Achieving excellence in developing top-notch athletic facilities coupled with competing well rubs certain opponents the wrong way.
The Lincoln Wolves are privileged to play home basketball games in what may be among the best small-school gymnasiums throughout Arkansas at Wolfpack Arena.
Certain opponents have trouble with that, especially when Lincoln puts more points on the scoreboard.
On Jan. 24, Lincoln handed conference-leading Charleston an 80-73 loss in boys basketball at Wolfpack Arena behind Sterling Morphis' 42-point performance. Some of the Tigers refused to shake his hand after the game and they trashed Lincoln's locker room.
A close associate of Lincoln head boys basketball coach Tim Rich told the Enterprise-Leader that was only the beginning of animosity expressed by Charleston.
"Last night after Lincoln boys' win, Charleston trashed the locker room. Urinated on the floor, and in lockers. Not a good display of sportsmanship ... Pretty sad way to handle a loss."
In essence, it appears Charleston was attempting to start a "turf war," now that Lincoln is back in the 3A-1 West competing head-to-head with the Tigers for league supremacy.
The Cambridge Dictionary online calls a turf war as "a fight or an argument to decide who controls an area or an activity."
Google's definition of a "turf war" is an acrimonious dispute between rival groups over territory or a particular sphere of influence.
Acrimonious means angry or bitter words voiced with intent of stirring up strife.
Another description refers to a "turf war" as a fight over territory or resources.
In a separate incident -- a turf war literally erupted between the Lincoln Wolves and Decatur Bulldogs during a boys soccer match hosted by Lincoln on Monday, April 8.
Lincoln, which has upgraded its athletic facilities to first class virtually across the board beginning with the construction of a new high school which opened in 2012, plays home soccer matches on AstroTurf installed during the summer of 2017 at Wolfpack Stadium.
The Wolves recently added soccer to their list of declarations for competitive high school sports, but until this season played on the old grass football field at the junior high.
Decatur has competed at the varsity level in boys soccer going on 10 seasons now.
These factors set the scene.
The Westside Eagle-Observer in Decatur reported in its April 17 issue the Bulldogs suffered one of the worst weeks of the 2019 season when a fight broke out in the middle of a boys soccer match at Lincoln.
The incident threatened to end the 2019 season for the Bulldogs.
Then tragedy struck.
Two hours prior to a scheduled April 11 soccer match at home against Green Forest, Decatur staff and students learned sophomore Haley Shaffer, 16, died from injuries sustained during an accident in Bentonville earlier in the week.
Decatur's match against Green Forest was canceled.
The Bulldogs' troubles began on turf during the soccer match against Lincoln at Wolfpack Stadium on April 8.
The Westside Eagle-Observer reported tempers flared throughout the match until a remark or action triggered an all-out fight that cleared both benches. It took more than 10 minutes to get the fight under control. The Bulldogs forfeited the match to the Wolves.
The Enterprise-Leader learned that prior to the bench-clearing brawl, two Decatur players were ejected for bad behavior and mouthing off after committing violent fouls.
According to an eye witness, the match ended 2:30 before time expired in the second half at the request of Decatur coach Julie Henderson, who reportedly told officials, "We are not representing our school very good. Can you end this?"
Lincoln held a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard when the match was called.
Lincoln Police responded to the scene.
The incident prompted Toby Conrad, Decatur athletic director, and Decatur's school board to consider cancellation of the Bulldogs' remaining soccer matches. But, according to the Westside Eagle-Observer, a talk with players and coaches assuring Conrad that no further incidents would occur saved the remainder of their season.
The teams are slated for a rematch, restricted to soccer competition, which will be Decatur's senior night on Thursday at 7 p.m.
May cooler heads and sportsmanship prevail.
An unanticipated by-product of the new "Wolf Pride" at Lincoln having established first-rate high school athletic facilities means dealing with jealousy that may be invoked when certain opponents don't keep pace on the scoreboard.
MARK HUMPHREY IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER. THE OPINIONS ARE HIS OWN.
Sports on 04/24/2019