LIKE IT IS : Pay tribute to Eells by teeing it up at Greystone
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/225176/
It might not be for a championship and it might not be the most prestigious golf tournament in the state, but it is one that has become one of the most emotional.
The second annual Paul Eells Classic will be played May 15 and 16 at Greystone Country Club in Cabot
It is only $ 75 per player — Eells would no doubt have preferred $ 50 per player — and all money goes to the Paul Eells Foundation for scholarships in broadcast journalism.
Last year, the one-day event attracted more than 500 golfers.
This year, teams will play on the Mountain Springs and Cypress Creek courses.
Anyone interested in playing can register online at www. pauleells. org or call (501 ) 516-OHMY.
Eells, the longtime voice of the Arkansas Razorbacks, died in a tragic car wreck July 21, 2006, near Russellville.
He had been a much loved and recognized voice and face at KATV, Channel 7, for 29 years.
Tom Mitchell, a retired Baptist minister, is president of the Paul Eells Foundation and has added another event, the Stars-N-Stripes Celebrity Softball game, unofficially creating the Paul Eells Memorial Weekend.
The game, presented by Western Hills United Methodist Church, will be held Saturday, May 17, at Gary Hogan Field on South Harrison in Little Rock.
All proceeds will also go to the Paul Eells Foundation.
The red team will be coached by UCA President Lu Hardin and former Razorbacks star Bobby Crockett. The players are Mark Edwards, Cliff Powell, Kevin McReynolds, Matt Mosler, Joe Dean Davenport, Chris Givens, Anthony Lucas, Justin Pickens, Gary Hogan Jr., Andy Pearson, Greg Kolenda, Jim Harris and Ernie Murry.
The blue team will be coached by Ken Hatfield and yours truly. The roster is Shawn Arnell, Tony Cherico, Bruce Lahay, Aaron Nolan, Tim Jones, Wess Moore, James Rouse, Dwight Adams, J. J. Meadors, Greg Hartwick, David Larkan, David Raath, and John Engskov.
Game time is 1 p. m.
While on the subject of softball, as well as youth baseball for boys and girls, the Wally Hall Tournament of Champions is up to 151 teams.
The tournament will be played in Benton over Memorial weekend (concluding Sunday ), and has just a few openings left in the T-ball, girls fast-pitch and youth baseball divisions.
Men’s and women’s slowpitch softball is full.
Anyone interested in participating should contact tournament director Shane Pigue at (501 ) 909-1605.
This is a major fundraiser for the Christian Care Center of Benton, Benton Optimist Baseball, Panther Pride Fast Pitch and the Humane Society.
Special Olympics has already received $ 7, 600 from the TOC.
To kick off the event Friday night, there will be two hotly contested exhibition games, the first pitting Benton Mayor Rich Holland’s team against Bryant Mayor Larry Mitchell’s team.
Those two cities have become a hotbed of youth league baseball and are very competitive in many ways, but also very friendly neighbors.
The second game will feature one of the greatest old rivalries in the state.
Thomas Oil will take on Ahart-Bryan. The two teams played 64 times in the 1990 s, and more times than not the outcome came down to which team batted last. Thomas Oil has a slight edge having won 34 games.
During that decade, Thomas Oil won the Tournament of Champions six times. Ahart-Bryan won it three times, finishing second the other seven times.
The teams this year will be made up of the players from the 1990 s.
Any of those former players interested in being a part of the game should contact their former coach immediately.