A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE PRESS ARGUS-COURIER WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020
FS-SPAD0121120609
Courier
Page 2 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
Van Buren Pointers Van Buren Lady Pointers Van Buren Freshmen Academy
3 4 5
Alma Airedales Stan Flenor Keeps Coaching On Alma Lady Airedales Alma Junior High
6 7 8 9
Cedarville Pirates Cedarville Lady Pirates Cedarville Junior High
10 11 12
Mountainburg Dragons Mountainburg Lady Dragons Mountainburg Junior High
13 14 15
Mulberry Yellow Jackets Mulberry Lady Yellow Jackets Pleasant View
16 17 18
A HUGE Special thanks to all the area coaches for helping get this together and to Misty Christian (Mountainburg) and Amanda Harrell (Heritage Portraits) for the pictures.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Van Buren Pointers Team members include Damarius Newton, Trevor Jasna, Jaiden Henry, Avery Salisbury, Blake Gilmore, Brandon Miller, Tiyeze Castleberry, Brayden Gilmore, Gary Phillips, Jose Estrada, and Connor Brady. Managers: Brentin Steele and Alec Davis. REMAINING SCHEDULE Tuesday, Feb. 4 Van Buren at Rogers, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21 Van Buren at Har-Ber, 7:30 p.m. (VB)
Friday, Feb. 7 Bentonville at Van Buren, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 25 Van Buren at Bentonville West, 7:30 p.m. (VB)
Tuesday, Feb. 11 Van Buren at Fayetteville, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 28 Springdale at Van Buren, 7:30 p.m. (VB)
Friday, Feb. 14 Heritage at Van Buren, 7:30 p.m. (VB)
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 3
Page 4 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
The 2019-20 Van Buren Lady Pointers Team members include Brooklyn Kannady, Nicole Cope, Sunni Harrington, Lexi Miller, Bailee Woodard, Allie Moss, Bri Ball, Elizabeth Rainwater, Carter Schmidt, and Emmalee Grebe.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
th
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Van Buren Freshmen Academy Pointers
Team members include Joseph Jones, Drew Griffiths, Drew Brasuell, Jaxon Taylor, Chi Henry, Ashton McKenna, Jake Jennen, Andrew Hammond, Noah Underwood, Parker Seewald, Cooper Jones, Tobey Sayaxamphou, Thurman Cooley, Connor Myers, Dalen Philpot, Amir Garrett, and Diego Arnold.
Lady Pointers
Team members include Carter Myers, Ava Jones, Hatlee West, Rylee Davis, Holly Ming, Kenzie Jones, Serenity Franklin, Caroline Moore, Bailey Wilson, Riley Lowrey, Caylee Barbour, and Sophie Goerig.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 5
Page 6 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Alma Airedales Team members include Dax Stahler, Ben Bugaj, Daniel Howard, Austin Cluck, Dakota Sharpe, Bobby Winfrey, Stewart George, Bryson Mayes, Hunter McCallister, Cejay Mann, Trey Alverson, Martin Dyer, Devin Wood, Drew Battles, D.J. George, Nathan Whalen, Joseph Stanard, Braden Key, Nathan Gibson, Logan Taylor and Dylan Cluck.
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Friday, Jan. 31 Beebe at Alma, 4 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 7 Vilonia at Alma, 5 p.m. (HS) Tuesday, Feb. 11 Alma at Siloam Springs, 4 p.m. (HS)
Press Argus-Courier
Friday, Feb. 14 LR Christian at Alma, 4 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 18 Alma at Russellville, 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 Greenbrier at Alma, 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 Greenwood at Alma, 4 p.m.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
HS)
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Flenor keeps coaching on by KEVIN TAYLOR SPECIAL TO THE PRESS ARGUS-COURIER
It’s not quite 7:15 a.m. as Stan Flenor wheels his black Jeep Wrangler into a parking space at Alma Middle School. The flag pole isn’t yet flapping the flag that will soon be raised. Parents have yet to arrive in the school drop-off line. A Diet Coke in one hand, keys to the gym in the other, Flenor reaches for the light switch while preparing to mentor the next batch of Alma basketball hopefuls — some of whom he’s coached their parents. Soon, a group of seventhgraders will begin shooting layups and dribbling the basketball. Stan Flenor is ready for them. “To be successful in basketball, you have to be fundamental in what you do, and being here, you’re always going to have athletes that play more than one sport,” Flenor said. “It’s important that we (coaches) work together.” Sports, and coaching, is who Flenor aspired to be all those years ago when his family relocated from the foothills of south L.A. (lower Arkansas) to the bright lights of Van Buren. Flenor was a really good left-handed shooting bas-
ketball player for Quincy Coleman’s Van Buren Pointers as the late ’70s gave way to the ’80s. He was also Gary Autry’s first quarterback during a 20-year run that culminated with a 1996 state title run. As a junior in 1979, Flenor was named to the first-ever all-tournament team of the Coca-Cola Classic. A year later, he led the Pointers to the state championship game against Morrilton. Stan Flenor was Matt Jones before Matt Jones — without the size or guile of a future NFL player. “I thought I was a pretty good college baseball player until Bill Crowder proved me otherwise, too,” kids Flenor, his red hair parted neatly, as it’s always been, over his brow that now includes a pair of eyeglasses. Growing up in Van Buren in the mid-1970s, where people slept without locked doors and everybody knew their neighbors without the advent of social media, Stan Flenor loved every minute of it. “At that time, Van Buren was a hard-working, middle-class town,” Flenor said. “A lot of people worked at Whirlpool and local factories. It was a place with really good schools and really good kids of hard-working parents. We were always
very team-oriented in the sports I played in, and that was fortunate.” Flenor pieced together four years of college — Westark, the University of Arkansas, and the University of the Ozarks — before landing at a coaching job in, of all places, Alma. He never left. For the past 30 years, Flenor has laced up his dress shoes and buttoned-up bright white dress shirts while patrolling the sidelines for the Alma Airedales’ basketball team. A voracious reader, who’s probably read more books in the past six months than most people have read through in a lifetime, James Stanley Flenor doesn’t place the value of life lessons over (See FLENOR, Page 19)
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 7
Page 8 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Alma Lady Airedales Team members include Breanna Stacy, Kallie Plourde, Lydia Mann, Rachel Wilmoth, Justic Carter, Halyn Carmack, Olivia Spears, Zoie McGhee, Loryn Kelley, Kaslyn Hatton, Kenzie Rushing, Aundrea Holmes, Taelynn Perry, Hillarie Mata, Natalie Klien, and Makenzie Martin.
REMAINING SCHEDULE: Friday, Jan. 31 Beebe at Alma, 4 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 7 Vilonia at Alma, 5 p.m. (HS) Tuesday, Feb. 11 Alma at Siloam Springs, 4 p.m. (HS)
Press Argus-Courier
Friday, Feb. 14 LR Christian at Alma, 4 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 18 Alma at Russellville, 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 Greenbrier at Alma, 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 Greenwood at Alma, 4 p.m.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Alma Freshmen Airedales
Team members include Derek Hatcher, Carter Bates, Danny Ehrhardt, Matthew Schlegel, Brady Noyes, Landon Moses, Kaleb Taylor, Tyler Riddle, Damon Carter, Demetrio Cerda, and Bryson McCaslin.
HS)
Lady Airedales
Team members include Makia Cravey, Rowan Butcher, Magen Sharp, Maddie Armstrong, Presli Taylor, Jordan Johnson, Macybeth Tobler, Halena Dugger, Kylie Poole, Makinley McCash, and Samantha Crook.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 9
Page 10 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier Remaining Schedule: Tuesday, Feb. 4 Elkins at Cedarville, 6 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 7 Cedarville at Greenland, 4 p.m. (JH, HS) Tuesday, Feb. 11 Cedarville at West Fork, 6 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 14 Mansfield at Cedarville, 6 p.m. (HS) Feb. 17-22 Cedarville at Distrct Tournament (Waldron), TBA Feb. 24-28 Cedarville at Regional Tournament (Waldron)
The 2019-20 Cedarville Pirates Team members include Grayson Polk, Bradley Perkins, Austin Swaim, Noah Ljul-Juaj, Jacob Kattich, Caleb Franklin, Darryl Kattich, Conner Templeton, Josh Roam, Tyree Mangold, and Kolbye Beals.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 11
p.m.
d, 4
k, 6
e, 6 p.m.
ourna-
The 2019-20 Cedarville Lady Pirates
Tourna- Team members include Chloe Morrow, Katelynn Oden, Kaite McBroom, Anna Hightower, Kennedy Vinson, Elizabeth Terry, Annalina
Tuempel, Carmen Fletcher, Sierra Hurst, Taryn Turner, Micayla Ebarb, Balzhan Chingisovna, Lucia Sebastiani. Team managers: Bethany Atwell and Macy Davidson.
Page 12 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
The 2019-20 Cedarville Junior High
Lady Pirates
Team members include: Front (from left) — Laila Adams, Kierstan Carter, Serenity Johnson, Lily Morrow Makalie Carter, Grace Templeton, and Caroline Morrow. Middle — Emily Mizell, Kylie Murray, Audrey Wells, McKenzie Marion, Hailey Langley, Kately Moore-Guerra, Kasydi Johnson, and Sierra Clayborn. Back — Veyaira Carter, Emily Wood, Tannah LaRue, Aly Sargent, Kayla Workman, Bethany Adkins, Audrey Turner, Jasmine Guthrie, Jaclyn Almanza, and coach John Six.
Pirates
Team members include: Paden Knight, Hayden Morton, Dillynn Pearcy, Justus Thornbrough, Lane Hightower, John Henslee, Levi Johnson, Jacob Morrow, Bradley Blankenship, Josh Hosier, Luke Mallow, Thorn Bartlett, and Brycee Breeden.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
Paden Dillynn ugh, enslee, row, h Hosiartlett,
BASKETBALL 2019-20
The 2019-20 Mountainburg Dragons Team members include: Front (from left) — Ely Linder, Ethan Jones, Austin Byron, Samuel Ortlieb, Luke Moxley, Preston Clark, and Jordan Marks. Back — Laine Pense, Evan Stacy, Zach Jones, Jodin Davidson, Waylon Cluck, Isaac Center, Chance Billings, and Ethan Gregory.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 13
Page 14 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
The 2019-20 Mountainburg Lady Dragons Team members include Annie Beasley, Maggie Burrough, Maley Brooks, Maddux McDonald, Whitney Lamb, Jorgia Rutherford, Haley Reed, Kaylie Ayala, Brooklyn Shaffer, and Jordan Watkins. Remaining Schedule: Friday, Jan. 31 Magazine at Mountainburg, 5 p.m. (JG, HS) Tuesday, Feb. 4 Hector at Mountainburg, 5 p.m. (JB, HS) Friday, Feb. 7 Mountainburg at J.C. Westside, 5 p.m. (JB, HS) Tuesday, Feb. 11 Mountianburg at Hackett, 6 p.m. (HS) Friday, Feb. 14 Danville at Mountianburg, 6 p.m. (HS) Feb. 17-22 Mountainburg at District Tournament (Hector), TBA Feb. 24-28 Mountainburg at Regional Tournament (Eureka Springs)
Dra
Team m Back —
Courier Press Argus-Courier
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 15
The 2019-20 Mountainburg Junior High
s Beaurrooks, nald, , Jorgia ley yala, er, and s.
dule:
ainburg,
burg, 5
Lady Dragons
. West-
Team members include: Front (from left) — Payton Steffey, Eden Dean, Emily Henson, and Bryley Thomas. Back — Alyssa White, Scarlette Nichols, Mallory Provence, Ravenne Reynolds, Kailey France, Emilee Preston, and Marianna Torres.
ckett, 6
nburg, 6
strict r), TBA
gional a Springs)
Dragons Team members include: Front (from left) — Thomas Wagner, John Shepherd, Coltin Jones, David MacPeek, and Madden Rogers. Back — Braden Niblett, Glavine McDonald, Garrett Jones, Mason Pense, Shay Pixley, Richard Lewis, and Warren Watkins.
Page 16 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
2019-20 Mulbery Lady Yellow Jackets Team members include Lailel Townsend, Paige Childers, Holly Roe, Monica Fisk, Maddie McNatt, Mackenzie Lux, Katie Childers, Hailey Parish, Amee Parish, and Payton King.
Courier Press Argus-Courier
BASKETBALL 2019-20
2019-20 Mulbery Yellow Jackets Team members include Adam Hoyle, Carter Glidewell, Dereck Williams, Garrett Cagle, Ian Price, Jake Pritchard, John Wilmoth, Joseph Lewis, Kameron Keeling, Rick Reeves, Triston Hamby, and Tyler Williams. Remaining Schedule: Friday, Jan. 31 Mulberry at Scranton, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 Mulbery at County Line, 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 Oark at Mulberry, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 11 Mulberry at St. Paul, 5 p.m. Feb. 17-22 Mulberry at District Tournament (Western Yell County), TBA Feb. 24-28 Mulberry at Regional Tournament (Alpena), TBA
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 17
Page 18 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier
The 2019-20 Pleasant View
Lady Hornets Team members include Mackenlee Dunn, Ashley Mayner, Brooklynn Jobe, Yvette Johnson, Nancy Cagle, Jadyn Noel, Kaiya Belt, Ashlynn Johnson, Monika Hewitt, Kaitlyn O’Bar, Kaydance Williams, Georgia Fields, Ashtyn Conley, Jasamine Burkholder, Serenity Rogers, Raylee Salazar, Lyndsi Willson.
Hornets Team members include Blake Roe, Isaac Mayner, Braden Hannah, Austin Sorrells, Levi Ward, Josh Parrish, Rowdy Huggins, Johnny Six, Dominic Belt, Brycen Marvin, Tim Graves, Ian Brewer, David Chandler, Triston Washburn, and Alston Hill.
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Courier Press Argus-Courier (FLENOR, From Page 7)
the number of wins he’s accumulated — which he struggles to talk about — but with a fair and common sense approach to those he’s coached and worked with. “I have coached a lot of generations of youngsters in Alma.” Flenor said. Almost all of them, as is the case with the current crop, met their future coach as baby-faced seventh-graders at Alma Middle School. Each morning, a full day before he crosses the old Missouri Pacific railroad tracks to coach the high school team, Flenor’s enlightened by fresh-faced seventhgraders. “You need to be around them,” Flenor said. “You want them to get to know you, but you want them to
understand that we’re excited about having them in our program. We’ve had a lot of continuity in our coaching staff, and I think that’s one of the things that’s helped make us successful.”
Coaching tree Van Buren could always hold its own when it came to successful coaches. Clair Bates, the aforementioned Dixon and Autry are all hallof-fame worthy. The junior high coaches were pretty solid people, too. “My junior high football coach was Butch Mitchell, and Quincy Coleman, who was my junior high (basketball) coach, replaced Benton Cone as the high school coach,” Flenor said. Coleman was Flenor’s coach for six years.
“He was our coach all the way through,” Flenor said. “Don Dixon was my football coach my sophomore year, and then Gary Autry took over my junior year in football. “Of course, I didn’t call him Gary back then — I’m still afraid of him!’
Two for two In 2005, the Flenors brought the school two state titles in one season — with Chanlee Bottoms leading Madelyn’s Airedalettes to its first state title in almost 30 years, and Luke Folkerts and Ryan Evans helping Stan’s Airedales shock Little Rock Mills for its first-ever boys basketball crown. “Lots of players dedicated themselves to getting better,” Flenor said. “We had a run of some pretty good
athletes, too. We already had Ryan, Brock Peters and Jake Wofford, and then Luke became a big catalyst.” To reach the finals that year, Alma first had to beat Marion, and to do so, they had to have a “lucky” bounce. Like a scene out of a Disney movie, Matt Belk drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that hung in the air, and then the rim, before dropping through. A week later, Belk capped the team’s championship run with a buzzer-beating layup in the finals, too. “In the semifinals, you win on a 3-pointer that goes in, and in the state championship you win on a layup that goes in,” Flenor said. “You know you had a little divine intervention on your side.” A two-peat seemed prob-
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 - Page 19 able for the Airedales. The team returned three starters the following season, but a string of close conference defeats in January of ‘06 led to a 4-10 finish. “Life has its way of checking your oil,” Flenor said. “But you climb right back up and go to work.”
2011 Six years later, Isaac McCoy led the team to a 2011 championship victory over Sylvan Hills. McCoy’s dazzling display of athleticism capped an unbelievable playoff run, Flenor’s second title in half a dozen years. “Being that guy, that Magic Johnson at point guard, he made everybody else better,” Flenor said. “He was that type of player that you felt could get you over
the top. To win two, when going in everyone thought we were not going to be the best team, is special. I still have never watched either of them (video); it makes me too nervous. “I’m afraid we’re going to lose.” In 2013, Alma found its way back to the finals. This time, they couldn’t overcome a quicker, stronger Jacksonville team. “Looking back on it, there were a couple of things strategically things we might change,” Flenor said. “We might go back and press more; you didn’t think you could at the time. “But it’s one of those teams you were satisfied with.” The full original verison of this story can be found online at pressargus.com
Page 20 - Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
BASKETBALL 2019-20
Press Argus-Courier