Girl's 1A State Championship: Wonderview vs Rural Special

[JimmyChitwood]

First, on Coach Richey, I think that he seems like a good guy that just doesn't coach well. That is what allowed him to be at WS for a while before being re-assigned. What I can't seem to grasp is why Wonderview who has a very high standard for their bball program year in and out hired Richey who they played against many times and obviously out-coached. Did they have too few candidates that applied or were they really sure Richey might do a good job. I would have expected them to hire someone that was more of a seasoned veteran. They might have even tried to get Len Harris out of retirement for a couple years to train a young up-and-comer assistant hire. This whole situation is confusing to me as someone who has closely watched their very competitive program. It would not surprise me to see them beat Rural Special, but I would like to see the Rebels win because they will likely not have this level of talent on their roster in the near future. Rural Special is hitting their stride at the right time and they have more raw talent than WV but WV has more experience in big games. It will be interesting to watch.

[prodigy]

I think a lot of times people put to much emphasis on coaching in high school sports.  Richey had a team last year that almost beat the state runner-ups in the first rd. of the region.  I believe the score was 38-36.  You've got to have talent to win as a coach; if you don't, then you can't win, period.  Let's stop blaming everything on coaches. To me, it's more important to me for my kids to play for a good, moral coach who can teach them more than just basketball. Unfortunately, in our society, that is not important anymore.  It's sad.   

[HorseFeathers]

41-27 halftime

[riccoar]

Wonderview 68
Rural Special 46

FINAL

[HorseFeathers]

Oops.....Congrats to Wonderview, definitely didn't see y'all making it to the finals...forget about winning it in dominant fashion

[J.D.]

Congratulations to Wonderview

[DB]

RS was in the game for about ten minutes. Then the clock struck midnight and Wonderview just took off. Smothering defense of the Lady Daredevils is just hard to contend with. These girls work together as a team as well as any group I've seen. They know what each girl is thinking and where each teammate is on the court.

[Motownsportsfan]

Thanks all. Congrats to Rural Special on a very good year. I think they will be a juggernaut next year and they will learn from this year

[riccoar]

Wonder if Richey gets a Championship Ring?  I mean coaching 76% of their games should get you a ring, no?

[DB]

Wonder if Richey gets a Championship Ring?  I mean coaching 76% of their games should get you a ring, no?

You mean he WATCHED 76% of their games.  I heard it said that he should have been paying admission to each game. 

[OB11]

There seems to be more coaching changes/reassignments during the season in 1A girls basketball than all the other classifications combined. What is the deal?

[SackAttack]

You mean he WATCHED 76% of their games.  I heard it said that he should have been paying admission to each game.

1A board DB??? To what do we owe this great honor and insight from a Morrilton homer like yourself!! Love that classic underachieving program y'all have down there 

[Sports Loser]

A great year in girls for sure.  That conference was very good.  What happened to Wonderview Sr Boys at the end of the year?  Will the girls be good again next year?

[SackAttack]

Wv senior boys got bounced in first round of district by MY Westside Eagle 9th graders!!Sack says it was not an upset!! Sack doesn't see how WV senior girls can be good next year! Maybe they'll give the job to Squires full time and remove interim part time 3 week tag!

[HorseFeathers]

Wv senior boys got bounced in first round of district by MY Westside Eagle 9th graders!!Sack says it was not an upset!! Sack doesn't see how WV senior girls can be good next year! Maybe they'll give the job to Squires full time and remove interim part time 3 week tag!

But will they reassign him before district tournament?

[SackAttack]

But will they reassign him before district tournament?

Sack thinks it's quite possible that one could be reassigned for unethical professional behavior for taking credit where credit is not due, undue, or fondue, or some due of some sort or poor personal pronoun usage in some circles ( coaches postgame interview) using WE and I when clearly WE and I didn't do nearly as much as THEY and THEM if you know what I mean if you feel me but please don't!!

[Motownsportsfan]

1A board DB??? To what do we owe this great honor and insight from a Morrilton homer like yourself!! Love that classic underachieving program y'all have down there 

This is classic

[Motownsportsfan]

A great year in girls for sure.  That conference was very good.  What happened to Wonderview Sr Boys at the end of the year?  Will the girls be good again next year?

The boys will be better and the girls will take a step or 2 back. The girls have had true point guards for several years now. I think this is where we will struggle.

[DB]

1A board DB??? To what do we owe this great honor and insight from a Morrilton homer like yourself!! Love that classic underachieving program y'all have down there 

Hibernation...Rumplestiltskin style.  Who knows, I might torment this board like I used to the 4A/5A boards.  We actually changed school districts and I have a little girl now.  I doubt I can find any puppets like I had in Harryson though. 

I still go an watch the Devil Dogs occasionally.

The boys will be better like Motown said.  Perhaps good enough to make state.  Westside looks like they are going to be tough for the next three or four years. 

The girls will be good but it would be hard to think they could be what they have been the last couple of years.  I would have liked to be able to see how many other classification's championship teams this WV team could've beaten. 

[prodigy]

There seems to be more coaching changes/reassignments during the season in 1A girls basketball than all the other classifications combined. What is the deal?

Politics.  Its just the culture we live in now.  It's sad. 

[SackAttack]

Politics.  Its just the culture we live in now.  It's sad.

Sack says yessir it is sad!! So many deacons, preachers, choir directors stabbing coaches in the back on Tuesdays and Fridays and then leading the sangin on Sundays while passin the collection plate with folded hands and looking all contrite and self righteous!! Sack thinks they must know who they are! The Good Lord ain't gonna ask em how many games they won on what their ring size is Sack thinks he'll ask em why they stabbed ol Coach X in the back and talked untowards of em if you know what I mean! First Freeway Baptist Restoration Assembly of Edgemont wont allow it!! First and third Sunday only!

[Motownsportsfan]

Hey DB. I need your take on your girls program. Is football so important that you just settle for sub par girls basketball. I've watched for years at different programs. It will never get better. Just curious

[riccoar]

Wv senior boys got bounced in first round of district by MY Westside Eagle 9th graders!!Sack says it was not an upset!! Sack doesn't see how WV senior girls can be good next year! Maybe they'll give the job to Squires full time and remove interim part time 3 week tag!

They won't be anywhere near what they were.

5   Faith Byers   
23   Bailey Wright   
14   Kailey Gullett   

Those 3 are gone.  Put Byers and Wright on any squad in 1A Girls and they become a State Tournament team.  Gullett stepped up big in the Finals when they isolated Wright.

[Motownsportsfan]

The 4 seniors combined for like 53 points so yea you will miss them. Plus Beyers was the best player in 1A so naturally she would make any team better. Her defense was as good as I've seen. She will be missed greatly as will all these seniors. All unselfish players who cared about nothing but winning.

[bball2015]

And riccoar don't leave out senior #10 Hadley Jones. She is not my kiddo but she is apart of the 4 seniors who deserves recognition too. She scored 12pts in the championship game and was not 100% due to rolling an ankle in game 1 of state.

[Motownsportsfan]

And riccoar don't leave out senior #10 Hadley Jones. She is not my kiddo but she is apart of the 4 seniors who deserves recognition too. She scored 12pts in the championship game and was not 100% due to rolling an ankle in game 1 of state.

She did good b-ball 2015. That's just it. Byers and Wright were our best players/ scorers but if you double teamed them someone else stepped up. I thought Gullett played her best basketball down the stretch. Complete team. Unselfish

[DB]

Hey DB. I need your take on your girls program. Is football so important that you just settle for sub par girls basketball. I've watched for years at different programs. It will never get better. Just curious

Perhaps I'm missing something here.  I take nothing away from Simon and what he did at WV but at this point, I would contend that the WV girls program is strong mostly because the support that parents and the community puts into it.  People thinking that WV is going to hit the dirt now that this group of seniors will have graduated, I think could be surprised.  I'm not saying that I think we'll be back at Hot Springs but we won't irrelevant any time soon.  Listen there are some underclassmen and some girls in Jr. High and elementary that will carry the green and gold torch for quite some time.  Keep in mind, when I was on the football boards, I was typically correct in my assessments of football.  I'm a lot busier now than I used to be and I can't say that I will be able to focus much time into following Class A Basketball but I'll probably keep a close eye on the WV girls teams.

As far as Devil Dog football, I try to catch a few games each year but I certainly don't keep up with them like I used to.  No one can question that they are relevant pretty much every year.

And by the way, I've seen a few teams in basketball that I don't care too much for but not anything like that Harryson bunch.  At least not yet.

[DB]

And riccoar don't leave out senior #10 Hadley Jones. She is not my kiddo but she is apart of the 4 seniors who deserves recognition too. She scored 12pts in the championship game and was not 100% due to rolling an ankle in game 1 of state.

IMO, she was a bigger factor than she may have gotten credit for.  She's a very intelligent ball player and a tough competitor for sure.

[DB]

She did good b-ball 2015. That's just it. Byers and Wright were our best players/ scorers but if you double teamed them someone else stepped up. I thought Gullett played her best basketball down the stretch. Complete team. Unselfish

Gullet doomed Rural Special.  She seemed to always be in the right place at the right time.  It was one of those "In a Zone" stories.

[SackAttack]

Perhaps I'm missing something here.  I take nothing away from Simon and what he did at WV but at this point, I would contend that the WV girls program is strong mostly because the support that parents and the community puts into it.  People thinking that WV is going to hit the dirt now that this group of seniors will have graduated, I think could be surprised.  I'm not saying that I think we'll be back at Hot Springs but we won't irrelevant any time soon.  Listen there are some underclassmen and some girls in Jr. High and elementary that will carry the green and gold torch for quite some time.  Keep in mind, when I was on the football boards, I was typically correct in my assessments of football.  I'm a lot busier now than I used to be and I can't say that I will be able to focus much time into following Class A Basketball but I'll probably keep a close eye on the WV girls teams.

As far as Devil Dog football, I try to catch a few games each year but I certainly don't keep up with them like I used to.  No one can question that they are relevant pretty much every year.

And by the way, I've seen a few teams in basketball that I don't care too much for but not anything like that Harryson bunch.  At least not yet.

Sack thinks you might be missing something! Success spoils like nothing else! Sack says comparatively speaking the talent takes a nosedive and the natives will likely not be too content and happy being just relevant! Each year is its own story if ya know what I mean! Teams you've owned will most likely own you!! Sack says to ponder on this also— the same folks that brutally distroed this last hire and ruined a mans career and reputation will be the same ones charged with making this next hire as well!! Wouldn't leave Sack feeling quite so optimistic and Sack is an optimist by trade!! Only argument would be well we learnt our lesson but as a wise old dude once told me Sack leopards don't change their spots!  Yes distroed is a word in Sackinese!!

[mv_fan]

They won't be anywhere near what they were.

5   Faith Byers   
23   Bailey Wright   
14   Kailey Gullett   

Those 3 are gone.  Put Byers and Wright on any squad in 1A Girls and they become a State Tournament team.  Gullett stepped up big in the Finals when they isolated Wright.

Gullett played her best game in the finals but that's about all she's given them besides her speed. 9/10 times she couldn't even make a layup. I never saw what the coaches did I guess. She never impressed me much.

[mv_fan]

And riccoar don't leave out senior #10 Hadley Jones. She is not my kiddo but she is apart of the 4 seniors who deserves recognition too. She scored 12pts in the championship game and was not 100% due to rolling an ankle in game 1 of state.

That's kind of what I was thinking!

[mv_fan]

Perhaps I'm missing something here.  I take nothing away from Simon and what he did at WV but at this point, I would contend that the WV girls program is strong mostly because the support that parents and the community puts into it.  People thinking that WV is going to hit the dirt now that this group of seniors will have graduated, I think could be surprised.  I'm not saying that I think we'll be back at Hot Springs but we won't irrelevant any time soon.  Listen there are some underclassmen and some girls in Jr. High and elementary that will carry the green and gold torch for quite some time.  Keep in mind, when I was on the football boards, I was typically correct in my assessments of football.  I'm a lot busier now than I used to be and I can't say that I will be able to focus much time into following Class A Basketball but I'll probably keep a close eye on the WV girls teams.

As far as Devil Dog football, I try to catch a few games each year but I certainly don't keep up with them like I used to.  No one can question that they are relevant pretty much every year.

And by the way, I've seen a few teams in basketball that I don't care too much for but not anything like that Harryson bunch.  At least not yet.

Think he was referring to the Mcnabbs. football coach's wife coaches the girls at morrilton. They haven't been good for a while.

[DB]

Gullett played her best game in the finals but that's about all she's given them besides her speed. 9/10 times she couldn't even make a layup. I never saw what the coaches did I guess. She never impressed me much.

10 posts and one of them has to be a jealousy laden moron post.  "All she's given them?"  Really?  The ball is round.  The court is rectangular.  There are two goals on the court.  One on each end with circular metal rings and a net that the ball goes through in order to score points.  There's a start for you.

[HorseFeathers]

Didn't gullett start on last year's title team too?

[riccoar]

Didn't gullett start on last year's title team too?

Don't believe so.  The 2018 State Finals MVP Zimmerman was the starting SF

[BossBaby]

Didn't gullett start on last year's title team too?

There are two Gullett girls on the team. The older one, a senior, has started the last three title games. The youngest, a junior, only started this years.

[Motownsportsfan]

That is correct. The Sr is a great defender. Everyone had a role. MVE played us with a triangle 2 box and one defense and usually didn't guard her. That's why it was good to see her to start scoring in the state tournament. I talked to Simon after the game and he said he didn't know what Squires did to make her into a scorer but it worked.

[SackAttack]

That is correct. The Sr is a great defender. Everyone had a role. MVE played us with a triangle 2 box and one defense and usually didn't guard her. That's why it was good to see her to start scoring in the state tournament. I talked to Simon after the game and he said he didn't know what Squires did to make her into a scorer but it worked.

Yeah that Squires worked magic for sure!! Lots of tricks up those sleeves!! More to come I'm sure!!

[Motownsportsfan]

Yeah that Squires worked magic for sure!! Lots of tricks up those sleeves!! More to come I'm sure!!

he was being sarcastic I'm sure. Simon was 4 times the coach as squires  I'm not giving him credit sack. As for as that goes I thought the boys underachieved. I will say squires did a better job with girls because there were no personal interest like there was with the boys. There was some animosity from the Sr's On the boys team because they felt too much was funneled toward the freshman. Not my feelings just what the boys told me

[SackAttack]

he was being sarcastic I'm sure. Simon was 4 times the coach as squires  I'm not giving him credit sack. As for as that goes I thought the boys underachieved. I will say squires did a better job with girls because there were no personal interest like there was with the boys. There was some animosity from the Sr's On the boys team because they felt too much was funneled toward the freshman. Not my feelings just what the boys told me

Well I'm sure there was! I'm not familiar with the team atmosphere but if Sack was a senior that had paid dues, had success, contributed, and then had the coaches son come in as the focal point Sack might have some issues as well! Sack woulda said hey kid pay your dues and recognize your role and we'll talk about it! But it's on the coach to create and nurture an atmosphere of acceptance! It was done over here at Westside! Squires what I know of him wouldn't agree with your assessment of Simon being a way better coach! Great coaches can coach all kinds of teams and win with varying degrees of talent! Some only win when the talent was superior! Sack has seen plenty of those coaches that are here today and fade like the fat kid at the end of P.E. class when the talent zeros out! Sacks old HS Coach was so good he'd take his and beat yours and then take yours and beat his if you know what I mean!