SPRINGDALE -- Elise Randels missed eight of her first nine shots Friday night at Springdale. Shots rimmed in and out. Nothing was working. But constant encouragement from coaches and teammates kept her spirits high.
Randels finished with a game-high 24 points in Rogers High's remarkable 20-point comeback win in Bulldog Gymnasium. The Lady Mounties secured the 7A-West's 3-seed in next week's state tournament with a 53-49 win.
7A-WEST CONFERENCE
Girls
Rogers High 53, Springdale High 49
Rogers^4^12^20^17^–^53
Springdale^15^16^9^9^–^49
Rogers (17-10, 9-5): Randels 24, Richmond 18, McKinney 5, Loyd 3, Sandor 2, Wisdom 1.
Springdale (13-14, 7-7): M. Davis 14, Dougan 9, Vogel 7, Minchew 6, Gause 6, Jackson 3, L. Davis 2, Turner 2.
Boys
Springdale High 41, Rogers High 33
Rogers^10^7^9^7^–^33
Springdale^14^3^11^13^–^41
Rogers (7-20, 0-14): Casey 9, Jones 7, Dake 7, Early 7, Roberson 3.
Springdale (7-19, 4-10): Fitch 18, Boyd 12, Aquino 4, Robinson 3, Jibke 2, Bilyeu 2.
Junior varsity: Springdale High 41, Rogers High 25
Steve Price
After 41 years coaching basketball and mentoring young athletes, Springdale High assistant and longtime junior high coach Steve Price is retiring.
Price began his coaching career in south Florida, but spent the final 36 years in Springdale coaching at Southwest Junior High and on the sideline with his son, Red’Dogs coach Jeremy Price.
“I loved being here and doing this,” Price said. “It was great to go out this way.”
The Red’Dogs sent Price out on a perfect note Friday, defeating Rogers High, 41-33, in Bulldog Gymnasium. Father and son shared a hug prior to Friday’s game as Price was recognized by Springdale High principal Peter Joenks as “the greatest junior high coach in the history of Arkansas.”
“We’re a whole lot alike,” Price said of working alongside Jeremy. “Basketball-wise, all that came easy because he does things a lot like I do. When I came over here it really wasn’t what I wanted to do, but God was looking out for me. It was special.”
As far as what Price has in mind for his retirment, he’s got that figured out already.
“Fish, bicycle and babysit,” Price said with a smile.
As a team, Rogers began the night 1 of 13 shooting and just 2 of 4 from the line. Springdale seemed in control after one and carried a 15-4 lead into the second quarter. The Lady Red'Dogs then built a 31-11 lead in the final minutes of the first half.
But, Rogers coach Preston Early said, the game changed as Rogers ended the first half with five quick points to cut its deficit to 15. Rogers then opened the second half with five more points to make it a ballgame.
"They really came out aggressive and it really got us on our heels. I thought we looked tentative," Early said. "We didn't look like ourselves. We let them get a lot of easy things. They wobbled us, but they didn't knock us out."
Randels, after the first quarter sunk 9 of her final 13 shots and Kelsey Richmond scored 18 points, 17 after halftime, on 7 of 11 from the floor. Randels and Richmond -- the Lady Mounties' top scorers -- combined for 29 points in the second half of the come-from-behind win.
Randels' 20th point of the night tied the game at 40 with six minutes, 55 seconds left, capping a 29-9 run. Richmond then gave the Lady Mounties their first lead of the night at 43-42 a minute later. Rogers, in the fourth quarter, would lead by as many as seven.
"We're not going to score without our teammates' help," Randels said. "We knew we were going to be able to overcome (the deficit). It took the entire team to get those points. ... we just encourage each other to get over the last play. My teammates were telling me that the whole game and I just believed them."
Richmond went into the locker room at half with just one point, but believed in Early's message. And after a furious comeback, the Lady Mounties grabbed the conference's 3-seed.
"I feel like our hard work really paid off," Richmond said. "We stayed together as a team, and we finally got the reward that we wanted. I think we work really well as a team."
"I'm so glad to see them getting what they deserve," Early said.
Springdale's Marquesha finished with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds, her sixth double-double in 7A-West play. Senior Haley Dougan added nine points on her Senior Night. Springdale will be the 7A-West's 4-seed in the state tournament.
Boys
Springdale High 41, Rogers High 33
Springdale junior forward Carl Fitch scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Red'Dogs' season finale. Fitch scored 10 of his 18 in a near-perfect first-quarter effort in which he was 5 of 6 from the floor.
Freshman guard Jajuan Boyd aided Fitch with 12 points as well, a league-high. Springdale wraps up its season 7-19 overall and 4-10 in league play, but sent longtime Springdale junior high coach and assistant Steve Price into retirement with a win.
Tony Casey led Rogers High with nine points in the loss. The Mounties close the season 0-14 in 7A-West play.
Sports on 02/25/2017