Small, Bangs earn all-state

BY JOHN MCGEE Special to The Times

In perhaps the finest team finish ever for a Pea Ridge Lady ’Hawks’ cross country team, Kayla Bangs and Jessica Small earned bronze medals and all-state berths to boost their squad into a fourth-place overall ranking at the Arkansas 4A State Championships last week. The boys’ team, paced by a top 25 finish from Colton Holtgrewe, landed in the fifth-team position, also a best finish by a boys team in perhaps decades. Small cruised over the 5K course in 22:09 to capture the girls seventh-place medal with Bangs not far behind in 10th place with a 22:39 clocking. The ’Hawks had a team score of 96 points to finish behind the state champion DeQueen squad who won with 56. In second place was longtime cross country power Berryville with 68 followed by Heber Springs in third with 77. - Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Ridger Sports : Football season comes to a close; Blackhawks played well

JOHN MCGEE Sports writer

A season that Coach Mark Laster predicted would be a series of challenges proved to be just that as the ’Hawks lost their final game at Berryville to finish the season at 1-9. Although winning just one game this year, the ’Hawks were nevertheless, still in the running for a playoff spot up until late on the final day of competition. Had Pea Ridge beaten Berryville and had Huntsville scored a few more points, it could have been the Blackhawks loading the bus this Friday for the first round of the 4A playoffs. But, it was not to be. Elevated to a bigger conference, bad luck, low numbers, bad luck, lack of speed, bad luck and injuries proved to be bigger obstacles than could be overcome in 2008. The ’Hawks did win their homecoming game against what would be a playoff team. Pea Ridge is a growing school with player numbers probably rising with the enrollment. Although the junior high team won but once this season, it was an improvement on 2007. Meanwhile, the elementary football program has been putting up some g - Wednesday, November 12, 2008