Coach’s son hits top status

Harding Academy senior J. Paul Fullerton was named the Three Rivers Edition Baseball Player of the Year for 2016. He led the Wildcats to the semifinals of the state tournament.
Harding Academy senior J. Paul Fullerton was named the Three Rivers Edition Baseball Player of the Year for 2016. He led the Wildcats to the semifinals of the state tournament.

Midway through his senior season of basketball, Harding Academy’s J. Paul Fullerton tweaked his ACL and had to sit out the rest of the season. He said dark thoughts ran through his head as he believed he wouldn’t be able to play baseball his last year in high school.

“It was really scary,” Fullerton said. “I went to the doctor the next couple days, and I had a very strong feeling that it was torn.

“It was definitely a downer.”

It took about a week before the MRI results came back, and Fullerton was expecting the worse.

“When they told me it was just strained, I almost wanted to cry,” Fullerton said. “I was expecting my career with a lot of guys to be over.

“Knowing I was still going to be able to play with my dad and brother — it was very emotional.”

Fullerton was able to return in time to play baseball his senior season and under the tutelage of his dad, Shane Fullerton, J. Paul averaged .367 and knocked in 50 RBIs. For his efforts, the senior catcher was named the Three Rivers Edition Baseball Player of the Year.

“First off, I just want to say thank you for the honor,” J. Paul said. “I really appreciate it.

“This was a very emotional season.”

The Wildcats finished 30-4-4 this past season but lost in the semifinals of the state tournament to Horatio, who has knocked Harding out three straight seasons.

“Coming in, I wanted to play them. I wanted to play them more than anybody. We were hitting it hard, but it was right to people,” J. Paul said.

“It just wasn’t in the cards for us. It just didn’t go our way, but I wouldn’t trade this season for anything,” J. Paul said.

“I think it was the most disappointing loss of my career,” Coach Fullerton said, “but it was one of the most satisfying seasons of my career.

“I got to be a coach and a dad to both my sons: J. Paul starting at catcher and Pate, a sophomore, starting at shortstop. … To be a coach and a dad and to have a year like we did — I can’t look back at any point this season where we didn’t have fun.

“So many of these kids, who have been with me even before high school — it was a special combination. It was like I had nine children. It was the most special year.”

J. Paul said he didn’t know where his relationship with his dad would be without baseball.

“I think it brought us closer …,” J. Paul said, “and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

“He did a great job of keeping it on the field. The last game, especially the last home game, was really emotional. We love each other so much; it brought us together.

“We loved being together on the baseball field.”

Shane Fullerton was coached by his dad, Russ, in basketball, and Shane said his dad did a much better job of leaving the coaching part behind “when we went home.”

“Coaching and parenting are two different things,” Coach Fullerton said. “Parenting can never end, but it does have to pause when he is on the field.

“It is a difficult task because I am trying to build a relationship with 20 different players.”

Coach Fullerton said the two have definitely butted heads at times, but he said it made them better people.

“For my dad, it would have be to a drastic circumstance to really dwell on things that happened on the court,” Coach Fullerton said. “I haven’t done as good of a job because it is a different world.

“In order to excel, you have to push and try to maintain balance.”

Coach Fullerton said the two may be regretting some of those times, but said if “it made us better, then we don’t need to regret it.”

“We have to appreciate the trial,” Coach Fullerton said. “I am so thankful to God for baseball, and it has kept us super close.

“There isn’t a conversation that doesn’t end with ‘I love you.’”

Coach Fullerton said he believes God gave the two baseball as a tool to help them become close.

“I think we are closer than we have ever been.”

J. Paul played football through junior high school and played varsity basketball and baseball all four years. His mom, Jama, played basketball at Harding University in Searcy, and Russ played and was a basketball coach.

“It runs in our blood,” Coach Fullerton said. “We are thankful and super blessed at Harding to have guys and coaches that are like family.”

Coach Fullerton said it would have been nice to cap off the season with a state championship.

“When we finished that game and got beat, everybody was so emotional. I don’t think there was a dry eye on our team, in the stands or anywhere in the park that day,” Coach Fullerton said.

He said J. Paul is one of five seniors who collaboratively made a huge impact on the team.

“I don’t want to take anything away from anybody on the team because I think this is as complete a team as we have ever had,” Coach Fullerton said. “It was a great fit. We had a great bunch of seniors who really played well off each other.”

Other seniors for Harding Academy include Alex Francis, Noah Holt, Reid Maddox and Ty Mote. Along with J. Paul, the five seniors have played together as far back as when they were 9 years old and played for the Dixie All-Stars.

“As a coach, I have been so blessed to have so many players over the years whom I love and would go to battle for,” Coach Fullerton said. “It’s also one of a coach’s greatest pleasures to see his players care about and go to battle for each other.”

Holt and J. Paul will continue their baseball careers at Harding University this fall.

“We are suite mates,” J. Paul said. “We definitely wanted to play at the same place because we have been playing together for so long. It was a big part on each other’s decision on where to play.”

J. Paul also said the two are kind of “homebodies,” so they wanted to stay close.

“And we love the coaches there,” J. Paul said. “We are really excited.”

According to Coach Fullerton, Mote will play football at Harding University, and Francis has signed on to play basketball at the school. Maddox will continue his baseball career at University of the Ozarks in Clarksville.

J. Paul is currently participating in a month-long collegiate baseball camp in Atlanta.

“Really, this summer is about preparing and getting ready for collegiate baseball,” J. Paul said. “It is going to be different seeing college pitching, so I’m just trying to prepare and get ready.”

Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.

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