COACH OF THE YEAR Stan Fowler, Batesvulle

Lady Pioneers' boss showed resiliency

Batesville Coach Stan Fowler, center, is shown speaking to his players.
Batesville Coach Stan Fowler, center, is shown speaking to his players.

Through his mother's death and his own medical episode, Stan Fowler persevered to help lead the Batesville girls basketball team to its first state championship in 27 years.

Fowler is this year's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps Coach of the Year. He was also this year's All-Arkansas Preps girls basketball Coach of the Year, which was announced in March.

Batesville went 30-3 in 2018-19, defeating Farmington and Brookland in the Class 4A girls state basketball tournament before topping Berryville in the Class 4A state championship game March 7 in Hot Springs.

While the Lady Pioneers were successful on the court, Fowler was dealing the death of his mother before the season.

Fowler said he believes that his mother's death, which happened after a fall in her driveway, helped lead to his stroke in November.

Fowler said he was talking fine, but decided to take two aspirin. When he arrived at Batesville High School for work, that was when his son Peyton realized something was wrong.

"You're having a stroke," Peyton told his dad.

Batesville football Coach and Athletic Director Dave King drove Fowler to the hospital. Fowler missed a week of teaching and sat out several basketball games, leaving the coaching duties to assistant coach Jason Thomas and Batesville boys Coach Chad LaRose.

If it wasn't for the aspirin, Fowler said he likely wouldn't have survived.

Fowler returned to coaching in December. The Lady Pioneers lost to Jonesboro and Paragould in December, and Fowler admitted that he shouldn't have came back so soon.

The Lady Pioneers won the NEA Tournament in Jonesboro against Nettleton, and that helped propel Batesville to finishing 30-3 and winning its first state championship since 1992.

Batesville was led by seniors Taylor Griffin, Erin Haigwood and Alley Edwards, along with junior Reese Gardner and sophomore Izzy Higginbottom. Higginbottom scored 26 points, including 23 in the second half, in the Lady Pioneers' Class 4A state championship victory.

"We had a really good team," Fowler said. "It meant everything. It was so special. They [the players] were really there for me."

Several weeks after the basketball season ended, Fowler lost his father, who was suffering from dementia.

With the death of his mother and father, Fowler's stroke was secondary, he said.

"The stroke was the least of my problems," Fowler said.

Fowler credited his team, Batesville Principal David Campbell, Superintendent Michael Hester, King, Thomas and LaRose for their support.

But it was his wife Tina for whom he was especially thankful.

"My wife was there for me," Fowler said. "She felt every pain. She felt every victory."

Sports on 06/16/2019

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