The top two sports stories for 2017 deal with life and death situations intruding into the world of sports, which merits their rankings. One of those stories, we'll look back at next week, while 10 stories are presented this week.
Nov. 10, 2017
Farmington sophomore Makenna Vanzant returned to classes Nov. 10. She drew rousing cheers from fans of both teams when she checked in during the Lady Cardinals' rivalry girls basketball game at Prairie Grove Nov. 27. Makenna spent 16 days in Arkansas Children's Hospital at Little Rock battling Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome also known as HUS, an abnormal condition caused by the abnormal destruction of red blood cells, which clog the filtering system in the kidneys and can lead to life-threatening kidney failure. Makenna recovered miraculously, and was back for Farmington's season-opener helping the Lady Cardinals win big, 50-22. She scored a season-high 27 points against Siloam Springs on Jan. 3.
April 1, 2017
Farmington softball coach Randy Osnes recorded career victory No. 500 with a 5-4 win over Conway on April 1. The feat was largely unheralded until his team and fans of the Lady Cardinal softball program sprang a surprise party for him on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Greenwood two weeks later on April 15. Osnes' career record stands at 511-146. He has coached three state championship teams, three state Runners-up, 19 conference champions, and guided Farmington to 20 state tournament appearances since taking the helm in 1996. Osnes was named All-Star softball head coach for 2017.
July 31, 2017
Arkansas Activities Association governing body revamps classifications structure. During the annual meeting of the governing body a proposal passed July 31 that eliminates Class 7A for all sports except football and shifts Farmington back to 4A for all sports except football and Lincoln back to 3A for all sports except football. Details of the changes were highlighted last week.
May, Oct., 2017
Prairie Grove junior Beka Bostian won the 4A State 3200 meter while competing in track and field in May and State 4A cross country race Nov. 3. Bostian's winning time in capturing her second individual cross country title was 20:03.09. With the victory, Beka claimed her second individual Class 4A girls cross country championship in three years. She won the race as a freshman in 20:07, then placed second to Lonoke's Gracie Hyde in 2016.
The rivalry carried over into the spring at the state track and field meet held at Pocahontas May 2. Beka's father, Keith Bostain, who serves as both an assistant cross country coach as well as assistant track and field coach, developed a strategy that propelled her past Hyde. A Greenland coach suggested having Beka run shorter races such as the 800 and 400 meters to increase her speed. Keith took that advice and Beka went on to beat Hyde twice in the spring, including the 3200 4A State finals. Over the summer Hyde transferred to Benton, a Class 6A school -- leaving what Prairie Grove head cross country coach Daren Chandler describes as a something of a void.
"It helps to have a rival like that," Chandler said. "The way cross country works, she's racing against some of the big schools like Rogers and Bentonville. Some of the big schools have a couple of girls that can keep up with her and push Beka, but it definitely helps to have that rival in 4A. She won the 4A state (cross country) meet going away. There was a girl from West Fork (Kendall Hays) that pushed her a little bit then she just kind of faded away. Nobody else was even close."
Prairie Grove finished fifth in the team standings with 179. Heber Springs claimed the team title with a score of 127. West Fork was second with a 131. Pottsville placed third with 154. Pea Ridge was fourth with 166.
Sept. 5, 2017
Lincoln installed artificial turf at Wolfpack Stadium and completed the Football Fieldhouse in September. The school hosted an open house to present the Fieldhouse to the public Sept. 5. A halftime dedication ceremony celebrated the new turf but the Wolves lost their first game on the new playing surface, 34-16, to Keys, Okla., on Friday, Sept. 8. Last week the Enterprise-Leader highlighted upgrades to Lincoln athletic facilities.
Jan. 4 & 13, 2017
Matt Wilson set a Farmington single-game scoring record for basketball with 49 points against Siloam Springs on Jan. 3, 2017, then broke his own record with a 50-point effort Jan. 13, 2017, on Color's Day against Clarksville. Ironically both opponents are nick-named Panthers. Against Clarksville Wilson racked up 50 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 1 blocked shot.
Wilson's scoring frenzy during a 70-48 win over Siloam Springs broke the previous mark of 47 points held by Jessica Carter-McCollough who set the record with 47 points in 2000. According to Farmington athletic director Brad Blew, who was head girls coach when McCollough set the record with 47 points in 2000, she broke one of her teammate's records for the previous year. That record belonged to Kala Madewell, who went on to play college basketball at Ole Miss and Henderson State. McCollough played four years at Mississippi State and Wilson is now playing for Delta State.
FARMINGTON 70, SILOAM SPRINGS 48
Siloam Springs^11^10^13^14^--^48
Farmington^16^16^23^15^--^70
SIloam Springs (5-10): Harrison Kretzer 4 3-4 11, Spencer Lashley 3 0-0 9, Josh Hunt 4 0-1 8, Charlie Jones 2 0-0 6, Noah Karp 2 2-3 6, Josh Heinrichs 1 2-3 4, Murphy Perkins 0 3-4 3, Lt Ellis 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 11-17 48.
Farmington (10-3): Matthew Wilson 21-30 2-7 49, Cade Fenton 3 0-2 6, Skyler Montez 2 0-0 4, Conner Hill 2 0-0 4, Jacob Gray 1 0-0 2, Xavier Staten 1 0-0 2, Grant Patrick 1 0-0 2, Peyton Maxwell 0 1-2 1. Totals 31 3-11 70.
3-Point Goals: Siloam Springs 5 (Lashley 3, Jones 2), Farmington 5 (Wilson 5).
FARMINGTON 69, CLARKSVILLE 58
Clarksville^11^10^17^23 -- 58
Farmington^8^12^10^26 -- 69
Clarksville: Juan Hernandez 9 3-4 27, Mekhi Burnett 7 0-0 14, Bob Hurley 3 0-0 6, Trace Thomas 2 0-0 6, Austin McPhillips 1 0-2 2. Totals 23 5-6 58.
Farmington (13-4): Matt Wilson 18-27 6-9 50, Cade Fenton 4-4 0-0 8, Xavier Staten 2-5 2-2 7, Peyton Maxwell 1-1 0-0 2, Jacob Gray 1-2 0-0 2, Skylar Montez 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-40 8-11 69.
3-Point Goals: Clarksville 8 (Hernandez 6, Thomas 2), Farmington 9-15 (Wilson 8-13, Staten 1-2). Rebounds -- Farmington 15 (Wilson 5), Assists -- Farmington 9 (Carbonel 3, Staten 3), Steals -- Farmington 9 (Wilson 4), Blocks -- Farmington 1 (Wilson), Turnovers -- Farmington 12.
Nov. 24, 2017
The Prairie Grove Class of 2018 became the All-time winningest Tigers in varsity football in terms of games won with a 34-6 road win at Berryville Oct. 27. The win at Berryville lifted the senior class into first place with 33 total victories, one more than the Class of 2017, which had 32 total wins. Prior to that, the Class of 2016 which concluded their career with the school's only appearance to date in the state finals, held the school record with 30 wins.
Prairie Grove coach Danny Abshier doesn't keep up with which class has the most wins, yet admits he could see how that could happen. The Class of 2018 benefited from the success of the last two senior classes because those win-loss records -- 13-2 in 2016 and 12-1 last season accounted for 25 wins by the Class of 2018. Not withstanding the Class of 2018 contributed as sophomores to the 2016 run to the state finals with Anthony Johnson, John David Elder, Tyler Davidson, DeMarkus Cooper, Dustin Burton, Stone Bryant, Colin Bryant, Stormi Hankins, Joe Reynolds, Will Hawkins, Landon Waldrop, Clay Spinks and James Mayers on the roster.
The Class of 2018 added three more wins to their total over Lincoln (56-25), and playoff victories over Pottsville (56-21), Stuttgart (24-14) before losing in the state quarterfinals (35-13) to eventual State 4A champion Warren.
The Class of 2018 was bolstered by a trio of classmates. Aaron Preston (5-8, 145) returned to the program after a one-year hiatus as a sophomore and switched from halfback to fullback where he earned a starting position as a senior. Ben Beason (5-9, 175) traded golf as a junior for football as a senior. He adds a dimension as a place-kicker and also played on the offensive line and defensive end. Rylan Shrum (5-8, 154) came out as a senior, playing wide receiver and cornerback.
Nov. 27, 2017
Prairie Grove inducted four people into the Tiger Hall of Pride on Nov. 27.
Community inductee, Lynn Gregson, is known as "the voice of the Prairie Grove Tigers," and has been involved in Prairie Grove internet broadcast since the very beginning and helped it grow into a successful production. The webcast is seen in all 50 states, and in more than 50 countries around the world by Tiger fans who cannot attend the events. Gregson has continued to volunteer countless hours even after his fourth child graduated from PGHS. He has called hundreds of games over the years.
Meagan Harney Newberry, a 2003 graduate of Prairie Grove High School, was an All-District, All-Region, and All-State member of three state championship softball teams for Prairie Grove. She also represented PGHS in the 2003 All Star game for softball. She went on to play softball for the Neosho County Community College where she earned All-Conference honors in 2004 and again in 2005. During the 2005-2006 season Meagan was a member of Lady Razorback Softball team.
Josh Smith, a 1997 graduate of Prairie Grove High school, is one of the most decorated basketball athletes in school history. Smith was a 3-time All-District and All-Region player and the Regional Tournament MVP in 1997. He was voted to the All-State team his junior and senior year and a nominee for McDonald's High School All-American and the KURM Player of the Year. His senior year he averaged 34.5 points per game and 14.7 rebounds. He broke his own individual scoring high during the UCA Tournament when he scored 50 points in a single game. Over the course of his high school career Josh scored 2,561 points for Prairie Grove basketball. He continues to volunteer countless hours to the Prairie Grove Pee Wee program teaching young kids the skills and heart of basketball.
Sam Tyree graduated from Prairie Grove High School in 1957. While in school he participated and lettered in football, basketball and baseball. While a sophomore on the basketball team, and before the 3-point line existed, he scored 52 points in a game against Elkins. That single game scoring record still holds today.
March 4, 2017
An underclassmen-dominated Farmington girls basketball team advanced to the 5A State semifinals with wins over Batesville (60-55) and Hot Springs (58-55) during the State 5A girls basketball tournament held at Magnolia. They were beaten in the semifinals, 55-47, by Parkview, one game short of playing for the state championship marking the second time coach Brad Johnson has guided Farmington to the state semifinals in Class 5A and the third time overall since becoming head coach. The Lady Cardinals finished 24-8 overall, placed third in the 5A West tournament and posted a 9-3 conference record.
May 4, 2017
Rain showers made the Lincoln Riding Club Arena muddy, during the 64th annual Lincoln Rodeo held May 18-20. Thunderstorms moved across the area after Thursday's rodeo performance and continued off and on Friday. They subsided enough that the rodeo parade went off without a hitch Saturday afternoon. The clouds then lifted just before the final rodeo performance Saturday night.
Sports on 01/10/2018