River Valley Preps 2020 by Times Record

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2 • June 21, 2020

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

CONGRATULATIONS

2020 HIGH SCHOOL PREPS WINNERS!

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June 21, 2020 • 3

Poteau Football TACO BELL TEAM OF THE YEAR Poteau

Why TheY Won

No complaints, it was just, ‘What do we need to do, coach, to win?’ That’s why we’re taking a gold ball back to Poteau.

BY BUCK RINGGOLD Times Record In recent seasons, the Poteau Pirates had been knocking on the door of getting a longawaited first state football championship. They played for the 4A title in 2013 and then had undefeated regular seasons in 2015 and again in 2018 but each time, they lost in the semifinals. However, in 2019, the Pirates finally claimed gold, winning the 4A state championship by edging Weatherford, 9-7, on a sunny December afternoon in Edmond. Poteau, after losing its season opener to El Reno on a touchdown with six seconds remaining, went on to win its next 13 ballgames en route to claiming that coveted gold ball. “We (recorded) 13 wins and not one complaint about who’s carrying the ball, not one complaint about the fact that we didn’t throw it very much this year,” Poteau coach Greg Werner said. “No complaints, it was just, ‘What do we need to do, coach, to win?’ That’s why we’re taking a gold ball back to Poteau.” Perhaps one example of the Pirates’ team-first mentality all season came from senior Kagan Stockton. He was the team’s starting quarterback in that opening-game loss to El Reno. Following that loss, before Poteau’s next game against Durant, Werner decided to make a change, replacing Stockton with tailback Easton Francis while putting Stockton at running back. To his credit, Stockton took the change in stride. As far as he was concerned, he wanted to do whatever it took to help the team win, no matter where he played.

— Coach Greg Werner

[SUBMITTED PHOTO/RAMONA SMITH]

Poteau head coach Greg Werner, left, holds the 4A state title trophy after Poteau defeated Weatherford 9-7 on Dec. 6, 2019, at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

Stockton continued to play solid defense at linebacker and was one of the team’s leading tacklers. And he got to return at quarterback, taking over for an injured Francis for Poteau’s first-round playoff win against Cleveland. There were other unsung players who blossomed down the stretch, especially in the state title win. For instance, there was a rebuilding offensive line, with just two starters returning. But they were able to mesh well and helped Poteau make some big time-sustaining drives in its playoff wins, along with helping the Pirates rush for 229 yards against Weatherford. There was also junior cornerback Jagger Dill.

He missed the first few weeks of the season recovering from an illness. In the title game, though, Dill made his presence felt. He had six tackles, broke up three passes and also forced the game’s only turnover by intercepting a pass early in the second half. There was also sophomore Dean Odom, taking over at linebacker for an injured Mason Barcheers, who made a big fourth-down stop early in the final quarter with Poteau leading 9-0. There was senior defensive end Matthew Curry, who had a better first quarter Friday with three tackles, one for loss, as he finished with five stops. In the last three ballgames of their title run, the Pirate defense held their opponents to 17

total points. For the season, they gave up 109 points. Werner wasn’t surprised the defense was able to come up big when it counted the most. “I don’t know if anybody would believe me, but the answer is I’m not surprised at all,” Werner said. “Our defense is unbelievable; we have a bunch of unbelievable kids and coaches and our kids play so hard on every down. And on top of that, we have great depth on defense, and we’ve got a lot of kids that play on defense.” And there was also Barcheers, who played sparingly at tailback in the 4A title game as he was battling a broken foot. But with Poteau needing one first down late in the game to ice the win, Barcheers wanted the ball and he was able to get that first down, enabling the Pirates to run out the clock and finally hoist that elusive gold ball afterward. “I tell you what, there are so few problems with these kids,” Werner said. “They play hard every down, we don’t have to talk to them about playing hard. ... We’ve been practicing since August and we’ve never had a bad practice.”

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4 • June 21, 2020

Hailey Rakhshani ARVEST COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD Van Buren: Tennis

Why She Won BY BUCK RINGGOLD Times Record Hailey Rakhshani has volunteered at a local animal shelter and has even done things like dissect a sheep’s brain. It’s just part of her passion to be involved in both her school and community. But Rakhshani, a graduating senior who also played tennis at Van Buren High School, admits she hears about doing activities around the community from others. “A lot of opportunities have come from people telling me about things,” Rakhshani, selected as the River Valley Best of Preps Arvest Community Excellence Award winner, said. “I’ve heard about the animal shelter and I know one of the people that help run it, so I go there and it was just a lot of fun, and they need help all the time. ... Then a lot of stuff for school activities, teachers will just promote it and it just sounded like fun so I like to help.” Perhaps Rakhshani’s favorite activity is to go to the Almost Home shelter in Van Buren and walk the dogs there. “Also for National Honor Society, for my service project, I did a dog food drive and I collected quite a bit of dog food and donated it to the shelter, and they were very grateful for that,” Rakhshani said. “I’ve been helping there for about three years now.” She was involved in a number of clubs at school, from the Art Club to the Spanish Honor Society to the National Honor Society. In addition, she has helped with a number

of school festivals like the Fall Festival at Rena Elementary and her school’s annual fall festival. With the tennis team, Rakhshani has gone to the historic Fairview Cemetery in Van Buren, which features a number of deceased Civil War veterans, and picked up the flags, helping store those away right before Christmas. Then around Memorial Day, she returns to the cemetery and places the flags down at the gravesites. Rakhshani has helped Van Buren tennis coach Brandy Mosby conduct tennis clinics for younger children. This past fall, Rakhshani played on the No. 2 seeded girls doubles team and qualified for the 6A-West Conference Tournament, the first time in her career she made the conference tourney.

“She improved every year and it’s something she enjoys, so that’s the main thing,” Mosby said. “It took me a while to figure this out about Hailey, she’s a lot of fun but it takes a while to get to know her and for her to speak out. When she came into tennis at the end of ninth grade, she had never played and I needed some girls and she did everything I asked her to do but she’s a thinker; she has to process it in her mind before she does it.” Rakhshani remarked she has a 3.9 gradepoint average but due to taking numerous Advanced Placement and concurrent classes, it easily exceeds 4.0. “She would always come ask me about scholarships,” Van Buren High counseling registrar Cindy Nelson said. “She has filled out

scholarship after scholarship. ... Every time there was one that was available, she was at my door asking me, ‘What do I need to do?’ and I would give her the application, she would fill it out, she would turn it back in. “She was always on top of her college applications and scholarships for the schools. ... She was just always on time in the fact that she didn’t want to waste any time or leave anything to chance, she wanted to get it done and make sure she had it done correctly and on time.” Rakhshani, who will attend Arkansas Tech University in the fall and study nursing in hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse, also completed a three-year course for biomedical sciences at VBHS. For one of her final presentations, she went to Rena Elementary and dissected a sheep’s brain for the students there. “We learned the human body system,” she said. “We dissected a brain ourselves last year, so my teacher selected some of her students to go to the elementary school and dissect a sheep brain for kids to teach them about the parts of the brain. ... It was really fun, and they all had a lot of questions and they really liked it. “I also went to Rena a few times to read to kindergarteners also. I just like to work with younger kids; that’s most of the volunteer stuff that I do.” Rakhshani, who said she began getting involved in community service as a ninthgrader, added the key to her busy schedule is making sure her studies come at the forefront. “I do focus on schoolwork first, and then I do volunteer work after I get done with all my schoolwork,” she said.

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6 • June 21, 2020

Jaylin Williams MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NorthsidE: Basketball

Why he Won BY BUCK RINGGOLD Times Record Without a doubt, Northside’s Jaylin Williams knew the expectations placed on him at the start of his senior basketball season. Williams’ Grizzlies were coming off a 6A state championship, and he was one of the most highly recruited players in the state. “I knew there was a target on my back and I knew what expectations people had for me every game,” Williams said. “So I just knew I had to bring it every single game.” Williams did just that, leading the Grizzlies in both scoring and rebounding. He averaged 18.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game along with 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks. For the season, Williams registered doubledoubles in 24 of Northside’s 30 ballgames. His season high for points was 33, and he also had 19 rebounds to go with 19 points in the Grizzlies’ 6A quarterfinal win against Cabot. But Williams, named the River Valley Best of Preps Male Athlete of the Year, did more than just go inside and even dunk at will. He also improved on his outside shooting, converting 38 3-pointers. Williams also made three 3’s in three different games. “I think my biggest improvement was just expanding my game outside the 3-point line,” Williams said. “I made sure this year I was a better 3-point shooter to help with floor spacing. “I also made sure I was a better ball handler, so when I grab a rebound, I could take off with it or just if I needed to handle it.” Williams’ bid for a second straight 6A title

fell short as the Grizzlies were upset by Little Rock Central in the state semifinals. “I feel like throughout the whole season, I played really good,” he said. “There was a couple of games where I feel like I could’ve done better. But overall, I had a good season.”

Williams is now headed to the University of Arkansas, where he committed to play last fall. But he will leave Northside with fond memories, including the state title his junior year. Not to mention making his name for himself amongst the pantheon of former Grizzly

basketball legends. One of which is his dad, Michael Williams. “Really it was great (playing at Northside),” Jaylin Williams said. “Growing up in Fort Smith, everywhere I go with my dad, someone always comes up to me and says, ‘You don’t know how great of a basketball player your dad was,’ so it’s always been on my mind to try to be one of the best.” But Williams has made his presence felt beyond basketball. When Fort Smith was hit hard by last year’s flooding, Williams took a pivotal role volunteering in the relief efforts. “It was just really being able to be a leader,” he said. “I love helping out around where I can. It’s great to me.” In the classroom, Williams had a 3.81 grade-point average, with Williams’ favorite class being his fifth-period math class. Williams also gave credit to his family for helping mold him into the player and person he has become. Along with his dad and his mom, Linda Williams, Jaylin Willliams has three brothers (Mikey, Marquis and Montel Williams) and one sister (Synora Phillips). “They are very influential,” Jaylin Williams said. “They are the reason for everything. They push me to be the best version of me.” And that constant pushing is something Williams suggests to aspiring athletes. “Throughout my life, I was never the best, but I always strived to be,” he said. “I kept working to get better and I kept pushing. “If you can’t be the best scorer, then be the best defender. If you can’t be those, be the best rebounder or teammate. Just always push to be the best.”

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June 21, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ 7

Greenwood School District is proud of our Student Athletes Creating Champions in the Classroom, in the Community, and in Competition

Noah Embrey Macie Cash Taylor Koeth Madelyn Wilkinson Jordan Hanna Eli Martin Jayden Martin Jace Presley Treyton Dawson Nathan Nethers Hunter Wilkinson Eli Butler Jonathan Mitchell Zackery Beshears Olivia Gaston Abigail Woodring

Boys Cross Country Girls Cross Country Girls Cross Country Girls Cross Country Football - Defense Football - Defense Football - Defense Football - Offense Football - Offense Football - Offense Football - Offense Boys Tennis Boys Tennis Boys Tennis Girls Tennis Girls Tennis

Camryn Presley Izzy Davis Hannah Watkins Ry Bullington Ty Moose Sam Johnson Antonio Martinez Jason Arnold Tyler Crossno Colton Tuck Jaelin Glass Kinley Fisher Brady Fein Ella Austin Hallie Jones

Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball Boys Bowling Boys Wrestling Boys Wrestling Boys Wrestling Boys Wrestling Boys Wrestling Boys Wrestling Girls Basketball Girls Basketball Boys Golf Girls Golf Girls Golf

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2019-2020 Greenwood All-Star Athletes

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8 • June 21, 2020

Jessie Flanagan FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR LavacA: Bowling, Volleyball, Softball

Why She Won

I loved the energy that is in the dugout and the adrenaline rush when you catch the strikeout out behind the plates, or the throw down and getting an out at second.

BY BUCK RINGGOLD Times Record As a multi-sport athlete, Jessie Flanagan knew she was going to be asked a certain question. Which was, of those sports, which one was your favorite. Flanagan, who participated in volleyball, bowling and softball at Lavaca, was quick to respond. “I know usually you have your favorite sports when you play multiple sports, but this gal right here cannot choose,” Flanagan, a senior who was selected as the River Valley Best of Preps Female Athlete of the Year, said. “All three of these sports, I couldn’t go out with.” On the volleyball court, she turned in a tremendous season as Flanagan was selected All-State playing at setter and helped lead the Lady Golden Arrows to the 2A state tournament. In volleyball, Flanagan recorded 75 kills and had a hitting percentage of .500. She also had six blocks, 75 assists and 35 aces for a Lavaca team which reached the 2A state semifinals. “We lost five great players (from the season before), so we needed more than just us seniors to step up in the part,” Flanagan said. “I had to come to practice every day to get better. ... I had to step up and become the other setter with Anna Todaro because we needed one more; we had to work on our serving, passing and hitting. “All of the above, we needed to do to have a good season. Most importantly, we needed

— Jessie Flanagan to know how to work together as a team. ... I think knowing how to work together was the most important thing to have a good season.” Then she repeated her 1A/2A girls state bowling championship, which she achieved in February, rolling a three-game total score of 640, winning the event by a whopping 64 pins. Flanagan’s repeat state championship in bowling nearly didn’t happen. That’s because Flanagan had been battling constant back issues for most of the season as well as during her volleyball season. “I had at least two months of physical therapy, learning how to walk and sit right, how to get out of bed right,” she said. “A lot of medications, stretches and resting. “I had to ease my way into the amount of games that I would do, but then I got to the point to where I could withstand it. I had my moments where I would hurt, but it was

tolerable.” Flanagan then planned to finish her senior season by playing softball for the Lady Golden Arrows, but the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, there were still some experiences Flanagan was able to take from softball, primarily playing at catcher.

“I loved the summer practices, long bus rides, jam sessions on the bus, hotel shenanigans and just being with the team,” she said. “I loved the energy that is in the dugout and the adrenaline rush when you catch the strikeout out behind the plates, or the throw down and getting an out at second.” Possessing a 3.5 grade-point average, Flanagan will get to continue her bowling career as she signed to bowl at Oklahoma Christian University. She will also study to become a nurse anesthetist. “I would tell young athletes to have fun while you can because you never know when it’s your last,” Flanagan said. “Work hard every day and never say that you can’t, because once you do, you actually might believe it. “Always believe that you can and hard work will be worthwhile.”

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 9

Bridget Freeman COACH OF THE YEAR Hackett: Volleyball

Why SHE Won BY KEVIN TAYLOR Times Record

It’s all like a blur now. “Did that really happen?” As fall morphed into winter, then spring, Hackett volleyball coach Bridget Freeman never lost sight of the accomplishment her volleyball team accomplished in such a short time. Hackett won the 2A state championship last fall by blitzing Crowley’s Ridge, 15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22 in just its third season of senior high competition. Freeman was selected as River Valley Best of Preps Volleyball Coach of the Year. “I don’t know if I could have been blessed with a better group,” Freeman said. “From the time I had them in seventh grade, they constantly wanted to get better. They want to do as best they can in 3A when we move up next year. You can’t imagine it.” Hackett (28-2) will have a chance to repeat in a higher classification. They’ll have most of its key pieces back, including state tournament MVP Rain Vaughn and Freeman’s daughter, Madeline. “It’s so memorable,” Freeman said. “They got their rings at a basketball

That relationship, being able to experience that, we still talk about it all the time. My group feels like they’re not finished; they’re ready again. —Bridget Freeman game; that was kind of surreal to put it in perspective. I think it’s something they’re going to remember forever.” Winning a title with Madeline was also a thrilling experience. “Having her there made it really neat,” Freeman said. “That relationship, being able to experience that, we still talk about it all the time. My group feels like they’re not finished; they’re ready again.” Last fall’s title run also gave Freeman a bit of redemption from her prep career at Mansfield. While in high school, the Tigers were knocked out of post-season play by Crowley’s Ridge in both volleyball and softball.

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

10 • June 21, 2020

BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Jaylin Williams, Northside Jaylin Williams was the team’s top scorer and rebounder for the Northside Grizzly basketball team as a senior. He also was able to produce a number of highlight-reel dunks. Williams, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward/ center, led the Grizzlies to a 20-10 record and the Class 6A semifinals. He averaged 18.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Williams, named the River Valley Best of Preps Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year, said. “I was able to play both my 11th grade and 12th grade year and my EYBL (Nike Elite Youth Basketball League) season and be noticed by a lot of colleges.” However, there was just one college where Williams eventually focused on, the University of Arkansas. Williams committed to the Razorbacks in the fall.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

But he does so after cementing his legacy among the all-time great players at Northside. One of the things Williams also enjoyed about his senior season was the camaraderie he had with his teammates. “It was really just bonding with my team; it was a lot different than the last two years because we were the seniors,” he said. “Being with those group of guys I’ve been with the past three years has been great.” During the 2019 season Williams was a key factor in the Grizzlies winning it all in 6A. Williams has volunteered locally on behalf of flood relief efforts and youth basketball camps. He also has maintained a 3.81 grade-point average in the classroom. A first-team All-State honoree, Williams was named as the Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Jersey Wolfenbarger, Northside Though Northside’s Jersey Wolfenbarger led her team in scoring and the 6-foot-4 point guard was named the Gatorade Arkansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She was also selected as the River Valley Best of Preps Girls Basketball Athlete of the Year for her achievements on the court. “I think it’s the result of all the hard work I’ve put in the past couple of years,” Wolfenbarger said. “But I think my teammates have done a really good job at helping me be that leader I want to be and helping me at just getting into position to produce and play hard and obviously play close to my best every night.” A three-year starter and the MVP of the 2019 6A tournament her sophomore

BOYS BASKETBALL

season, Wolfenbarger led the Lady Bears in scoring with 18.8 points per game. She has scored at least 20 points in 16 games this season, with a season high of 33 points in a win against Greenwood in early January. Wolfenbarger also averaged 6.1 rebounds per game along with 3.9 assists, 1.5 steals and even averaged more than one blocked shot. “She is just a great player and I think we’re very blessed to have Jersey on the team,” Northside coach Rickey Smith said. Off the court, Wolfenbarger possesses a 4.08 grade-point average. She is also very active in the community, volunteering at a local homeless shelter, the Salvation Army and youth basketball programs.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

COACH OF THE YEAR

Renner Reed

CLAY REEVES

The Lavaca boys basketball coach saw his team win 34 games this season. Not once, however, did they ever talk about the team’s record. “We never talked one time about how many games we’ve won,” Reed said. “Obviously we know, but we talk about the next game. Our goal was to be champions. We wanted to be conference champions, district champions, regional champions and state champions. “I really wanted them to be state champions,” Reed said. “They’re such driven guys. They made my year so much fun. They’re a dream to coach because they have such good attitudes.

Clay Reeves has coached long enough to know the difference between good teams, bad teams, and those somewhere inbetween. He’s also coached a lot of unselfish teams. The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs fall into this category. Reeves team had reached the finals of the 5A state tournament, and were named co-state champions as the final game was canceled due to the coronavirus. “We were blessed to have a lot of people step up and score,” Reeves said of his 2019-20 team. “Everybody did their part and were willing to put the team first.”

Lavaca

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12 • June 21, 2020

VOLLEYBALL

FOOTBALL

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

CAMRYN PRESLEY, GREENWOOD How do you become the school’s alltime leader in just about every statistical category? For Camryn Presley, it was never NOT about doing whatever it took to win. The Greenwood volleyball standout, who helped lead the program to 123 victories during her four-year career, including a 33-7 state championship run in 2017, finished her high school career with nearly as many assists (849) as kills (1,014) earning her The Times Record River Valley Best of Preps Volleyball Athlete of the Year. “I started playing sports, literally, when I came out of my mom’s womb,” Presley said. “My mom (Beth) was working at First Tee and I was always surrounded by athletes. I feel like that’s how I was molded to be.” Presley’s senior numbers didn’t add up to another state title in 2019. But she certainly

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did her part. As a senior Presley had 353 kills and 359 assists this season. She averaged 338.5 kills her last two seasons, and was even better at sharing the ball. Presley averaged 413.9 assists per year in 2018-19. “For me, even though volleyball season was over (last November), I still love to go work out,” she said. “I feel like it’s in my DNA to be an athlete. I’m super competitive.” Presley finished her high school career with 311 career blocks, 104 aces and 637 digs. She averaged 252 digs per season her final two years. Camryn will continue her volleyball career at Hendrix College next year.

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JACE PRESLEY, GREENWOOD Following in the massive foot prints left behind by all-state quarterbacks Luke Hales, Connor Noland and Peyton Holt would be way too much for most young quarterbacks to handle, but not Jace Presley. Presley stepped into the starting lineup for just one season and guided the Bulldogs to an outright 6A-West conference championship and to the Class 6A semifinals with a 10-2 record. For his effort, Presley earned the Best of Preps Football Player of the Year honors. Presley, who was named All-State and the 6A-West Outstanding Quarterback, was ready to lead the Bulldogs way before the season even started for the Bulldogs in 2019. “I started feeling comfortable during the summer,” Presley said. “I was a little nervous, but I was mainly excited that first game.” Presley completed 70.6 percent of his passes on 283-of-401 efficiency for 3,111 yards and 37 touchdowns. He started the season with five games and 192 passes without an interception

and threw just eight all season. Presley became just the third quarterback in school history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark and 30-touchdown plateau while also completing at least 70 percent of his passes along with Jabe Burgess and Hayden Smith. Presley credits studying under Hales, Noland and Holt, all three of whom are currently playing college athletics, as important to his success and he certainly didn’t sulk about having to play behind them in high school. “It wasn’t that hard because I was having fun, and I knew I wasn’t ready,” Presley said. “Those guys were better than me. I just learned from them. If I had been upset by it, I wouldn’t have learned from it. I did what I had to do and learned.” Presley will also continue his athletic career on the collegiate level by playing baseball at Crowder Junior College.

VolleyBALL

FootTBALL

COACH OF THE YEAR

COACH OF THE YEAR Bridget Freeman

Greg Werner

As fall morphed into winter, then spring, Hackett volleyball coach Bridget Freeman never lost sight of the accomplishment her volleyball team accomplished in such a short time. Hackett won the 2A state championship last fall by blitzing Crowley’s Ridge, 15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22 in just its third season of senior high competition. Freeman was selected as River Valley Best of Preps Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Poteau finished off its first-ever title run, defeating Weatherford for the 4A title, 9-7. The win also gave coach Greg Werner, who finished off his first season in his second stint with the Pirates, his first-ever title after taking two other programs to the state championship game before falling short on each occasion. In 2013, he guided Poteau to the 4A title game but the Pirates lost to Anadarko. After Werner returned to Poteau this past season, the Pirates finished 13-1, winning their last 13 ballgames after a season-opening loss to El Reno. With the win, Poteau also became the first football team from the River Valley side of Oklahoma to win the state title since 1981.

Hackett

Poteau

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June 21, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ 13

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14 • June 21, 2020

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BOYS TENNIS

GIRLS TENNIS

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

Jonathan Mitchell & Eli Butler, GREENWOOD

Olivia Gaston, GREENWOOD

When the Greenwood Bulldogs started their 2019 tennis season, there were just three players on the roster. Fortunately, Eli Butler, who chose not to play his junior year after making All-State as a sophomore, decided to come back and play his senior year. The Bulldogs definitely reaped the benefits of Butler’s return, as he and his doubles partner, junior Jonathan Mitchell, ended up winning the 5A-West conference title and making the 5A state semifinals. For their efforts, Butler and Mitchell both shared the honor of being named the Best of River Valley Preps Boys Tennis Co-Athletes of the Year. “They got better with each match and really complement each other with their styles of play,” Greenwood tennis coach Ken Hamilton said.

Greenwood Lady Bulldog tennis standout Olivia Gaston turned in another stellar season. The senior won her fourth consecutive girls singles conference championship; then made it to the championship match at state for the second time in three seasons. For her efforts, Gaston was selected as the Best of River Valley Preps Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year. She noted her biggest strength, especially this season, was the ability to remain calm and press onward. “I stay really calm; I don’t ever really freak out. ... I just stay kind of level,” Gaston said. Gaston dropped just one regular-season match all season, which was to Northside standout Kate Files. Gaston won her fourth straight conference by defeating her Lady Bulldog teammate,

Mitchell and Butler faced off against a doubles team from Russellville in the conference finals. The first set was a tiebreaker, which Greenwood won 7-2. The second set was a hard-fought, entertaining set with Mitchell and Butler winning 6-4. By virtue of winning the doubles title, Mitchell and Butler gave Greenwood enough points to edge out Russellville for the team conference championship. “That was the most memorable moment from this past season, when we went to a tiebreaker in the conference championship,” Mitchell said. “We ended up winning the championship and felt so relieved.” At the 5A state tournament, Mitchell and Butler won their opening-round match in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. Then, they posted a 6-3, 6-2 win in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.

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Abigail Woodring, for the 5A-West title. Two years ago as a sophomore, Gaston finished as the 6A state runner-up. Last season, she placed third at the 5A tourney. Gaston was able to make it back to the 2019 5A championship match, finishing as 5A state runner-up to Jonesboro’s Jenna Payne. In addition, Gaston was part of four straight conference titles for the Lady Bulldogs as a team. “It was an awesome experience,” Gaston said in regards to her Lady Bulldog career. Gaston signed to continue her tennis career at Ouachita Baptist University. For her, it’s hard to believe she initially resisted playing tennis after picking it up at the age of 7 before developing a fond appreciation of the sport.

TENNIS

COACH OF THE YEAR Ken Hamilton GREENWOOD

Both the Lady Bulldog and Bulldog netters claimed the 5A-West conference titles, with the Lady Bulldogs doing that for the fourth consecutive season, and several players were able to advance deep at the 5A state tournament. The Bulldogs brought back senior Eli Butler, who did not play as a junior. He and Jonathan

Mitchell, the number one doubles team, were able to win conference and reach the 5A semifinals. A singles player, Zach Beshears, also reached the 5A boys quarterfinals. At state on the girls side, Gaston, who won her fourth straight conference singles title, reached the 5A finals while Woodring made it to the 5A semifinal round.

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 15

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2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

16 • June 21, 2020

BOYS GOLF

GIRLS GOLF

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

CADEN COOK, Scranton Caden Cook walked onto the golf course at Chamberlyne Country Club last fall with the weight of the world perched on his shoulder. His spikes laced up, Cook said he was able to breath again after launching his first tee shot directly down the middle of the fairway. “I was nervous leading up to it but after I got that first tee shot down the middle, I had a pretty good day from there on out,” Cook said. “For me, that was my moment.” Cook shot 83 that fall afternoon helping Scranton captured the Class A state championship and earning him the Times Record River Valley Best of Preps Male Golfer of the Year. Cook and fellow seniors Ethan West and Jackson Rogers were determined not to let each other down in 2019. “We put in the time all summer,” Cook said. “We get to the (state) tournament and we were really nervous. For the three of us, it was our

last crack. Our coach (John Blamey) gives ua a pep talk and told us this is what we worked for. Everybody did amazing; everybody played like how we were supposed to.” An all-state baseball player as a junior, Cook had been a serious baseball player until golf began to tug at his heartstrings. “I played a lot baseball; that was my main sport when I was little,” he said. “Then about two years ago I got really interested in golf.” Cook, who played basketball, too, leaned on the words of his dad Toby while coming to understand golf. “My dad, I can’t give him enough credit,” Caden Cook said. “Golf is one of those sports where some days you have it, and some days you don’t. You’re going to have bad days. “My dad always told me the players that can push through during the bad times are going to be good golfers.”

ELLA AUSTIN, GREENWOOD

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

Greenwood golfer Ella Austin couldn’t have asked for a more memorable senior season. And it wasn’t just her performance on the course that Austin will remember. “My team and surrounding community created an incredibly encouraging atmosphere to succeed in,” Austin, named the River Valley Best of Preps Girls Golfer of the Year, said. “Our only wish was to bring honor to the name Greenwood and we took great pride in the school we represented. “This wish brought us great achievements, both personally and as a team. I would not have had the season I did without my support system of loving family, friends, teammates and coaches.” And regarding Austin’s performance on the course, she finished in the top 10 at state to garner All-State honors while the Lady Bulldogs were also the 5A team state runner-up.

“The biggest improvement made during my final golf season would be the self-confidence grown,” Austin said. “I learned to trust my instincts on the course and also how to leave bad shots on the previous holes. “I went with the flow of the day and took each shot hole-by-hole. I took my time and practiced patience.” Austin edged teammate Grace Woody for the overall individual medalist honors at the 5A-West Conference match, winning in a playoff hole. “When I was announced as the conference medalist, I felt nothing but pride for my team.” Greenwood coach Ronnie Sockey remarked that was the kind of team player Austin was. “She was the one who would talk with all the teammates before every match to get them focused,” Sockey said. “Team oriented all the way for us.”

up there (celebrating) than Cass (Casalman). County Line won last year, playing out their best while toughing out the elements.” That only fueled Blamey and the Rockets’ drive. Blamey has coached golf for 15 seasons, coaching both the boys and girls programs. During that time, his teams have won seven conference championships, five conference runner-up finishes, and each team has finished third at the state tournament. Scranton hosted the 2019 state meet at

Chamberlyne Country Club in Danville. “I’ve never been that nervous before,” Blamey said. “I saw a few of the guys on the course, and they gave me a thumbs down, meaning they were unhappy with their performance on the previous hole.” Then, as they were adding up the scores, Blamey couldn’t believe his eyes. “I just put my head down. I couldn’t look,” he said. “Then our boys started yelling and I knew we had won.”

GOLF

COACH OF THE YEAR JOHN BLAMEY

SCRANTON HIGH SCHOOL In 2018, he watched longtime friend Ryan Casalman’s County Line Indians pull off a state championship the year before. And now his hometown Scranton Rockets were on the threshold of winning a championship. Leading up to the big day, however, rain didn’t help his team. As Blamey recalls, “When we didn’t make it (2018), there wasn’t another guy I’d rather see

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

BRAEDEN HINDLEY, NORTHSIDE Braeden Hindley didn’t start running cross country for Northside until his junior year. He was wanting another outlet, having given up on playing football due to injuries. Hindley ended up having success in cross country. As a senior for the Grizzlies, Hindley placed second at both the UAFS/Fort Smith Invitational and the University of the Ozarks Invitational in Clarksville, as well as third at the Mansfield Invitational. He also finished fourth at the 6A-Central conference meet held at Ben Geren Park. “I felt like I had a really progressive year; I cut down on my 5K time in cross country by over a minute from my junior year, which is ecstatic,” Hindley said. “I did that at the Chile Pepper meet in Fayetteville. ... I really couldn’t have asked for a better cross country season; I pretty much met all of my goals that I wanted

June 21, 2020 • 17

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

to do.” Even when switching from football to running cross country, things didn’t come easy for Hindley. “Something interesting about me is that I broke six bones through my high school tenure,” he said. Hindley also set another milestone following the season. By officially signing to run at the University of Central Arkansas, Hindley became the first boys cross country runner in coach Jeff Lewis’ 15-year tenure at Northside to sign with a Division I school. “My favorite general subject (in school) is science, but as of this year, psychology has really interested me because it has taught me how and why people at and think about everything,” Hindley said. “I plan to study biology or general science at UCA in order to prepare for medical school.”

MACIE CASH, GREENWOOD Under normal circumstances, Greenwood cross country runner Macie Cash prefers to start fast from the get-go. For her running of the 5A state meet, Cash elected to go with a different strategy. She decided to take it a little bit more slow and steady to begin; then gradually start to turn it on down the stretch. That approach worked, both for her and for the Lady Bulldogs. Cash helped lead Greenwood to its firstever girls cross country state championship as the Lady Bulldogs took the team title in Hot Springs. A junior, Cash was also the team’s top individual finisher, coming in second with a time of 19:18.2. “I am normally a very fast starter, but I knew at state I wanted to come out conservatively in order to have more left at the end,” Cash, named the River Valley Best of Preps Cross

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

Country Girls Athlete of the Year, said. “At some of our earlier meets, I ran out of energy by the end because of how fast I took off at the start. “I took this into consideration and ran by pace for about a mile and a half. At the twomile mark, I felt amazing. At that point is where I took second and held onto it until the finish.” It also capped a strong finish to Cash’s junior season. In her previous meet, Cash won the 5A-West conference title as Greenwood also won its first girls cross country conference championship. “I had ran well before that meet, but going into the last three meets of the season, I tried different strategies,” Cash said. “At Van Buren, the strategy didn’t work out too well. “But at conference, I finally figured out what works for me. I used that confidence that I had after conference to carry me into state.”

CROSS COUNTRY COACH OF THE YEAR ANGIE BAILEy WALDRON

Last fall in Hot Springs, Waldron won its first state cross country title with the 3A meet earning Lady Bulldog head coach Angie Bailey River Valley Best of Preps Cross Country Coach of the Year. The Lady Bulldogs, who did not have any seniors on the roster, finished with 84 points, as they out-distanced the runner-up, Jessieville,

by 21 points. “I’ve had most of these girls, they started in seventh grade and they also run track for me; I’m the head senior high girls track coach as well, so I’ve had them basically all year,” coach Angie Bailey said. “We start in July for cross country, so pretty much except for one month a year I’ve got them, so we’re constantly working. ... They are just really motivated. “It’s like they know they can do it, and so

they want it.” Last season, the Lady Bulldogs finished fifth at state. But entering the 2019 season, Bailey — in her 10th season as Waldron’s cross country coach — believed her team had as good a chance as any to win it all. One reason was the addition of freshman Maria Grano. At state, Grano finished third in the individual portion, finishing the course in a personal best of 20:57.8.

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

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GIRLS SWIMMING

BOYS SWIMMING

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

ETHAN SPILLERS, SUBIACO Ethan Spillers didn’t have anything to hang his hat on heading into Subiaco Academy’s inaugural swim season. But the Trojans’ junior had a plan “I wanted to build our first-year program, qualify for state and medal at the state level,” he said. “It is a great honor to represent Subiaco Academy as a member of its first varsity swim team.” Spillers finished second (53.64) at the 4A-1A state meet in the 100 butterfly. He nabbed a second place finish(1:04.31) in the 100 breaststroke, too. “I was very pleased with my second place finishes,” he said. “But in the end I felt as if I could have done better.” Spillers admits he didn’t have many expectations prior to the 2019-20 swim season. For one, though he’d competed in summer meets, high school meets are a different animal. “Going into the season we didn’t even

imagine getting close to any of the qualifying relay times,” he said. “The most memorable moment of my season was when my relay team missed the state cut by only two seconds.” Spillers plans to sharpen his skills this summer. “I spend most of my summer competing and practicing,” he said. “I have a two- hour morning practice and an hour-and-a-half afternoon practice. Some days, I have weight training and aerobic workouts in between practices. Swimming is my life in the summer.” Going into his final season of high school competition, Spillers has plenty of things he hopes to improve on. “Two skills I want to work on to improve my times for next year are strengthening my kick and finishing my pull with more power,” Spillers said. “I also want to get stronger by hitting the weights so I can have more power to move through the water.”

CHLOE WEATHERS, CLARKSVILLE Clarksville junior Chloe Weathers took on the role of team leader this year. And she didn’t disappoint. Weathers helped the Lady Panthers nail down a first place finish in the 200 medley relay at the 4A-1A state swim meet Saturday in Bentonville with a time of 2:04.9 — four seconds faster than runner-up Magnolia, earning Weathers Times Record River Valley Best of Preps Swimming Athlete of the Year. The squad, consisting of Chloe Weathers, Hannah Melton, Emma Dunsworth and Ashley Laster, helped lead the Lady Panthers to an overall runner-up finish. “We were ahead from the very beginning,” Weathers said of the relay team’s victory. “Going into it, we were trying to add up everybody’s times to see how we would do. We knew we had a chance.” “Next year I get to swim with my sister (Macy); I can’t wait for that,” she said. “We

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

were happy to finish runner-up, or even third. We knew first place was out of the question. We just don’t have enough people to compete in all of the events necessary. But we’re only graduating a few people from this year.” Chloe Weathers placed second (2:24.87) in the girls 200 individual medley and third (1:03.89) in the girls’ 100 backstroke. The backstroke, she said, is her favorite event. The 100 backstroke is my favorite event,” Weathers said. “I’ve been swimming since I was 6. After the first 25-yard backstroke, I loved it. Ever since then it’s been my favorite.” Weathers’ teammate, Melton, was second (58.17) in the girls 100 freestyle at the state swim meet. Clarksville’s 400 free relay team (Weathers, Dunsworth, Laster and Melton) placed fourth overall at the state meet.

SWIMMING

COACH OF THE YEAR LANCE FETTERS Clarksville

Clarksville swim coach Lance Fetters doesn’t consider himself one of those coaches with a long back story. But he doesn’t lack for drawing kids in. “As swim coaches go, I don’t have a swim background,” Fetters said. “What I do is manage fears, expectations and relationships. I don’t have to coach effort. The ones that come

in really want to be there to do what we do. The atmosphere creates so much unity. It just draws them in.” A year after winning the school’s first-ever state state swimming championship, Clarksville rolled into the state meet hoping to finish strong. “We really liked what we had coming in,” he said. “We knew Magnolia (2020 state champion) had a lot of kids and that CAC (Central Arkansas Christian) had really fast kids.

We thought we were in the middle and didn’t know if we had enough to do it.” Clarksville finished at the state meet as runnerup, earning Fetters the Times Record River Valley Best of Preps Swimming Coach of the Year. Junior Chloe Weathers helped the Lady Panthers nail down a first place finish in the 200 medley relay at the 4A-1A state swim meet in Bentonville with a time of 2:04.9 — four seconds faster than runner-up Magnolia.

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 19

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2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

20 • June 21, 2020

BOYS WRESTLING

GIRLS WRESTLING

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

R.J. Riley, VAN BUREN All season, the focus for Van Buren senior wrestler R.J. Riley was to just take care of business in each match. Riley was able to do just that, and as a result, he repeated his 6A 285-pound weight class title at the Arkansas State Wrestling Tournament in Little Rock. In all four matches at state, Riley earned wins via pinfalls, including the 6A title match. “My mindset) was just to stay focused,” Riley, named the River Valley Best of Preps Boys Wrestling Athlete of the Year, said. “I didn’t really feel pressure. I knew that I was going to go after a state championship and I just had business to take care of really.” By repeating as state champion, Riley also became the first Pointer wrestler in the history of the program to do exactly that. Not bad for someone who originally was interested in playing basketball.

“I tried to play basketball until I was 9 and asked my dad if I would try wrestling and he said yes, because you (aren’t very good) at basketball,” Riley said. There was another goal Riley accomplished at state: He was able to become Van Buren’s all-time wins leader with 144, eclipsing the previous record of 142. Riley finished his senior season with a record of 45-2, and both of his losses were to the same opponent, a wrestler from Class 5A Searcy, which meant Riley defeated all of his foes he faced at the 6A level. At state, Riley was able to win all four of his matches by pinning his opponents. His first took exactly 26 seconds. Then, Riley pinned his quarterfinal opponent in 2:56 and his semifinal foe in 2:46 before winning his title match in four minutes.

ADDISoN LONEY, VAN BUREN Addison Loney was part of a historic event in February. The Van Buren sophomore wrestler was among those who won their respective weight classes as part of the inaugural Arkansas Girls State Tournament held in Little Rock. Loney claimed the gold medal in the 140 class after pinning Mountain Home senior Trinity Willett in a time of 1:10. “Addison wrestled lights out,” Van Buren coach John Petree said. “She had a pretty tough path; she had a Searcy kid in the semis that was super-tough and had only lost a couple of matches all year and we go out there and pin her. “Then in the finals match, she had (Willett) who was real athletic and we just take her down and pin her.” Loney, who finished her season 22-1 as she was selected as the River Valley Preps Girls

WRESTLING

Wrestling Athlete of the Year, won all four of her matches at state by pinfall. She won the opening round in 1:10, her quarterfinal in 1:35 and her semifinal in exactly a minute. In January, Loney took first place in a pair of tournaments. She placed second in the 140 at the 6A-West Conference Tournament. But Loney was able to rebound at state with her gold medal performance. “On my last match, I was running off the adrenaline from the previous match and felt more confident and so when I got up from pinning the girl in a minute, I just let out the loudest yell and it was just so emotional and I was incredibly proud of myself,” Loney said.

Wrestling

BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR

GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR

JOHN KINCADE

JOHN PETREE

The Greenwood Bulldog wrestling program had a banner season at the 5A level. First, the Bulldogs repeated as the 5A dual state champions. Then at the 5A state tournament, Greenwood won the 5A team championship with 238 total points, which was the first team wrestling championship in school history. “Our guys really came out and wrestled this season,” Greenwood wrestling coach John Kincade, named the River Valley Best of Preps Boys Wrestling Coach of the Year, said. “We had a motto this year that was to just finish it.

John Petree, Van Buren’s wrestling coach, knew the potential his girls wrestlers had as they took part in history this season. Two of them, in fact, were able to claim gold medals. Violet Summers and Addison Loney each won their respective weight classes as part of the inaugural Arkansas Girls State Tournament, held in Little Rock. .“I just think my two state champions were my two girls on my boys team last year, so them just having that experience (helped),” Petree, named the River Valley Best of Preps Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year, said.

GREENWOOD

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

VAN BUREN

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 21

BOYS BOWLING

GIRLS BOWLING

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

OMAR FRANCO, VAN BUREN In just his first year to bowl, Omar Franco became a state champion individually and as part of a team. So what was the Van Buren junior’s secret to his immediate success in bowling? “Friends that inspire you, friends that can beat you and as well you can beat them,” Franco, named the River Valley Best of Preps Boys Bowling Athlete of the Year, said. “Friends that brought you in and supported you all the way through.” Franco had been playing soccer before his involvement in bowling. It didn’t take him very long to make a name for himself in his new sport. At the 6A state tournament held at Bowling World, Franco won the 6A individual boys title after rolling a three-game total score of 664 (211-227-226). He was also part of Van Buren’s first state title in bowling since 2010, as the Pointers

claimed the 6A team title by rolling a total score of 4,190 pins. “My thoughts are it was a lot of hard work from all of us, including our team and myself,” Franco said. “I’ve been only bowling for a year, and it’s been hard work coming out here three times a week bowling. ... I’m really proud of myself and my team for making state and winning it; it’s been a lot of hard work to put into what I do.” The individual gold medal win for Franco was even more amazing because prior to the 6A state tournament, he had never medaled in a previous event. “I wanted to pick up more spares (at state) than I did at conference and roll comfortably as much as I can even with me shaking nervously, and my mindset was to roll the best that I can, better than conference,” he said.

JESSIE FLANAGAN, LAVACA

FILE PHOTOGRAPH/NEWS-JOURNAL

On the surface, it seemed to come easy for Lavaca bowling standout Jessie Flanagan at the 1A/2A girls state tournament. She repeated as the individual state champion by rolling a three-game total score of 640, winning the event by a whopping 64 pins. Flanagan was also 10 pins away from matching the total score of the top boys individual champion. “It was just one of those things where I had confidence; like I was walking there with confidence or swag I guess you could say,” Flanagan, named the River Valley Best of Preps Girls Bowler of the Year, said. “It was just one of those things where you know you have a chip on your shoulder and like, ‘OK; I’m going to walk in there and I’m going to do everything I can.’” Her repeat state title nearly didn’t happen, as Flanagan had been battling constant back issues all season.

She was able to overcome those in time for the state tournament. At the state tournament held in Conway, Flanagan rolled a 200 for her opening game. But prior to her second game, Flanagan had to switch lanes. She ended up with a 194. So, before her third and final game of her high school bowling career, Flanagan was determined to go out with a bang. She did, as she rolled a 246 en route to a repeat state title. “It feels pretty great to do it again because I feel like this is one of the sports that I love deeply. ... It’s just been amazing to do and to especially represent my school,” Flanagan, who also plays volleyball and softball at Lavaca, said. Bowling, though, has been Flanagan’s lifelong passion. “Some people don’t know that I’ve been bowling since I was 4 years old and are always shocked about it,” she said.

those teams, we were going to be down 100, 150 pins just immediately,” Van Buren coach Kevin Ross, named the River Valley Best of Preps Bowling Coach of the Year, said. “But when the second scores came in and found out where we were, it was like, ‘Wow, we’re still in this thing.’ “They take this so serious and they are competitors beyond as much as anybody. They just build each other up, they build each other up.” The Pointers were also helped by the fact that

they had three of the top four bowlers individually. Leading the way was junior Omar Franco, who rolled a total score of 664. Two more Pointers tied for third place as junior Caleb Jenkins and senior Steven Dye each finished with a total of 630. Ross also led the Pointers to the 6A-Central conference tournament championship as another Van Buren bowler, junior Jake Pullan, was the gold medalist.

BOWLING

COACH OF THE YEAR KEVIN ROSS VAN BUREN

Van Buren claimed its first state bowling title since 2010 by winning the 6A championship, held at Bowling World. The Pointers rolled a total score of 4,190 pins, beating runner-up Conway by nearly 100 pins. “After the first game, I was not going to write us off, but we were way below what we have normally done and usually when that happens with

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

22 • June 21, 2020

Clakrsville— 4A-1A Girls Swimming 200 medlay relay State Champions

Scranton —1A Boys Golf State Champions

Van Buren — 6A Bowling State Champions

Jim Thome and Boys Soccer Player of the Year Noah Madrigal of Notre Dame

Greenwood — 5A Girls Cross Country State Champions

RIVER VALLEY STATE CHAMPIONS Girls Basketball - 5a Greenwood Evan Brown, Madison Cartwright, Haven Clements, Ashlynn Cook, Macy Cutsinger, Kinley Fisher, Jaelin Glass, Shea Goodwin, Megan Gray, Faith Hurt, Angela Price, Maggie Rozell, Stephanie Shay, Ally Sockey, Abby Summitt, Payton Tedford, Harley Terry, Olivia Walker, Kadince Youngwolfe Bowling - Individual Jessie Flanagan (Lavaca); Omar Franco (Van Buren) Bowling - 6a Van Buren Asher Altman, Coach Lee Altman, Steven Dye, Omar Franco, Matthew Hanson, Caleb Jenkins, Jake Pullan, Coach Kevin Ross Girls Cross Country - 3a Waldron High School Ryleigh Anschutz, Coach Angie Bailey, Sara Byford, Maria Grano, Constance Richmond, Melissa Schroeder, Stephanie Sexton, Kentucky Spence, Star Spence, McKenzi Stidman

Girls Cross Country - 5a Greenwood Coach Jim Andrews, Macie Cash, Madeline Ciesla, Abi Coston, Kaitlynne Elmore, Taylor Koeth, Ashley Koeth, Rebecca Martinez, Moriah Motosicky, Madelyn Wilkinson Boys Golf - 1a Scranton Coach John Blamey, Jaxon Chatelain, Caden Cook, Jackson Rogers, Brandt Rogers, Buddy Terry, Ethan West, Ryan Willems Girls Swimming - 4a-1a 200 Medlay Relay Clarksville Emma Dunsworth , Ashley Laster, Hannah Melton, Chloe Weathers Wrestling - 5a Greenwood Hayden Allen, Jason Arnold, Tyler Crossno, Marko Dominguez, Kevin Douglas, Garrett Haralson, Sam Johnson, Jayden Martin, Antonio Martinez, Gustavo Martinez, Ty Moose, Charlie Nena, Tatum Sadler, Colton Tuck

Boys Wrestling - 5a Individual Jason Arnold (Greenwood), Tyler Crossno (Greenwood), Sam Johnson (Greenwood), Antonio Martinez (Greenwood), Ty Moose (Greenwood) Boys Wrestling - 6a Individual R.J. Riley (Van Buren High School( Girls Wrestling - 6a Individual - Van Buren Addison Loney, Violet Summers Volleyball - 2a Hackett High School Kandace Byrd, Hannah Clark, Jamye Durham, Shayla Foster, Madeline Freeman, Coach Bridget Freeman, Kadence Glass, Brooke Holt, Emma Infalt, Sarah Moss, Sophia Neal, Jordyn Null, Chloie Patton, Monica Rangel, Kayla Richardson, Madison Taylor, Rain Vaughn, Sarah White, Kenadi Wright

Football - 4a Poteau Mason Barcheers, Payton Bernard, Ethan Branscum, Jeron Branscum, Ben Brooks, Kaden Cannon, Ethan Carey, Bryson Carshall, Lorenzo Cervantez, Gannon Cheek, Rylan Cooper, Matthew Curry, Jagger Dill, Christian Duncan, Cameron Duncan, Kix Fenton, Kass Fenton, Grant Ford, Wyatt Foster, Caden Fox, Easton Francis, Syler Fruen, Tucker Garrett, Wesley Garrett, Logan Gerhardt, Kaleb Harrison, Cole Hensley, Trey Jones, Bailey Kneisley, Ty Lemaster, Jayden Mankin, Jase Mankin, Jeffry Martin, Jorge Martinez, Todd Mattox, Cody Mattox, Conner Moss, Hunter Mundy, Kaleb Nixon, Dean Odom, Jake Patterson, Tucker Phillips, Chocho Ramirez, Austin Restine, Nathan Rice, Jonathan Salgado, Seth Sconyers, Kameron Shropshire, Jacob Smith, Chastin Soehlman, Jace Sommers, Kagen Stockton, Ian Tharp, Kennedy Thornburg, Dylan Tucker, Vaka Tuifua, Wyatt Waddell, Dauntay Warren, Coach Greg Werner, Colton Williamson, Caden Wrren, Austin Zimmerman

2020 2019 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 •• 23 23

2020 all star preps Payton Brown Waldron High School

Ethan Dorrough Ozark High School

Noah Gordon Northside High School Basketball

Cejay Mann Alma High School

Basketball

Matt Melton Lavaca High School

Brayden Oglesby Howe High School

Xavier Robertson Roland High School

Brayden Ross Charleston High School

Jaxon Wiggins Roland High School

Jaylin Williams Northside High School

Tracey Bershers Northside High School

Taylen Collins Muldrow High School

Kinley Fisher Greenwood High School

Jaelin Glass Greenwood High School

Saylor Kemp Roland High School

Baylee King Charleston High School Basketball

Lydia Mann Alma High School

Basketball

Crystal Ortiz Central High School

Payton Rucker Charleston High School

Jersey Wolfenbarger Northside High School

Ry Bullington Greenwood High School

Steven Dye Van Buren High School

Omar Franco Van Buren High School

Caleb Jenkins Van Buren High School

Connor Seuasingnouane Northside High School

Andrew Stephens Southside High School

Jessie Flanagan Lavaca High School

Destini Hernandez Northside High School

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

Basketball

Bowling

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

24 â&#x20AC;¢ June 21, 2020

2020 all star preps Miranda Lockey Van Buren High School

Kayla Richardson Hackett High School

Rachel Salisbury Southside High School

Katie Warren Clarksville High School

Braeden Hindley Northside High School

Cross Country

Max Linares Subiaco Academy

Cross Country

Cody Lowry Van Buren High School Cross Country

Macie Cash Greenwood High School Cross Country

Maria Grano Waldron High School

Cross Country

Taylor Koeth Greenwood High School

Aubree Wille Van Buren High School

Karsten Beneux Alma High School

Bowling

Cross Country

Bowling

Football

Bowling

Quinlan Broadway Southside High School

Cross Country

Noah Embrey Greenwood High School

Austin Hill Booneville High School

Ethan Martin Waldron High School

Cross Country

A.J. Post Ozark High School

Cross Country

Daniel Sanderson Clarksville High School Cross Country

Ryleigh Anschutz Waldron High School

Cross Country

Constance Richmond Waldron High School

Cross Country

Chloe Weathers Clarksville High School Cross Country

Felicity West Northside High School

Cross Country

Madelyn Wilkinson Greenwood High School

Josh Davis Alma High School

Keystan Durning Ozark High School

Jordan Hanna Greenwood High School

Jaiden Henry Van Buren High School

Tyler Holmes Mansfield High School

Bowling

Football

Cross Country

Football

Cross Country

Football

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 25

2020 all star preps Gabe Jensen Alma High School

Eli Martin Greenwood High School

Jayden Martin Greenwood High School

Eli Munnerlyn Ozark High School

Cha’Raun Page Van Buren High School

Montay Parks Northside High School

Sawyer Pool Sallisaw High School

Conner Rodgers Spiro High School

Kagan Stockton Poteau High School

Devin Swearingen Van Buren High School

Vaka Tuifua Poteau High School

Stetson Van Matre Northside High School

Dauntay Warren Poteau High School

Elijah Wright Vian High School

Grayson Bailey Alma High School

Mason Barcheers Poteau High School

Cam Brasher Booneville High School

Bryant Burns Ozark High School

Gray Cloud Vian High School

Treyton Dawson Greenwood High School

Easton Francis Poteau High School

Layton Howard Mansfield High School

Will Lyons Vian High School

Elijah Mendoza Vian High School

Nathan Nethers Greenwood High School

Jace Nicholson Sallisaw High School

Gary Phillips Van Buren High School

Ethan Pirraglia Booneville High School

Football

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

26 â&#x20AC;˘ June 21, 2020

2020 all star preps Jace Presley Greenwood High School

Tyheen Prosise Northside High School

Malik Roberson Spiro High School

Bryce Smithson Sallisaw High School

Ethan Stovall Mansfield High School

Kennedy Thornburg Poteau High School

Will Timmerman Ozark High School

Hunter Wilkinson Greenwood High School

Caden Cook Scranton High School

Brady Fein Greenwood High School

Caleb Robberson County Line High School

Ella Austin Greenwood High School

Hallie Jones Greenwood High School

Abbey McCormick Ozark High School

Football

Golf

Edwardo Almaraz Clarksville High School Swimming & Diving

Football

Golf

Matthew Dunsworth Clarksville High School Swimming & Diving

Ethan Spillers Subiaco Academy

Swimming & Diving

Football

Golf

Thomas Farrell Northside High School Swimming & Diving

Emma Dunsworth Clarksville High School Swimming & Diving

Football

Golf

Ian Holland Alma High School

Swimming & Diving

Ashley Laster Clarksville High School Swimming & Diving

Football

Golf

Luke Pitts Alma High School

Swimming & Diving

Hannah Melton Clarksville High School Swimming & Diving

Football

Matthew Shelton Scranton High School Swimming & Diving

Isabel Shelton Scranton High School Swimming & Diving

Golf

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ 27

2020 all star preps Lindsey Ward Paris High School

Chloe Weathers Clarksville High School

Reiter Ahlert Southside High School

Zackery Beshears Greenwood High School

Eli Butler Greenwood High School

Sam Carlisle Northside High School

Griffin Huckelbury Northside High School

Kadin Hyatt Northside High School

Daniel Kiss Southside High School

Jonathan Mitchell Greenwood High School

Will Thames Northside High School

Layla Kay Byrum Booneville High School

Kate Coleman Southside High School

Jordan Cormier Southside High School

Swimming & Diving

Tennis

Swimming & Diving

Tennis

Kate Files Northside High School Tennis

Tennis

Olivia Gaston Greenwood High School Tennis

Izzy Davis Greenwood High School Volleyball

Tennis

Allison Michael Booneville High School Tennis

Grace Doolittle Van Buren High School Volleyball

Tennis

Annie Nelligan Southside High School Tennis

Madalyn Doolittle Van Buren High School Volleyball

Tennis

Ashlyn Roffine Southside High School Tennis

Avery Fitzgerald Southside High School Volleyball

Tennis

Abigail Woodring Greenwood High School Tennis

Madeline Freeman Hackett High School Volleyball

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

28 â&#x20AC;˘ June 21, 2020

2020 all star preps Robyn Gossard Paris High School

Hannah Hogue Southside High School

Aleigha Johnson Southside High School

Anna Todaro Lavaca High School

Antonio Martinez Greenwood High School

Volleyball

Wrestling

Volleyball

Faith Mainer Paris High School

Volleyball

Nicole Medlin Northside High School

Lexie Mosby Northside High School

Camryn Presley Greenwood High School

Rain Vaughn Hackett High School

Hannah Watkins Greenwood High School

Jadyn Womack Charleston High School

Jason Arnold Greenwood High School

Tyler Crossno Greenwood High School

Sam Johnson Greenwood High School

Ty Moose Greenwood High School

Cruz Partain Vian High School

Devin Potter Northside High School

R.J. Riley Van Buren High School

Devin Swearingen Van Buren High School

Colton Tuck Greenwood High School

Volleyball

Wrestling

Joseph Williams Southside High School Wrestling

Volleyball

Wrestling

Kelseigh Archer Van Buren High School Wrestling

Volleyball

Wrestling

Addison Loney Van Buren High School Wrestling

Volleyball

Wrestling

Gabriela Perez Northside High School Wrestling

Volleyball

Wrestling

Violet Summers Van Buren High School Wrestling

Volleyball

Wrestling

Emma Travis Sallisaw High School Wrestling

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

June 21, 2020 • 29

HACKETT SCHOOLS HOME OF THE HORNETS Hackett Schools are a great choice that combines big opportunities with small town values. We are the best of both worlds and have been called, “The best kept secret in the River Valley.”

HACKETT SCHOOL DISTRICT CONGRATULATES OUR ATHLETES SELECTED TO THE BEST OF THE RIVER VALLEY PREPS! • Kayla Richardson - Bowling • Madeline Freeman - Volleyball • Rain Vaughn - Volleyball•Bridget Freeman - 2020 Best of River Valley Preps Coach of the Year

www.hackettschools.org

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“GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN HACKETT SCHOOLS”

2020 BEST OF RIVER VALLEY PREPS

30 • June 21, 2020

BASEBALL

ARKOMA Dalton Ellison Jay Tate

CAMERON L.T. Booth Parker Cooper Spencer Featherston Kole Hadley Kolby McGee Logan Montgomery Ethan Shopteese

CENTRAL Hayden Caughman Jim Murphy

HEAVENER Brandon Crase Broc Garrett Graceon Huggins

PANAMA Trevor Banhart Colton Bledsoe Brandon Forrest Tanner Hagler

POCOLA Zayne Amerson Jaimison Brewer Nathan Gulley

POTEAU Mason Barcheers Cameron Duncan Christian Duncan Kass Fenton Easton Francis Hunter Mundy Kaleb Nixon Peyton Owens

SALLISAW Logan Bolin Tanner Mings

SPIRO Derek Carter Laken Corley

VIAN Brooks Coffee Jake Coffee Dylan Haning Brett McElhaney Austin Taylor

2020 SPRING SENIORS