive end. We plan also to rotate guys like Bray, Owens and Young to help with depth.”

Kenan Sneed, last year’s leading tackler, returns at linebacker. Thomas is expected to play at inside linebacker. Hayden Johnson, Hayden Davis, Dakota Farmer, Tate and West are candidates at outside linebacker.

Edwards is the projected starter at one cornerback with the starter undetermined at the other cornerback spot. Gage Buford and Colton Turley are the expected starters at the safeties.

“I liked what I’ve seen in the secondary,” Wood said.

Heber Springs will compete at the Greenbrier 7-on-7 tournament on June 10. The Panthers will be participating in a 7-on-7 event at Carlisle and possibly one more tournament, plus two team camps.

Morrilton slams Heber Springs

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ramblers defeat Panthers in nonconference tilt

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

It’s back to the grind of the 4-4A Conference basketball schedule for the Heber Springs Panthers. Heber Springs lost at Sheridan in the first game since Christmas and dropped a 67-43 decision to Rose Bud at the Panther Den on Saturday.

The Panthers (0-2 in conference, 1-12 overall) were scheduled to resume conference play at Morrilton on Tuesday.

Conner Riddle and Ryan Crocker scored 38 of the 43 points for Heber Springs. Riddle scored a game-high 24 points, followed by Crocker with 14 points. Rece Hipp led Rose Bud with 23 points and Jace Goodwin had 10 points.

“It was good to get back in the gym,” Heber Springs coach Dusty West said. “A team can learn and improve more playing games than just practicing. We dug ourselves a big hole early in the game, trailing by 17 points at one point in the first half before reducing it to eight points by halftime. We came back for the second half and didn’t play with a lot of energy.”

Rose Bud scored 12 unanswered points to start the game. Riddle put the Panthers on the scoreboard with less than four minutes left in the first quarter by making two free throws. Heber Springs played almost even during the next three minutes with the Ramblers. Rose Bud outscored the Panthers 9-7 and took a 21-9 lead into the second quarter. The Ramblers increased their margin to 17 points before Crocker’s 3-pointer started a Heber Springs scoring run. The Panthers pulled to within five points at 24-19, but the Ramblers survived the charge and increased the lead to 34-26 by halftime. Rose Bud went on an 18-9 scoring run during the third quarter for a 52-33 lead going in the final quarter.

“We had moments when we played well and moments we didn’t play as well,” West said. “We just need to focus on the next two games, which are against conference opponents. The players are still working hard and giving good effort. We need to find a way to get over the hump.”

Rose Bud 21 13 18 15–67

Heber Springs 9 17 7 10–43

Rose Bud scorers — Rece Hipp 23, Jace Goodwin 10, Jared Wray 9, Gavin Vaughn 7, Avery Orman 7, Matthew Waggoner 5, Dalton Gorham 4, Caden Heck 2.

Heber Springs scorers — Conner Riddle 24, Ryan Crocker 14, Gus Hannah 4 Wyatt Winchester 1.

Ozark takes care of Heber Springs senior boys

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs Panthers couldn’t overcome a slow start and lost to Ozark 57-28 in a 4-4A Conference basketball game at the Panther Den Friday.

It was the conference opener for the Hillbillies. The Panthers lost their conference opener at Subiaco Academy last week.

Ozark (1-0 in conference, 9-1 overall) built a 16-3 first-quarter lead and never trailed. The Panthers (0-2 in conference, 1-10 overall) picked up the pace during the second quarter. Ozark outscored Heber Springs 14-11 and led 30-14 at halftime.

The Hillbillies didn’t slow down during the second half and increased their lead to 43-22 going into the fourth quarter.

Garrett Schaffer scored a game-high 30 points for Ozark. Jaxson Harris had 12 points. Conner Riddle led the Panthers with 11 points.

Heber Springs will not play again until at Sheridan on Dec. 30. Home games scheduled this week with Newport and Cedar Ridge were canceled.

The next scheduled home game will be against Rose Bud on Jan. 2.

Ozark 16 14 13 14–57
Heber Springs 3 11 8 7–29
Ozark scoring — Garrett Schaffer 30, Jaxson Harris 12, Cooper Watson 4, Vanden Bush 3, Sebastian Ross 3, Jace Richard 3, Kayden McAnally 2.
Heber Springs scoring — Conner Riddle 11, Ryan Crocker 5, Logan Monahan 3, Wyatt Winchester 3, Gus Hannah 2, Dakota Farmer 2, Dylan Screeton 2, Bauer Pruitt 1

Greenbrier tops Heber Springs in senior boys play

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Heber Springs’ Ryan Crocker in action against Greenbrier. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

The Heber Springs never got the offense rolling, scoring in single digits during each of the first three quarters, and lost to Greenbrier 65-28 in a nonconference boys’ high school basketball game at the Panther Den Thursday.

Greenbrier built a 13-2 first-quarter lead and went on a 25-7 scoring run during the second quarter and led 38-9 at halftime. Heber Springs trailed 52-16 going into the fourth quarter.

Wyatt Winchester scored six points for Heber Springs. Logan Monahan and Conner Riddle each had five points. Reece Jones led Greenbrier with 13 points and Marques Robinson contributed 10 points.

Heber Springs (0-3) is scheduled to play at Guy-Perkins on Monday and will host Shirley on Tuesday in nonconference games. Both games are set to start at 6 p.m.

Greenbrier 13 25 14 13–65
Heber Springs 2 7 7 12–28
Greenbrier scorers — Reece Jones 13, Marques Robinson 10, Bryce Webb 9, Jack Runsick 7, Jace Dunlap 7, Hayes Johnson 5, Dax Caughern 4, Nate Barrentine 3, Spencer Melton 3, Thomas Kendall 2, Gavin James 2.  
Heber Springs scorers — Wyatt Winchester 6, Logan Monahan 5, Conner Riddle 5, Bent McClain 3, J.T. Spears 3, Trevor Myrick 2, Ryan Crocker 2, Bauer Pruitt 2.

Different week, same result for Panthers

Heber Springs’ Hunter Kent looks upfield against Harding Academy Friday night in Searcy. Easton Cusick (4) and Chris Smith (54) look to provide blocking help for Kent. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

By PHILIP SEATON

For the second week in a row, Heber Springs trailed at the half, 45-0, and ended up falling, 45-6.

This time it was at top-ranked and defending 3A state champion Harding Academy Friday night.

Like in week 1, turnovers cost the Panthers early leading to a short field for the opponent. Heber Springs (0-2) fumbled twice and had pass attempts intercepted as Harding Academy (2-0) had eight first-half possessions with seven of those inside the Panther 50 and six inside the Panther the Panther 38.

“Same story second week in a row,” first-year Heber Springs coach Todd Wood said. “(When) you play a good team, you can’t give opportunities to a good team because they are going to take benefit from it.

“So that’s the second week in a row you give the ball over real quick in the game, you can’t do that against teams that are going to take full advantage of it immediately.”

The Panthers turned the ball over on their first three possessions and trailed 21-0 with 3:17 left in the first quarter.

“We are going to have to start learning how to secure the ball a little bit better and start getting our offense to move the ball down the field a little bit,” Wood said of the turnovers. “But we’ll work on it.”

Heber Springs’ receiver Easton Cusick braces for the hit from a Harding Academy defender. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

The Panthers had their best drive of the first half on their next possession moving from their own 20 to the Wildcat 26 before the drive stalled on fourth down with 34 seconds left in the opening quarter. An 18-yard run by Matthew Cook, a 7-yard run on fourth down by Hunter Kent and an 18-yard pass play as John McBroome connected with Easton Cusick highlighted the Heber Springs drive.

“I have said this multiple times we didn’t have spring ball,” Wood said. “We didn’t have summer ball so these first three weeks are our spring ball and we are still trying to figure out our identity.

“We are still trying to figure out who is going to play where,”

The last time a Panther football team has been shutout was on Oct. 18, 2013, in a 35-0 setback at Newport — a streak of 73 consecutive games with at least a touchdown, and that streak was extended in the second half on the Panthers first possession.

With a continuous running clock because of the Arkansas Activities Association Sportsmanship Rule, Heber Springs forced the Wildcats to a three-and-out on defense before taking over at the Wildcat 46 with 9:01 to play in the third quarter.

Heber Springs quarterback Conner Riddle looks downfield as senior Diego Rubio provides blocking. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

Sophomore quarterback Conner Riddle led the Panthers on a 10-play drive that senior running back Diego Rubio capped off with a 1-yard run with 2:32 left in the quarter. The 2-point attempt failed. Sophomore running back Kenan Sneed carried twice for 14 yards on the drive while sophomore transfer receiver Isaac King had three receptions for 29 yards.

“We’ve got some things to correct,” Wood said. “We’ve got some guys that are going to have to step up to play some positions that they need to be ready to play. We are getting ready to make some changes.”

Heber Springs, which has lost eight consecutive regular season nonconference contests, hosts Dover and former interim Panther coach Will Cox Friday night at Panther Stadium in the final nonconference contest for the Panthers.

“I told them we are playing for week 4,” Wood said, “that’s what gets us into November and December, and so that’s what we are trying to do is get into week 4 make sure everything’s place and all the little mistakes are taken care of so in week 4 we are ready to play some real football. “

GAME STATS

SCORING 
Heber Springs (0-2)     0   0  6  0 -   6
Harding Academy (2-0)  21  24  0  0 -  45 
FIRST QUARTER 
Harding Academy - Andrew Miller 25-yard run (Kyle Ferrie kick), 8:37
Harding Academy - Miller 5-yard run (Ferrie kick), 6:06
Harding Academy - Caden Sipe to Ty Dugger 5-yard pass (Ferrie kick), 3:17
SECOND QUARTER 
Harding Academy - Sipe to Landon Koch 28-yard pass (Ferrie kick), 10:47
Harding Academy - Sipe to Miller 33-yard pass (Ferrie kick), 9:41
Harding Academy - Ferrie 44-yard field goal, 5:53
Harding Academy - Miller 4-yard run (Ferrie kick), 4:16
THIRD QUARTER 
Heber Springs - Diego Rubio 1-yard run (pass field), 2:32
TEAM STATS 
First Downs by Rush: Heber Springs 4, Harding Academy 8 
First Downs by Pass: Heber Springs 3, Harding Academy 7 
First Downs by Penalty: Heber Springs 1, Harding Academy 0
Total First Downs: Heber Springs 8, Harding Academy 15
Third-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/3, Harding Academy 1/2  
Fourth-Down Conversions: Heber Springs 2/3, Harding Academy 1/2
Red-Zone Conversions: Heber Springs 1/1, Harding Academy 3/3  
Time of Possession: Heber Springs 26:29, Harding Academy 21:31
Fumbles/Lost: Heber Springs 5/2, Harding Academy 2/0 
Turnovers: Heber Springs 4, Harding Academy 0     
Points Off Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Harding Academy 28 
Penalties: Heber Springs 4/25, Harding Academy 1/5 
Plays/Total Offense/YPP: Heber Springs 56/189/3.4, Harding Academy 44/259/5.9
Rushing: Heber Springs 28/98/3.5, Harding Academy 25/115/4.6
Passing: Heber Springs 15/28-91-0/2, Harding Academy 10/19-154-3/0
Sacks/Yards Lost: Heber Springs 0/0, Harding Academy 0/0
Punts: Heber Springs 3/61/20.3, Harding Academy 2/57/28.5
Inside 20: Heber Springs 0, Harding Academy 1

INDIVIDUAL STATS 
OFFENSE   
RUSHING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 8/32/4, Matthew Cook 5/31/6.2, Hunter Kent 3/14/4.7, Kenan Sneed 2/14, Jackson West 4/12/3, Conner Riddle 3/2/.6, Easton Cusick 2/0, Team 1/(-7). Harding Academy, Andrew Miller 11/90/8.2, Caden Sipe 3/26/8.6, Seth Campbell 6/11, Colson Sipe 0/8, Aaron Chism 2/6, Carter Neal 1/2, Team 1/(-28). 
RUSHING RUNS OF 20+: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio (1). Harding Academy, Andrew Miller (1). 
RUSHING RUNS OF 10+: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook (1), Kenan Sneed (1). Harding Academy, Andrew Miller (3), Caden Sipe (1).
PASSING: Heber Springs, John McBroome 9/18-44-0/2, Conner Riddle 6/8-47-0/0, Matthew Cook 0/2-0-0/0. Harding Academy, Caden Sipe 6/11-116-3/0, Carter Neal 4/8-38-0/0.
RECEIVING: Heber Springs, Isaac King 6/47, Easton Cusick 6/34, Hunter Kent 2/11, Matthew Cook 1/(-1). Harding Academy, Jackson Fox 3/27, Landon Koch 2/40, Ryan McGaha 2/30, Ty Dugger 2/14, Andrew Miller 1/33.  
TOTAL OFFENSE: Heber Springs, Conner Riddle 49, John McBroome 44, Diego Rubio 32, Matthew Cook 31, Hunter Kent 14, Kenan Sneed 14, Jackson West 12, Easton Cusick 0, Team (-7). Harding Academy, Caden Sipe 142, Andrew Miller 90, Carter Neal 40, Seth Campbell 11, Colson Sipe 8, Aaron Chism 6, Team (-28).   
PUNT RETURNS: None.  
KICK RETURNS: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 2/24. Harding Academy, Jackson Fox 1/16. 
FUMBLE RETURNS: None 
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Harding Academy, Kade Smith 1/17, Aaron Chism 1/2.
ALL-PURPOSE YARDS: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 49, Isaac King 47, Easton Cusick 34, Diego Rubio 32, Matthew Cook 30, Kenan Sneed 14, Jackson West 12, Conner Riddle 2. Harding Academy, Aaron Miller 123,  Jackson Fox 43, Landon Koch 40, Ryan McGaha 30, Caden Sipe 26, Kade Smith 17, Ty Dugger 14, Seth Campbell 11, Colson Sipe 8, Aaron Chism 8, Carter Neal 2.
SCORING: Heber Springs, Diego Rubio 6. Harding Academy, Andrew Miller 24, Kyle Ferrie 9 (1-1 44 FG, 6-6 XP/XPA), Landon Koch 6, Ty Dugger 6. 
DEFENSE 
INTERCEPTIONS: Harding Academy, Aaron Chism, Kade Smith. 
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Harding Academy, Eli Wallace, Cooper Welch. 
PUNTS/YARDS/AVERAGE/INSIDE THE 20: Heber Springs, Matthew Cook 2/33/16.5, Wyatt Winchester 1/28. Harding Academy, Kyle Ferrie 2/57/28.5/1

Panthers dominate in benefit contest

Heber Springs senior Diego Rubio looks upfield against Johnson County Westside Tuesday night at Panther Stadium. Pictured for JC Westside, Ashton Yarbrough (13) and Peyton Chrisman (5). PHIILIP SEATON PHOTO

August 25, 2020

By PHILIP SEATON

Heber Springs took advantage of three Johnson County Westside turnovers and cruised to a 42-8 victory in an Arkansas Activities Association benefit game Tuesday night at Panther Stadium.

The game was the first for new Panther head coach Todd Wood after taking over the reigns of the program earlier this year.

“This is a big night for us,” Wood said. “I’ve been waiting for this night since I got here on February 3. We didn’t have spring ball, so we started June 1st so we had to implement all of those things we’ve been trying to put in both offense and defense.”

Offensively, the Panthers gave the home faithful a taste of what to expect this season spreading the ball out with four-receiver sets.

Junior quarterback John McBroome, stepping in for graduated All-State quarterback Adam Martin, was 12 of 17 passing for 141 yards and three touchdowns against the class 2A Rebels.

“John McBroome is a quarterback in progress,” Wood said. “He is learning every day, every week. He is better than he was months ago. He is still hesitant and we’ve got to work on that a little bit. 

“He’s extremely smart so a lot of times he has to be able to be free-following … be able to say, ‘Okay there is the key, there is they read, there is the trigger, throw the ball’. He wants to process it a little bit longer than he should. If we can get him to a point where he can trust himself a little bit and be able to do the reads and throw immediately, he’ll be a lot better. But I’m very proud of him, this offense we are putting in has a lot of pieces to it and you have to know every piece of it. He is the kinda kid that can do that and that’s the kind of quarterback I want. I’ve been telling the team from the beginning, it’s not how you start but how you finish and so the quarterback he is tonight will not be the same quarterback he’ll be in about six to seven weeks.”

The two teams played two 12-minute quarters and sophomore quarterback Wyatt Winchester got most of the snaps in the second stanza completing seven of nine passes for 49 yards, including a 15-yard scoring strike to sophomore Kenan Sneed with 6:30 left in the contest.

Heber Springs scored Hunter Kent raced 27 yards for a score to make it 6-0 with 7:25 to play in the first quarter.

Heber Springs junior Jackson West (23) celebrates a first-quarter touchdown with teammate Dakota Farmer. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

After a Johnson County Westside fumble on a high snap, McBroome connected with Kent for a 10-yard scoring strike. McBroome found sophomore Easton Cusick for the 2-point conversion to make it 14-0 with 6:44 left in the quarter.

Heber Springs struck less than a minute later when junior Jackson West picked another high snap and raced 21 yards to make it 22-0, after senior Diego Rubio ran in the 2-point conversion.

A pair of McBroome touchdown passes pushed the Panther lead to 36-0 at the 11:43 mark of the second quarter. The first, a 1-yard strike to Kent with 1:59 in the first quarter, and the second, a 13-yarder to Sneed in the second quarter.

Heber Springs finished with 12 first downs and 273 yards of offense while holding Johnson County Westside to a pair of first downs and 56 yards of offense, with 48 of those coming on a touchdown pass with 5:33 left in the contest.

“Overall, defensively, I thought we played well,” Wood said. “It is a new defensive scheme. It’s an aggressive scheme. There is a lot of moving parts to it. Overall pretty pleased with the first-team defense getting out there. They got a little help there early on. They (Rebels) had a couple of turnovers that helped us out a lot, but I was just happy to see them able to execute about 80 to 90 percent of what we wanted to do.”

Despite the score, Wood saw some things that needed to be cleaned up, including six penalties for 45, but overall he was pleased with the effort.

“I’ve been telling people from the get go that we’ve got a bunch of guys that are hungry to learn and want to do better,” he said. “So tonight was just a little glimpse, we didn’t do everything we are capable of doing. We made mistakes and we are going to clean that up before we get to Newport. 

“Overall, just thrilled to be playing a football game and stop hitting each other. Really, really happy.”

Heber Springs will host Newport on September 4th in the opener for both schools.

Scoring

First Quarter

7:25 – Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 27-yard run (Pass failed)

6:44 – Heber Springs, John McBroome to Kent 10-yard pass (McBroome to Easton Cusick pass

5:55 – Heber Springs, Jackson West 20-yard fumble return (Diego Rubio run)

1:59 – Heber Springs,  McBroome to Kent 1-yard pass (Gus Hannah kick)

Second Quarter

11:43 – Heber Springs, McBroome to Kenan Sneed 13-yard pass (Chandler Webber kick)

6:30 – Heber Springs, Wyatt Winchester to Sneed 15-yard pass (kick failed)

5:33 – Johnson County Westside, Peyton Chrisman to James Linton 48-yard touchdown pass (Chrisman to Dakota Beavers two-point pass)

Quick Stats

Team

First Downs: Heber Springs 12, Johnson County Westside 2

Turnovers: Heber Springs 0, Johnson County Westside 3

Penalties : Heber Springs 6/45, Johnson County Westside 4/25

Total Offense: Heber Springs 273, Johnson County Westside 56

Team Rushing: Heber Springs 15/83, Johnson County Westside 11/(-5)

Team Passing: Heber Springs 19/26-190-4/0, Johnson County Westside 2/7-61-1/0

Individual

Rushing: Heber Springs, Hunter Kent 2/37, Kenan Sneed 5/36, Diego Rubio 3/14, Matthew Cook 1/4 Wyatt Winchester 3/0, John McBroome 2/(-8). JC Westside, Peyton Chrisman 5/3, James Linton 3/11, Team 2/(-26), Dakota Beavers 1/2, Hunter Andrews 1/7.

Passing: Heber Springs, John McBroome 12/17-141-3/0, Wyatt Winchester 7/9-49-1/0. Johnson County Westside, Peyton Chrisman 2/7-61-1/0

Receiving: Easton Cusick 4/42, Kenan Sneed 4/39, Matthew Cook 3/47, Hunter Kent 3/20, Austin Winchester 3/14, Payton Talbert 1/18, Conner Riddle 1/9. Johnson County Westside, James Linton 1/33, Dakota Beavers 1/13.


Panthers head to district tournament as No. 4 seed

February 10, 2020

The Heber Springs junior high boys closed out their regular season with a 46-24 victory over Subiaco Academy Friday night at the Panther Den.

Eli Riggs (11) and Conner Riddle (10) each finished in double figures as the Panthers led 24-14 at the half and 41-22 at the end of three quarters.

Heber Springs finished the season as No. 4 seed and will open the 4A-4 District tournament today at Ozark. The Panthers will play Dover at 5 p.m. The Pirates defeated Heber Springs at the Marshall tournament, 43-36, and on January 24 at Heber Springs, 39-28, while the Panthers won at Dover on December 10, 45-33.

The winner of the Dover/Heber Springs contest will play at 5:30 p.m. in the semifinals at Ozark.

February 7
SUBIACO ACADEMY AT HEBER SPRINGS
Subiaco Academy   4  10  8  2 - 24
Heber Springs     9  15 17  5 - 46
SUBIACO ACADEMY SCORING (24): B. Koch 9, G. Vargas 8, M. Mayeux 4, L. Hess 3
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (46): Eli Riggs 11, Conner Riddle 10, Ladd Choate 7, Xander Lindley 6, Luke Greenwald 4, Bent McClain 4, Hud Haggard 2, Bauer Pruitt 2

February 6
CEDAR RIDGE AT HEBER SPRINGS
JUNIOR BOYS "B"
CEDAR RIDGE SCORING (10): No. 14 4, No. 31 2, No. 5 2, No. 44 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (30): Hud Haggard 12, Easton Cusick 10, Wyatt Winchester 6, Ladd Choate 2

February 4
HEBER SPRINGS AT DARDANELLE
Dardanelle      22  12  9   1 - 44
Heber Springs    4   5  7  13 - 29
DARDANELLE SCORING (44): Braden Tanner 12, Robert Millard 10, Drew Vega 7, Chase Jordan 6, Holt 5, Trenton Whitecotton 4
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (29): Hud Haggard 12, Conner Riddle 7, Ladd Choate 6, Bauer Pruitt 2, Bent McClain 2

January 31
HEBER SPRINGS AT OZARK
Ozark         20  19  16  7 - 62
Heber Springs  9   8  14  7 - 33
OZARK SCORING (62): Watson 22, Shaffer 11, Masingale 10, Peters 5, Archer 4, Wright 3, Cowell 3, Stane 2, Parker 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (33): Conner Riddle 12, Eli Riggs 8, Bent McClain 6, Bauer Pruitt 5, Wyatt Winchester 3, Hud Haggard 2, Ladd Choate 2
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Chad Johnson
OVERALL RECORD: 6-16
4A-4 RECORD: 3-6
November 9 - Greenbrier 37, Heber Springs 17 ^
November 12 - Nemo Vista 45, Heber Springs 37
November 13 - Heber Springs 54, Yellville-Summit 50 ^
November 14 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 36 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 38
November 21 - Riverview 51, Heber Springs 21
November 23 - Cabot South 8th 37, Heber Springs 33 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 71, Heber Springs 39 *
November 26 - Clinton 44, Heber Springs 27
December 10 - Heber Springs 45, Dover 33 #
December 13 - Marshall 46, Heber Springs 38
December 16 - Heber Springs 36, White County Central 35
December 20 - Ozark 46, Heber Springs 28 #
January 7 - Pottsville 51, Heber Springs 35 #
January 10 - Heber Springs 33, Subiaco Academy 3 #
January 14 - Dardanelle 43, Heber Springs 17 #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola 44, Heber Springs 41 (OT)
January 24 - Dover 39, Heber Springs 28 #
January 27 - Mayflower 52, Heber Springs 20
January 28 - Pottsville 59, Heber Springs 28 #
January 31 - Ozark 62, Heber Springs 33 #
February 4 - Dardanelle 44, Heber Springs 29 #
February 7 - Heber Springs 46, Subiaco Academy 24 #
February 10 - Heber Springs vs. Dover $

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game) 
($ - Denotes 4A-4 District Tournament at Ozark)

Panthers fall to Warhawks in Overtime

Heber Springs’ Conner Riddle goes up for a shot against Mount Vernon-Enola on Jan. 16 at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

January 16, 2020

Despite a 28-point performance from Conner Riddle, Heber Springs dropped a 44-41 nonconference decision to Mount Vernon-Enola on Jan. 16 at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs trailed 16-4 at the end of the first quarter but bounced back to make it a 22-15 game at the half. The Panthers had a chance to close the gap further right before the half but missed a shot after holding the ball and the Warhawks were able to get another field goal to increase their advantage.

The Panthers cut the deficit to 28-27 at the end of the third quarter after closing the third on a 7-0 run on an Eli Riggs 3-pointer and a pair of baskets by Riddle.

The Warhawks led by five at 37-32 before a 3-pointer by Luke Greenwald and three-point play by Riddle gave the Panthers a 38-37 advantage with 38.1 seconds left in regulation.

The Warhawks were able to tie things up at 38-all after hitting one of two from the free-throw line with 24.6 to play. Heber Springs had a couple of chances to win the game in regulation but couldn’t get a shot to fall.

Heber Springs led overtime 41-40 after Riddle hit 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, the last coming at the 1:28 mark. Mount Vernon-Enola closed the game by going 4-for-4 at the line.

Riddle finished the night by going 10-of-15 from the line.

The Panthers were coming off a 43-17 setback to Dardanelle on Jan. 14 as Heber Springs trailed 22-4 at the half.

On Jan. 10, Riddle had seven points in the first quarter and finished with 11, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line as Heber Springs downed Subiaco Academy, 33-3.

Riddle scored 16, including hitting a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, on Jan. 7 in a 54-35 setback to Pottsville at the Panther Den.

Heber Springs led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, but were outscored 37-10 in the second and third quarters as the Apaches pulled away for the 4A-4 victory.

JANUARY 16 BOXSCORE
Mount Vernon-Enola   16  6  6  10  6 - 44
Heber Springs         4 11 12  11  3 - 41
MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA SCORING (44): Chapman 21, Millsaps 7, Furiegh 6, Hoover 2, Emery 2, Walls 2, Rowe 2, Henery 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (41): Conner Riddle 28, Eli Riggs 6, Luke Greenwald 3, Bent McClain 2, Maddox Reed 2

JANUARY 14 BOXSCORE
Dardanelle        5  17  19  2 - 43
Heber Springs     4   0   7  6 - 17
DARDANELLE SCORING (43): Robert Millard 16, Braden Tanner 16, Trenton Whitecotton 4, Drew Vega 4, Ethan Turnbow 2, Victor Padilla 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (17): Xander Lindley 4, Luke Greenwald 3, Wyatt Winchester 3, Eli Riggs 2, Easton Cusick 2, Conner Riddle 2, Hud Haggard 1

JANUARY 10 BOXSCORE
Heber Springs     16  4  8  5 - 33
Subiaco Academy    0  0  1  2 -  3
SUBIACO ACADEMY SCORING (3): Logan Hess 2, Brady Koch 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (33): Conner Riddle 11, Hud Haggard 9, Xander Lindley 6, Eli Riggs 5, Luke Greenwald 2

JANUARY 7 BOXSCORE
Pottsville      12  20  17  5 - 54
Heber Springs   14   8   2 11 - 35
POTTSVILLE SCORING (54): Stanley 18, Ybarra 14, Palmer 5, Furrh 4, Daily 4, Martin 4, Williams 2, Bradley 2, Snowden 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (35): Conner Riddle 16, Bauer Pruitt 5, Eli Riggs 5, Ladd Choate 3, Luke Greenwald 2, Hud Haggard 2, Bent McClain 2
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR BOYS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Chad Johnson
OVERALL RECORD: 5-12
4A-4 RECORD: 2-3
November 9 - Greenbrier 37, Heber Springs 17 ^
November 12 - Nemo Vista 45, Heber Springs 37
November 13 - Heber Springs 54, Yellville-Summit 50 ^
November 14 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 36 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 38
November 21 - Riverview 51, Heber Springs 21
November 23 - Cabot South 8th 37, Heber Springs 33 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 71, Heber Springs 39 *
November 26 - Clinton 44, Heber Springs 27
December 10 - Heber Springs 45, Dover 33 #
December 13 - Marshall 46, Heber Springs 38
December 16 - Heber Springs 36, White County Central 35
December 20 - Ozark 46, Heber Springs 28 #
January 7 - Pottsville 51, Heber Springs 35 #
January 10 - Heber Springs 33, Subiaco Academy 3 #
January 14 - Dardanelle 43, Heber Springs 17 #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola 44, Heber Springs 41 (OT)
January 23 - Marshall
January 24 - Dover #
January 27 - at Mayflower
January 28 - at Pottsville #
January 31 - at Ozark #
February 3 - Quitman
February 4 - at Dardanelle #
Februaryr 7 - Subiaco Academy #
February 10 - District Tournament at Ozark

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game)