Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton and Lakeside spent previous seasons in the same blended conference together in a now defunct state model, but the three rivals will be members of the new 5A-South for the 2018-19 season.
The Arkansas Activities Association previously experimented with blended conferences as the state maintained seven classifications for sports such as basketball, baseball and softball. The latest realignment for 2018-20 keeps the 16 largest schools alone in Class 7A in football as Class 6A in all other sports. The change forces all 16 teams that play in 6A in football to become members of Class 5A in other sports.
"I felt for a long time that this was the way it ought to be, but, for whatever reason, it just did not happen," said Lake Hamilton head boys' basketball coach Scott Pennington. "I'm not really sure why, but, to me, there is just no sense in Arkansas in having seven classifications for basketball.
"I think it makes it watered down. I think now, if you win a state championship, you feel an ever greater sense of accomplishment knowing you are beating 31 teams. Maybe, basketball-wise, it is the state's toughest classification."
Many of the top teams from 5A are among the 16 teams to join the 6A schools in the new 5A. Defending state champion Little Rock Parkview remained in 5A, while runner-up Wilbur D. Mills dropped down to Class 4A.
Semifinalists Hot Springs and J.A. Fair both remained in 5A. Fair even joins Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton and Lakeside in the 5A-South, along with 6A football schools Benton, El Dorado, Sheridan and Texarkana.
"Class 5A is definitely going to be a lot tougher," said Antoni Lasker, first-year head coach of the Hot Springs' boys' basketball team.
"They have a bunch of schools coming down from 6A -- your Jacksonvilles, West Memphis, Jonesboro. All of those schools are powerhouses in the state tournament, if not in the state finals, just about every year. I knew it was going to be tough."
"You look at it and Benton is going to be good, Fair is going to be good, Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton return all of their kids; they are going go be good," said Eddie Lamb, now in his second year as head boys' basketball coach at Lakeside.
"El Dorado over the years has always been really good. Texarkana is always athletic. Then, Sheridan and Lakeside. From top to bottom, it's just a phenomenal conference. We have got to be prepared every night. We have to do the little things. Hopefully, we can do that."
Most of the teams played in the same blended conference in previous years, but they split into separate conferences for the postseason in their own classifications.
The eight teams in last year's 5A-South district tournament at Hot Springs averaged only 12.25 wins and 15.5 last season. The new eight teams of the 5A-South averaged 17.25 wins last season to 12.125 losses.
Lake Hamilton finished 25-5 in the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament. Benton finished 19-10 after being eliminated in the quarterfinals.
"We are used to playing that type of competition," Pennington said. "That's what makes it fun. We are excited about it and we are ready to see where we are at."
Hot Springs, Lakeside and Lake Hamilton each return the bulk of their rosters.
The Wolves were led by now senior Kanaan Williams (6-3, 185) with 9.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. Williams was named to The Sentinel-Record's All-Garland County First Team.
Fellow seniors Mondo Watkins (6-0, 16-0) and Clyde Hill (6-1) were named to the Second Team. Watkins averaged 13 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Hill scored 7.5 points and grabbed 6.2 rebounds per game. Senior Lane Kersey (6-1, 150) made the Third Team with 12.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Lake Hamilton's roster included only three seniors in 2017-18. Jacob Spradlin made The Sentinel-Record's All-Defense Team before joining Arkansas Tech in Russellville to gain experience toward becoming a coach.
"Our rotation last year was about seven-deep and eight at times," Pennington said. "We've got nine of our top 10 kids coming back. I feel really comfortable playing as many as nine kids this year. That has never been the case since I have been coaching."
Pennington said the players gained valuable experience last season and they are even more athletic this year.
"In our benefit game, the kids showcased that with how high they were jumping," Pennington said. "We had four or five dunks, which has not always been the norm at Lake Hamilton."
Other seniors on the roster are Sabby Vinson, Latez Glover, Tyler Jones, Caleb Dodd and 6-10 post player Jordan Erickson.
"That is going to help us once we play the Little Rock Halls and Jonesboro-type teams," Pennington said. "You are going to need a big with that kind of size to match up."
Juniors on the team are Dempsey Gilbert, Malique Hill, Kyle Vaughn, Dylan Jackson, Alexander Milstead, Adjani Winston, Cameron Hartness and Logan Stachey. The team's sophomores are Josh Emmert, Elijah Smith, Austin Hale, Seth Sassaman and Quinton Speer.
Lakeside began the 2017-18 season 0-7 and sat at 1-11 after the Spa City Shootout at Bank OZK Arena. The Rams won their first three conference games after the holiday break and three of their final four games of the regular season before losing in the first round of the district tournament to finish 8-18. Lakeside was 3-20 in 2016-17.
"Last year, looking back on our schedule, we didn't get blown out ever," Lamb said. "We were right there every night. I looked back at last year and we lost by eight, we would get beat by 10, we got beat by 12 and we won some games.
"We need to build off of that momentum, and our junior high is really good. We've got some good kids coming. They are 3-0 right now on the year. We've got some good kids coming. The future looks good. It's just the kid buying into it. Maybe this group shows the way to the future."
Senior Sawyer Lamb made All-Garland County Second Team and All-State with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. Lamb finished the football season with 52 receptions for 852 yards and eight touchdowns.
Third-Team senior Patrick Davis returns at guard after averaging 12.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The team also returns senior Tazz Glover at the other starting guard position.
"Our shooting and our guard play is all back," Lamb said. "We just have to fill that void in the post because we lost some of our bid guys from last year. We do shoot pretty well. If we are on, I think we could be tough to handle some nights."
The team is bolstered by 6-1 move-in A.J. Winfrey, a junior, from Forrest City.
"He is definitely going to help us around the post," Lamb said. "I cannot wait to see what he has got this week for us. He had a good scrimmage game last Thursday."
Seniors on the team include Ethan Eastwood, Grant McKissick, Dorecus Ferguson, Jonah Nester, Andrew Montgomery and Chance Spriggs. Junior Wyatt Wilson (6-3) is expected to back up Winfrey inside.
Other juniors on the roster include Kade Arguello, Jaxon Tatum, Austin Yandell, P.J. Weston, Bryce Bates, Colton Marshall and Trent Clayton. Another move-in, Seth Poindexter, a sophomore from Texas, and Tyree Glover are also likely to see minutes.
"We have to take care of basketball and, of course, that is where Sawyer really helps us and those guards we have back from last year," Lamb said. "We've got to take care of the ball.
"The league we are in, they are a bigger, stronger and faster dudes. They just are. We have to scheme. We have to work our tails because they are just so athletic, but if we take care of the ball, we shoot the ball well and we play good defense, we can hang around."
Lake Hamilton and Lakeside began their seasons Tuesday in their home tournaments. Hot Springs will open the season on Nov. 27 at Hope.
The Rams and Wolves are scheduled to meet in conference play on Jan. 8 at the Lakeside Athletic Complex.
"I think it leads to some really exciting conference games with atmospheres that maybe you would not get if you were playing some of the teams we have played in the past in conference," Pennington said.
"You hear 'Hot Springs' or 'Lakeside' and it does not matter whether they are supposed to be good or not. When our people hear that, it is automatically a rivalry game and people tend to show up."
Hot Springs is scheduled to first meet Lake Hamilton at Trojan Fieldhouse on Jan. 15. The Rams will host the Trojans on Jan. 25.
"I think it will be great for the communities with great crowds, but they both are going to be really tough," Lamb said. "We are definitely going to have to have our A-game for both of those teams.
"Lake Hamilton brings back everybody from last year. Of course, Hot Springs has probably been one of the premier teams in the state for the past 5-6 years."
"It is exciting, because those are always good rivalry games to go out there and play," Lasker said.
Lake Hamilton is scheduled to host Lakeside on Feb. 1 at Wolf Arena and Hot Springs on Feb. 8. The Rams and the Trojans are scheduled to close the regular season against each other on Feb. 19 at Hot Springs.
Sports on 11/14/2018