PRAIRIE GROVE -- Merry Christmas Tiger fans from the Prairie Grove girls basketball team. First-year assistant girls basketball coach Rachel Harmon and junior Trinity Dobbs recently shared insights into this year's program.
Rachel Harmon
Harmon, who replaced long-time assistant coach Shelley Dougan, grew up with her dad, David Harmon, coaching at Izard County where he is still active. Harmon spent the last two years at Trumann after attending college at Henderson State. She talked to several friends, who knew of Prairie Grove head girls basketball coach Kevin Froud, before applying for the job and was encouraged by their opinions of Froud and his program.
"They recommended that it would be good to come here," she said.
Harmon found the community to be very supportive in the midst of American lifestyles and freedoms often taken for granted, experiencing a negative impact by covid-19 sanctions imposed by the government upon the general population, many of which affected athletics. Numerous public events were canceled during the summer and fall that otherwise would have provided opportunities for a newcomer to get more accustomed to her surroundings.
"All the staff has been pretty welcoming with covid and everything going on even though there's not much going on in the community as there would be, but as far as games go I feel like I have support from the community," Harmon said. "Merry Christmas from the junior Lady Tigers."
Trinity Dobbs
Prairie Grove junior Trinity Dobbs looks like a superstar in the making. The Lady Tigers pose more of a threat with her on the court, not only as the leading scorer, but also through her ball-handling skills, rebounding ability and defensive efforts. She recently scored 27 points in a come-from-behind, 59-50, win over Lincoln to offset a 37-point performance by Lincoln freshman, Sarah Snodgrass.
Prairie Grove fashioned a two-game win-streak by beating West Fork, 49-46, on Colors Day. Aware there were a lot more fans than usual to see the Colors Day court girls in formal dresses, Trinity and the Lady Tigers rewarded the fans with another victory.
"They stayed and watched us so we had to put on a show," Trinity said.
Prairie Grove competes without several projected starters out for the season with injury, whom Trinity acknowledges, "They're always loudest on the bench."
"That was their senior year for most of them and so they don't get to be out there anymore so we just try and do the best we can to win for them."
One of the biggest joys Trinity gets out of basketball is when all the team is hyped and cheering each other on.
Her favorite move is a spin with individual goals "to be a better leader and work on my defense a little more and cheer my team on."
Head coach Kevin Froud helps her get through moments when she isn't living up to her own expectations. If she's having a rough game, Froud tells her to not let it get to her mentally and just keep playing.
Trinity's personal initiative to carry on the tradition of Lady Tiger basketball is simple, "to have my team grow as one so we can be better and stronger."
Her team goal is to advance as far as possible in the postseason
Trinity sends a holiday greeting to loyal Prairie Grove fans, "Thanks for always coming out and supporting us and have a Merry Christmas."
