Mountie basketball schedules finalized
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Save for a home basketball tournament in December, the basketball schedule at Rogers for the 2008-09 season is set and it includes a pair of nonconference games against Benton County schools, Mountaineers coach Marty Barnes said.
Pea Ridge will play the Mounties at W. E. King Arena on a Saturday night in November and the Mounties will travel to Siloam Springs in December to face the Panthers.
It's been many years since Rogers played against any team in the county other than conference foe Bentonville, but Barnes hopes the two local matchups will generate some early interest in the Mounties.
Winning games, apparently, isn't enough to do that. Rogers has won 20 games twice in the last three years and owns four playoff victories in that time, sustained success unlike any enjoyed at Rogers before.
"We went 21-8 last year and didn't have very good attendance … I didn't think," Barnes said. "Just trying to see if we can get a little more interest before conference (play begins ) where maybe some people will follow us."
Pea Ridge went 23-4 and was the conference champion last season in the 1-3 A while Siloam Springs won the Class 5 A state championship, the first in its history.
The Blackhawks bring back junior forward Kip Kelly - the Daily Record's Sophomore of the Year - as well as senior three-point specialist Corey Trevathan.
The Panthers return sharpshooting senior guard Coleson Rakestraw, a Division I prospect and the Daily Record's Player of the Year.
The Mountaineers will also play games against Russellville (home ) and Conway (away ) as well as tournaments in Republic, Mo., Rolla, Mo., and the slightlyaltered Arvest Rogers Classic that they've hosted for four years.
The tournament, formerly the Arvest Mountaineer Classic, has a new name, a new schedule slot (Dec. 11-13 ) and will be played at Heritage High School in Rogers.
The eight-team tournament field is not set, Barnes said. It still has two openings.
The conference schedule is also different. The Mounties play rival Bentonville first in the conference round robin instead of last. Their games are Jan. 9 (home ) and Feb. 6 (away ). Lady Mounties Head coach Preston Early also has a different-looking schedule for his 10 th season at Rogers. The Lady Mounties host West Fork - a team Early coached from 1996-1999 - and Pea Ridge, a team that mirrors Rogers in that the Lady Blackhawks return several players from a state tournament qualifier.
They'll also play against Greenwood and Conway and compete in three new nonconference tournaments. 2007-08 opponents Green Forest, Alma and Morrilton all declined to play Rogers this season.
Out are tournament trips to Bentonville, Greenwood and Ardmore, Okla. In are tournaments at Ozark, Mo., Springfield, Mo., and the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith.
The Lady Mounties return five of their top six players from a 21-8 team including Division I recruits Morgan Hook (junior ) and Amanda Gibbons (senior ).
"We fit the mold of what (TOC tournament organizers ) were looking for as far as being a team with some good, young players coming back," Early said. "It was an opportunity we couldn't pass up."
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online