FOOTBALL
Harrison hires Wells as new coach
Harrison hired Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo Coach Joel Wells as its new coach at a special school board meeting Monday night. Wells replaces Chad Harbison, who left last month for an assistant coaching position at Class 6A Russellville. “We have extremely high expectations for the future of Goblin football and are excited for the coming seasons,” Harrison Superintendent Melinda Moss said. Harrison was 6-5 last season and lost to Camden Fairview in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. Wells, a member of the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, went 7-4 last year at Kickapoo. He was 31-13 in four seasons at Kickapoo and is 162-92 in 24 seasons overall. The Missouri native has also coached at Liberty, Nixa and Cassville, all schools in Missouri.
— Jeremy Muck
SOCCER
Catholic’s Holmes recognized by Gatorade
Little Rock Catholic senior midfielder Chris Holmes was named the Arkansas Gatorade boys player of the year Monday. Holmes, who has signed to play collegiately at the University of Central Arkansas, has 9 goals and 17 assists in 15 games this season. He’s a member of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Olympic Development Program and was a All-Arkansas Preps all-state selection last season.
SOFTBALL
Three Reddies earn all-region honors
Hendeson State had three players earn NCAA Division II All-Central Region honors. Sarah Gipson, the Great American Conference player of the year, and Michelle Sorenson, the conference’s pitcher and freshman of the year, were first-team honorees. Keirston Seahorn was named to the second team. Gipson hit .435 with a school-record 84 hits and 66 RBI with 17 doubles and 10 home runs. Sorenson had a 21-12 record with 4 saves with a 1.99 earned-run average while striking out 171 batters in 207 innings. Seahorn hit .360 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI.