Basketball teams across the state are looking to make a move towards March Madness, which in high school basketball, means state tournament play. In order to make it, they must finish strong in February’s district and regional tournaments. Several area schools have shown they can compete with teams considered among the best in the state.
Both Heber Springs boys and girls teams have shown a great deal of promise. The Panthers are currently tied for first in 2-4A Conference play and have not really been challenged much within the league besides narrow wins over Marianna-Lee and Stuttgart and a slim loss at Southside Batesville. If Heber can secure one of the top two seeds out of the 2-4A going into the 4A East Regional Tournament at the Panther Den, they will have a good chance of making the state tournament.
Senior point guard Caleb Brock and junior swingman Tanner Rockwell have shown the capability of carrying the scoring load while forwards Austin Brown and Wes McMullen have been monsters on the glass and also defend well.
Heber showed it is capable of playing with anybody in the state by handing Marianna its only loss in 13 games. For some puzzling reason, Marianna is not ranked in the Top 6 of the state newspaper’s top Class 4A teams despite beating Little Rock McClellan, who is ranked No. 2 in Class 5A. The Panthers also split with Riverview, who is ranked No. 3 in Class 3A. If Heber can remain consistent and play well on the road, they can set themselves up with a trip to state, where anything can happen. Jonesboro Westside, Dumas and Marianna look to be three of the best teams in Class 4A.
Perhaps even more curious than Marianna, why are the Lady Panthers not ranked in Top 6 of Class 4A by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette? After all, Heber beat No. 5 Clinton 76-62 at home while losing by a point in a foul plagued game at Clinton. Much like Heber’s boys, the Lady Panthers would like to secure at least a No. 2 seed going into regional play. Right now, Heber holds the tiebreaker over Clinton and they have played a much tougher schedule but the Democrat has yet to figure that out.
Junior point guard Jena Kelley is one of the best and most exciting players to watch in Class 4A basketball and she has a ton of talent and experience surrounding her. Hali Tury and Elizabeth Krug provide speed and length while post players Brooke Blankenship and Tara Stevenson have as much size and power as any this side of Lonoke. Katie Dixon can wear opponents out at the 3-point arc and also provides good ball handling.
Heber played Nashville tough in the state tournament last year despite missing Kelley, who had to sit out with flu-like symptoms. If the Lady Panthers are at full strength come March, watch out! Although Prairie Grove is currently undefeated, I believe Lonoke is the team to beat.
The Concord Pirates are another area team that could make a deep run into postseason play. With only five losses, Concord has been running through the 1A-2 South Conference with little problem other than a hiccup against Rural Special. Although the Pirates have yet to play any of the Class 1A’s Top 6-ranked teams, they have beaten some teams awfully badly. The Pirates have a wonderful outside-inside nucleus of players beginning with Chase Thomas and Derek Burnett in the middle and Tim Fuller on the wing. Conord hosts district and that could be the beginning of a run to state in Strawberry and beyond.
West Side’s senior boys have really been the Jekyl and Hyde team of the area. The Eagles have three very impressive wins over Heber, Class 1A, No. 3-ranked Wonderview and Class 1A, No. 4-ranked Guy-Perkins. But they haven’t been able to beat rival Concord, who isn’t ranked for some reason. West Side gets another shot at the Pirates on Saturday night in Concord.
The Lady Eagles also have a chance to make regionals, which are in Greers Ferry, but they may be a year away from going back to state. However, they are very well coached and could be a pleasant surprise.
As usual, Rose Bud’s boys and girls teams look to be on their way to regional play but nothing can be taken for granted in the rugged 2-3A Conference. The Ramblers have two outstanding guards in Jacob Pio and Cody Smith but may not have the frontcourt depth to make it out of regionals. If Rose Bud wants to make it back to state, they will need tough play out of post player Joe Dalrymple, who has the talent but has been battling injuries in his two years of high school ball.
The Lady Ramblers definitely have the talent to make state, but they are also in a very tough conference and region. Much like Heber’s boys, if Rose Bud is playing well down the stretch, they could take the momentum into a run in state. Sophomore point guard Tori Willborg is extremely gifted and so are many of her classmates, so this team could be a year or two away from big things. But senior forward Megan Belew, who has won two consecutive Greers Ferry Lake Classic MVP awards, could have other plans.
Pangburn’s senior girls have the talent to win some conferences in this state but in 2-3A, just making it out of district can be a tough task. With the inside-out threat of senior post player Anna Saldana, senior point guard Taylor Kerby and the immergence of post player Ryleigh Homes, the Lady Tigers are definitely a team that can create matchup problems.
Another area girls’ team that has really been coming on of late is Quitman. The Lady Bulldogs 10-player rotation wears down many opponents. Quitman plays against two of the Top 3 teams in Class 2A in conference play (Conway Christian and Conway St. Joseph), so they will know what to expect once regionals and possibly state roll around.

(Will Gilbert is sports editor for The Sun-Times. Send comments to sports@thesuntimes.com)