State sites released by AAA

Springdale Har-Ber High School will be the host site for the Class 7A state basketball tournament in March.

The Arkansas Activities Association's board of directors awarded state and regional sites for seven sports during Thursday's meeting in North Little Rock.

Seven basketball state tournaments will be held March 3-7. Semifinalist winners from each class will advance to the state finals, which will be played March 12-14 at Hot Springs Convention Center.

This will be the second time Har-Ber will host a state basketball tournament. The school hosted the event in 2007.

Other state tournament sites were awarded to Siloam Springs (Class 6A), Greene County Tech (Class 5A) in Paragould, Ozark (Class 4A), Cossatot River (Class 3A) in Cove, Pangburn (Class 2A) and Kirby. The Class 1A tournament hosted by Kirby will be played at Nashville High School.

FORREST CITY

Coach on the mend

Forrest City Coach Dwight Lofton is recovering in a Memphis hospital after suffering a stroke earlier this week.

"I had a stroke last year but I didn't know it," Lofton said Thursday. "My blood pressure spiked, and I'm suffering from double vision. It's been rough, but I'm feeling better and I'm thankful they are taking good care of me."

Lofton, who is in his 18th year as the Mustangs' head coach, began feeling ill Monday morning while driving to work. His wife Gwin took him home, but later in the day Lofton's condition became more serious. After a 911 call, Lofton was taken to Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, where he suffered a series of mini strokes. He was kept in the intensive care unit for a night before he was moved to a regular room Tuesday night.

Lofton was hospitalized Dec. 13 just prior to the start of a game against Springdale Har-Ber. He said his blood pressure level was 230 over 120.

"He actually suffered a stroke that day," Gwin told The Times Herald of Forrest City. "We just didn't know it at the time."

With Lofton removed from the sideline, longtime assistant Barry Hodges has taken over the Mustangs' coaching duties. Forrest City (6-8, 2-0) defeated 5A-East rival Wynne 83-66 on Tuesday.

Lofton's players called their coach after Tuesday's game to tell him the good news. Lofton said that call did wonders for his spirits.

"I was so proud of the guys," Lofton said. "I knew Coach Hodges would do a great job with them."

PARKVIEW

Different result

Little Rock Parkview was handed a 74-63 loss to Jacksonville three years ago when it returned home after winning the Whataburger Tournament in Fort Worth.

It started a slide Patriots Coach Al Flanigan remembers all too well.

"We stumbled four times," Flanigan said. "We lost four in a row."

Fast forward three years, and the Patriots again claimed the prestigious title in the 32-team Texas tournament. But this time the Patriots (11-3, 2-0 6A-South) seem to have put that tournament out of their minds.

Parkview opened conference play with a 59-35 victory over Benton and a 66-40 victory over Pine Bluff. The Patriots were a combined 45 of 76 (59.2 percent) from the floor in those two games

"I made up my mind I wasn't going to let these guys get the big head," Flanigan said. "I decided I was going to work them like it was the first day of practice. That's what we've been doing."

Sports on 01/16/2015