New Coaches

[Mustangfans]

I wonder what kind of recruiting budget he will get?✌🏿️

This made me laugh. Should have a nice bankroll after passing the new tax for a new school. He needs to get in good with the Earl coach and see if he can get him in on the West Memphis recruiting scene.

[Head Lion]

I remember when we played Earle every year, it was like they had a different team every game.

[hsindian]

I wonder what kind of recruiting budget he will get?✌🏿️

Probably more than his last job.

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

I'm hearing good things from Mustang Nation!     

[Bigtimebasketballfan]

Care to elaborate?

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Care to elaborate?

Just good practices & boys seem to like the tempo in Sr high.     Jr high hear a lot of talk of transfers in this year instead of out like last year.  I think that has a lot to do with Coach Ballard being from the area & knows all the kids & has had camp with them & private lessons over the last few years.   

Coach Yates & Coach Rountree have been working the girls a lot. The have had several camp games so far.

Just overall Mustang Nation lives on!!!!

[2aball]

Just good practices & boys seem to like the tempo in Sr high.     Jr high hear a lot of talk of transfers in this year instead of out like last year.  I think that has a lot to do with Coach Ballard being from the area & knows all the kids & has had camp with them & private lessons over the last few years.   

Coach Yates & Coach Rountree have been working the girls a lot. The have had several camp games so far.

Just overall Mustang Nation lives on!!!!

Ballard isn't head Jr. High coach is he? I thought he was a non-certified staff.

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

That's the way I took it on the interview Scutero did for The Ticket 95.3 . I do know the Ballard graduated this past weekend.

[BoxNOne]

Mustang, I'm going to miss the BIC-Riverside conference battles we have had over the years. But with the new AAA setup there aren't any meaningful conference games anyway. I guess we will still play though I haven't seen a schedule. It will be a different atmosphere, at least for me. I think the Mustangs will do quite well in their new district tournament. It looks much weaker than the old 2A-3!

[neaguru]

Mustang, I'm going to miss the BIC-Riverside conference battles we have had over the years. But with the new AAA setup there aren't any meaningful conference games anyway. I guess we will still play though I haven't seen a schedule. It will be a different atmosphere, at least for me. I think the Mustangs will do quite well in their new district tournament. It looks much weaker than the old 2A-3!

In your new conference you have 6 meaningful conference games.

[redrider30]

The games that really matter will be 6 games that will determine your seeding for the district tournament between these 4 teams. BIC, EPC, Marked Tree and Marmaduke. These games will determine 1-4 and 2-3 match-ups against these 4 teams. Cotter, Flippin, Salem and Sloan Hendrix. Seeding will be important with no automatic byes to the Regional Tournament. The new district has 3 different conferences in it.

[RedWolf275]

These two sets of four teams look to be very uneven lol! But I guess you got to play the hand you are dealt. What a mess that didn't have to be this way jmo.

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Ballard isn't head Jr. High coach is he? I thought he was a non-certified staff.

To confirm YES he is the 7th Grade  & JR high boys basketball coach & JR high PE teacher.

Also to Box
I'm sure the Rebels will stay on the schedule it draws to big of crowd not to.   As far as the new conference ... I'm not sure what will happen. We will not be very Big again this year but should be pretty quick. I'm sure we will live or die by the 3  & get after it on defense .

[redrider30]

They do look uneven but they were set by geography and to keep coaches from having to vote on seedings for the district tournament. That would have been a real mess. What one person sees as a good may not be what another person would qualify as good. Playing in the old 2A-3 some us have pretty high standards of what good really is. We measured a good team in the old 2A-3 by whether or not you could win the state not whether or not you could make the regional.

[RedWolf275]

Redrider, I agree 100%! Never be a tougher 2a conference from top to bottom and year after year. Hate to see it go.

[redrider30]

Boys and girls. Look at the last 10 years how many state champions, finalist and final 4 teams.

[Basketball_101]

Anybody heard how Cotter or Flippin will be this year?

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Boys and girls. Look at the last 10 years how many state champions, finalist and final 4 teams.

Agreed!!! 

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Mustang, I'm going to miss the BIC-Riverside conference battles we have had over the years. But with the new AAA setup there aren't any meaningful conference games anyway. I guess we will still play though I haven't seen a schedule. It will be a different atmosphere, at least for me. I think the Mustangs will do quite well in their new district tournament. It looks much weaker than the old 2A-3!

Box ,  we are going to get after it right out of the gate. First 2 weeks of November a home & away.

[biglion1985]

I know flippin has always been a tough out in the 3a division

[bobcats]

Anybody heard how Cotter or Flippin will be this year?

Cotter should be pretty good this year, Flippin on the other hand is way down.

[BoxNOne]

Box ,  we are going to get after it right out of the gate. First 2 weeks of November a home & away.

Mustang, glad to hear we are still playing. 10 miles apart on a four lane road is very convenient. Looking forward to seeing what the Mustangs look like with their new coach. Rebels will be very competitive this year but will be down after this season. Lady Rebels should be in the mix for 3A state championship for the next three years and maybe more. They are talented and deep.

[MikelB]

Hear the EPC girls are dropping like flies, hope we still have a team when season starts.

[Basketballfan13]

Hear the EPC girls are dropping like flies, hope we still have a team when season starts.

Sometimes when they drop like that with a new coach that means he/she is doing something right and they've been able to just go through the motions in previous years with other coaches. Don't know in this situation though. Have they lost any key players yet?

[HorseFeathers]

Sometimes when they drop like that with a new coach that means he/she is doing something right and they've been able to just go through the motions in previous years with other coaches. Don't know in this situation though. Have they lost any key players yet?

Or they are terrible

[chickasaw fan]

I really don't think it matters if they have lost good players or not. Its the fact they are quitting 2 weeks after school starts. Most coaches in NEA hopes that Vornes quits!! Just selfish!!!.. Now on the flip side, i don't think its fair to judge a coach that quick either. Saying a guy is "terrible" 2 weeks in??? Come on man???  School Boards in small schools hire people for alot of other things and give a person the title as coach. When all said and done its about the $$$$$$....

[HorseFeathers]

I really don't think it matters if they have lost good players or not. Its the fact they are quitting 2 weeks after school starts. Most coaches in NEA hopes that Vornes quits!! Just selfish!!!.. Now on the flip side, i don't think its fair to judge a coach that quick either. Saying a guy is "terrible" 2 weeks in??? Come on man???  School Boards in small schools hire people for alot of other things and give a person the title as coach. When all said and done its about the $$$$$$....

I have no connection to epc...can't even tell you the coaches name

[NEark tigers]

Vornes can come a few miles down south of EPC, she can certainly help the Lady Bulldog Nation win a SECOND STRAIGHT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.......

[MikelB]

Sometimes when they drop like that with a new coach that means he/she is doing something right and they've been able to just go through the motions in previous years with other coaches. Don't know in this situation though. Have they lost any key players yet?

Lost one Junior (a Ward sister) and 2 Seniors that have been starters since 7th grade. None have said anything about the coach, said they just don't want to play anymore.

[NWA Hawg]

Lost one Junior (a Ward sister) and 2 Seniors that have been starters since 7th grade. None have said anything about the coach, said they just don't want to play anymore.

That's just kids nowadays. Probably had to do some running and just decided that's not for me.

[RedWolf275]

Lost one Junior (a Ward sister) and 2 Seniors that have been starters since 7th grade. None have said anything about the coach, said they just don't want to play anymore.

Better now than during the season!

[MikelB]

Better now than during the season!

True but didn't have much bench. That's high school sports though, unpredictable.

[2aball]

That's just kids nowadays. Probably had to do some running and just decided that's not for me.

The Ward girl quit because of medical issues I think. One of the Sr's quit because she is being recruited pretty heavily as a softball player and wanted to focus on softball. I'm not sure who the other Sr that quit was or what her reasoning was.

[HorseFeathers]

The Ward girl quit because of medical issues I think. One of the Sr's quit because she is being recruited pretty heavily as a softball player and wanted to focus on softball. I'm not sure who the other Sr that quit was or what her reasoning was.

Hmm...maybe kids aren't just lazy and have higher priorities?

[NWA Hawg]

Hmm...maybe kids aren't just lazy and have higher priorities?

Come on now. Are you really telling me the majority of kids today aren't lazy?

[HorseFeathers]

Come on now. Are you really telling me the majority of kids today aren't lazy?

My limited experiences tell me that it's people in generaI that are lazy

[2aball]

My limited experiences tell me that it's people in generaI that are lazy

A lot of truth to this. It's not just kids that are lazy. Laziness doesn't seem to have an age limit. Usually if the kids are lazy, they learned that trait from somewhere.

[HorseFeathers]

A lot of truth to this. It's not just kids that are lazy. Laziness doesn't seem to have an age limit. Usually if the kids are lazy, they learned that trait from somewhere.

Laziest people I work with are in their 30's and 40's....

[MikelB]

I hear Vornes from EPC has had several schools looking at her recently. Wish her all the luck in the world.  Also, looks like the new coach is putting in some work and has the team putting in a lot of work as well.  If they play to their potential, he may have a shot at going pretty far in post season play.

[Baller_34]

Just good practices & boys seem to like the tempo in Sr high.     Jr high hear a lot of talk of transfers in this year instead of out like last year.  I think that has a lot to do with Coach Ballard being from the area & knows all the kids & has had camp with them & private lessons over the last few years.   

Coach Yates & Coach Rountree have been working the girls a lot. The have had several camp games so far.

Just overall Mustang Nation lives on!!!!

Who's the transfers y'all got moving in?

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

One from Manila 7th grade & then one that was home schooled after leaving r'side the year before. I think he is in the 9th grade.  Big guy from what I hear I've not seen him yet. 

[Baller_34]

Ill say yalls Sr High shouldn't b too bad but still not gonna go too deep IMO. As far as the Jr High goes if I recall right they are not gonna b good at all, once again just my opinion unless this big kid is just some stud and I dont know who came from Manila but if I remember them 7th graders they have are pretty darn good!!

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Yea Your probably right on Jr High.  I think Sr high will surprise some folks.

[BICMUSTANG4LIFE]

Ill say yalls Sr High shouldn't b too bad but still not gonna go too deep IMO. As far as the Jr High goes if I recall right they are not gonna b good at all, once again just my opinion unless this big kid is just some stud and I dont know who came from Manila but if I remember them 7th graders they have are pretty darn good!!

For what its worth...  The JR high boy's won the Marmaduke tournament last night.  Go Mustangs!!

[Baller_34]

I'd say not worth much considering who was in it right?

[Head Lion]

I'd say not worth much considering who was in it right?

Marmadukes jr hi girls are LOADED, the tradition continues. Jr hi boys was about as weak as I have seen in my life. JMO

[Baller_34]

I was talking about the boys for sure HL. I Figured the Duke girls were good once again.

[Head Lion]

I was talking about the boys for sure HL. I Figured the Duke girls were good once again.

Yea, I figured you was. Not trying to put anyone down, just very weak in boys. Dukes Jr girls throttled a very good Riverside team. This group will win a lot of games. Guards can handle it & shoot it very good & their post adjusted to shots in air & rebounded really well for their height. Just dang good hoop players.

[STATGUYQHS]

I agree. The right Coach will have something to work with. How do yall feel about the Cedar Ridge guy. Is he good or more a product of talent? I don't want to take away from what he has done just asking the question.

The man can flat out coach. He coached at Quitman when my son played. At one practice he explained the other teams game plan that when they played you would have thought he coached the other team. Unfortunately our boys didn't listen. He has won 3 Championships in 2 different classifications. Can't go wrong if you can get him away from where he's at.