"We Are the Champions" is sure to be heard 14 times during the state basketball tournament this weekend at Hot Springs' Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
The 40-year-old rock anthem by Queen, with the late Freddie Mercury on lead vocal, serenades the winners on what the Arkansas Activities Association, governing body of state high-school athletics, calls Championship Weekend.
With a father and daughter each coaching, perhaps "Family Affair," by Sly and the Family Stone, would be a more appropriate selection in the tournament's bookend games.
Emotions are sure to run high when Ashley Nance sends out Conway against North Little Rock in the Class 7A girls final, 2:30 p.m. Thursday, and John Hutchcraft ends a 42-year coaching career as defending champion Guy-Perkins meets Izard County for the 1A boys crown, 7:45 p.m. Saturday.
Hutchcraft, with more than 2,000 victories coaching boys and girls at the Faulkner County school, recently announced his retirement at the end of the season. The Thunderbirds, with single-digit wins over Armorel and Western Grove last week, are 35-8.
Hot Springs, 20 years after sweeping both titles, seeks its second 5A girls crown in three years and fifth in program history at 6 p.m. Saturday against conference rival Watson Chapel. The Lady Trojans have won the teams' last two meetings, both in district finals, but Watson Chapel has heard "We Are the Champions" at Bank of the Ozarks Arena the last two years.
Hot Springs (30-3) sends star guards Imani Honey and Ariana Guinn against Watson Chapel's senior post Jerrica Bell. Josh Smith hopes to join Sherry White, Jim Elser and Mark Upshaw as championship-winning Lady Trojan coaches, while Leslie Henderson has directed Watson Chapel (28-4) to 11 consecutive state-tournament wins.
Three schools go for rare sweeps, North Little Rock and Earle teams playing back-to-back games Thursday. One of the tournament's marquee matchups in 7A boys gets an afternoon slotting when North Little Rock's boys meet 2017 champion Fort Smith Northside, led by Razorback commitment Isaiah Joe, at 4:15 p.m. Thursday. Class 2A Earle later faces the defending champion Quitman girls and the Marked Tree boys, the latter in a classic northeast Arkansas matchup.
An Earle-Marked Tree meeting last month fell through when host Marked Tree lost to Clarendon in the region semifinals. Marked Tree avenged its only defeat of the season Saturday night in the state semifinals at Judsonia, 68-65 over Clarendon, setting up a rematch of last year's state final, won by Earle.
Little Rock Parkview also seeks payback for a 2017 title-game loss when it faces Pulaski Mills in the 5A boys final at 6 p.m. Friday. The Patriots, coached by Al Flanigan, fell 64-61 last year when the game matched Razorback signees Darious Hall (Mills) and Khalil Garland.
Connecticut signee Christyn Williams plays her final game at Central Arkansas Christian, hoping to repay Riverview for a title-game loss in 2016. The 4A girls final, set for 7:45 p.m. Friday, rings down a second-day program including 3A games between the Drew Central and McGehee boys (a southeast Arkansas special) and the Charleston and Mountain View girls.
Charleston, coached by Lake Hamilton graduate Jason Rucker, beat 2017 champion Hoxie, Harding Academy and neighboring rival Lamar last week at Monticello, Lamar having downed pre-tournament favorite Riverside.
Saturday's schedule includes a Jonesboro Class 6A doubleheader against the Greenwood girls and the West Memphis boys. Jonesboro's boys, led by Arkansas pledge Desi Sills, lost twice to West Memphis in the regular season but downed the Blue Devils in their conference final. The Lady Hurricane meet a freshman-powered Greenwood squad that ousted Lake Hamilton in the state semifinals Saturday in West Memphis.
Wonderview, after routing a 42-1 Norfork squad, 64-44, in the state semifinals at Morrilton, risks a 37-3 mark against 34-8 Mount Vernon-Enola for 1A girls honors. Then comes the 4A boys final with two-time defending champion Baptist Prep against Jonesboro Westside, the Hot Springs-Watson Chapel 6A girls matchup and Hutchcraft's last call at Guy-Perkins.
General admission is $8 daily. Arkansas Special Olympics Project Unify games are scheduled at 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Sports on 03/05/2018