LITTLE ROCK — Border battle fires up
Arkansas swept four games from Memphis in last year’s Battle of the Border, but event organizer Bill Ingram said this year’s Tennessee contingent is “10 times better.”
“Last year, I didn’t start this until late August and the only good team I could get last year was Memphis East,” Ingram said. “The only game East lost last year was to [Little Rock] Hall ... but the lineup we have this year, [Arkansas] may not win a game.”
The second Battle of the Border is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, at Hall High School with the feature game being Hall and Memphis White Station.
Hall is led by Arkansas signee Bobby Portis while White Station’s roster includes two players being recruited by Arkansas - 5-9 senior point guard Chris Chiozza and 6-3 junior guard Davell Roby.
Plus, White Hall has Baylor signee LeRon Black, who is ranked as the nation’s No.
13 player by ESPN.
“That match up with LeRon Black and Bobby Portis is going to be something to watch,” Ingram said. “That’s going to be an all-out war because LeRon is a 6-8 hybrid who loves a challenge. And White Station loves to come to places like this and flex their muscles. Every game is going to be dynamite, but that game is going to be very intriguing.”
RUMBLE ON THE RIDGE
Defending champ returns
Memphis Southwind is back to defend its title at the 16th annual Rumble on the Ridge in Forrest City.
The three-day tournament starts Thanksgiving Day.
Southwind knocked off Sylvan Hills 89-60 in last season’s title game. The Jaguars play Fayetteville in this year’s tournament opener at 3:30 p.m.
Thursday.
JaJuan Johnson, a 6-4 guard who had 29 points in last year’s title game, is back for the Jaguars as is 6-8 senior Johnathan Williams, who has signed with Missouri.
Southwind finished the 2011-2012 season 27-4 and the Jaguars are a combined 101-21 in the past four seasons.
Other first-round games include Little Rock Hall vs. Hughes, Forrest City vs. Gadsden, Ala., and Jonesboro vs. Clarksville.
ENGLAND
Overtime victory
England, the two-time defending Class 3A girls state champions, won their first game of the season Friday, with three freshmen in the starting lineup.
Freshman Alesha Pennister completed a three-point play with six seconds remaining in overtime to give the Lady Lions (1-2) a 60-59 road victory over Conway St.
Joseph. Pennister finished with 26 points.
“We were up by eight points in the first half,” England Coach David Mackey said. “And they were up by six in the fourth quarter. It was a real up-and-down game.” LAST-SECOND SHOTS
Conway dropped a 63-55 decision to Paragould on Thursday night, but the Lady Wampus Cats enjoyed success earlier in the week, winning two games in the West Memphis Classic. Kianna Speight, a 5-6 sophomore, scored 29 points in an 83-78 victory over West Memphis and 20 points in a 55-23 victory over Marion. ... Siloam Springs senior
Payton Henson,
a Tulane signee, started his season with a 40-point effort against Prairie Grove. Siloam won the game 72-42. ...
Hayden Burchfield, a 6-9 junior post player for Benton Harmony Grove, scored 12 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 7 shots in Friday’s 55-36 victory over Cutter Morning Star. ...
Zowey Plummer
continues to roll up big numbers for Rural Special. She scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds in Thursday’s 53-42 victory over Shirley. ... Marmaduke’s
Sidnee Bopp
scored 23 points - all in the first quarter - in the Lady Greyhounds’ 65-15 victory over McCrory. Bopp hit all nine of her field-goal attempts, five of which came from beyond the three point line. After Saturday’s 58-31 victory over Batesville in the Highland Classic, Marmaduke is 9-0. ... Conway St. Joseph’s boys improved to 9-0 Friday with a 66-63 victory over England. Class 2A Conway St. Joseph plays at Class 5A Greenbrier on Monday.
Tournament glance RUMBLE ON THE RIDGE
Forrest City Thursday’s games Game 1 Fayetteville vs. Memphis Southwind, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2 Little Rock Hall vs. Hughes, 5 p.m.
Game 3 Forrest City vs. Gadsden City, Ala., 6:30 p.m.
Game 4 Jonesboro vs. Clarksville, 8 p.m.
Friday’s games Game 5 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Game 6 Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 7 Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8 Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 8 p.m.
Saturday’s games Seventh-place game, 2 p.m.
Fifth-place game, 3:30 p.m.
Third-place game, 5 p.m.
Championship, 6:30 p.m.
BATTLE OF THE BORDER
Little Rock Hall Saturday, Dec. 1 Little Rock McClellan vs. Memphis Lausanne, 1:30 p.m.
Jacksonville vs. Olive Branch, Miss., 3 p.m.
Little Rock Parkview vs. Memphis Hamilton, 4:30 p.m.
North Little Rock vs. Memphis East, 6 p.m.
Little Rock Hall vs. Memphis White Station, 8:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 31 on 11/18/2012