Conference foes ready for 5th meeting

Special was the operative word West Side Greers Ferry Coach Keith Brown used to recount how he felt Monday afternoon after his team battled back from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Izard County in the semifinals of the Class 1A boys state tournament.

Amazing is how Brown described the scene at Brady-Hipp Arena when a tournament representative handed the Eagles their poster board-sized ticket to today's championship game against Viola.

If Brown's team caps the season with the school's first state championship since 1983, stronger adjectives may be needed to describe the emotions that will ripple through the town of Greers Ferry.

"These guys came out with a chip on their shoulders this year," said Brown, who'll lead West Side Greers Ferry into a 7 p.m. matchup against 1A-2 Conference rival Viola at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. "Last year, we had a good team and we got upset in the quarterfinals of the district tournament. We didn't even make it to the regional tournament.

"And looking back, that might have been the best thing that could've happened to this year's team. I don't sugarcoat anything. I told them that we underachieved. So they've been playing all year like they've got something to prove."

West Side Greers Ferry (27-6) captured a conference title, then advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2016.

The only thing left for the Eagles to prove is that they can beat today's opponent for a second time in five tries.

Viola (36-6) handed West Side Greers Ferry three of its six losses, including a 66-38 beating during regionals earlier this month. The Eagles' lone victory over the Longhorns was 70-66 on Jan. 22.

"[Viola] is a really good team, they really are," Brown said. "This will be our fifth time playing those guys. The thing about them is that they're so good defensively.

"They play a 1-2-2 three-quarter court trap, and then they'll come in to a 1-2-2 half-court trap. They can put five kids on the court that are very quick, anticipate very well and just go to the ball. Don't get me wrong, they're good offensively, but they do an excellent job defensively."

The Longhorns returned several starters from last season, led by seniors Gage Harris and Blaine Marberry. They also received a huge influx of talent when Rick Luna was hired as head coach in June.

Luna led Dora (Mo.) to a Class 1A state championship in 2019-20 and a runner-up finish in 2018-19. His acquisition also meant the addition of his standout triplet sons Auston, Mason and Bryson. They helped make a team that was 29-10 last season even better.

"When we first started, with all the expectations, you don't want to come in cocky or conceded," Rick Luna said. "You come in and we're like, 'Hey, this is what we're going for,' and everyone has just bought in since then. They've been able to check off all the check marks that we set our goals out to be.

"The town and the kids, they're all excited to be where we are right now. But in the same sense, they're not just happy to be in the finals. There's one more game left, and they're bound and determined to get it done."

Viola, which played bigger teams such as Bentonville, Farmington and Jacksonville earlier in the season, has won 10 games in a row and knocked out defending Class 1A champion Nevada, 65-58, about five hours after West Side Greers Ferry did the same to Izard County, last year's runner-up.

"Coach Brown does a great job with his team," Luna said. "They're very balanced. Their bigs inside are good, their guards are good. We've been lucky three out of the four times we've played them. But it's going to be a battle, there's no doubt about it."

Brown said it will take a tremendous effort to defeat Viola a second time.

"They're going to be hard to beat," he said. "Whatever happens, I love this bunch. They've had a great year already, and we're going to out and give it our best shot."

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1A boys

WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY VS. VIOLA

Time 7 p.m.

PROBABLE STARTERS

NO. POS. PLAYER HT. CL

NO. POS. PLAYER HT. CL

31 F Brenton Knapp 6-5 Jr.

34 F Malachi Miller 6-5 Sr.

15 F Nate Bittle 6-3 Sr.

3 G Ashton Klepko 6-2 Sr.

24 G Travis Gentry 6-3 Jr.

COACH Keith Brown

CONFERENCE 1A-2

RECORD 27-6

POSTSEASON RESULTS def. Marked Tree 83-60 (regionals first round), def. Ridgefield Christian 85-73 (regional semifinals), lost to Viola 66-38 (regional finals), def. Bradley 78-68 (state first round), def. The New School 51-34 (state quarterfinals), def. Izard County 66-62 (state semifinals)

KEYS TO VICTORY West Side Greers Ferry mounted a huge rally in the fourth quarter against Izard County, but avoiding a hole against Viola is pivotal. The Eagles flow through Miller and get consistent contributions from others.

PROBABLE STARTERS

VIOLA

NO. POS. PLAYER HT. CL

0 F Blaine Marberry 6-3 Sr.

10 G Gage Harris 6-0 Sr.

1 G Bryson Luna 5-11 Sr.

21 G Mason Luna 5-11 Sr.

22 G Auston Luna 5-11 Sr.

COACH Rick Luna

CONFERENCE 1A-2

RECORD 36-6

POSTSEASON RESULTS def. Maynard 74-37 (regional first round), def. Izard County 54-48 (regional semifinals), def. West Side Greers Ferry 66-38 (regional finals), def. Strong 65-37 (state first round), def. County Line 58-27 (state quarterfinals), def. Nevada 65-58 (state semifinals)

KEYS TO VICTORY The Longhorns force turnovers at a high rate, especially when they’re getting into passing lanes. Setting the tone on that end of the floor and not allowing the Eagles to feed the ball to Miller repeatedly will have them in a good spot.

NOTEWORTHY Viola was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, and West Side Greers Ferry was one of two teams on the cusp. … The Luna brothers are triplets. Their cousin (Landon) is also on the roster. … Viola has won two state titles (2002, 1957), and West Side Greers Ferry has captured one (1983). … The Longhorns’ three victories over the Eagles came by a combined 47 points. … West Side Greers Ferry is 16-2 in its past 18 games. … Viola has won 10 consecutive games and hasn’t lost since losing 62-58 on the road to Hartsville (Mo.) on Feb. 5.

— Erick Taylor

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