It's all over; Time to call this sports writing thing a career

It is time to hang it up.

After 40 years of having very little trouble writing my thoughts to be printed on news print or more recently into cyber space, I'm finding it very hard to express myself.

I am announcing my retirement from the West Memphis School District as communications coordinator and from sports writing in general.

Whew!!

Harder than I thought.

After covering sports over parts of more than four decades, I have come to the conclusion that it is time. And I'm actually surprised I'm not as emotional about the decision as I thought I would be.

It's time.

That simple.

For 40 years I have lived my dream. Since I fell in love with sports around the age of 9, I wanted somehow to make my living in sports. My first ambition was to be a sports broadcaster.

Around the ninth grade somehow I didn't think I had the verbal skills behind a microphone to master the art of describing the fast-paced action between the lines. So, I decided right then and there I wanted to write.

After all, since I was in the seventh grade I chronicled my favorite sports teams on random sheets of paper.

I fell in love with it.

So, I figure I've lived the dream.

I got paid to watch sports.

I got paid to write about them.

I got paid to attend some of the most prestigious sporting events in America.

Along the way I covered two Cotton Bowls.

One Orange Bowl.

The 1987 World Series.

The 1987 National League Championship Series.

Four NCAA basketball tournaments.

I covered the Tennessee Oilers (just a year before they would become the Titans) for a year in 1997 when Bud Adams moved to team temporarily to Memphis.

I covered all the gadget pro leagues you could think of in Memphis, from the USFL, to the CFL and the USBL.

I covered numerous St. Jude PGA golf tournaments.

I even ventured into pro tennis in 1985 in Memphis.

In 1991 I was given permission by Alex Coulter to cover the St. Louis Cardinals on a monthly basis. He paid my way to St. Louis and I came back with stories to fill my sports pages for a few days. Can you believe Alex agreed to do that?

I've interviewed so many nationally famous sports figures it would take me too much time to write them all down without forgetting many of them.

The list is long.

I've done it.

Now it is time to move on, and I'm quite excited about it.

I think I may take up golf. Those of you who know me, get that part already.

To give you all an idea about how I love to document stuff, I play about 110 rounds of golf every year only from the months of March through the first week or two of November.

I write down every round I play, who I play with, my score, their scores, my stats and other memorable things about the round.

So, maybe I can hit about 200 rounds per year now.

If I don't it won't be from lack of trying.

Many of you already know I have three sports teams that I am passionate about. By passionate I mean, when they lose it bothers me. I have other teams I root for, but when they lose it doesn't rock my world.

The St. Louis Cardinals, Memphis Tiger basketball and West Memphis Blue Devil basketball.

Last night was my final Blue Devil boys game to cover. And it's at my final state tournament, which is always a huge highlight in any year for me.

Last week was my final game to work at Lehr Arena in West Memphis. That one was a tad emotional.

I dearly love my Blue Devil basketball.

I don't think there will ever again be any single person to attend/work as many Blue Devil basketball games than myself. I don't say that with any measure of arrogance. I simply say it to express my deep love for the program and all who have been associated with it over the years such as Larry Bray, Bill Terwilliger, Marcus Brown, Irving Clay, and the great players such as Keith Lee, Michael Cage, Marcus, Sonny Weems, Chris Moore, Mark Mangum and so many more.

While I will miss covering the basketball team, I will not miss being on the road. That part has worn me down over the many years.

Along the way I've lost all my hair, gained a lot of weight and noticed some wrinkled lines on my face. But I got to eat a lot of good, albeit unhealthy, hospitality room food. So there's that.

I say thank you to all who have befriended me over the years in West Memphis and those who hopefully I've made smile with my stories and even to those of you who I surely angered at one time or another over the years.

It's been quite a ride, and I've loved it.

But, again, it's time to move on.

Love you guys!!

Lake Hamilton eliminates Blue Devils with 64-54 victory in state

By Billy Woods

WM School District

SHERIDAN --- The West Memphis Blue Devils had the plug pulled on their season here Wednesday night in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament as Lake Hamilton handed them a 64-54 defeat.

Lake Hamilton;s Zac Pennington and Demetrius Sharp combined for 44 points to douse any hopes for an extension of the West Memphis season.

The Blue Devils end the campaign at 16-11.

West Memphis head coach Irving Clay was very blunt in his observation of the contest.

"They wanted it more than we did," Clay said of Lake Hamilton. "They got most of the 50-50 balls. That was the difference. They played harder than we did."

Actually, the Blue Devils looked like the hungrier team in the first seven minutes of the game. They out-hustled the Wolves (22-6) for the loose balls and took a 10-4 lead on a layup by Manuel Dunn with 1:26 to go in the first quarter.

But the game took a drastic turn from there.

Five straight points by Lake Hamilton in the final minute of the stanza made it 10-9 West Memphis heading into the second quarter and the Wolves kept pouring it on from there.

"We got complacent after we got that lead," Clay added. "We got the lead by running the offense. Then we stopped running the offense. Everybody started playing hero ball after that."

A 3-pointer from Easton Hurley to end the first half gave the Wolves a 26-18 bulge at intermission.

Then Lake Hamilton scored the first 10 points of the third quarter. It became so frustrating for West Memphis that after a three-ball from Pennington closed out the 10-0 spurt, the Blue Devils called timeout, whereupon junior Kobe Williams slammed the ball to the floor in disgust.

Fortunately, for the Blue Devils no technical foul was called.

But the points kept coming for the Wolves.

Their biggest lead of the night was 45-25 after three quarters.

Still, the Blue Devils were able to make one last push in the fourth quarter.

They opened the frame with seven straight points on a Dunn tip-in, a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer from Chico Washington, who scored 8 points on the night, to make it 45-32 with 6:20 still to play.

The closest the Blue Devils got from there was eight points when Kearrius Townsend, who led the team with 11 points sank two free throws with 1:26 to play in the game to make it 57-49.

Lake Hamilton, however, was able to salt it away from there.

"We didn't quit in the fourth quarter, but you have to understand something," said Clay. "Now, we're trying to make the game longer by taking the ball to the basket. We made a couple of shots in order to set up our press, but we didn't make near enough of those shots."

West Memphis' leading scorer on the season, senior Kam Barnes, had a tough night, scoring just 6 points.

"It wasn't Lake Hamilton's defense, it was just a tough night for Kam," said Clay. "He got his shots around the basket the way he normally scores. He just missed shots he normally makes."

Senior point guard D.J. Barrett added 6 points for the Blue Devils.

Lake Hamilton advances to the quarterfinals on Friday at 2:30, where it will play the powerful Little Rock Parkview Patriots.

Right combination gives Blue Devils third place in final standings

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Last Tuesday's loss at Greene County Tech was supposed to drop the West Memphis Blue Devils to the fourth spot in the final 5A-East Conference standings.

That is, until the Blue Devils got some unexpected help from a pesky Paragould team that upset its crosstown rivals, 71-65 on Friday.

Which set up Saturday's make-up date between West Memphis and Batesville for a game that would put a punctuation mark on the final league standings.

A win by the Blue Devils and they would get the No. 3 seed for next week's state tournament in Sheridan.

And the Blue Devils didn't drop the ball, routing Batesville 62-37 at Lehr Arena on Senior Night.

West Memphis (16-10 overall, 8-6 in the 5A-East Conference) will play Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. against Lake Hamilton in the first round of the state tournament in Sheridan.

It was a triple win for West Memphis on Saturday, as well.

The team welcomed back Kearrius Townsend to the lineup after he missed the three previous games due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Feb. 15 at Jonesboro.

Townsend played limited minutes, but he moved without compromise and he scored 5 points.

"It was very important for us to see what (Townsend) can do," said West Memphis head coach Irving Clay, who earlier in the week was voted by his peers as the conference coach of the year. "We used him sparingly because we didn't want to reaggravate that type of injury. He looks good to go for next week."

Clay played a loose rotation against Batesville, using nine players in the first quarter, which saw the Blue Devils hold to a slim 11-10 lead.

The squad gained some cushion, however, when junior reserve Aiden Barber splashed back-to-back 3-pointers to give the West Memphians a 23-15 lead with 2:44 to play in the second quarter.

Barber scored 9 points on the afternoon.

The Blue Devils would put proper distance between themselves and the Pioneers (4-21, 0-14) in the third quarter when Clay did something he hasn't done a whole lot of this year, utilize a full-court press.

The pressure created four quick turnovers in the third quarter to help the team push out to a 46-29 bulge heading into the fourth quarter.

In the second half, Clay gave sophomore Cain White his first varsity experience, and the 6-foot-2 rookie didn't disappoint. White scored 6 points, blocked two shots and grabbed a pair of rebounds.

"Cain White can play in this league," Clay said. "And I'm not afraid to put him in the game. He adds another dimension to what we already have with his 3-point shooting and his hustle."

Clay said he's feeling good about the team heading into next week.

"I thought we had a great regular season, going out with a winning record," he commented. "What we're going to try and do now is get our heads on straight and get ready for the state tournament.

"I think we've got a chance because I believe our guys are playing with a lot of confidence."

Clay said he was pleasantly surprised when he earned the conference coach of the year award over such stalwarts as Jonesboro's Wes Swift and Marion's David Clark.

"It's a great thing when your peers recognize you for the job you've done," said Clay with a smile. "It just makes me more humble, too. I'm just coming back into the game and for my fellow coaches to recognize me it just humbles me. But you've got to understand that the kids have done a lot of hard work."

Senior D.J. Barrett scored 10 points to lead the West Memphis offense while junior Kobe Williams, who has enjoyed a solid second half of the season, scored 7. White and senior Luke Martin hit for 6 points apiece and the team's two leading scorers, Kam Barnes and Townsend, each scored 5.

Batesville got a game-high 15 points from sophomore Matt Hendrix.

Tech gets leg up on 3rd place with double OT win over Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- In order to cover their current deficiencies, Blue Devil head coach Irving Clay has slowed down an already crawling offensive pace.

Fans inside the Greene County Tech gymnasium on Tuesday night probably thought they'd never live to see the day their own team would have to speed up West Memphis.

But, in an attempt to cover the loss of second-leading scorer Kearrius Townsend, who missed his second straight game due to a hamstring injury he suffered a week earlier at Jonesboro, the West Memphis coach held the ball for minutes at a time only to see Greene County Tech overcome all of the stalling tactics for a 39-37 double-overtime victory.

Junior Benji Goodman swished a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left in the second overtime after the Blue Devils had taken a 37-36 lead on a free throw by Kam Barnes.

Barnes, who had the second of his free-throw makes wiped out for stepping across the line too soon, was fouled with 30 seconds left in the second extra period after the Blue Devils (15-10 overall, 7-6 in the 5A-East Conference) held the ball for four-and-a-half minutes.

"On the road you want to take the last shot," explained Clay. "We thought that was our best chance. It's one of those situations where if you win it looks good, but if it doesn't work it doesn't look good."

The loss puts Tech (15-10, 7-6) in the lead for third place in the conference. However, a West Memphis win over Batesville on Friday night and a Paragould win over Tech would put the Blue Devils in third place.

Tech holds the tie-breaker over West Memphis with its first-ever two-game sweep over the Devils.

As they have done almost all season, the Blue Devils played it very close to the vest on offense. Clay's intention of holding the final score in the 40s (or perhaps even the 30s) would work in his club's favor, according to the veteran coach.

He has certainly accomplished that, but without Townsend it became even more tantamount for the Blue Devils in such a critical contest.

West Memphis led 23-19 at halftime and held its biggest lead of the night at 36-30 on a layup by Barnes, who led all scorers with 17 points, at the 5:18 mark of the fourth quarter.

But Tech got back-to-back 3-pointers from Nicholas Smith and Kenny Moss to tie the game at 36 with 4:37 still to play.

It was then that Clay decided to hold the ball with that much time remaining to take the last shot.

The plan fell apart, however, when Tech starting point guard Jared Noel, who fouled out in the second overtime, stole a pass. With 1:28 to play in regulation, Tech head coach Jeff Guiot elected to take the last shot.

It merely led to two missed free throws by Moss to send the game into the first overtime.

Barnes won the center jump and the Blue Devils immediately took the air out of the ball.

With 16 seconds left, Barnes made a move to the basket, but was stripped of the ball. It led to yet another missed free throw by Moss on the other end and another overtime was in play.

Barnes won the tip again and the Blue Devils' D.J. Barrett stood near mid-court with the ball for three minutes before movement began in the West Memphis offense.

Barnes was fouled with 30 seconds and he made two free throws. However, referees said he crossed the line too soon.

Goodman, who replaced Noel after he fouled out, didn't hesitate pulling the trigger coming off a high ball screen. His 3-pointer still left time for the Blue Devils to recover, though.

Barrett took a 3-point attempt with 3 seconds to play. It bounded high off the rim and Barnes took two swats at it to try and tip it in, but to no avail.

"I thought we had a great game plan," Clay said. "The main objectives were to keep (Tech) off the free-throw line and keep them from hitting those threes on us. That's what got us late in the game. That's part of the game. We took our best shot. That's all you can do."

Johnny "Chico" Washington added 8 points for the Blue Devils while Kobe Williams hit for 6.

Christian Walls was high scorer for Tech with 9 points while Goodman and Smith each scored 7.

Blue Devil topple Paragould, set for showdown at Greene Co. Tech

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The wins will not be easy to come by the rest of the way for the West Memphis Blue Devils.

Still missing a key piece in their lineup for a second straight game, the Blue Devils grinded out a 63-51 win over Paragould on Friday night at Lehr Arena.

The team came into the game looking for the right combination to lock up third place in the 5A-East Conference. But a wrench was thrown into the celebration plans as Greene County Tech slipped into Marion on Friday and upset the Patriots 53-49.

Now, the Blue Devils (15-9 overall, 7-5 in the conference) must defeat Greene County Tech in Paragould on Tuesday night in order to win third place. Tech defeated the Blue Devils 47-43 last month at Lehr Arena.

And that the Blue Devils will have to do so without second-leading scorer Kearrius Townsend, who pulled a hamstring last Tuesday in the game against Jonesboro, will present a big challenge.

"Right now we're looking and searching for someone to put out there on the court," admitted Blue Devil head coach Irving Clay. "We don't want to rush (Townsend) back because when you make sudden moves in basketball it can reaggravate that hamstring. We're not going to rush it."

Although they won by 12, the Blue Devils struggled to beat Paragould (12-13, 3-9).

After building a 23-16 lead on a Max Reece 3-pointer with 5:36 to play in the second quarter, the Rams scored the final 9 points of the stanza to take a 25-23 lead into halftime.

From there, the lead see-sawed back and forth and the hosts could claim a lead no bigger than 5 points until late in the fourth quarter.

It could have been a tidier performance for the Blue Devils, except they missed five consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter which would have put away the Rams quicker.

The lead neared double digits midway through the final quarter when Reece swished his second 3-pointer of the game to make it 50-41 with 4:49 left.

West Memphis' two best free throwers, Reece and D.J. Barrett uncharacteristically missed some key charities before the team settled down just as it has for the most part this year in the waning minutes.

West Memphis connected on 7 of 8 foul shots in the final 2:25 of the game to seal the deal.

"I'm proud of the way the kids scrapped and played defense tonight," said Clay. "And we got away with missing a lot of free throws. And we still won. The coaches and I are saying somebody must be praying for us."

West Memphis went 13 of 22 from the free-throw line for the game.

Kam Barnes topped all Blue Devil scorers with 16 points while the emerging Kobe Williams, a junior, pumped in 15. Johnny "Chico" Washington added 10 points and sophomore Ronnie Townsend, in just his third varsity game this year, hit 7 points.

Ashton Oakes paced Paragould with 14 points while Isaiah Jackson poured in 12.

Minus Townsend, Blue Devils fall prey to Marion

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Irving Clay set the tone in the first half, but faced with another offensive challenge in the second half, Marion turned a close game into a rout.

Marion scored the first 10 points of the second half to break open a tight game and the Patriots went on to beat the Blue Devils 46-32 on Thursday night at Lehr Arena.

Clay, the first-year West Memphis coach, dictated a much slower tempo than befit the visiting Patriots, keeping the game into the teens with a 17-15 Marion led at halftime.

But the Patriots (21-6 overall, 10-1 in the 5A-East Conference) sped up the Blue Devils (14-9, 6-5) with a three-quarters court press that forced enough turnovers to turn the tide.

"(Marion's) press isn't any different than what we saw when we played Jonesboro on Tuesday night," said Clay. "We just didn't make the smart passes and smart decisions this time."

The Blue Devils, who play at home tonight against Paragould, were determined not to let Marion get the first punch like it did in the first meeting between the two teams. In January at Marion, the Patriots went out to a 20-1 lead on the Blue Devils and West Memphis couldn't recover.

This time, it was the Blue Devils who fired the first salvo, jetting out to a 9-1 lead.

West Memphis led 12-9 after the first quarter and trailed just by two points at intermission.

The Blue Devils were in offensive straits playing without second-leading scorer Kearrius Townsend, who went down with a pulled hamstring on Tuesday night at Jonesboro. Townsend didn't dress against Marion, will not play again tonight against Paragould and is questionable for next week's games against Greene County Tech and Batesville.

No timetable has been given for his return.

"I thought tonight it obviously hurt us not having (Townsend)," said Clay. "It showed up big time."

The Blue Devils sliced what was a 32-18 Marion lead to 32-24 with six straight points, four of which came from Kam Barnes, who led his team with 10 points, with 20 seconds to play in the third quarter.

But the guard play of Jayden and Ryan Forrest was too much for the Blue Devils. Jayden led Marion in scoring with 13 points while Ryan added 10 as the visitors increased their margin to 43-27 with 2:39, effectively putting away the Blue Devils.

"We came out and stayed within our game plan early, but we got away from the game plan," said Clay. "We watched a lot of film and we knew everything (Marion) wanted to do. We just didn't execute it."

Davyon Ivy came off the bench and electrified the large Lehr Arena crowd with a pair of dunks in the second half and he finished with 7 points while D.J. Barrett, Kobe Williams and Aiden Barber all provided 3 points.

Blue Devils fall to Jonesboro, but frustrate Hurricane coach

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- Wes Swift had just bagged his 300th win at Jonesboro and the school district immediately honored him with a memento, whereupon the stone-faced Hurricane coach barely creased a smile and waved to his adoring fans.

Jonesboro defeated the West Memphis Blue Devils 44-32 on Tuesday night, but Swift was less than pleased after watching his team being held under 50 points for the second time by West Memphis this season.

"Right now we're struggling offensively," said Swift. "Our pace-setter (Kavon Pointer) is not playing right now. He's a four-year point guard. He's out right now and we're feeling the effects.

"Tons of credit to West Memphis. Coach (Irving) Clay is doing a good job over there. Defensively, they handed it to us tonight."

Despite the loss, the Blue Devils (14-8 overall, 6-4 in the 5A-East Conference) maintained their hold on third place in league standings, thanks to a 59-44 victory by Searcy over Greene County Tech.

Tech played without the services of head coach Jeff Guiot, who was suspended for one game after a tirade at Jonesboro that saw him get run out of the gym. Tech and Searcy are now tied for fourth place with 5-6 records.

For now, the Blue Devils have their sights set on third place even with a make-up game at home against Marion on Thursday night. The Patriots are solidly in second place (9-1) just a game behind Jonesboro (21-3, 11-0) in the loss column.

Still, the game at Greene County Tech next Tuesday will be vital for the Blue Devils' third-place fortunes.

With the Blue Devils swarming the Hurricane with a 2-3 zone defense, West Memphis stayed in the game all the way to the end. It was a five-point game (32-27) in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

Clay was admittedly pleased with the play of his troops.

"We came in and did what we set out to do against a team that lives and dies by their halfcourt traps and full-court press," said Clay. "They turned us over a few times in the backcourt, but I'm thinking it was only like three or four times."

The effort, however, didn't come without a costly casualty.

Second-leading scorer Kearrius Townsend came out of the game late in the first quarter after injuring his hamstring. He sat on the Blue Devil bench the final three quarters with his left leg heavily wrapped.

Clay said Townsend's status isn't clear just yet, but it doesn't look like the senior will see any action for the rest of the week.

As Clay mentioned, Jonesboro's whole game rests on its defense. The Hurricane limited Marion to 35 points earlier this season and they held Batesville to just 8 points for an entire game.

"You know us well enough to know that we tell our kids that if you can't guard, you can't play," Swift said.

Although points were once again hard to come by against the Hurricane, the Blue Devils did a better job than in the team's 43-28 loss earlier this season.

Without the deft shooting of senior Isaac Harrell, Hurricane fortunes would have been dire against West Memphis. Harrell knocked down 12 first-half points on his way to a 19-point outing.

Jonesboro led 25-13 at halftime.

A rebound basket by sophomore Ronnie Townsend at the third-quarter buzzer sliced Jonesboro's lead to 32-26 heading into the fourth quarter. And Kobe Williams, who came off the bench to score 7 points, split a pair of free throws at the 7:15 mark of the fourth quarter made it 32-27.

But Jonesboro's Deion Buford answered with a three-ball on the other end to spark a 7-0 Hurricane run to quiet the Blue Devils the rest of the way.

Kam Barnes led the Blue Devil offense with 15 points while D.J. Barrett hit all of his free throws for 6 points.

West Memphis will close out the week after Thursday night's home game against Marion with another home contest against Paragould on Friday night.

Blue Devils prep for big week with home victory over Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils closed out a victorious week of action on Friday night by defeating Nettleton 62-50 at Lehr Arena.

Now comes a week which could define their postseason fate with three games, two of which against the top two teams in the 5A-East Conference.

Already having surpassed last season's win total, the Blue Devils (14-7 overall, 6-3 in the conference) play at first-place Jonesboro on Tuesday night and then follow that one up with a make-up game against Marion at home on Thursday night before closing out the flurry of games with a home date against Paragould on Friday night.

The enormity of the moment was not lost on West Memphis head coach Irving Clay after the win over Nettleton.

"We're going to try and shock the world," Clay said. "We're prepared. Looking at the first game we played Jonesboro there wasn't a whole lot separating us until we started turning the ball over. We're going to work diligently on taking care of the basketball. Matter of fact, we may press them the same way they pressed us."

The Blue Devils, who finished 12-12 a year ago, never trailed against Nettleton. They got a power dunk by senior forward Kam Barnes, who led all scorers with 20 points, at the first-half buzzer to give the hosts a jolt of momentum to go along with a 28-21 lead at intermission.

"We made a lot of mistakes tonight with turnovers and missed free throws, but we made up for it with hustle," Clay added.

West Memphis dominated the boards in the second half, limiting the Raiders (16-9, 4-6) to just three offensive rebounds.

Meanwhile, it was a double dose of smothering defense and methodical offense that put away the Raiders. A layup by reserve Dayvion Ivy with 2:13 left in the third quarter gave West Memphis its first double-digit lead of the night at 41-31.

Nettleton would make just one more run, opening the fourth quarter with a couple of baskets to make it 42-37. But the hosts got a layup from Kearrius Townsend, who scored 11 points, a driving basket by senior point guard D.J. Barrett and a 15-foot pull-up jumper from Townsend to get the score back up to double digits at 48-37.

As much trouble as the Blue Devils had making free throws all night, they were much better during the closing moments of the fourth quarter. Which has been typical of the team all season.

"We work hard on free throws every day and we have trouble making them in the games," Clay admitted. "But when we have to make them at the end of the games we're making them."

The team's best free thrower, Barrett, hit three of four in the final five minutes and the team went 4 of 6 the rest of the way.

Barrett added 10 points for the Blue Devils while Johnny "Chico" Washington scored 9 and junior Max Reece came off the bench to score 5 points, all of them coming in the first half.

Brandon Anderson paced Nettleton's scoring with 12 points while Curtez Smith added 11.

Townsend powers Blue Devils to big victory at Searcy

By Mark Buffalo

SEARCY — The West Memphis Blue Devils pulled away from Searcy for a 68-57 win Tuesday night.

West Memphis led 46-42 after three quarters. The Blue Devils outscored the Lions 22-15 in the fourth quarter to get the win.

West Memphis made 11 of 15 free throws in the final eight minutes. Kameron Barnes made 5 of 6. Demetrius Barrett made all 4 of his attempts.

Keiarras Townsend led West Memphis with 20 points. Barnes and Kobe Williams had 15 points apiece. Johnny Washington had 10.

Zyron Williams led Searcy with 20 points. Braden Watson had 12. Cam Hicks scored 11. Isaiah Carlos had 10.

Strong second half sparks Blue Devils to win at Batesville

By Billy Woods

WM School District

BATESVILLE --- With the first run through the 5A-East Conference round robin, the state tournament picture, though far from complete, is beginning to take shape.

After Friday night's 56-44 win here on Friday night over league cellar-dwellar Batesville, the West Memphis Blue Devils found out they have more to accomplish in order to qualify for the 5A state tournament, which will be held in Sheridan in March.

The Blue Devils (12-7 overall, 4-3 in the conference) find themselves in fourth place in league standings, behind third-place Greene County Tech, which defeated West Memphis last Tuesday.

Head coach Irving Clay's troops led most of the way on Friday night against the last-place team in the league, but had trouble putting away the Pioneers (4-14, 0-7).

"We just wanted to get that bad taste out of our mouths from (the loss to Greene County Tech)," said Clay.

Defending out of various zone defenses all season, Clay used Friday night's contest to work on some man-to-man.

"I thought we did well playing man, although we haven't worked on it much," Clay added. "The players told me they were ready for it, so I said let's go for it."

The out-manned Pioneers had trouble matching up with the more athletic Blue Devils, but the hosts trailed just 25-23 at halftime.

"The kids felt bad about it, but we made the adjustments we needed to make at halftime," Clay stated.

West Memphis scored the first 8 points of the second half to secure its footing the rest of the way.

The visitors' lead reached double figures by the fourth quarter, although Batesville hung around long enough to make a game of it.

Leading scorer Kam Barnes, who was held to a season-low 6 points in the loss to Greene County Tech, came back with a strong outing against Batesville, leading his team with 15 points.

His fellow slasher, senior Kearrius Townsend, also provided 13 points on an array of moves around the basket. Johnny "Chico" Washington scored 8 points in another start at point guard while D.J. Barrett hit for 7.

Junior reserve Max Reece also came off the bench to hit two 3-pointers, the second of which got a friendly bounce at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 40-32 lead heading into the final stanza.

Kobe Williams also scored 6 points for West Memphis.

John Thomas Morgan of Batesville led all scorers with 19 points.

West Memphis will take Tuesday off before entertaining Marion on Friday night.

Greene Co. Tech rallies in fourth quarter to defeat Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

With Jonesboro and Marion establishing themselves as the clear front-runners in the 5A-East Conference, it appears everyone else is playing for third place and two other coveted spots for the state tournament.

Home victories are essential the rest of the way.

But the West Memphis Blue Devils let one slip away from their grasp on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena as Greene County Tech rallied in the fourth quarter for a 47-43 victory.

The Blue Devils (11-7 overall, 3-3 in the conference) led for three quarters before the visitors opened the fourth quarter with a left jab that knocked the home team off balance for the remainder of the game.

And the Blue Devils have no one to blame but themselves as Tech (9-6, 3-2) out-executed the hosts with several back-door looks off some crisp ball movement that left them with easy, uncontested layups in half-court sets.

The Eagles also were the aggressor, clearly taking most of the loose balls and they at least held their own on the boards.

"I wrote on the board before the game, rebound the ball, guard the 3-point line and get the 50-50 balls," said West Memphis head coach Irving Clay. "I bet (Tech) got at least 80 percent of the 50-50 balls. They wanted it more than we did tonight."

Tech, which was without its head coach Jeff Guiot last year at Lehr Arena due to Covid, trailed the whole game, including 32-26 at the 1:11 mark of the third quarter after a 3-pointer by Blue Devil Johnny "Chico" Washington.

But the Eagles went to work methodically.

They went on a 9-0 run into the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to take the lead for good.

"They just outplayed us the second half," Clay added.

The Blue Devils got within one at 38-37 when Kobe Williams stole a ball near midcourt and turned it into a layup. But Tech answered immediately with a 3-ball from Christian Walls and then sank five of its six free throws in the final 2:29 of the game to stave off West Memphis.

The Blue Devils established themselves in the early going as Clay inserted shooters Max Reece and Luke Martin to attack a tight 2-3 Tech zone defense.

Martin contributed five of the team's first seven points on a trey and a layup and then Reece entered the game and scored 9 points off two triples and three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.

It all added up to a 21-12 West Memphis lead midway through the second quarter.

"Luke and Max shot the ball well, and that's what we've got to have from those guys," said Clay. "Our inside game, though, didn't do what it normally does."

Inside ace Kam Barnes, normally a double-figure stalwart, was held to just 6 points.

Kearrius Townsend topped the scoring list for the Blue Devils with 12 points while Martin added 5.

Tyler Vincent paced the Greene County Tech offense with a game-high 19 points while Benji Goodman added 9.

The Blue Devils travel to Batesville on Friday night.

Patient Blue Devils dominate second half for win at Paragould

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- In an effort to maximize efficiency, first-year Blue Devil head coach Irving Clay is liable to do anything in accordance with pace of play on offense.

Here on Friday night, they went off-script against a program they normally would have liked to have run at a frantic pace.

But in the second half after regaining the lead, Clay called for his "five-out" offense, which looks like a stall, but in fact is merely a patient approach to take only layups or free throws.

For the most part it worked.

After trailing for a fair piece of the game, the Blue Devils posted a 46-31 victory over a team that had come in having won just one 5A-East Conference game.

And it wasn't only the offensive approach that contributed to the win.

The Blue Devils (11-6 overall, 3-2 in the conference) dominated the second half on defense and on the boards.

"Great defensive effort," said Clay. "On the road, you have to establish one or the other...defense or offense. Tonight, for us, it was defense."

Paragould (10-8, 1-4) surprised the Blue Devils with a 25-24 lead at halftime.

But for the Rams, it would get no better.

Clay's defense, switching from man-to-man to zone all through, limited the Rams to just two third-quarter baskets and it held the hosts scoreless in the fourth quarter until the 1:23 mark.

"Right now, our defense is ahead of our offense," said Clay. "If our offense catches up with our defense, we may be able to be a little better than we are."

After Paragould hit the first basket of the third quarter, the Blue Devils went on a 9-2 run to close out the stanza and take a 33-29 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Clay ordered his "five-out" late in the third quarter in order to protect his team's narrow lead.

"We made a slight adjustment in our five-out at halftime just to see how (Paragould) would react to it," said Clay. "We got a chance to get some easy buckets, and I think we confused them a little bit. We went 1-4 low and bringing everybody else to the same side of the floor as if we were going to isolate. Consequently, we were able to hit our post man in the middle and it opened the whole floor up for us."

Senior leader Kam Barnes once again paced the Blue Devil offense with a game-high total of 18 points. Guard Kearrius Townsend added 10- and Dequarious Birdo hit for 6.

With regular point guard D.J. Barrett out of action, Clay turned to Johnny "Chico" Washington to run the offense. He and Kobe Williams hit for 4 points.

"Chico did a good job of handling the ball and the offense tonight," Clay stated.

The Blue Devils return home Tuesday night to take on Greene County Tech.

Jonesboro pressure defense smothers Blue Devils, 43-28

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The basketball dynamo otherwise known as the Jonesboro Hurricane seemingly can't be stopped even when it has a down night shooting the ball.

Wes Swift, perhaps the best coach in the state, saw his team miss a ton of shots it normally makes and even though his offense was not its usual self, it was the ever-present dominating defense that paved the way to a 43-28 victory Tuesday night at Lehr Arena over the West Memphis Blue Devils.

With three starters returning from last year's Class 5A state championship team, the Hurricane (13-3 overall, 4-0 in the 5A-East Conference) have another solid chance of building on their recent state title resume.

They are ranked No. 2 in the state overall behind North Little Rock, a team Jonesboro defeated earlier this season. The Hurricane are solidly ranked No. 1 in Class 5A.

Its defense was devastating against West Memphis.

Without a game-changer of a point guard, in the mold of Cavin Paige or Jordan Mitchell, the Blue Devils have rotated different players bringing the ball upcourt against pressure.

That void was exposed against Jonesboro.

The Hurricane pressed for four quarters, sometimes switching from an all-out full-court press to a halfcourt trap. Either way, it was met with confusion by the Blue Devil guards.

"I don't know how many turnovers we had, but it was a bunch," said Blue Devil head coach Irving Clay.

At one point in the second quarter, West Memphis (10-6, 2-2) led 12-9, but it couldn't get the ball across halfcourt, turning it over on seven consecutive possessions, leading to an 11-0 Hurricane run that gave the visitors the lead for good at 20-11.

Despite all the difficulty dealing with the Jonesboro pressure, the Blue Devils actually stayed within earshot of the Hurricane by applying a little defensive magic of their own.

Some of it had to do with Jonesboro missing some point-blank attempts, but most of it was due to Clay's signature zone defense, which has been the team 's calling card for much of this season.

"It was an ugly game in that we missed a lot of shots we normally make, but we haven't seen much zone this year, and you could tell it," said Swift. "You can't always function properly on offense every night, but you can always defend, and tonight we did."

The Blue Devils trailed 21-14 at halftime, and although Jonesboro was in command all the way, the hosts trailed just 32-22 after a tip-in by Kam Barnes, who led the West Memphis offense with 11 points, at the 7:26 mark of the fourth quarter.

That was the closest the team would get the rest of the way, however.

"It seemed like the night was defined by us playing real hard on defense, but then turning it over on offense," Clay noted. "We had a bunch of inexperienced players on the floor and because (Jonesboro) pressured us all night, we had to sub in some players who were even more inexperienced."

Chico Washington added 9 points for the Blue Devils while Kearrius Townsend hit 6 and Kobe Williams scored 2.

No Jonesboro player hit double figures, but returning all-state swingman Jessie Washington led his team with 9 points while Amarion Wilson scored 8 and Kavon Pointer hit for 6.

The Blue Devils travel to Paragould on Friday night.

Cold-blooded Barrett ices Nettleton with late free throws

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- D.J. Barrett is asserting himself as the Blue Devils' go-to man in the clutch.

The West Memphis senior point guard's latest heroics came here on Friday night as he swished four straight free throws in the final 25 seconds to preserve a 43-37 Blue Devil victory over Nettleton.

Earlier this season, Barrett drained a pair of free throws with 3 seconds to play to give the Blue Devils a 49-47 win at Conway. His cool demeanor at the free-throw line on Friday night helped the Blue Devils (10-5 overall, 2-1 in the 5A-East Conference) to a crucial win against a team that ran out to a 13-3 record in the non-conference portion of its schedule.

"We work on free throws all day in practice, so I felt like I should make those shots late in the game," said Barrett, whose 12 points paced the Blue Devil offense. "Making those two free throws at Conway boosted my confidence."

Friday's low-scoring affair saw both teams battle to a 15-15 stalemate by halftime. But it looked like Nettleton would take control of the second half when the Raiders bolted to a 26-19 lead midway through the third quarter.

With two starters playing with four fouls and a third playing with three fouls, West Memphis head coach Irving Clay was faced with the decision to leave his best players in or protect them by placing them on the bench.

Senior Dequarious Birdo picked up his fourth foul with 6:47 to play and the Blue Devils down 28-27. Clay subbed Birdo.

"I told the guys I'm going to have to trust them," Clay explained. "Down the stretch all the players did what I told them to do."

The Blue Devils went on a 10-2 run after Birdo exited the game to take a 37-30 lead with 3:47 to play in the game.

Barrett then picked up his fourth foul with 3:33 to play and Clay left him in.

Nettleton sliced the West Memphis lead to 37-35 with 2:53 to play and then Kobe Williams, who replaced Birdo earlier, sank two free throws with 1:36 to play to make it a two-possession game.

Barrett then went to work, keeping the ball in his hands most of the rest of the way.

"I called for us to run stuff that would keep the ball in D.J.'s hands," said Clay. "He's our best free-throw shooter, no doubt."

Barrett knocked down two shots with 25 seconds left and then iced the game with two more drained at the 14-second mark to make it 43-37.

Kam Barnes added 10 points for the Blue Devils while Kearrius Townsend scored 9. Other scorers for West Memphis included Manuel Dunn with 4 points while Williams, Chico Washington and Davion Ivy all had 2.

Nettleton's Davares Whitaker led all scorers with 14 points while Cortez Smith hit 7 and Brandon Anderson hit 5.

The Blue Devils get their most stern test of the season on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena when they take on Jonesboro, ranked No. 2 in the state in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll.

Quick start aids Blue Devils in 50-41 win over Searcy

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils got punched in the mouth for nearly four quarters at Marion last Friday night, so the bruises were still visible by the time they showed up at Lehr Arena on Tuesday night for their game against Searcy.

But the team shook off the ill effects in plenty of time for the opening tip.

Enjoying their quickest start out of the gate all season, the Blue Devils rushed out to a big early lead and then withstood a mild Searcy rally for a 50-41 victory.

The Blue Devils (9-5 overall, 1-1 in the 5A-East Conference) scored the first 11 points of the game and led 16-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Quite the opposite of last Friday night at Marion when the Patriots jetted out to a 20-1 lead.

"I was absolutely pleased with the way we started the game," said Clay. "If we had kept that up all night it would have been even better. But we got away from doing the things that gave us that big early lead."

The onslaught continued into the early moments of the second quarter when Kearrius Townsend and Kameron Barnes tipped in a pair of errant shots to give the hosts a 20-1 lead.

That's when the home team took its foot off the pedal.

Undaunted, Searcy (10-6, 1-1) slowly chipped away at the huge deficit to make it a 12-point game at halftime (29-17).

West Memphis then established its hold on the game to open the second half with a 3-pointer and two free throws by point guard D.J. Barrett and a 10-foot jumper by Chico Washington for a 36-17 Blue Devil lead.

But Searcy's strength, which was well-noted by Clay and his staff during video preparation for the game, showed up.

Guard Isaiah Carlos hit four 3-pointers in the second half and Cameron Hicks, younger brother of former Lion star Freddie Hicks, hit a pair of long treys to finally make it a two-possession game at 47-41 with 4:34 to play in the game.

"(Searcy) hit some shots with hands in their faces, and that's fine," said Clay. "But there were some of those shots that were wide open and we didn't cover the perimeter. We gotta get better at that."

The Blue Devil defense indeed buckled down after that, holding the visitors scoreless the final four-and-a-half minutes.

They pretty much had to, though. The Blue Devils were terrible from the free-throw line, sinking just 7 of 18 and missing five charities in the final two minutes.

"We work on free throws in practice till we're blue in the face," Clay stated. "We've shot them pretty good all year, but tonight it was terrible."

Barnes hit 11 of his team-high 13 points in the first half while Barrett and Washington each chipped in 9. Townsend scored 13 for West Memphis and Manuel Dunn and Dequarious Birdo each hit 4.

Searcy's Carlos was the game's top scorer with 22 points while Hicks tallied 9.

The Blue Devils travel to Nettleton on Friday night in a crucial league clash. The Raiders have rushed out to an impressive 13-3 record and they have acquired some top 10 ranking votes in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll.

Patriots drill Blue Devils in Clay's return to old home

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Irving Clay's return to his old digs was none too kind.

Before Friday night's game at Fidelity Bank Arena in Marion, Clay was approached by one of the security guards at the arena and asked him how retirement was going.

Clay sheepishly informed the security guard that he had indeed not retired but was back working in the one job he has known all of his adult life.

Coaching high school basketball.

And what's more, for Marion's bitter rival, West Memphis.

As a tribute to the former Patriot head coach, Marion students came out in force, complete with a giant cut-out of Clay's face.

That was the extent of the love shown Clay for the evening.

Marion walloped an outmanned West Memphis squad 61-36 in the 5A-East Conference opener for both teams.

"I gotta sense of humor," Clay said in reference to the cutout of his face. "I understand you're going to have nights like that. Everything went right for Marion and nothing went right for us. But we're going to have some nights like that too this season."

Clay coached the Patriots to great heights during his 14-year run at the helm. He's the dean of Crittenden County coaches, also having coached at Earle and at Turrell, where he also had a 14-year hitch.

Marion (12-3 overall, 1-0 in the conference) hit West Memphis (8-5, 0-1) with a 20-1 run out of the gates as the Blue Devils compounded the issue with turnovers on their first five possessions and ending the quarter with 8 miscues.

It was never a game from the opening tip.

"You can't put too much pressure on yourself just because you're playing a big rival," said Clay. "You still have to remember to do the things we're supposed to do against any other team. They just beat us in every aspect of the game tonight. Not that we didn't want it, but (Marion) wanted it more than we did."

The closest the Blue Devils, who have now lost 4 of their last 5 games, got was 13 points on three occasions, but Marion sealed the deal by holding West Memphis to just a single free throw and going on a 14-1 run to start the fourth quarter.

Marion placed four players in double figures, led by Jayden Forrest's 13 points. His brother Ryan scored 11 points while Donnie Cheers and Omareron Jefferson each hit 10.

With a hefty advantage in length over the smaller Blue Devils, the Patriots owned the glass with the 6-10 Jefferson and the high-leaping Forrest brothers, both of whom have received recruiting interest from several Division 1 colleges, including the University of Memphis.

West Memphis had just one player in double figures, senior Keiarras Townsend, who poured in 11 points. The Blue Devils also got 9 points from D.J. Barrett, 8 from Kam Barnes, 4 from Manuel Dunn and 3 from Aiden Barber.

The Blue Devils return to action Tuesday night at home against Searcy.

Former Blue Devil head coach Brown makes return to area as Murray State assistant

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The morning shoot-around for Murray State's biggest game of the young season was finished. All that was left was a leisurely stroll across the street from FedEx Forum to the team's headquarters for the day, The Westin hotel.

As Marcus Brown took a few seconds to determine which route would be quickest, he apparently took the hardest. Up some very steep steps to the plaza level of the arena.

"Careful Marcus with those steps, there are 40,000 points in those knees of yours," quipped Racers head coach Matt McMahon.

Yes, Marcus Brown is back in Murray, Ky.

And as far as the Racer faithful are concerned, and as an ode to the new Beatle documentary, back where he belongs.

After coaching in West Memphis for eight years, four of which came as head coach of the Blue Devils, Brown was hired away last July to begin his ascent into college coaching.

As special assistant to the head coach, Brown is in charge of recruiting, scouting and player development for Murray State University's men's basketball program.

And he's already loving it.

"I'm just so excited to be back in Murray," Brown said with a smile before his Racers took on the University of Memphis last Friday night. "It's a great opportunity for my life and for my career."

Brown is now 2-0 against the Memphis Tigers after Murray State handed Penny Hardaway's reeling club a fourth straight loss, 74-72.

In his playing days at Murray State, where he is still the No. 3 all-time scorer in school history, he led the Racers to an upset over Larry Finch's Tigers as he scored 26 points, claimed 8 rebounds, dished 6 assists and had 4 steals.

After an electric career as a high-leaping, high-scoring swingman for Larry Bray's Blue Devils, Brown took his talent to Murray State, where he was the nation's third-leading scorer his senior year with a 26.4 points per game average.

From there he embarked on a pro career, which included parts of three seasons in the NBA and many more from there in Europe, where he scored more than 40,000 points.

In his four seasons as Blue Devil head coach, Brown compiled a 92-26 record which included two conference championships, two state championship game appearances and one state title.

One of the most beloved players in Racer history, Murray State made sure Brown was not forgotten when the team held its annual Racer Mania, marking the start of official practices in October.

"They actually made a video for me that I didn't know anything about," said Brown. "They played some of my highlights as a player and then had me speak at mid-court. It was just great. I was told I was going to be introduced last and I had no idea what they were going to do. But I had a feeling they were up to something. The welcome was top notch."

A large contingent of Marcus Brown fans showed up for the game against Memphis on Friday night. And they all got another glimpse into Brown's high-energy, high emotion antics on the sideline.

With the ever-present towel in hand and facial expressions that accompany his live-wire act, Brown was the most vocal of any coach on the Murray bench.

Brown has dived head-first into college coaching.

"It's about what I thought it was going to be," he said. "The only difference is the recruiting aspect of it. I've had good teachers all my life, so the basketball part of it hasn't been different. There's always room for growth, though."

Recruiting is a long, arduous aspect of college coaching. It makes for some long work days.

"It takes a lot of work in the recruiting aspect of it," said Brown. "If you don't like to work, college coaching is not for you. I spend seven days a week on the recruiting end of it. In college, if you don't win you're out. So, if you don't recruit talent then you're likely going to be on your way out."

Murray State is off to an 8-1 start to the young season as it looks to erase memories of last year's mark of 13-13 overall and 10-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

"We've got a good group," Brown commented. "We have some guys who can really shoot and we're pretty good offensively. We're going into the meat of our schedule. We have a group that buys into getting one percent better each day."

The meat of the schedule also includes a Dec. 22 game at Auburn, which will pit Brown against his former star player at West Memphis, Chris Moore.

"It's going to be great," Brown said. "I'll be happy to see the big fella. I'm not going to give him anything and I'm pretty sure he's not going to give me anything. We're very close, but for those 40 minutes we'll be on opposite sides trying to beat the other guy. It'll be strange trying to beat a player you coached for four years in high school."

Blue Devils blitz El Dorado, win two at Blue Devil Classic

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It's only seven games in, but so far things are going swimmingly for Irving Clay in his first season as Blue Devil boys head coach.

After a year off due to the pandemic, the Blue Devil Classic returned over the weekend and it was all Blue Devils, who won two games at Lehr Arena against decent competition.

On Friday night, the Blue Devils ousted Munford, Tenn., 43-41 and on Saturday night the West Memphis boys pummeled El Dorado 70-44 in their best effort of the season.

It all adds up to a 6-1 start to the season.

"It's about the kids buying into it and listening," said Clay, a state championship coach at Turrell. "Our kids are starting to understand that if you have good defense it's better than the other team's offense."

With no starters returning from last year's team and a new head coach, the normal expectations for Blue Devil basketball were tamped down before this season. But Clay has brought a toughness and a defense-first approach that has melded this group of players into a competitive bunch.

On Friday night against an El Dorado program that last won a state championship in 2017, the Blue Devils ran out to a 27-18 lead after one quarter before going on a run of their best basketball so far this season over the second and third quarters.

West Memphis took a 41-31 lead into halftime and then outscored El Dorado 21-7 in the third quarter to take a commanding 61-38 lead into the fourth quarter.

"I'd say that was our best ball of the year," said Clay. "We talked about this at halftime. Our third quarters this year have been terrible. We made some adjustments that really worked."

Clay, who has deployed halfcourt zone defenses almost exclusively this season, was referencing his team giving up five 3-pointers in the first half.

"We switched from our 2-3 to a 3-2 and put some longer players on the wings," Clay explained. "And they closed out on those shooters better in the second half."

El Dorado made just one three-ball in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils' senior leader, Kam Barnes, dominated inside with four blocked shots, one of which was sent into the sixth row of the bleachers in the north end zone.

"It's all about timing with Kam," said Clay. "And I have to credit Coach (Robert) Hooks and his weightlifting class. He has really improved Kam's vertical with some good numbers in the squats."

Barnes led all scorers with 20 points while D.J. Barrett, in his best effort of the season thus far, scored 13, which included a pair of 3-pointers.

"This was D.J.'s best night, but I still need our point guards to be distributors first," Clay added.

West Memphis, which will face its toughest test of the season so far when it travels to Conway on Tuesday night, also got 7 points from center Emmanuel Dunn and 5 each from Max Reece and Davion Ivy.

Against Munford on Friday night, the Blue Devils got 13 points from Keiarras Townsend, 8 apiece from D'quarious Birdo and Barrett.

Blue Devils hold Memphis Central at bay for 51-48 victory

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Irving Clay's young Blue Devils are still in the learning stages, and on Tuesday night when the team returned to Lehr Arena, they got a valuable lesson while still coming out on top.

West Memphis' boys got down early, then built a 16-point lead in the third quarter only to see Memphis Central nearly send the game to overtime on a last-second 3-point attempt. It all added up to a 51-48 Blue Devil victory.

"We always seem to put forth the right effort and although we have some deficiencies, we came out on top tonight and we'll take it," said Clay, in his first year as head coach.

After playing two games at the old Devil Dome while a new floor was laid at Lehr Arena, the Blue Devils returned to the arena with more space, comfort and the same old winning flavor.

However, the Blue Devils (4-1) got down early against the Warriors, trailing 14-8 at the end of the first quarter. The hosts tried to establish an offense that allowed for some perimeter shooting, but it never materialized.

But in the second quarter the West Memphians stuck to their bread and butter, which was goal-slashing led by seniors Kam Barnes, Dequarious Birdo and Keiarrius Townsend.

Birdo scored the first five points of the second quarter as the Blue Devils kept the hammer down, outscoring the visitors 20-1 in the stanza to take a comfortable 28-15 lead into halftime.

"Maybe we need to keep it simple stupid," Clay joked. "But down the road we're going to need to play more than one kind of way."

Birdo kept pumping in the third quarter when he hit three free throws to give West Memphis a 36-20 lead with 4:33 left.

That's what sounded the alarm for a Central team that, like the Blue Devils, lacked an inside presence. Alan King, Central's top scorer on the night with 13 points, drained a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 run to get the visitors back into it.

Showing the mettle they'll need to compete in the 5A-East Conference later this season, the Blue Devils held off the Memphis Central charge, making enough of their free throws down the stretch.

Two foul shots by Birdo, who scored 10 points, gave West Memphis what seemed like a safe lead at 51-43 with 43 seconds to play.

But in the end, the Warriors got a hurried 3-point attempt by Quincy Griggs that was deflected by Barnes and Davion Ivy at the buzzer.

"We're working here with no starters back from last year and a bunch of inexperienced guys who have to learn on the fly," Clay commented. "You can only do so much in practice when you're getting used to each other. Once you get to the games, the lights come on and the referees are out there we get nervous, and rightly so."

Barnes led all scorers with 19 points on an array of post moves and garbage baskets. Townsend supplied 6 points and Chico Washington poured in 5, including two crucial free throws down the stretch.

The Blue Devil Classic will be played Friday and Saturday at Lehr Arena.

The hosts will play Friday night at 7 against Munford, Tenn., On Saturday, the Blue Devils face El Dorado at 7:30 p.m.

Other matchups in the two-day affair find MHEA versus Helena-West Helena on Friday at 4:30 and El Dorado versus Memphis Freedom Prep at 6 p.m.

On Saturday, Helena-West Helena faces Freedom Prep at 3 p.m. while MHEA battles Columbus, Miss., at 4:30 p.m.

Pine Bluff defense stifles Blue Devils in 38-31 victory

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The points were hard to come by for both teams Tuesday night at the Devil Dome, and for the West Memphis Blue Devils they were especially difficult.

In a very intense defensive battle, Pine Bluff's swarming man-to-man won out over West Memphis head coach Irving Clay's trapping 2-3 zone as the Zebras came away with a 38-31 victory.

The first-year Blue Devil Boss is waiting on someone to emerge as the team's bonafide point guard and meanwhile Clay will watch his under-sized but relentless front court continue to no back down from a fight.

While the loss was disappointing it's possible the Blue Devils won't be guarded the rest of the season as tough as they were on Tuesday night.

"(Pine Bluff) was tenacious on defense and they pushed us out of our offense," said Clay. "We had to make long passes all night. That's one reason why we had so many turnovers. That's what you see when you don't have a real good ball-handling guard. We probably had 20 turnovers tonight."

The Blue Devils had to earn all their points against Pine Bluff. But they led all through the first half. They held a 7-6 lead after one quarter and an 18-17 lead at halftime.

Their biggest lead of the game, 16-9 with 2:10 left in the second quarter, came as a result of the Blue Devil full-court press.

However, Pine Bluff's already harsh defensive effort was only just beginning. It held West Memphis to just one field goal in the first six minutes of the third quarter and it led to the Zebras' 25-23 lead heading into the final stanza.

By that time the Blue Devils still couldn't get anything going on offense and Pine Bluff solved the West Memphis zone as point guard Courtney Crutchfield broke free and 6-foot-6 Jordan Harris ruled the paint.

Crutchfield paced Pine Bluff with 11 points, six of which came in the fourth quarter, and Harris had 10, including an alley-oop slam dunk with 6:24 left in the fourth quarter to give the Zebras a 29-23 lead.

"(Harris) gave us problems, but our small guards have no business being in the lane against a 6-6 kid in the paint," Clay explained. "But that's something we can correct."

Dequarious Birdo of West Memphis led all scorers with 12 points while Kam Barnes, the team's leading scorer, scored just 6 and had a tough night finding room to operate around the basket with Harris patrolling that area.

Keiarras Townsend added 4 points for the Blue Devils while junior Chico Washington scored 3.

The Blue Devils will play at least one more game at the Devil Dome, on Dec. 7 against Memphis Central. The site for the Blue Devil Classic on Dec. 10-11 is still on hold.

It's possible the new floor at Lehr Arena will be finished by then. But if not, the Classic would be played at the Devil Dome.

Devil-mania returns to Devil Dome in 62-60 win over Mills

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It's been 13 years since a high school basketball game has been played at the Devil Dome, but on Thursday night the old girl was never more alive.

With Lehr Arena under repair for a new floor, the Blue Devil boys basketball team made a change in venue to a spruced-up Devil Dome, complete with a new floor, new bleachers, new lobby, new locker rooms and a new HVAC system that cooled a joint that was known in the 1980s and '90s as "the Hot Box."

Well, somewhat.

The frantic fourth quarter provided a lot of body heat from the sizable crowd that drank in Blue Devil tradition.

At any rate, the Blue Devils didn't forget how to perform in their old digs.

Senior Kam Barnes sank a layup with 8 seconds remaining in the game to lift the West Memphis boys to a 62-60 victory over Little Rock Mills before a wild, feverish crowd.

"Wooo, that was fun!" exclaimed new Blue Devil head coach Irving Clay. "I wish we could play every game in this place."

Clay, a state championship coach who won big at Turrell and Marion, is considered an honorary Devil Dome alum, as he watched two of his children play on some storied West Memphis teams in the 1990s.

The atmosphere in the Devil Dome was never wilder.

With Blue Devil alum Sonny Weems, who played on a state championship team in the same facility before moving on to fame and fortune in the professional ranks, on hand the Blue Devils made the key plays in the fourth quarter and they were willed down the stretch by their own fans.

"The fans helped us win this game tonight," said Clay. "It wasn't full because there were very few sitting in the end zone student section, but both bleachers on the side were full and they were loud all night."

With four starters gone from last year's team that went 12-12 and made it to the Class 6A state tournament and their coach, Marcus Brown, now at Murray State University as an assistant coach, the Blue Devils didn't blink.

They watched Mills 6-foot-4 guard Javion Guy-King, who has offers on the table from Arkansas, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State among others, do his best Corliss Williams impersonation.

In the 1991-92 season opener at the Devil Dome, Williamson scored 35 of his team's 50 points in a 50-49 Russellville win.

On Thursday night, King scored 19 of his team's 29 first-half points and he ended up with 32 to lead all scorers.

Many of King's points came with multiple Blue Devil defenders draped all over him, and at one point it seemed he could not miss.

But, after Barnes hit the go-ahead basket with 8 seconds left and after a Mills timeout with 3.7 seconds to play, everyone in the building knew who was going to take the last shot for the Comets.

"I was planning for them to lob the ball in the post to (King)," said Clay.

But it never materialized.

With two Blue Devils trailing him, King let fly an off-balanced 3-point attempt that never made it to the goal and the buzzer set off a wild West Memphis celebration at mid-court.

"Our kids never gave up," said Clay, in reference to an 11-point West Memphis deficit in the second half. "We made up for it with the hustle. We're still learning each other with a new system and new coach, but it's going to be a process. I loved the effort tonight, though."

History was revised Thursday night.

In February of 2008, Blue Devil sophomore guard Jonathan Fitzgerald sent the old gym out with a bang when he hit what was thought to be the final shot at the Devil Dome, a half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer.

But West Memphis junior guard Max Reece erased that distinction when he buried a 3-pointer 57 seconds into Thursday night's game.

With 1:37 to play in the third quarter, Mills took a 44-33 lead, but a Reece trey, his third of the game, with 1:58 to play in the fourth quarter gave the hosts a 58-53 lead and momentum that the Blue Devils fed off of until the very end.

A Trey Long triple with 21 seconds to play brought Mills into a 60-60 tie.

But after a wild scramble near the basket, Barnes wriggled free for a game-winning layup.

Barnes paced the Blue Devil offense with 25 points while Dequarious Birdo hit 17, 15 of which came in the second half. Reece scored 9 and Demetrius Barrett pumped in 5.

Blue Devils go retro, back to the Devil Dome temporarily

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Get your keys and start the bus!!

The West Memphis basketball teams are going retro starting this week.

While Lehr Arena is getting a facelift (new floor) the Blue Devil roundballers will head back to a different era as their respective seasons begin in 2021-22.

All Blue Devil games in November and December will be played at the old Devil Dome, site of some of the most historic moments in program history, beginning Thursday night when first-year boys head coach Irving Clay's squad hosts Little Rock Mills.

It will be a boys-only game with the junior varsity tipping off at 6 p.m., followed immediately by the varsity game.

Games will return to Lehr Arena on Jan. 11 when the Blue Devil squads face Searcy.

"I have many memories of attending games at the old Devil Dome," said Clay. "My son and my daughter played in that building. I can remember being in there when the Blue Devils were the best entertainment going in West Memphis and the gym was packed. You had to step over people to get a seat, it was so packed. I'm looking forward to playing some games in that building."

The timing for the move is perfect.

The West Memphis School District last year made an all-out effort to spruce up the old girl by adding air conditioning and a whole new HVAC system as well as a new floor, new bleachers, new lighting and a new concession stand activated as well as new restroom facilities. The lobby entrance area has also been refurbished.

The Devil Dome housed six boys state championships and two girls state titles along with two state tournaments and a pair of boys teams in the early 1980s that went a combined 60-0 and are recognized as two of the greatest high school teams in U.S. history.

The Lady Devils will make their regular-season debut Nov. 16 at the Devil Dome against Little Rock Parkview. Tip-off for that game is set for 5:30 for the JV, followed immediately by the varsity.

Clay hired as new Blue Devil boys basketball head coach

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis' new boys basketball coach is no stranger to the Blue Devil program.

On Monday, the West Memphis School District approved the hiring of Irving Clay as the new Blue Devil head coach. Clay succeeds Marcus Brown, who was the head coach the previous four years and who left the program last week to become a new assistant coach at Murray State University.

Clay, a Crittenden County native, has coached at Earle, Turrell and Marion. Clay won back to back state championships at Turrell in 1999 and 2000. He was head coach at Turrell and Marion for 14 years apiece.

But his roots run Blue Devil deep.

His children played basketball for WMHS in the 1990s. Renaldo was a starting forward for the Blue Devil state championship team of 1997 and sister April was also a starter on some strong Lady Devil teams in the late 1990s.

"I am fully familiar with the Blue Devil brand," Clay said with a smile. "I'm so excited to be here, but I know I've got to bring a product."

The 66-year-old Clay takes over a program that was 12-12 last season, but which has gone 92-26 the last four years with two conference championships, two state title game appearances and one state championship.

He has one returning starter in senior Kam Barnes, but there is a solid nucleus coming from the local junior highs and even more talent that will be returning to its respective junior highs in 2021-22.

"I haven't met with the players yet, but I understand we have some talent on the way," said Clay.

Clay is just the fourth coach for the boys program in the last 51 years.

"To get into that particular category with the great Bill Terwilliger, Larry Bray and Marcus Brown, I'm just blown away," said Clay. "Those are some large shoes to fill. I'm sure there would have been many coaches around Arkansas who would have loved to have this job. I feel like this is the No. 1 coaching job in Arkansas, because has any other school in the state gone 60-0 before?

"That's impressive enough in itself because when you drive down Broadway you see that sign in front of the school that says 60-0. I'm excited to be a part of it all."

Clay said his basketball philosophy starts with fierce, trapping defense. On offense, he says, it'll be an inside-out attack.

"I think if you play good defense, you'll be in most basketball games," he said. "Offensively, I believe in playing inside-out, bringing the ball into the post and the post evaluates what he's got and then being able to kick the ball out to the perimeter. I like to run offenses that the kids enjoy playing."

The rest of the Blue Devil coaching staff from the last three years will stay in place. It includes assistants Alvin Hawkins, Zeb Wells and Curtis Washington, Sr.

"I've been all over Crittenden County coaching basketball in my career," said Clay. "At one time Crittenden County was the mecca of high school basketball in Arkansas. You had West Memphis, Turrell, Crawfordsville, Hughes and Earle all at the top of their respective classifications. At that time basketball was on the minds of everybody. You see people at Walmart and all they want to talk about is basketball. It was almost like a carnival atmosphere."

Clay said he will make teaching the game as simple as possible.

"It's still all about dribbling, passing and shooting," he said. "Styles change along the way, but those things are still the same. You have to adapt to the change, too. Playing tough defense night in and night out is also part of it."

Weems weighs in on how his Blue Devil team ranks in last 21 years

By Billy Woods

WM School District

In the wake of the 1979-80 West Memphis Blue Devils making website Stadiumtalk.com's release in June of the 50 greatest high school basketball teams of all time, the next great Blue Devil team needs some recognition for the weight it carries in the 21st Century.

The 1979-80 Blue Devils came in at No. 25 all time in the list of the greatest high school teams of all time in the United States, ahead of Kobe Bryant's team and ahead of Patrick Ewing's team.

Former Blue Devil great Sonny Weems was in town last week for his annual week of festivities and charity work that has now grown to astronomical measures, and he was asked how his 28-2 Larry Bray-coached squad would stack up with the best from Arkansas since 2000.

Weems, a senior that year, was the leading scorer at 13 points per game on a team that crushed the competition to the tune of a 22.4 point average margin of victory.

Joining him were junior point guard Mark Mangum, recently voted into the West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame, senior Quentin Furlow and senior post players Des McCoy and Cortez Jefferies.

The Blue Devils started the season 1-2 with their first three games against nationally ranked opponents in the Rumble on the Ridge in Forrest City. From there, they won 27 straight, culminating with a 50-43 victory over North Little Rock in the 5A state championship game.

"I tell people this all the time. I would be a fool if I didn't put us the No. 1 team from Arkansas," said Weems, who will soon return for another professional basketball season in China. "Just because of the domination we had. I've heard stories about the '79-80 team's domination...but it's just me and my personal opinion. We played fast and we turned teams over on defense. I would always put us No. 1."

In retrospect, Weems' club had a quirky nature that opposing teams just couldn't combat.

The two tallest players on the team were the 6-foot-6 Weems and Furlow.

Both played on the wings.

The two post players, McCoy and Jefferies at around 6-3 or 6-4, were double trouble for the opposition.

"Most of us had been playing with each other since we were like in the sixth or seventh grade and we all played guard positions at one time or another," said Weems. "We were basically positionless. Coach Bray had to put us somewhere, and he put Des and Cortez down low to do the dirty work. Cortez could have come out and played the wing, but on our team we didn't need him to do that."

The challengers for best of the 21st Century would include the 2013 state champion North Little Rock Charging Wildcats that featured sophomore Kevaughn Allen, who wound up with a solid career at the University of Florida, and the 2017 Jonesboro Hurricane that featured Marquis Eaton, who just finished up a solid career at Arkansas State University.

The Wes Swift-coached Hurricane swept through the 2016-17 season undefeated and was nationally ranked.

Now back to the '04 Blue Devils.

The guy who made them go was junior point guard Mangum. As a 5-9 playmaker, Mangum was content to feast on assisting baskets made by the other four starters.

But he was clutch.

He swished two free throws to put his team on top in the final seconds of the 2005 state championship game against Fayetteville the next year. He also won a junior high district championship, two high school state championships, a junior college national championship and a Division 2 national championship.

No one in school history has even come close to doing that.

"I don't think we've had a point guard come through West Memphis as flashy or bold as Mark," said Weems. "We all loved him. He contributed a lot to my own success."

Weems Week celebrated its 10th anniversary last week and it included a ribbon cutting at the West Memphis Chamber of Commerce for Weems World, a book signing at the new public library for Sonny's new children's book, a mental health day at the city's two boys and girls clubs, a financial literacy symposium at Lehr Arena and the capper was the annual Back2School Backpack Giveaway at Lehr Arena.

"We have been adding events along the years and we try to get as innovative as we can with them," said Weems. "And we have had more and more folks in the community that have been willing to join with us in making this a better city."

Brown takes post as assistant coach at Murray State

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Marcus Brown has been a man on the move for most of his adult life, and now he's on the move again.

The former West Memphis Blue Devil star player returned to his alma mater four years ago to take over the boys basketball program from the legendary Larry Bray, and Brown kept the Blue Devil Machine rolling with two conference championships, two state championship game appearances and one state championship on his way to compiling a sparkling 92-26 record in four years as the West Memphis head coach.

But Brown is taking off for another of his alma maters.

He has accepted a position as assistant coach at Murray State University, where he is the school's second all-time leading scorer and where he has his No. 5 jersey hanging in the rafters.

"My time here was just so fulfilling," said Brown, who led the Blue Devils as a player to the 1991 state Overall championship. "It helped me in so many ways in my life to be a better dad, a better husband, a better son, a better coach and a better friend. It was what I needed in my life at that moment in time. We had a great run."

Brown guided the Blue Devils to the state championship game his first year as head coach as the team went 29-4, also winning the 5A-East Conference championship in the process.

With superstar forward Chris Moore along for three of Brown's years as head coach, the Blue Devils went 25-6 in Moore's junior year, which included a berth in the state tournament semifinals.

In Moore's senior year of 2020, the Blue Devils won another conference title and proceeded to chop up the competition in the state tournament in Russellville, advancing to the title game against Jacksonville.

However, just three days before the title match, the Covid 19 pandemic shut down the rest of the season and the Arkansas Activities Association awarded co-state championships to Jacksonville and West Memphis, which went 26-4 on the season.

Last season, with four starters lost from the year before, the Blue Devils finished 12-12 with another state tournament appearance.

Most importantly, however, Brown was able to continue the momentum that Blue Devil basketball held for 40 years under Bill Terwilliger and Larry Bray, who coached Brown and who won four state championships as head coach.

The old basketball adage is you don't want to be the one following a legend. You want to replace the one who follows the legend. But Brown was able to withstand the pressure and keep the Blue Devil program flourishing.

"It was hard, but it was a great challenge following Coach Bray, who has been my mentor for so many years," said Brown. "He taught me. I was fortunate to have played and coached under so many great men in my life. I just tried to take little nuggets from Coach (Scott) Edgar, Coach (Willie) Bowens, my Boys Club coaches and Coach Bray. Coach Bray had the confidence in me that I could do this."

The West Memphis School District will now be in hurry-up mode to try and fill Brown's position at this late date in the year. As of press time, there has been no decision as to who will be named the new Blue Devil head coach.

Murray State offers Brown a chance to eventually become a Division 1 college head coach someday.

"That's the goal," Brown stated.

The Racers, considered one of the top mid-major programs in the U.S., is currently led by Matt McMahon, who was hired within former head coach Steve Promm's staff. Before that, Promm was hired from previous head coach Billy Kennedy's staff.

"It's a really, really good program," said Brown. "The fan support is phenomenal. I'm so excited for the opportunity. I will be seeing some familiar faces when I get there. To have the chance to be on the sideline for my college alma mater was really enticing to me. It's very humbling and a blessing. I just want to do my part in helping this program sustain its level of success from the last several decades."

After leading the Racers as a player to an NCAA Tournament appearance and three Ohio Valley Conference championships, Brown was the 46th pick of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

After three years in the NBA, Brown embarked on a long and successful pro career in Europe, where he ended his career as the all-time leading U.S. scorer.

Point guard Mitchell inks with Florida Southwestern State

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Jordan Mitchell came to the Blue Devil basketball program before his sophomore year, and he wanted to be in West Memphis so badly that he was willing to sit out his sophomore year.

The waiting paid off.

On Thursday at Lehr Arena, Mitchell signed a letter of intent to play next season at Florida Southwestern State College, a JUCO located in beautiful Fort Meyers. He said he figures to be there possibly only one year before moving on to Division 1 ball, and his coach Marcus Brown concurs.

"I think with the transfer portal, it really hurt Mitch," said Brown. "He's a D-1 talent, no question. I think a year, possibly two, at Florida Southwestern and he's at a D-1 school showing off his skills."

Mitchell played at Marion all through junior high, but transferred to West Memphis. He's not sorry he did.

"I loved every bit of it," said Mitchell. "I'm going to miss it a lot. I just want to thank everybody for welcoming me here from the first day I stepped up here."

Mitchell is a two-time all-state selection and an all state tournament pick as a junior when he played a big role in helping the Blue Devils to a co-state championship that was necessitated by the Covid pandemic.

As a senior in 2020-21, Mitchell led the Blue Devils in three categories, including scoring at 16 points per game, rebounds at 6.5 per game and in assists at four per game.

The 6-foot-2 point guard possesses some size at his position, the athleticism to get to the rim and flush and the court vision necessary.

He received several Division 1 offers this season from Oral Roberts University, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Missouri-Kansas City and Southeastern Louisiana. But none were enticing enough for Mitchell.

College basketball's transfer portal went viral this spring as the NCAA granted each player a free transfer without having to sit out the next season due to the Covid pandemic.

The result was over 1,000 players transferring.

It affected Mitchell's recruiting.

However, he expects a year or two at Florida Southwestern will bring him more prominent offers.

To get there, Mitchell said he must "keep focusing on the task at hand, work on my body in the weight room, staying in the gym working on my shot...really just keeping my head straight."

In his two years as a Blue Devil, Mitchell raised his level of play in each of the seasons' second halves. That aspect was particularly notable in his junior year when he put up a couple of triple-doubles as the Blue Devils were ramping up their state tournament hopes down the stretch of the conference season.

"The last half of the season he had as a junior was absolutely phenomenal," said Brown. "To his credit, he put himself into that position with his work ethic. It's second to none. I enjoyed coaching him. It took him some time to find his rhythm here and the expectations were high on him coming here, but he exploded in mid-January (of his junior year)."

Three Blue Devil players earn postseason honors

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Three West Memphis boys basketball players earned postseason individual honors.

The Blue Devils ended with a 12-12 record, a third-place finish in the 5A-East Conference and a berth in the Class 5A state tournament.

Senior point guard Jordan Mitchell made the all-state team and the all-tournament team as well as all-conference. Mitchell, who has been courted by a few mid-level college programs such as Oral Roberts, North Alabama and Southeastern Louisiana, led the Blue Devils in scoring by averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

Senior Calvin Butler and junior Kameron Barnes each made all-conference. Barnes averaged 12 points per game and 6 rebounds while Butler, the team's top 3-point shooter, averaged 8 points and shot 84 percent from the free-throw line.

Former Devil great Moore gives insight on first season at Auburn

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Chris Moore, the former all-state and state tournament Most Valuable Player for the West Memphis Blue Devils, was on site to cheer on and support his former team last week in the Class 5A state tournament in Hot Springs. He sat down with me for a brief interview after his freshman season at Auburn University:

Q: How good was it to see some of your former high school teammates?

A: "Seeing all the guys who made it to the state championship game with me is great. I'm hoping they draw some moral support from me being here. I had a pep talk with them before the game."

Q: How would you classify your first year in college basketball?

A: "I would say it was pretty decent. I think I could have done a lot more, but it was a good stepping stone for me. I learned a lot my first year. I'm also ready to get going for next year. I want to prove to everybody what I can do."

Q: What was the biggest surprise in your first year of college ball?

A: "Probably the speed of the game. I had to adjust to that early in the season. The game is so much faster at every level and you've got to figure out ways to slow it down. That was kind of a shocker for me."

Q: Would you consider Auburn to be one of the youngest teams in the Southeastern Conference?

A: "We had two juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen. No seniors. So yes, we are a young team and I think you'll see a lot better Auburn team next year."

Q: Your freshman point guard Shareefe Cooper is weighing the option of applying for the NBA draft. Which way do you see it going?

A: "I don't know. It's an iffy situation. I think his draft stock went down a little when he got hurt. He sat out the last four games. We're just going to be patient with him."

Q: What do you think you need to work on this offseason?

A: "I think I need to play more selfish, and believing in my skills. Also, I just want to be an all-around player, and to do all the things the coach asks me to do."

Q: Do you like it at Auburn?

A: "I love it down there. It's just a great atmosphere with the family part about it. I'm playing under a great coach (Bruce Pearl)."

Q: What did you learn about Burce Pearl after playing one year for him?

A: "What surprised me about him is he's smarter than he lets on. He picks parts of the game that you might think you know pretty well, but he'll show you a way that makes it so much easier for you. I believe he puts people in the right spots to be successful. And, as long as you follow his game plan you will be successful."

Sylvan Hills eliminates West Memphis from state tournament

By Billy Woods

WM School District

HOT SPRINGS --- Nick Smith was supposed to be a one-man show.

The scouting report on Sylvan Hills revealed very little besides the University of Arkansas commit who has a world of ability. But on Thursday in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament, Smith had plenty of help from senior Corey Washington, who poured through 23 points to go along with Smith's 20 to lead the Bears to a 76-68 victory over the West Memphis Blue Devils.

Smith's game has it all.

He is 6-foot-3, can handle, leap, shoot the mid-range, create and shoot the three. And he showed it on plenty of occasions against West Memphis. The super guard can go off for 40 points on any given night, and in fact scored 30 last year as a sophomore in an overtime loss to the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals of the state tournament in Russellville.

But had someone told Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown that his team would hold Smith to just 20, he would have gladly taken his chances on the outcome.

Every bit of video the team had on Sylvan Hills showed very little from Washington. But the 6-foot-5 athlete was a terror against the Blue Devils.

"Honestly, we didn't see it coming. We knew he had potential, but...," Brown said, his voice trailing off.

As hard as it was to watch Washington tear through the West Memphis defense, it was even more difficult for the West Memphis coaches to stomach their team's 13 of 28 effort from the free-throw line.

After trailing at one point by 21 in the first half, the Blue Devils (12-12) trimmed the Bears' lead to 65-56 with 3:55 to play in the fourth quarter after a driving layup by Kameron Barnes, who was fouled on the play.

But Barnes' missed free throw was the first of four straight missed charities that could have brought the Blue Devils to within 5. Two of the misses came on a technical foul that was assessed to Sylvan Hills' Shamar Womack, who fouled out on the Barnes layup.

Brown refused to address the missed free-throw opportunities.

"It's all my fault," said Brown. "The kids did a heckuva job. They stayed healthy all year. It's just piss-poor coaching, and West Memphis deserves better than that."

After the missed free throws, Sylvan Hills, as you might guess, took advantage by scoring the next five points to make it 70-56 with 2:40 to play.

Still not done, the Blue Devils made it an 8-point game at 72-64 with 57 seconds to play. It was, however, too little too late.

The Washington ambush notwithstanding, the Bears had a much more balanced attack than had been advertised.

Washington and Smith combined for 43 points, but Sylvan Hills got 26 more points from Trent Clark, Jayden Smith and Deuce Wallace.

Sylvan Hills punched hard early, putting the Blue Devils into a 14-2 hole. Once Nick Smith got rolling downhill, all West Memphis could do was foul him, which they did quite often.

West Memphis racked up 10 fouls in the first quarter and Sylvan Hills shot 11 free throws in the stanza.

"We dug ourselves a hole, and that was a big factor in the game," said Brown.

But the Blue Devils outscored Sylvan Hills 44-35 in the second half, thanks to an outstanding game from senior Jordan Mitchell, who scored a game-high 26 points. The McDonald's All-America nominee was joined in the scoring column by Barnes, who poured through 21 while Selah Robins, another senior, hit for 11.

Fourth-quarter surge lifts Blue Devils in consolation win

By Billy Woods

WM School District

After receiving his second Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, Blue Devil coach Marcus Brown was showing the after-effects on Thursday as his team took on Greene County Tech at home in the 5A-East Conference consolation game.

But after watching his team tear apart the Eagles with a furious fourth-quarter surge, he said, "the kids made me feel better."

West Memphis outscored Tech 21-5 for the final nine minutes for a 64-45 victory, which gives the team third place in the East.

The Blue Devils (12-11) will head to the Class 5A state tournament next week with a first-round game at Hot Springs High School on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the second-place team from the Central.

Little Rock Parkview travels to Sylvan Hills for tonight's Central Conference championship game. The loser gets the Blue Devils next Thursday.

In his postgame presser, Brown admitted he came close handing over the coaching reins to his assistants on Thursday night.

"About 4 p.m. I wasn't sure I was going to make it," he stated.

But once the ball was thrown in the air, Brown was his usual frantic self on the sidelines, animatedly willing his players on the court.

It actually took the Blue Devils the better part of three quarters to put some distance between themselves and the Eagles.

In the only game between the two teams in the regular season, the Blue Devils played their best game of the year in a 68-51 triumph at Paragould. The game scheduled for Lehr Arena in February was canceled due to the snow.

Sketchy health wasn't limited to the West Memphis coaching staff on Thursday. Greene County Tech head coach Jeff Guiot was a no-show due to a sore throat, so he turned the coaching duties over to his wife, who just happens to be his No. 1 assistant.

The Eagles nearly made the Mrs. a winner. The final score was not an indication of how close the game was.

Year after year, the Eagles are reliant on accurate 3-point shooting, and on Thursday night they were on target early. Twenty-one of their first 27 points came from the 3-point arc.

"(Tech) made shots," said Brown. "We weren't closing out well at the beginning. You just have to keep that pressure on them."

Brown's club was just as on point as Tech in the early going, just not from the bonus arc.

Utilizing some fierce offensive rebounding from senior Kameron Barnes, the game's leading scorer with 21 points, the Blue Devils racked up a 19-16 lead after one quarter.

"Kam kept some balls alive on the offensive boards and he made some good post moves, too," said Brown.

West Memphis led 29-27 at halftime, and didn't really hit its stride until the final minute of the third quarter.

Senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who had to endure loud chants of "Jordan, Jordan," from the Eagle bench all night, stole a pass in the back court and powered a dunk with 49 seconds to play to ignite a 17-0 run from the end of the third quarter to the 1:50 mark of the fourth quarter.

Mitchell seemed to handle cat-calls well enough. At one juncture he looked to the Blue Devil bench with a smile and shrug.

"It comes with the game," he said. "When you got a lot of buzz around the state people try to get in your head. I like to embrace the challenge. When people do that it means they respect your game."

The 17-0 surge was highlighted by a three-point play by Blue Devil senior Jalen Moore, when Tech's Hunter Wilkerson was teed-up following the play. It resulted in a six-point swing for West Memphis.

The final exclamation was added by Barnes, who stuck back a missed shot with 3:13 to play, giving his team a 60-40 lead.

Finally, after all the Covid postponements and weather-related cancellations, the Blue Devils have arrived at the moment they have been playing for all season.

The state tournament.

"The thing about it is we're all 0-0 next week," said Brown. "It's going to depend on how we like the rims at Hot Springs and how we embrace the atmosphere of playoff basketball."

West Memphis guard Calvin Butler, who has been quiet on the offensive front the last few games, regained his 3-point stroke against Tech and wound up with 17 points.

The Eagles got 13 points from Jayke Bolen and 9 from Jared Noel.

Marion jumps Blue Devils early, hang on for 72-62 victory

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It had all the makings of an upset.

The West Memphis Blue Devils had been trending upward in the last month. After getting blown out by Marion on December 18, they played the Patriots much tougher in a 57-52 loss at Marion on Jan. 29.

With the old adage that it's hard to beat a team three times in one year, all of the above looked like it played into West Memphis' hands on Tuesday night at Patriot Arena.

Then the game started.

And that's when the Blue Devils couldn't make a trip down the offensive end of the floor without turning it over and then watching some Marion player make a crisp move to the rim for a basket.

By the 2:09 mark of the first quarter, the Blue Devils had 9 turnovers and just one shot attempt. It all added up to a 17-2 Marion lead.

That's how the first half went for the Blue Devils, before they made a desperate rally in the end, only to lose 72-62 in the 5A-East Conference Tournament semifinals.

The loss pits the Blue Devils (11-11) in Thursday night's consolation game for third place at Lehr Arena against Greene County Tech, which lost at Jonesboro on Tuesday night.

Game time on Thursday is set for 7 p.m.

Turnovers defined the early part of the game against Marion. West Memphis turned it over its first four trips down the floor. Marion had just one turnover through the first six minutes of the game.

"You can't spot a team 20 points," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "(Marion) came out and hit us in the mouth and was way more aggressive. We just stood around like...ehhh."

Marion (19-2) led 21-6 at the end of one quarter and 43-22 at halftime.

But the game flipped in the second half.

After the 10-turnover barrage in the first quarter, the Blue Devils turned it over just 7 times the rest of the game and they made a fierce comeback in the second half, outscoring Marion 40-29 in the second half.

"From the midway point of the second quarter through the second half I was really proud of the way we played," said Brown. "Proud of the way they fought back."

Down 51-28 with 3:56 to play in the third quarter, the Blue Devils went on a 10-0 run to get Marion's attention, although the visitors still trailed 55-38 at the end of the stanza.

After committing only 5 turnovers in the first half, Marion mugged it 7 times in the third quarter and 12 overall in the second half. Part of the reason was because Patriot head coach David Clark ordered his club to start milking the clock midway through the third quarter.

Consequently, the Patriots got too relaxed on the offensive end and the Blue Devils were in desperation mode on defense.

"We started trapping and doubling in the second half," said Brown. "We had to. We had no choice."

After whittling the Marion lead down to 12 a couple of times early in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils actually had a glimmer of hope with 24 seconds remaining in the game after Calvin Butler, who was plagued by foul trouble all night, canned a 3-pointer to make it 68-62 Marion.

After a West Memphis timeout, the Blue Devils set up in their full-court press and fouled immediately. But JaMaury Mosley sank two free throws to cinch the decision.

The frustration became so overwhelming for the Blue Devils in the first half, that senior point guard Jordan Mitchell drew a technical foul when he got too animated after being called for a personal foul.

It wound up a four-point swing for Marion and a whopping 35-11 lead.

"That's probably why I've got some gray hairs coming in," Brown joked.

Actually, the Blue Devils placed four players in double figures, led by twin brothers Kameron and Kaleb Barnes with 15 points apiece while Mitchell had 13 and Jalen Moore scored 10.

Sixty-seven free throws were shot in the game and both team sank 23 each, but Marion attempted five fewer and wound up shooting 74 percent while the Blue Devils hit 63 percent.

Marion got a game-high 18 points from Jayden Forrest while Darius Waterford had 15 and Ryan Forrest pumped in 13.

Marion will travel to Jonesboro on Thursday night for the tournament championship game. The Hurricane put a 64-38 whooping on Marion last month.

Blue Devils clinch state tourney spot with win over Searcy

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The Blue Devils punched their ticket to the Class 5A state tournament Friday night at Lehr Arena, which brought a shrug of the shoulders from their head coach Marcus Brown.

In their first game in 11 days, the Blue Devils looked tentative at times, but still posted a 57-44 victory over Searcy in a 5A-East Conference Tournament first-round game, which assures them of a bid for the state tournament which will be held in Hot Springs beginning March 8.

"You play at West Memphis and you're expected to make the state tournament," said Brown, rolling his eyes. "I'm just being honest. This is an historical program, so we should be in. It's what we do when we get there that's important."

The 11.8 inches of snow last week canceled the team's final three regular-season games, and it was just the latest chapter in a season marred by stop-and-start action caused first by Covid and most recently by weather.

"It's just been a weird season," said Brown. "Just when we were getting some momentum and rhythm...the snow hit us hard."

The victory gives the Blue Devils (11-10) a semifinal matchup at Marion on Tuesday. The Patriots won the two regular-season games against West Memphis.

Brown's club looked tentative early against Searcy's zone defense and despite getting three early 3-pointers from senior Selah Robins, the Blue Devils couldn't put any significant distance between themselves and the Lions.

West Memphis led 16-10 after one quarter.

"Our zone offense was a little stagnant, but then we started finding the holes and understanding where we needed to be," said Brown. "Honestly, it was just great to finally get to play some basketball."

After going scoreless the final 1:46 of the first quarter, it took the Blue Devils 4:16 to get a point on the board in the second quarter.

But when they got it going in the second stanza, the hosts outscored Searcy 11-0 to head into the lockers at intermission with a 27-14 lead.

Leading scorer Jordan Mitchell, who averaged 22 points a game for the final four games before snow wiped out the final week of the regular season, had a hard time finding his scoring spots on the floor, but the Blue Devils got a solid game from senior swingman Kameron Barnes, who scored a game-high 15 points.

Barnes was unstoppable when he got the ball deep in the post.

"He got into good low-post position and our guards did a great job of finding the guys on the post, and that's something we haven't always done well this year," Brown added.

As he has the last few games, the Blue Devil Boss played a loose rotation, and by the early moments of the fourth quarter he pulled all his starters after they built a 49-31 lead with 5:59 to play in the game.

Mitchell and Robins each added 11 points for the Blue Devils and Barnes grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds. Junior Sedarian Malone came off the bench to provide 7 points.

Searcy got 12 points from Cameron Hicks while Braden Watson pitched in 9.

From here on, the Blue Devils play high-pressure basketball, and Brown was very blunt in his assessment of it.

"We've got to continue to push it to be more and more engaged on the floor," he stated. "This is playoff basketball, and it should be exciting for 16- and 17-year-old kids. If they don't want, then who does?"

Plug pulled on remainder of regular season; conference tourney set

By Billy Woods

WM School District

As all of you might guess, "Snowmageddon" has made playing basketball the final week of the regular season impossible. Thus, officials have decided to pull the plug on basketball being played this week.

All of which sets up next week for the 5A-East Conference Tournament, which will not be played at one site, but at the home site of the best seeded team. Girls games will be played Monday, Wednesday and Friday while the boys games will be played Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The seeding for the West Memphis girls will be No. 7 and they will travel to No. 2-seed Paragould on Monday (Feb. 22) for a first-round game.

Other first-round girls match-ups include No. 1 Batesville hosting No. 8 Searcy, Jonesboro hosting Greene County Tech and Marion traveling to Nettleton.

The West Memphis boys, seeded third, will host a first-round game on Tuesday (Feb. 23) against sixth-seeded Searcy. Other first-round matchups will include top-seeded Jonesboro hosting No. 8 Paragould, No. 2 Marion hosting No. 7 Batesville and No. 4 Greene County Tech hosting No. 5 Nettleton.

Should the Blue Devils defeat Searcy, they will travel on Thursday (Feb. 25) to take on the winner of the Marion-Batesville game.

Tickets for the Blue Devil-Searcy game will be sold at the box office. No season passes will be honored for the game.

A win in the first round of the conference tournament guarantees a spot in the Class 5A state tournament March 1-6 at Hot Springs High School.

Blue Devils hang on for nail-biting victory at Paragould

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- If you wagered that the Paragould boys on Saturday would have led the West Memphis Blue Devils for over 25 minutes and come within an eyelash of winning, you certainly wish the banks were open on Monday.

West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown held back his starters for most of a game that was supposed to have been played on Friday night, but was postponed due to icy conditions.

The plan nearly backfired.

Still waiting on their first victory of 2021, the last-place team in the 5A-East Conference took West Memphis to the brink before the Blue Devils pulled out a 51-45 victory.

With Brown not playing his regular starting five together until the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils trailed Paragould (1-21 overall, 0-11 in the conference) 36-30 after three quarters.

That's when Brown and the Blue Devils got serious.

All-state point guard Jordan Mitchell didn't get off the bench, and literally never took off his warm-ups, until Brown sent him in the game at the 1:34 mark of the third quarter.

The Blue Devils responded in the fourth quarter by scoring the first 13 points of the stanza and then held on by the skin of their teeth.

"I wasn't going to play Jordan at all," Brown explained. "No disrespect to Paragould, but I wasn't planning on playing my starters today. I had planned on playing them at least a half, depending on what the score was."

Mitchell's presence on the court meant all the difference in the world for the Blue Devils as Brown placed him at the top, as he usually is, on offense and also playing him off the ball and in the low post, which is a rarity.

He scored the first time he touched the ball with 1:19 to play in the third quarter and then scored 8 more points in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils (10-10, 7-4) scored the first points of the game on a 3-pointer by Julious Magruder, but they didn't lead again until senior Selah Robins converted a three-point play with 4:18 to play in the fourth quarter to give the visitors a 38-36 edge.

When asked if he had gone too long with his reserves on the floor, Brown said "No, we have confidence in them. But the thing is they've got to improve and they can't improve with just an hour-and-a-half practice. I don't think I stayed with them too long. Some people may say start your starters and go with the regular flow, but we want to evaluate, too."

Mitchell sliced through three Paragould defenders for a heavily challenged layup and then he sank a free throw with 2:37 to play to give West Memphis its biggest lead of the game at 43-36.

But it still took some fancy footwork for the Blue Devils to hold on to that lead.

Fortunately for them, the Blue Devils hit their free throws, especially down the stretch, hitting 15 of 17 in the fourth quarter and 16 out of 20 for the game.

"The free-throw shooting was very good today," Brown added. "It was especially good to see we made them with some pressure on us."

West Memphis placed four players in double figures, led by Robins with 11 points while Kameron Barnes and Magruder joined Mitchell with 10 points apiece.

Paragould's Landon Manning was the game's high scorer with 16 points while Ashton White hit 7.

The Blue Devils are scheduled to play three games this week, hosting Greene County Tech on Tuesday and then traveling to Nettleton on Wednesday and Batesville on Thursday to close out the regular season.

However, the snowy weather forecast may have something to say about playing any of those games this week.

If none of those games are played, the Blue Devils will be the third-place seed in the 5A-East tournament beginning on Feb. 23 and they would host Searcy in a first-round game.

Jonesboro overcomes early sharp-shooting by Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

An early barrage of 3-point goals by the West Memphis Blue Devils sent shockwaves into the Jonesboro coaching staff.

But an early 10-point deficit didn't deter the veteran-laden Hurricane, which took its time dissecting the Blue Devil lead bit by bit on its way to a 71-54 win on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena.

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift thought he'd categorized the Blue Devils correctly coming into Tuesday night's game.

The Blue Devils (9-10 overall, 6-4 in the 5A-East Conference) got Jonesboro's attention by hitting treys on their first three trips down the floor and then later in the first quarter made it a perfect 4-for-4 from long range for a 14-4 lead.

"Six threes in the first half, I counted them," Swift said tersely." I mean, we thought (the Blue Devils) were a downhill team, and they kind of shocked us a little bit. We planned on playing a lot of zone early to try and keep our key guys out of foul trouble. We didn't expect them to shoot it like that."

Jonesboro (16-3, 11-0) didn't panic, though.

Veterans Keylin McBride, Jesse Washington and Amarion Wilson made sure of it. The Hurricane chipped away bit by bit at the Blue Devil lead until they pounced hard on the hosts by late third quarter.

"We tried our best," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "We probably played 24 minutes of good basketball. I was pleased with our effort."

It took one minute and 29 seconds for the Blue Devils to take an early nine-point lead as Calvin Butler hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the game, followed by another by Selah Robins, which prompted a Jonesboro timeout.

Soon thereafter, it was Robins again with another three-ball at the 4:48 mark to give the hosts a 14-4 lead.

The Blue Devils led for the first 15 minutes of the game.

That is until Wilson knocked down a pair of free throws and Isaac Harrell swished a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left in the first half to give the visitors a 31-29 edge at halftime.

"With our inexperience we got a little excited when we got that early lead," Brown explained. "You don't win games in the first half. It's been quite a while since we made shots, so when they went down for us we got excited."

Making a bid to run the table through the conference regular season, the Hurricane hit the Blue Devils with five straight points to open the third quarter and from there the home team was able to stay in it until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

Jonesboro led 48-43 after three quarters, but a 10-0 run midway through the final stanza proved to be decisive.

West Memphis' Jordan Mitchell was held in check for much of the game, but he still managed 14 points, 5 assists and 8 rebounds while Butler led the team in scoring with 15 points. Robins chipped in 9.

Wilson hit 10 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter while McBride, a three-year starter for the Hurricane, scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half. Harrell and Washington pumped in 10 apiece.

The schedule gets easier from here on for the Blue Devils. They travel to last-place Paragould on Friday before finishing out the regular season with three games in as many days next week.

West Memphis will host Greene County Tech on Feb. 16, then play a make-up game at Nettleton the very next day before closing out the schedule with a trip to Batesville on Thursday.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Feb. 9 edition

Hey Blue Devils, is there any sense asking any of you young folks what you were doing on this day in 1964? Really? I thought so.

Today is the anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The Ed Sullivan Show, you say?

Well, it would take too long and besides we've got more relevant stuff to cover anyway, so let's get started.

Tonight the Blue Devil basketball team hosts their long-time arch-rival Jonesboro.

As we head toward the final stretch of the regular season, let's take a look at the 5A-East Conference standings:

Jonesboro 10-0

Marion 8-1

WM 6-3

GCT 5-5

Batesville 3-7

Searcy 3-7

Nettleton 2-5

Paragould 0-9

Fans, keep in mind that this year, due mostly to the pandemic, we will have a conference tournament at the conclusion of the regular season. The set-up is thus: each game will be played at the higher seed, just as it did for the two years it happened prior to 2020.

So, for our Blue Devil boys, it would be nice to get that No. 2 seed. It will be very difficult since Marion has beaten our guys twice this year, but it's still possible. So, tonight's game against league-leading Jonesboro has everything to do with accomplishing that goal.

And it's doable, in my mind.

Yes, the Hurricane laid a 71-52 whooping on West Memphis last month at Don Riggs Hurricane Gym. But if you'll remember, the Blue Devils led at halftime 28-27.

And Jonesboro didn't start running up the score until West Memphis star point guard Jordan Mitchell went down with an injured ankle in the third quarter. He sat out the remainder of the game.

As all Blue Devil maniacs know, "Mitch" has been on fire since that Jonesboro game, averaging 22.75 points in four games, with a triple-double thrown in.

Two things about that last Jonesboro game stand out to me. First, Hurricane head coach Wes Swift pointed out to me that his club had not been guarded like that all year. West Memphis' defense was tough for the better part of three quarters.

Second, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown was in an unusually positive mood after his team suffered a setback. Usually losses do not sit well at all with the man. He hates terribly to lose.

But he was very pleased with his club's effort against Jonesboro.

"I'm encouraged," Brown said. "If we stay together and do the things we're supposed to do we're going to be all all right going forward. If we'd played like this earlier in the season our record right now would look different."

A key for tonight's game will be the Blue Devils' perimeter defense. Jonesboro is a guard-oriented team that likes to shoot the three. Senior point guard Keylin McBride is the Hurricane's top player and he can light it up from anywhere. The Blue Devils will need to keep tabs on where Jonesboro's top shooters on the floor at all times and then hope the Hurricane have a bit of an off night shooting.

Tonight's action gets under way around 6 p.m. with the girls contest.

Go Blue Devils!!

Starters dazzling as Blue Devils drub Searcy 69-52

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It wasn't the blowout that some expected, but the West Memphis Blue Devil starters were impressive in what limited time they played in the second half as they still drubbed Searcy 69-52 Tuesday night at Lehr Arena.

The Blue Devils (9-9 overall, 6-3 in the 5A-East Conference) rebounded from their 57-52 loss at Marion last Friday night in high style.

Head coach Marcus Brown subbed liberally and kept his starters on the bench more than usual. But when the best five were on the court they exploded on Searcy (7-10, 3-6).

Starters Jordan Mitchell, Kaleb and Kam Barnes, Calvin Butler and Selah Robins outscored Searcy 58-34 when they were in the game.

"Except for the slow start, I thought we played a very good game," said Brown. "The only drawback was I went with some guys off the bench who I thought would be excited about basketball."

The Blue Devils rushed out to a 12-4 lead on the Lions in the first six minutes, but that's when Brown began subbing out his starters.

The result was 32 percent shooting in the first half, but still a 37-18 lead at intermission.

Brown left his reserves in to start the third quarter and the 19-point bulge dwindled to 37-26 in the first minute-and-a-half of the second half. That's when Brown sent his starters back in.

The result was a 12-0 run for West Memphis that was highlighted by the most dazzling play of the season.

As Butler stole a ball in the backcourt, he had a clear path until he reached the paint area of his own end. He flipped a blind pass off the backboard to a trailing Kam Barnes, who dunked over a Searcy defender to bring the crowd to its feet.

"Maybe we can get that one sent to SportsCenter," Brown said with a straight face.

After a Searcy timeout to try and quiet things, Brown sent his reserves back in and the Lions wasted no time trimming their deficit.

It was an eight-point game (52-44) when Searcy's Braden Watson canned a 3-pointer with 4:44 to play in the game.

In came the Blue Devil starters again, and in 56 seconds the West Memphis lead was back up to 19 at 63-44.

"Our guys are always free-lancing when I'm in the office before practice begins," said Brown.

When asked if the free-lancing continued once he walked onto the practice floor, Brown replied, "No. Because we wouldn't be 9-9 if they did that."

Searcy actually outrebounded the Blue Devils 32-29, but the West Memphis defense was swarming, forcing 27 Lion turnovers.

West Memphis also made 12 of its first 15 free throws, but the final total of 19 for 30 was skewed by the reserves' inaccuracy.

The trio of Mitchell, Butler and Kam Barnes combined for 53 points. Barnes and Mitchell led the way with 19 points while Butler, who hit three 3-pointers, added 15.

Watson was Searcy's top scorer with 12 points.

Brown's squad travels to Nettleton on Friday night.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Feb. 2 edition

It's time.

Time for the West Memphis boys to string together some a few victories in a row in order to put last Friday night's loss at Marion behind them.

Time for the team to impress their hard-to-impress head coach Marcus Brown.

And certainly time for the West Memphis Lady Devils to put an end to their 5A-East Conference misery by winning their first game in league play.

All this can happen tonight at Lehr Arena as the Blue Devil teams play host to Searcy. The girls game should tip around 6 p.m., followed immediately after by the boys game.

Brown's squad (8-9 overall, 5-3 in the 5A-East) has improved significantly since the start of the season when they started out 0-4. But the former Blue Devil star is a man who is driven to win.

Against anybody.

Not just the also-rans of the world. But against the most powerful teams in the state.

Thus, last Friday night's loss at Marion didn't sit well, despite his team playing a very strong first half in which it shot 56 percent from the field and sank 8 of its 9 free throws. And despite losing by five points against the No. 2-ranked team in Class 5A.

So, Brown's postgame comments did not include any superlatives from his players. They'll get the message. Brown has coached this group hard this year, and although he has kept his expectations high for them, they are realistic nonetheless.

The Blue Devils should have no problem with Searcy (7-9, 3-5) tonight. They drummed the Lions 88-59 at Searcy last month. In that game, Blue Devil point guard Jordan Mitchell, who has averaged over 20 points in his last three games, recorded his first triple-double of the season.

West Memphis' boys have a two-game edge for third place in the conference standings with the Lions and Greene County Tech tied for fourth.

The Lady Devils, meanwhile, are still searching for their first league win. The closest they've come to a win in the conference was at Searcy, where they had a 12-point lead at halftime only to see the Lady Lions begin the second half with a 14-2 run that fueled a 56-54 win on a rebound basket with two seconds left in the game.

Head coach Erica Leak's club will need to put together four full quarters tonight in order to beat Searcy.

See y'all at the game!! Wear your blue!!

Blue Devils play Marion closer, but Patriots prevail 57-52

By Billy Woods

WM School District

As the West Memphis Blue Devils' improvement over the last several weeks would attest, it was a different game this time against Marion.

After watching Marion run them out of their own gym on Dec. 18, the surging Blue Devils played the Patriots to a standstill for nearly the entire game at Patriot Arena on Friday night.

But Marion made the plays in the final minute to post a 57-52 victory over West Memphis.

Statistically, the Blue Devils (8-9 overall, 5-3 in the 5A-East Conference) had the edge over Marion (12-2, 7-1), outrebounding the Patriots 22-21 and committing two less turnovers than the hosts (13-15).

The difference?

After not shooting a single free throw in the first half and watching the Blue Devils make 8 of their 9 charities, Marion lit it up in the second half from the foul line, going 13 of 17 for 76 percent.

Despite the effort, a dejected West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown was critical of his team.

"Not happy with the effort," said Brown. "We don't listen. We were more interested in making moves out there and then getting to post it on Snap Chat or Instagram."

Down 54-51 with 40 seconds to play, the Blue Devils couldn't get the key rebound when the Pats put up two missed shots and a third one fell into the hands of junior Drew Kyzar, who stuck it back in and then sank his free throw after being fouled with 20 seconds to play.

The Blue Devils shot 56 percent in the first half and 89 percent from the free-throw line and went to the locker room at halftime tied 30-30.

After watching Marion sink 61 percent in the first half (14 of 23), the Blue Devils put the clamps on the hosts in the second half, holding them to 30 percent on 7 of 23 shots from the floor.

But Marion was put in the bonus in the third quarter and the Pats made the most of their opportunities from the free-throw line in the final two quarters.

Brown's squad held its biggest lead at 23-17 with 5:35 to play in the second quarter, but the Blue Devils turned it over on their next three possessions and Marion responded with five straight points, the final three coming on a 3-pointer by Jayden Forrest.

"I love my kids, but they just don't listen," Brown repeated.

The loss put a damper on another outstanding performance by West Memphis senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who put up game-high totals of 21 points and 5 assists.

The trio of Kameron and Kaleb Barnes and Calvin Butler scored 8 points apiece for the Blue Devils.

Balanced scoring was another key for Marion as Tim McDonald and Dontonio Moore each scored 12 points and Kyzar added 10.

The Blue Devils return home to Lehr Arena on Tuesday night to take on Searcy.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 29 edition

As the West Memphis Blue Devil boys keep climbing the ladder of improvement imposed upon them by head coach Marcus Brown there comes a heavy measuring stick tonight when they take on Marion at Patriot Arena.

The Blue Devils (8-8 overall) won 5 of their 7 games in the first rotation of the 5A-East Conference schedule and they have a solid two-game lead for third place in league standings. Tonight they take on the team that looked like it could possibly run the table through the first half of the league slate. However, Marion (11-1 overall and 6-1 in league play) was humbled with a 64-38 defeat at the hands of Jonesboro (11-3, 7-0) last Friday night at Patriot Arena.

Thus, the Blue Devils are only one game back of the Patriots for second place. Marion took a 70-54 win over West Memphis back on Dec. 18, and it wasn't even as close as the score indicates.

However, Brown's bunch has improved significantly since that last Friday before Christmas. They have rallied from a double-digit deficit at home to beat Nettleton in overtime and they posted a 68-51 win at Greene County Tech.

The key for the Blue Devils tonight will be to keep the ball movement on offense flowing, finding the hot shooter, which of late has been senior Calvin Butler, but it could also include Selah Robins and senior point guard and all-state choice from a year ago Jordan Mitchell.

"Mitch" has been the difference-maker for West Memphis in the last six games. Over his last two games he has averaged just over 25 points. Plus, he has put up one triple-double already this season. Mitchell transferred to West Memphis from Marion after his ninth-grade season. He sat out the 2018-19 season due to transfer policy, but he was a flash for the Blue Devils in the final month of play a year ago, which netted him both all-state and all-state tournament recognition.

Mitchell is more than familiar with both the Patriot players and their head coach David Clark. No doubt, he'll be extra geeked for this game tonight. The key for him, however, will be to simply take what the Marion defense gives him and not try to do more than he's capable of.

The Patriots are led by twin brothers Jayden and Ryan Forrest and Darrius Waterford. The Forrest twins combined for 39 points in the first meeting between the two teams with Jayden pumping in a game-high 23 points.

In tonight's girls game, the Lady Devils (0-6 in league play) need a win in the worst way. They led Marion for much of the game on Dec. 18, but let it get away in the late stages.

Tonight's girls game should tip around 6 p.m., followed by the boys game.

Blue Devils stay hot, blitz Batesville 73-46

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Keep improving is head coach Marcus Brown's mantra to his basketball team.

Another step was taken toward that end on Friday night at Lehr Arena as the West Memphis Blue Devils blitzed Batesville 73-46.

It has become evident in the first seven games of the 5A-East Conference schedule that the Blue Devils (8-8 overall, 5-2 in the conference) are not the same team they were early in the season.

The biggest reason for that has been the play of senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who continued his hot play on Friday night by scoring a game-high 21 points and dishing out 6 assists.

Mitchell has scored 51 points in his last two games. The game has slowed down for him of late. No longer is he trying to do more than he's able. He has been content to take what the defense gives him, whether it's a mid-range jumper, a drive to the basket or just setting up his teammates.

"I think it's a confidence thing right now for all of us," said Mitchell. "We started the season slow, but I think it turned around for us when we beat Nettleton. We were down 10 in the second half and came back to win. That gave us a real confidence boost. We feel like now we're in the running."

While Mitchell has been adept at slashing to the goal and hitting mid-range jumpers, he added the threat of the 3-point shot against Batesville, hitting his first three triples of the season.

In fact, the Blue Devils as a team knocked down shots from the bonus arc all night, hitting a season-high 10.

However, in the midst of all the jubilation of three-point shooting, Brown offered a caution.

"Tonight we made them," he said. "But we're not going to keep launching them. Tonight we saw a lot of zone and we were able to find the hot hand. But we just need to stay within the philosophy."

West Memphis led wire-to-wire with a 17-7 lead after one quarter and a 43-15 margin at halftime.

Once again, the Blue Devil defense was stellar, just as it was last Tuesday night at Greene County Tech.

Batesville (11-4, 2-4) shot just 35 percent, making the Pioneers the second straight team to make 35 percent or below from the field against West Memphis.

"We're very happy about our defense," said Brown. "We gotta keep communicating better and just keep improving."

Another area where the Blue Devils are improving is in the turnover department. They committed only 12 turnovers against Batesville, while forcing 17 from the opposition.

West Memphis also dominated the backboards again, outrebounding the Pioneers 38-25.

After an open date on Tuesday night, the Blue Devils begin the second round of conference competition next Friday at Marion, which took its first loss within the league, getting drilled by Jonesboro 64-38.

The Blue Devils now have a two-game lead on third place over 2-4 teams Batesville, Tech and Nettleton. They are one game behind Marion for second place.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 22 edition

The Blue Devil Machine is back rolling efficiently as the West Memphis boys close out the first half of the 5A-East Conference season tonight at Lehr Arena against Batesville.

Head coach Marcus Brown's boys have won five of their last seven games and hold down third place in conference standings with a 4-2 mark. Batesville comes into the game 10-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

West Memphis turned in its most impressive performance of the season on Tuesday night of this week by breezing past Greene County Tech 68-51.

The most notable aspect of that game was the play of senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who scored a career-high 30 points and he also added 8 rebounds 5 assists and 4 steals. The returning all-state selection is showing signs of duplicating his season of a year ago in which he began slowly after transferring in from Marion but by the mid-point of the conference season he caught fire and was the final piece needed for the Blue Devils to advance to the Class 5A state championship game.

Mitchell, whose shot hasn't been there for him much previously, utilized sweet pull-up mid-range jumpers at Greene County Tech. If he can drain that type of shot the rest of the way, the Blue Devils will be a more dangerous team down the stretch of conference play.

The team put it all together at Tech, displaying a fierce man-to-man defense that shifted the feet as Tech's lightning-quick ball movement flew around the perimeter. The Blue Devils (7-8 overall) forced 16 turnovers and held the normally slick-shooting Eagles to a 6 of 18 effort from beyond the 3-point arc.

Another player trending upward for West Memphis is senior guard Calvin Butler, who drained three 3-pointers at Tech. If he and teammate Selah Robins can be at least serviceable from the bonus arc, it will make Mitchell's job easier in trying to set up his teammates.

A win tonight over Batesville will cut the Blue Devils' deficit in the conference standings to just one game from second place because the league's top two teams play tonight as Jonesboro travels to Marion. Both teams are undefeated in conference play.

Tonight's action tips off around 6 p.m. with the girls game, which will feature one of the state's top players in Isabella Higginbotham of Batesville. Higginbotham has led the Batesville girls to an undefeated overall record this year and a No. 1 state ranking.

The Lady Devils (0-5 in the 5A-East) desperately need a win in the near future if they have any hopes of making the state tournament. There will be a conference tournament at the end of the regular season and if the Lady Devils finish in eighth place they will likely have to travel to Batesville, where a loss would end their season altogether.

Mitchell lights it up for 30 as hot Blue Devils blast Greene Co. Tech

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- Jordan Mitchell's ankle is A-OK and then some.

The Blue Devil point guard, who was held out of last Friday night's game against Paragould after turning his ankle at Jonesboro a few days before, poured in 21 of his career-high 30 points in the second half to almost single-handedly will West Memphis to a convincing 68-51 win over Greene County Tech here on Tuesday night.

Mitchell wasn't simply an offensive juggernaut.

He filled up the stat sheet with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

"Mitch was stellar tonight," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "He goes, we go. He goes to the boards and leads us in rebounds and he controls the tempo. I'm proud of him."

The victory puts the Blue Devils (9-9 overall) solidly in third place in the 5A-East Conference standings at 4-2.

"We had to get this one to stay within striking distance," said Brown, referring to first place. "Very good for our morale. We want a shot (at the conference championship) down the stretch. We're not just playing for a (high) seed, we're trying to get better each game."

That was never more evident than Tuesday night. It was probably the Blue Devils' best game all year, especially on defense.

The Eagles (4-3, 1-3) rely heavily on crisp ball movement on offense and 3-point shooting.

Feet moved frenetically on the defensive end for the Blue Devils and the final numbers proved it.

West Memphis forced 16 Tech turnovers and held the Eagles well under their season average of 3-point makes. Tech made only 6 of 18 shots from behind the bonus arc.

"I give us about an 87 or 88 out of a hundred tonight on defense," said a smiling Brown. "At times our defense was really, really good tonight. The only thing I took off points for was we were not boxing out the shooter. The shooter got a lot of offensive rebounds for (Tech)."

West Memphis still outrebounded the Eagles 25-18.

Brown was also quick to emphasize his team's free-throw shooting.

Normally a below-average free-throw shooting team, the Blue Devils sizzled by making 15 of 17 for 88 percent.

"Don't forget about that," Brown said, laughing. "We made our free throws."

But the evening was all about Mitchell.

He focused on setting up his teammates in the first half and the result was an 18-8 Blue Devil lead after the first quarter.

And the visitors didn't let up from there.

Only twice in the third quarter did Tech get within seven points of West Memphis and the Eagles made it a 35-28 game at halftime.

But Calvin Butler drained one of his three 3-pointers on the night to start the second half and then it turned into the Mitchell Show.

The 6-foot-2 guard scored 10 of his team's next 12 points on a variety of moves, to give the Blue Devils a 49-34 cushion with 49 seconds to play in the third quarter.

He then opened the fourth quarter with two smooth mid-range pull-ups to make it a 17-point game at 53-36.

Mitchell scored nine points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

"We were able to get stops or turnovers and then convert on the other end," said Brown. "We made it happen on the defensive end and we were able to get open looks all night on offense."

The Blue Devils shot 49 percent from the field on 24 of 49.

Kameron Barnes added 10 points for West Memphis while Butler hit 9 and Selah Robins, after a night off last Friday night against Paragould, scored 7. Jalen Moore chipped in 6 points to the winning cause.

The Blue Gang returns to Lehr Arena Friday night to take on Batesville.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 19 edition

Big night for the West Memphis Blue Devil boys as they travel tonight to Greene County Tech to take on a surprisingly good Eagles squad.

Tech and West Memphis are establishing themselves as the wildcards in the 5A-East Conference. Nearly one full turn through the schedule rotation, the Blue Devils and the Eagles are looking up at Marion and Jonesboro, both of which are clear favorites for the top two spots in league standings.

Of course, Nettleton could figure into the race for the third or fourth spots in the conference race. But the Blue Devils already have a leg up on the Raiders after an overtime victory against Nettleton two weeks ago.

The conference then shakes out with three teams (Searcy, Paragould and Batesville) who look like solid cellar-dwellars.

So tonight's game at Tech is a super big one for the Blue Devils (8-9 overall, 3-2 in the 5A-East). Due to Covid complications, the Eagles are running behind schedule as their 4-2 overall mark and 1-2 record in conference play indicates.

But the Eagles are making 5A-East coaches stand up and take notice by the way they play. They weren't supposed to be this good after losing a ton off last year's squad that made the state tournament and gave eventual co-state champion Jacksonville all it wanted at the Big Dance.

Tech lost all-state guard and leading scorer Zane Butler along with other top players Cade Cancilla, Peyton Laubach, Dawson Greer and Brendan Chambers from last year's team.

Head coach Jeff Guiot is one of the more intense coaches in Eastern Arkansas and he gets high marks from opposing coaches for teaching fundamentals to his players.

The Blue Devils are expected to welcome back senior point guard and team leader Jordan Mitchell for tonight's game after he was held out of last Friday night's 58-32 win over Paragould. Mitchell turned his ankle in the team's previous game at Jonesboro.

Head coach Marcus Brown said after Friday night's game that Mitchell would be a full go for tonight's game at Tech. That's good news for the Blue Devils because they'll likely need an outstanding game from Mitchell in order for West Memphis to beat Tech.

Brown has used patience and a strong will to coach up this current group. They are definitely playing better as a team in the third week of January than they were in late November.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Devils (5-6 overall, 0-4 in the conference) currently sit in last place in league standings and they desperately need a something good to happen, hopefully starting tonight. Greene County Tech owns solid marks of 11-4 overall and 3-2 in league action.

Head coach Erica Leak would like to see her team finish tonight's game as strongly as it has started the last several games. The Lady Devils have seemed to sputter toward the last few minutes of the last several games.

Tonight's action will likely begin around 6 p.m. for the girls, followed immediately thereafter by the boys contest.

Go Blue Devils!!

Reserves lead the way as Blue Devils blitz Paragould

By Billy Woods

WM School District

With Jordan Mitchell held out due to a mild injury and facing the cellar-dwellars in the 5A-East, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown was afforded the luxury of taking a look at the future on Friday night at Lehr Arena.

Reaching down in his depth chart for a starting lineup, the Blue Devils still overwhelmed hapless Paragould 58-32.

Mitchell, coming off some strong performances of late, turned his ankle in the previous game at Jonesboro. He was held out all of the fourth quarter and all of Friday night's game.

Brown said Mitchell is good to go, however, for Tuesday night's important contest at Greene County Tech. The Eagles, who administered a 77-54 loss on Nettleton recently, will be one of the teams fighting with the Blue Devils for either third or fourth place in the conference.

"It's going to be a tough game," Brown said of Tuesday's game. "I hope our kids are up for the challenge. I hope they clear their minds over the weekend."

With a starting lineup full of reserves, the Blue Devils were still able to jet past the Rams (1-11, 0-2). The Blue Devils led 12-7 at the end of one quarter and then stretched the lead to 33-19 at halftime.

Leading the charge was junior Brandon Peters, who hasn't had many varsity minutes this year following his football season. But the quick left-handed shooting guard scored all 11 of his team-leading points in the second half.

"Brandon Peters came into the game and showed a lot of energy," Brown commented. "He had a late start because of football, but tonight he stood out."

Peters provided 9 of his total during a 11-2 spurt to end the first half.

Active on defense, the Blue Devils forced 21 Paragould turnovers and totally dominated the boards, outrebounding the visitors 39-12. Additionally, the Blue Devils held Paragould to just 26 percent shooting on 12 of 46 from the field.

"We just wanted to try and get some guys some reps," said Brown. "We just wanted to take a look at the future."

West Memphis managed to shoot 42 percent from the floor, making 25 of 59 attempts.

Brown also held out senior starter Selah Robins, but let regular starters Kameron Barnes, Calvin Butler and Jaden Irvin play a few minutes in the third quarter.

The hosts came within a point of administering a mercy rule on the Rams when Sedarian Malone, who scored 7 points, split a pair of free throws at the 1:09 mark of the fourth quarter, making it 58-29.

The Blue Devils are in sole possession of third place in conference standings behind Marion and Jonesboro.

In Butler's brief time on the court, he pumped in 8 points thanks to a pair of treys, and Demetrius Barrett hit 6 of his 8 points in the first quarter. Dequarious Birdo and Barnes hit for 6 and 4 points respectively.

Paragould's top scorers were Landon Manning with 8 and Nelson McHovey and Gavin Hall with 7 apiece.

Jonesboro gets hot in second half, hands loss to Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- After his team was on the losing end of a 19-point game here on Tuesday night, Marcus Brown sounded like a man who didn't feel defeated despite his team's outcome.

"I'm encouraged," said the West Memphis Blue Devil head coach. "If we stay together and do the things we're supposed to do we're going to be all right going forward. If we'd played like this earlier in the season our record right now would look different."

Despite Jonesboro's 71-52 victory over West Memphis, the Blue Devils (6-8 overall, 2-2 in the 5A-East Conference) played the Hurricane much closer than that.

It was Jonesboro's first win over the Blue Devils, who had won the last four meetings, in three years.

Jonesboro's head coach, Wes Swift, had much to say about the Blue Devils after the game.

"The truth is we haven't played a lot of games so far this season," said Swift, whose team is now 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference. "We haven't been guarded this season the way West Memphis guarded us tonight. We needed to see defense like that. I do think we responded to it well, though."

They did indeed.

Jonesboro trailed most of the first half as the Blue Devils held the Hurricane to 6 of 15 shooting from the field. West Memphis, which held two leads of seven points in the first half, led 28-27 at intermission.

But the Hurricane caught fire in the third quarter, carrying over into the first few minutes of the fourth quarter.

The hosts connected on 10 of 16 shots in the third quarter and then swished their first four shots of the fourth quarter, including a pair of extra deep 3-pointers by senior point guard Keylin McBride, the game's high scorer with 19 points.

"I thought the first three minutes of the third quarter were very important for us," said Brown. "And then all of a sudden (Jonesboro) just exploded."

The Blue Devils turned it over on their first three possessions of the third quarter and Jonesboro cashed it in by scoring the first eight points of the stanza to take a 35-28 lead with 4:52 to play in the quarter.

A fall-away jumper by Calvin Butler, the Blue Devils' leading scorer with 18 points, made the score 39-34 Jonesboro, but the home team went on a torrid shooting spree which included three 3-pointers to the 6:38 mark of the fourth quarter.

By that time the Hurricane had stretched their lead to 53-34.

Jonesboro shot 54 percent (20 of 37) in the second half, forced 15 West Memphis turnovers and outrebounded the Blue Devils 32-27.

The first half was especially pleasing to Brown.

"My kids showed me a lot of stuff in the first half," he commented. "Stuff that we need more of from here on out. We have to be more consistent with the things we were doing in the first half. It starts in practice. We have to be more attentive. We have lapses like that in practice. But overall I like the way we're playing right now.

"We still have plenty of basketball left in the season. It's a marathon. We have to steal one on the road, though."

The Blue Devils also got 9 points from senior Jordan Mitchell while Jalen Moore had 8 and Dequarious Birdo chipped in 6.

Jonesboro placed three players in the double figures with Devarious Montgomery and Jessie Washington each hitting 12 points.

The Blue Devils return home to Lehr Arena on Friday night to take on Paragould.

Blue Devil Shoot-around: Jan. 12 edition

With three straight wins under their belt heading into tonight's game at Jonesboro, the West Memphis Blue Devils could make a case of contending for the 5A-East Conference championship with a win over the Hurricane.

So far, the Hurricane and the Marion Patriots have established themselves as the top two teams in league play. Jonesboro is 2-0 and the Patriots are 3-0.

But West Memphis has won 6 of the last 8 contests against Jonesboro. The two losses to the Hurricane are most memorable to Blue Devil fans. Both came at the tail end of the 2017-18 season. After the Blue Devils knocked off the defending state champions in both regular-season games that year, they lost the last two in agonizing fashion.

The first was a bit controversial, since it was the final of the 5A-East Conference tournament at Lehr Arena. A ticky-tack foul was called on Blue Devil senior Sidney Stinson on a rebound under the Jonesboro basket. Officials called Stinson for going over the back of Jonesboro's Blayton Williams, who split a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime, where the Hurricane managed a 70-67 win.

The other loss came two weeks later when the Hurricane defeated West Memphis 55-49 for the Class 5A state championship.

The Hurricane are 6-3 overall this season and once again feature strong guard play with seniors Kylin McBride and Jessie Washington leading the way.

The Blue Devils (6-7 overall, 2-1 in the conference) will need to continue to keep the turnovers down. They averaged nearly 26 turnovers through the first few games this season, but they have had 10 and 12 turnovers the last two games.

Senior transfer Selah Robins has picked up the pace offensively with his 3-point shooting and adding some slashing moves to the basket to his game. Senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who is a triple-double threat, will need another strong game tonight.

In the girls game, the Lady Devils' backs are against the wall. A loss to the Lady Hurricane (10-3, 2-0) would put the West Memphis girls in an 0-4 hole in league play.

The Lady Devils will need to figure out how to finish each halves of play strong. They have tended to play better starting both halves strong and then fading toward the ends.

Tonight's girls contest will figure to start just after 6 p.m.

Blue Devils erase 13-point deficit for 57-55 win over Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

After watching his team overcome a 13-point deficit after three quarters, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown was asked if comeback wins are sweeter than normal.

"For the players yes, for the coaches no," he said. "Right now my blood pressure is out the roof."

The Blue Devils pieced together some late heroics for a 57-55 Senior Night victory over Nettleton on Friday night at Lehr Arena.

In winning their third straight, the Blue Devils (6-7 overall, 2-1 in the 5A-East Conference) fell behind early and stayed there until late in the fourth quarter. Nettleton (6-9, 0-3) led for 30 minutes and 11 seconds of the 32-minute contest. The Raiders led 47-34 heading into the fourth quarter and looked like they were on their way to their first conference win of the season.

But the Blue Devils got five quick points in the first minute of the fourth quarter and ended up outscoring Nettleton 23-8 in the final eight minutes.

"I'm very, very proud of the kids for sticking together and fighting back," said Brown. "Senior Night is always hard because there's so much emotion. But we found a way in the fourth quarter."

The Blue Devils fell behind early and stayed there.

Nettleton led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter and held a 28-26 lead at halftime.

The Raiders then outscored the Blue Devils 9-1 in the final 3:20 of the third quarter to take that 13-point lead into the fourth quarter.

The turnaround happened quickly in the first few moments of the fourth quarter. First, it was a 3-pointer from senior Selah Robins, who was escorted by his Dad Des McCoy during Senior Night festivities. McCoy was the 2004 state tournament MVP for the state champion Blue Devils.

Another Robins rainbow from beyond the arc with 4:28 to play brought the Blue Devils to within a point at 49-48.

Finally, the hosts took their first lead of the night at 54-53 with 1:49 to play on a soft mid-range jumper from senior Kameron Barnes, who led all scorers with 14 points and who scored five of that total in the final two minutes.

Brown called for a full-court press to start the fourth quarter and it created three turnovers. But it also made the Raiders visibly more uncomfortable on offense.

"We were able to get some stops on defense, that was big," said Brown. "Offensively, we were able to get to the basket. We had looks inside all night. They finally started to fall in the fourth quarter."

Barnes split a pair of free throws with 7.8 seconds to play to give West Memphis a 57-55 lead. His miss on the second free throw was knocked out of bounds and given to Nettleton with 4.4 seconds to play.

Nettleton called timeout in order to set its offense, which had to go the full length of the court.

"I told the kids to keep the ball in front of them," said Brown. "And make sure you don't foul."

The ball was immediately inbounded to Nettleton's Israel Malone, who along with J.T. Turner led the Raiders with 13 points. Malone was able to put up a running 30-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it clanked off the rim setting off a Blue Devil celebration at midcourt.

The Blue Devils also got 12 points from Jordan Mitchell while Robins hit for 8 and Dequarious Birdo and Kaleb Barnes each scored 6.

Nettleton also got 12 points from Brandon Anderson.

West Memphis will hit the road for a conference game at Jonesboro on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils have won 6 of the past 8 meetings with the Hurricane.

Mitchell's triple-double powers Blue Devils past Searcy

By Billy Woods

WM School District

SEARCY --- The West Memphis Blue Devils got the medicine they so desperately needed here on Tuesday night.

Senior point guard Jordan Mitchell posted his first triple-double of the season to lead the Blue Devils to an easy 88-59 victory over Searcy.

After a 2-7 start to the season, the Blue Devils have now won two in succession and own a 1-1 mark in 5A-East Conference play.

"This was the most under control we've played all season," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "We were able to get some stops tonight. Before tonight, we'd get stops, but go down and turn it over."

According to Brown, his team had been averaging 26 turnovers per game before Tuesday night. At Searcy, the Blue Devils suffered only 10 miscues.

Much of that was due to the floor leadership of Mitchell, the team's only returning starter from last year's state championship team. Mitchell scored 12 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished for 11 assists, for his career triple-double.

"Our team likes to get out on the break," said Mitchell. "We were able to grab the ball off the boards and get out in transition. We handled that well tonight. We were just trying to get that first conference win after losing to Marion."

The Blue Devils led from the get-go, getting a 3-pointer from Selah Robins on their second possession and then jetting out to a 22-12 lead with 40 seconds to play in the first quarter.

West Memphis dominated the stat sheet, outrebounding Searcy 37-17 and hitting 56 percent from the field while holding Searcy to a 41.2 percentage. Normally a poor free-throw shooting team, the Blue Devils burned it up from the charity stripe, connecting on 12 of their 14 attempts.

"I'm proud of the kids overall," said Brown. "We were cheering for one another on the bench. We just gotta keep building."

Senior Kameron Barnes hit 8 of his team-high 16 points in the first quarter as the Blue Devils built a solid early cushion.

"Kam was able to get into spots and Jordan found him with some good passes," Brown added.

West Memphis led 42-27 at halftime and poured it on in the third quarter, hitting the hosts with a 12-2 run out of the gate to give the Blue Devils a 54-29 lead.

The Blue Devils put it out of reach after ending the third quarter with a 63-41 lead and then scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter.

Robins played his finest game of the season, finishing with 15 points while Calvin Butler hit for 8 and junior Luke Martin came off the bench and scored 7 points.

Brown and the Blue Devils hit the court again Friday night at home against Nettleton.

Marion cruises to easy victory over Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Patience is going to have to be a premium with this West Memphis Blue Devil basketball team.

Head coach Marcus Brown, normally a bundle of energy and pushing his team the last three seasons with very talented teams, knows it. Screaming and hard coaching will not work with this team.

Marion came into Lehr Arena on Friday night and posted a 70-54 victory over the Blue Devils.

"We're inexperienced and we just got to grow up," said a philosophical Brown. "I've got to be patient and a good teacher. It wasn't a good night for West Memphis, but we've had a lot of great nights the last three years."

The Blue Devils (2-5 overall, 0-1 in the 5A-East Conference) got off to a solid start, scoring the first 6 points of the game. But the Patriots (6-0, 1-0) ran off the next 7 points and took the lead for good.

Marion scored the final 12 points of the first half for the deciding blow. The Pats held a 37-20 halftime lead.

Despite losing at least 30 points per game in offensive production from last year in departing seniors Detric Reeves and Mikyia Boyce, the Patriots have found the scoring to replace those two stars.

Brothers Jayden and Ryan Forrest combined for 39 points to lead the Patriot charge. Jayden led all scorers with 23 points while Ryan pumped in 16.

The Blue Devils got 20 points from senior point guard Jordan Mitchell, but 13 of his total came after halftime when the outcome was already decided and the Patriots had taken their foot off the pedal.

"I liked our second-half effort," Brown said. "For whatever reason, we've gotten off to slow starts this season. And we gotta make shots."

Jalen Moore added 12 points for the Blue Devils while Julious Magruder scored 6.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils traveled to New Madrid, Mo., and lost 63-51.

Mitchell paced the scoring with 14 points while Barnes hit 13 and Selah Robins hit for 10.

The Blue Devils will return to action on Tuesday at Little Rock Parkview. They will also play at Mountain Home on Dec. 29.

Chris Jarman was the ultimate Blue Devil, and he let you know it

By Billy Woods

WM School District

He was the pride of West Memphis.

Or, was it the other way around.

At times you couldn't tell if Chris Jarman was full of West Memphis, or that West Memphis was full of him.

He would somehow find an appropriate way to invoke West Memphis when one of Memphis' finest and most notable on-air personalities was in front of a mike. Like in June of 2019 when he hosted the 1970s iconic rock group Kansas at Live at The Garden.

Kansas drummer Phil Ehart must have wondered if he was indeed in Memphis, Tenn., when Jar went off on all things West Memphis before the band took the stage.

But if you were like Phil Ehart you wouldn't understand unless you spent some cold winter nights in a sweaty Devil Dome in the late 1980s and early 1990s and you reached down and grabbed the piece of metal in your pocket and shouted "Get you keys...and start the bus!!!"

My friend Chris Jarman (aka The Jar, The Man from Jarkansas) passed away Tuesday night after throwing clots from a broken ankle he suffered on Sunday afternoon.

Like it has for so many of us in this wicked year 2020, Jar's passing just made an already unbearable year seem utterly cruel.

Just how much more of this can we all take?

With a gregarious personality that jumped off the page, Chris seemed destined to make his living speaking to people.

He did it, and he did it well.

Jar got his start in radio as an intern at Rock 103, which at the time was supplanting FM 100 as the highest-rated rock station in Memphis, during the early 1990s.

There, he made friends easy with some of the top jocks in town like Bad Dog McCormack, Bev Hart, Drake Hall and Zeke Logan.

Along the way, Jar became a staple DJ at Rock 103, but he eventually landed at 98.1 The Max, where he hosted the Morning Show with Danni Bruns for the last several years.

But we here in West Memphis claimed him first.

The boy loved his Blue Devils.

Some of you looking at this post must be trying to figure out the accompanying photo. You recognize the venue. You certainly recognize Keith Lee's face and Mike Stallings in uniform for the great basketball Blue Devils.

But notice the young blond haired boy at the far left.

Totally in jubilation.

Sitting on the Blue Devil bench right next to Lee.

It's a nine-year-old Jarman, who has just watched his basketball team win its state record 60th game in succession in the 1981 Overall state finals in Conway.

Jar cut his teeth on Blue Devil sports very early in life. And it was bound to happen that way for him, since his mother Shelia carved out a memorable legacy as one of the biggest Blue Devil supporters ever since she was a West Memphis High School student herself.

As the city's sports editor from 1983-1998, I was enthralled with this group of local students who emerged from all three of our West Memphis junior highs in the mid-to-late 1980s.

Jarman was part of that group along with very recognizable names like Nat Haston, David Eaglin, Mark Rose, Lance Berry, Alan Reece, Anthony Hampton, Michael Ray Gamble, Sidney Stinson, Tiger Darr, Tyrone Bullins, Shawn Scarbrough, Chris Smith, Glyn Stephens, et al.

I remember a conversation I had with then West Junior High band director Cathy Williams about the time this group was finishing up their junior high years and about to head to WMHS.

"Billy you are going to love this group heading up to the high school," she told me. "They are just a bunch of neat kids. They're fun to be around."

She couldn't have been more accurate. I formed a friendship with almost all of them, athletes and non-athletes alike.

The group was full of school spirit and community pride.

Plus, they gave me a nickname that I loved and one that stuck: Sports Billy. Many of them still call me that today, 30 years after.

I've got some favorite personal memories of Chris that particularly stand out. I'll get right to them.

I was Jar's Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church when he was in the sixth grade. It was also the year I married my wife Connie.

Upon returning from our honeymoon, the next Sunday Chris asked me how I liked married life. Well, I'll let him describe the rest of the conversation.

About 8 or 9 years ago I was driving around town and decided to turn the dial to 98.1 The Max. Not so much for the sake of the music, but just to see what outrageous thing Jar would say on the air.

As the all-out rock song (whose title escapes me now) finished up Jar voices over and tells his audience (which, again, includes me) that it reminds him of his former sixth-grade Sunday School teacher Billy Woods.

"I asked him how he liked married life," Jar tells the audience. "He said he liked it just fine. I then asked him what kind of cook Connie was. He said she couldn't boil water."

Doh!!!!

I immediately hit my brakes and my mind started racing. Who's listening to this? Surely it wasn't Connie because the next time she turns her radio dial to 98.1 The Max it will be the first time ever.

But...could it be that this story gets back to her?

It did.

About a week later I come home from work and I see her already in the kitchen cooking dinner. I walk over to take the lid off one of the pots.

The water had indeed hit the boiling point. Water only, that is.

Point proven.

The other is my absolute favorite.

Jar hated the Beatles.

The Beatles are my No. 1 jam.

Every Christmas morning for about 6 or 7 years I listened to Rock 103's presentation of The Beatles A to Z. Jar hosted it every year for at least five hours out of the 14 hours it took the program.

One year as the program hit the H's, Ringo's Honey Don't was finishing up, Jar decided to chime in for the final few bars.

Hoooooney don't........

"Rock 103 and guess what? Yeah The Beatles. I get to do this every year and being the Beatles fan that I am I love just sitting here all alone on Christmas Day playing Beatles music. I'm sure you're loving it, too. You oughtta be in this control room doing it for five straight hours. It wouldn't drive you crazy, I promise."

As I mentioned prominently in this piece Jar loved his Blue Devils, but he was also all about West Memphis. He wasn't ashamed to tell anyone from where he came.

Oh yeah. Got one more Jar story and you Blue Devil fans will especially appreciate this one.

When the Blue Devils and the Marion Patriots started playing football in the same conference every year in 2006, it created a frenzy never before seen in Crittenden County.

Around 2007 or '08, the Evening Times asked me and then sports editor Ryan Riordan to do a local celebrity prediction piece. My part called for contacting local celebs from West Memphis like Jar, and ask them for their prediction of the game.

"My prediction," Jarman began, "comes straight from the film Rocky III when reporters asked Clubber Lang for his prediction on the upcoming fight with Balboa. So my prediction for the Patriots is the same one Clubber gave in the movie. I predict PAIN!!!"

So let's all remember the man.

His personality.

His laugh.

His sense of humor.

His love for West Memphis and the Blue Devils.

We won't see his likes again.

Rest easy my friend. We will never, ever forget you!!

Blue Devils make key plays at the end, record win at Pine Bluff

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PINE BLUFF --- Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown didn't back down from scheduling some of the top basketball programs in Arkansas for this most unusual Covid-fueled non-conference season on the heels of the program's seventh state championship.

Tuesday night found them in Pine Bluff, the 2015 state champions and the scene of the most infamous moment in West Memphis history.

Brown's Blue Devils didn't need video evidence at the end this time, and his club came away with a 59-53 victory over the Zebras.

Senior transfer Selah Robbins fired in a game-high 21 points and senior Kameron Barnes made a key steal in the final seconds to secure the Blue Devils' second win in five tries thus far.

"That was a big team win," said a happy Brown after the game.

In the 1989 state championship game against Blytheville, the upstart Blue Devils, who came into the tournament barely over .500, had a final last-second heave by Lee Suggs, who banked in an off-balance three-pointer, waved off by the officials, who said Suggs' shot came after the buzzer sounded.

Blytheville won in overtime.

Video from the game clearly showed Suggs' shot left his hands before the buzzer sounded.

Back to the scene of the atrocity for the first time since 1989, the Blue Devils made sure there was no need for controversy this time.

West Memphis scored the final six points of the game, getting two key plays from Kameron Barnes, who scored 10 points on the night. Barnes cashed in a layup with 42 seconds left to break a 53-53 tie and then stole a ball near the Pine Bluff baseline and fed a streaking Calvin Butler for a layup on the other end to seal the victory.

"Kam's like a lot of our guys this year; he's inexperienced," said Brown. "You gotta give these guys chances in games like this and tonight Kam made some big plays. I'm proud of him."

Robbins, who Brown touted in the preseason for his shooting stroke, struggled through the first few games, but the touch was all there at Pine Bluff. He swished four 3-pointers in the first half, scoring 16 of his total in the first two quarters.

Robbins also put a capper on his night by draining two free throws with 1.3 seconds to play.

"He was finding the line and getting his feet set," Brown said of Robbins. "With him, it's just a matter of taking his time and squaring up to the basket. He can shoot it."

In the first five games, all on the road, the Blue Devils have played heavyweights North Little Rock, Little Rock Mills, Cabot and Bartlett.

"That's why this schedule was put together like it was," Brown explained. "I wanted to play a lot of games on the road to get us road-tested and tougher. We want to be prepared for when the games count the most in conference play."

With a couple of chances to put some distance between themselves and the Zebras, the Blue Devils couldn't get over the hump due to turnovers and missed easy shots. The visitors held a seven-point lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but Pine Bluff scored 11 unanswered points to take a 38-34 lead.

But each time, the Blue Devils came roaring back themselves.

Up just 55-53 with just over 10 seconds to play and the Zebras with the ball, Brown employed a zone defense, which coaxed the hosts into turning the ball over to Barnes.

"I really don't like to play zone," Brown admitted. "But I wanted to throw some smoke at (Pine Bluff) and kind of confuse them, which it did."

Butler scored 6 of his 10 points in the second half and senior point guard and lone returning starter Jordan Mitchell pumped in 8 points for West Memphis.

Armond Buckhanan paced the Pine Bluff attack with 19 points while Jordan Harris chipped in 10.

The evening didn't feature a girls game since the Lady Devils are in the midst of a Covid quarantine until December 9. The Lady Devils will return to action on Dec. 10 at home against Conway.

In other scheduling updates, the Blue Devils' Friday night home opener that was originally scheduled for Friday night against Maumelle has been canceled due to Covid outbreak in the Maumelle camp.

Thus, the Blue Devils will open their home schedule on Dec. 8 against Conway, followed by a December 15 game at Lehr Arena against North Little Rock.

Blue Devil squads record sweep at Cabot

The West Memphis Blue Devil boys posted their first victory of the season Thursday night at Cabot and the girls got a triple-double from sophomore Clemisha Prackett in their third win without a loss.

Head coach Marcus Brown's boys held back a furious Cabot fourth-quarter rally and took a 58-53 victory.

The Blue Devils (1-2) got a halfcourt three-pointer at the halftime buzzer by Calvin Butler to give the visitors a 33-20 lead at intermission. But Cabot (1-1) cut the deficit to 54-48 with just under a minute to play in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Mitchell, who led the Blue Devils in scoring with 17 points, split a pair of free throws with 51.5 seconds to play to make it 55-48.

But a 3-pointer by Cabot's Brandon Bennett and two free throws by Sam Owens made it a one-possession game at 56-53 with 14.9 seconds to play.

West Memphis threw the ball away on the inbounds and survived two good looks at the basket by the Panthers. Finally, Bennett missed a final 3-point attempt with 2.1 seconds to play, which led to two clinching free throws by the Blue Devils' Kaleb Barnes.

Mitchell hit 10 of his point total in the fourth quarter. Dquarious Birdo and Selah Robbins each added 11 points while Kameron Barnes hit for 7.

Cabot's Van Ezell was the game's high scorer with 21 points.

The Lady Devils stayed undefeated after three games thanks to the dominating performance by Prackett. She had team-leading totals of 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. Sophomore guard Janiyah Tucker, who provided a three-point play with 2:54 left in the fourth quarter to stave off a Cabot rally, provided 18 points.

Prackett provided the final dagger, sticking back a missed shot with 1:41 to play to make it 61-51.

Aniyah Price also had 10 points for the Lady Devils while senior Terika Inmon added 7.

The West Memphis teams will hit the court again on Tuesday night at Bartlett.

Blue Devils set to open season Thursday at LR Mills

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils will have to adjust to the end of the Chris Moore Era.

The former Blue Devil great led his team to a four-year record of 103-20 with two conference championships, two state finals appearances and one state championship. Now playing for Bruce Pearl at Auburn, the 6-foot-7 Moore leaves a gaping hole in the Blue Devil roster and especially in the middle of the defense.

The Blue Devils are coming off a 26-4 state championship season.

However, the Blue Devil coaching staff thinks it has the players in place to contend for another 5A-East Conference title and possibly more as the team prepares to open its 2020-21 regular-season campaign on Thursday night at Little Rock Mills.

Leading the way this year will be hold-over Jordan Mitchell, a senior point guard and an all-state selection last season. He will be surrounded by three or four players who head coach Marcus Brown is counting on for break-out seasons.

"Obviously Jordan will be that guy for us this year," said Brown, in his fourth season at the helm. "But we think we have a stable of kids around him who are poised for solid production. We should have some good senior leadership to lean on this year. Right now senior leadership is going to be very, very important."

In his first year as a Blue Devil, Mitchell came into his own about mid-season and then used a powerful performance in the state tournament to claim his postseason accolades.

The 6-foot-2 lefty is drawing recruiting interest from mid-major conferences such as the Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley and Sun Belt. He already has an offer on the table from Southeastern Louisiana.

"Jordan's the total package for a point guard, but I just love the way he competes," Brown said of his floor leader. "Last year he started out a little slow for us with just being in the system a little while, but the momentum he gained as the year went on was enormous. He's also a great student in the classroom. He's gotten a lot stronger and a little more flexible from the work he did over the summer. He's ready."

The player with the most break-out potential is senior Kaleb Barnes, who was impressive in what little varsity action he got last season, but who in early workouts looks like he's ready to take on high-leverage responsibility this season.

"Kaleb had a heckuva junior varsity season last year," said Brown. "He's going to be depended on heavily for his leadership, court vision and defense. Kaleb is really a utility guard who we're expecting to be in attack mode all the time."

Kaleb's twin brother, Kameron, a junior, is also expected to vie for a starting position. Like his sibling, Kameron enjoyed a solid junior varsity season last year and, according to Brown, has increased his outside shooting range.

Another senior, Daylion Watkins, will be counted on for starter minutes due to his all-around ability.

The hopeful in the paint area is 6-foot-8 senior Jaden Irvin, whom Brown said has improved his footwork from a year ago.

"We will be counting on Jaden to be the rim protector this season and to provide strength on the boards," Brown commented. "We feel like it's time for him to turn the corner for us."

The best shooter on the team could very well be senior Selah Robbins, who has drawn compliments from Brown in his marksmanship and his ball-handling.

The defensive specialist will be Julious Magruder, whom Brown says has "high basketball IQ and leadership qualities."

Size will not be one of the assets for this team. But, Brown is quick to point out that West Memphis has won a state championship in the past with a small group.

The 1991 state championship team featured the current Blue Devil chief, who at only 6-foot-2 played in the low post alongside other smaller players such as state tourney MVP Charles Paige and guards Brian Rhoads and Paul Brown.

"Being as small as we are we're going to have to focus on the little things," said Brown, "such as one-on-one defense, finishing plays and boxing out under the boards, making your free throws and have less turnovers. Those are some of the ways to combat a lack of size.

"The goal for us this year is for opposing teams to not want to play us in February and March."

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Arkansas high school teams will not be able to play in tournaments during the regular season. Thus, the Blue Devils have pieced together a tough non-conference slate that has them playing their first five games on the road before playing their home opener on Dec. 4 against Maumelle.

West Memphis' first 5A-East Conference game will be a pre-Christmas affair at home against arch-rival Marion on Dec. 18.

Prank notwithstanding, the Blue Devils receive their championship rings

By Billy Woods

WM School District

"One, two, three..."

As Marcus Brown counted down the moment everybody had been waiting for, his West Memphis Blue Devils were tinged with anticipation for the bling they'd so obviously deserved.

Then, thud.

That's right.

Plastic.

As in a plastic orange, basketball-shaped ring that you'd find in a bubble gum machine in the Kroger foyer.

A crowd estimated at between 150 to 200 people at Lehr Arena on Saturday gathered to celebrate a most unusual state championship ring ceremony.

First, it was the very first ring ceremony in West Memphis High School history. There'd been six state basketball championships before, but none was followed by a formal ring ceremony for the public to attend.

Second, it marked a co-state championship, which may be the first in Arkansas history due to Covid-19. The virus shut down the much-anticipated West Memphis-Jacksonville championship game last March just 72 hours before it was to be played in Hot Springs.

Thus, after much deliberation and waiting to see if the virus would vanish quickly, the Arkansas Activities Association, following the lead from Governor Asa Hutchinson, had no other choice but to cancel the game and declare both teams co-champions.

Thirdly, Brown, the former Blue Devil great and now great coach, pulled a neat little trick that only he could think of.

Three years ago, in the midst of his first season as head coach, Brown's team came prepared for the contest at Marion. His loaded team, which went on that night to dismantle the Patriots 81-53, donned his players in neon warm-ups and neon socks, much to the delight of Blue Devil fans.

Asked what was behind his decision to neon the evening Brown said, "Well, I'm the kind of guy who zigs when everyone else zags."

And that he did on Saturday at Lehr Arena.

After much talk and trivia, the moment came for the players to receive the bling.

Even Chris Moore, the all-time Blue Devil basketball super star, made it down from Auburn where he is about to embark on his college hoops career.

The rings were covered with a beautiful black, suede box and wrapped in ribbons.

With boxes in each Blue Devil hand, Brown gave the countdown for the players to open the boxes.

What they found inside was the zig.

Bewildered expressions draped the Blue Devil players when they found the Crackerjack prizes.

After a few seconds, Brown told the players to look under their black draped seats.

And that's when the real rings brought a jubilant ending to a celebration of the latest Blue Devil basketball state championship.

Players posed with each other flashing the championship rings.

Mayor Marco McClendon honored both the team and its coach in separate proclamations while superintendent Jon Collins and Academies of West Memphis principal Gary Jackson rendered appropriate salutes to their team.

It was a great day to be a Blue Devil, as Brown himself often says in moments like these.

And, it came with less than a month before the first game of the new basketball season. And it can't come too soon for any of us crazed hoop junkies.

Blue Devil great Larry Bray announces retirement; unprecedented 45-year run

By Billy Woods

WM School District

When Larry Bray started work for the West Memphis School District Apple was simply a fruit.

In August of 1974, when Bray was hired by the WMSD to be the head basketball coach at East Junior High, the disco craze hadn't yet swept the nation, Richard Nixon had just resigned and there were zero state basketball championships for West Memphis High School.

The face of Blue Devil basketball for 32 years and the director of athletics at WMSD the last three years, Bray has announced his retirement official at the end of next week.

The last 45 years at West Memphis has flown by, both by Bray's own admission, and surely the rest of us who witnessed his deft touch on Blue Devil athletics.

"When you stop and think about it, I've spent most of my life (with the WMSD)," said Bray, 68. "This has been home for me for 45 years. That wasn't my plan when I started working here. I was looking to do something different every five years."

Bray came to West Memphis from his hometown of LaGrange, Ga.

His basketball resume began with his all-state selection in high school, which led to a scholarship to the University of Houston, where he would play for the legendary Guy V. Lewis. However, Bray ended up landing at San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College, where he was a Juco All-American. His final two years of college basketball were spent at Henderson State University, where he was named an NAIA All-American for the Reddies.

After a brief stint trying out for professional teams in the NBA and the old ABA, Bray spent a short time in the insurance business with Life of Georgia before coming to West Memphis.

He led the Red Imps of East to two city championships with familiar names like Michael Cage, Stanley Andrews, Mike McFerrin, Tim Harrell and Nakita Robertson.

Bray was promoted to the high school in the fall of 1979 as the assistant coach for Bill Terwilliger's Blue Devils, whereupon he was reunited with his old junior high players, who led the team to two straight state championships and a state record 60 straight victories.

Bray succeeded Terwilliger as head Blue Devil coach in the fall of 1984. Then for the next 32 years, Bray guided his West Memphis teams to four state championships (1990-91, 1996-97, 2003-04 and 2004-05).

The 2003-04 team finished ranked No. 21 in the USA Today final national poll. Bray's 2010-11 team was ranked No. 35 in ESPN's Fab 50 in January of 2011.

Along the way, Bray coached three NBA draftees in Marcus Brown, Corey Brewer and Sonny Weems and dozens of his players inked Division 1 college scholarships.

Through it all, Bray won over 580 basketball games for West Memphis.

"When I got to the high school I fell in love with it," Bray commented. "The people were good to me, and there was no reason to go anywhere else.

"The city of West Memphis loves basketball. I remember when I first started, the first question I asked my junior high players was 'do you love basketball?' They all said yes. When you roam the streets of West Memphis you see a lot of basketball goals...it's just something they love to do."

Brown, who succeeded Bray as head coach of the Blue Devils and who recently led the program to its seventh state championship, had Bray by his side nearly his entire basketball career that spanned junior high, high school, college and pro as well as his coaching career.

"Coach Bray has been such a big influence in my life, a solid rock in my corner," said Brown, who is 79-14 in his first three years at the Blue Devil helm. "He was someone I always looked to for guidance because he was such a strong male figure, a mentor and a source of encouragement."

Brown said he would miss having Bray around the athletic program full time, but that he wishes him well in retirement.

"I hate he won't be around as often, but I don't want to be selfish," Brown added. "A legend like him should be able to ride off into the sunset on his own terms, and that's what he's doing. You just don't find guys like him. There aren't enough words for me to say how much he's meant to me and the city of West Memphis."

Superintendent Jon Collins acknowledged the unprecedented longevity of Bray's tenure at West Memphis.

"He's the dean of all coaches in terms of longevity," said Collins. "He started his career here and stayed here the entire time. That's almost unheard of these days. We were blessed to be a part of it and share relationships with him. He will be missed."

As a young coach, Collins spent a year as Bray's assistant coach in 1994-95, a nugget that not too many folks in West Memphis remember. As Bray's long-time assistant coach Wally Love entered administration, former WMSD superintendent Bill Kessinger offered Collins a dual role as coach: assistant football and assistant basketball.

"I'll never forget walking into the gym the first Monday after football season ended," Collins recalled. "I pretty much tried to stay out of the way because (Bray) is such a walking encyclopedia. We joked after practice that 'hey this is going to be cool. Walking right into this job first year...I was thinking 30-0 in my era with a state championship.' He looks at me and says 'Collins, this ain't gonna be that kind of year.' We were pretty average that year.

"Coach Bray is going to be missed in this fashion: player-coach relationships. I don't think I've ever worked with anyone who has had a better player-coach relationship than him. Until you live it, it's hard to explain. The locker room, the practices, the bus rides, the postgame, the pregame...the composure this man has is the best I've ever seen.

"I can remember that year I coached under him we played a game at North Little Rock and they went on a 13-0 or 15-0 run on us. The old baseball player in me figured we needed to call timeout just to break up the rhythm. I got a great coaching lesson that night. He said, 'Nope, we're gonna grow up tonight. Either we're going to get run out of this gym or we're going to fight, scratch and claw our way back into it.' We came back and won the game."

Bray said his plans in retirement are "day by day." He and his wife of 20 years Niki, a former Lady Devil basketball great who like her husband is West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame member, want to do something different.

"We just bought an RV and I think we just want to travel around a little bit," said Bray. "I've had the RV now about two months. I've driven it some. Not much different than driving a bus, something I used to do all the time as coach."

Bray said he will miss the day-to-day work with the folks he's been associated with in the WMSD for 45 years.

"I'll miss being around the kids, coaches and teachers, just the friends I've made over the years," he said. "I'll miss the atmosphere of being in the gym. I've had a great career, and I've enjoyed every minute of it. Right now I wouldn't change anything at all."

Larry Bray hugs his star point guard Marcus Mangum after the Blue Devils won the 2005 state championship.

Blue Devil stalwart Martin remained faithful through the years

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Blue was Frank Martin's color.

Each Friday for at least 25 years Martin wore a blue shirt every Friday.

Blue represented his two favorite sports teams: The West Memphis Blue Devils and the Memphis Tigers.

Last Friday, Devil Nation and the entire West Memphis community lost one of its favorite sons as Martin passed away.

His son, Thomas, said his Dad will appropriately be laid to rest on Friday with his signature blue shirt.

Due to Covid19, a private service will be held Friday at Holy Cross Episcopal Church at 11 a.m. A graveside service at 12:30 p.m. at Crittenden Memorial is open to the public.

Martin, 76, was the heart and soul of West Memphis. He owned Delta Office Supply for 37 years and was the city's treasurer since January of 1996.

And, he was perhaps the biggest supporter of Blue Devil athletics.

"There were probably six things that kept his heart pumping," said Thomas. "His family, his church, his work, the Blue Devils and the Tigers."

Born in Kansas City, Martin's family moved to West Memphis when he was an infant.

Martin put his stamp on the community at a young age, becoming the first carrier for the Evening Times and before that he was a carrier for the West Memphis Sun, a forgotten local periodical that preceded the Evening Times.

"He would ride his bike at 4 in the morning at age 12 and from Woods Street to 25th Street he delivered papers to every block," said Thomas. "Then he'd go to school and then play baseball until dark."

Martin was a proud member of the Class of 1962 at West Memphis High School.

A few years ago he sponsored a huge banner in Lehr Arena that reads "Once a Blue Devil, always a Blue Devil. Frank Martin, Class of 1962."

Martin was present at almost every seminal moment in Blue Devil sports history. He was at Russellville in 2000 when the Blue Devil football team, led by D'Arrius Howard, set a national rushing record for one game.

"He loved that game," Thomas said.

He sat in tornadic conditions and a torrential downpour in Fort Smith in 1988 as the Blue Devil football team played in the state semifinals.

He watched the Blue Devil boys basketball team defeat Corliss Williamson and the great Basil Shabazz in the early 1990s.

"Plus, my most favorite, Dad hated Jonesboro in every sport," Thomas said with a sly grin. "I'm for sure going to miss my game buddy."

Blue Devil coaches had special friendships with Martin, including former great football coach Grafton Moore.

"We're going to miss Frank in all kinds of ways," said Moore. "He may be the best Blue Devil supporter we've ever had. Everybody loved him. I loved him and he was just fun to be around. We'll miss him, but I knew his faith and I know he's in a better place."

Martin made sure his son and daughter, Pam, grew up attending Blue Devil ball games. Thomas was perhaps the biggest student supporter of the Big Blue when he was a student at both West Junior High and WMHS.

Sometimes Thomas' overzealousness got the better of him.

When Tommy was a ninth-grader he attended the junior high district basketball tournament in Jonesboro. Copying a student body tradition at the University of Memphis, Tommy let the confetti fly on the Blue Imps' first basket of the game.

It was enough to get him sent to the principal's office the next day.

"I got no admonishment from Dad when I got home," Tommy said, laughing. "If anything, he reimbursed me for the cost of the paper."

Later, Tommy joined the Blue Devil radio broadcast crew that included the late Todd Eaton, David Pike and Joe Todd.

"When Tommy was part of the broadcast team, Frank was very supportive of the radio broadcasts," remembered Pike. "I think for like four years there Frank never missed a game, home or away. Frank was such a big part of the community. It's going to be strange going to Blue Devil ball games and not seeing him there."

The fervor for Blue Devil sports was even passed down to Frank's grandchildren Kennedy, Pam's daughter who is now a student at Ole Miss, and Tommy's children Abby, a rising volleyball player, and Caleb, who is a star baseball player entering the seventh grade at West.

"My Dad dragged the grandkids to all the Blue Devil games," said Tommy. "It wasn't 'Are we going?' It was 'What time do we leave?'"

Boys Basketball

Blue Devil boss Brown named to East All-Star coaching staff

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis boys head coach Marcus Brown was named to the East squad's coaching staff for this year's Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star basketball game.

It is Brown's second such honor, the other coming in 2018 after leading his team to the state championship game. Brown's Blue Devils this year went 26-4 and were declared co-state champions with Jacksonville after the Arkansas Activities Association ultimately canceled the Class 6A, 5A, 4A and 3A state title games in Hot Springs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I'm humbled, but at the same time I'm very grateful," said Brown, who has led the Blue Devils to a 79-14 record in three years at the helm. "The kids have worked so hard, and I'm very appreciative of them. And I'm also appreciative of the support I receive from my family and our fans."

The All-Star Game has been scheduled to take place in June in Conway, but there is speculation that because of the pandemic the game will not be played.

"It's unfortunate that we probably won't be able to play the game," said Brown. "But I will say the 2018 experience was a lot of fun. I got a chance to hang with a lot of legendary coaches. It's a unique experience in that you get a chance to coach and cheer for players that you played against during the regular season."

Governor Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday announced plans to gradually reopening Arkansas, beginning with scaled down restaurant openings.

"We will just have to wait and see how this goes," Brown added. "Possibly by June we might be able to start reopening most other things."

The rosters of each team will be announced next week, and it is expected that West Memphis star Chris Moore will be named to the East team.

Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown selected to coach in the AHSCA All-Star Game.

Postseason awards come pouring in for both West Memphis teams

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The season came to an abrupt early end for the West Memphis boys basketball team, but the ending meant a co-state championship, and later in the week the individual awards came flooding in.

After the Coronavirus wiped out the Class 5A state championship game between the Blue Devils and Jacksonville, the Arkansas Activities Association declared both teams co-state champions.

And with that declaration the 2019-20 hoop season came to an end.

Now, the postseason individual awards have been announced for both the Blue Devils and the Lady Devils.

West Memphis senior Chris Moore was named the state tournament's Most Valuable Player. The 6-foot-7 Auburn signee, who ended his four-year Blue Devil career as the school's all-time leader in points and rebounds, also was named to the All-State team. In addition, Moore was selected for the second year in a row to the Arkansas Sports Media's Super Team.

Moore was a first-team selection along with Justus Cooper of Izard County, Davonte Davis of Jacksonville, Derrian Ford of Magnolia and Jaylin Williams of Fort Smith Northside.

Two more Moore awards included his selection as a participant in the Arkansas All-Star Game and a first-team selection to the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association first-team all-Class 5A. Moore was joined on the first team by Marion's Detrick Reeves, Davis of Jacksonville, Taelon Peter of Russellville and Zane Butler of Greene County Tech.

Other Blue Devils joining Moore on the all-state tournament team were junior point guard Jordan Mitchell and senior Jalon Lewis. Mitchell also was named to the all-state team from the 5A-East Conference along with Reeves and Makyi Boyce of Marion, Wyatt Gilbert of Mountain Home, Jonesboro's Keylin McBride, Tech's Butler and Searcy's Freddy Hicks.

In winning their seventh state championship in school history, the Blue Devils compiled a record of 26-4.

Head coach Shelia Burns' Lady Devils, who finished 22-7 with a share of the 5A-East Conference championship, saw two of her players selected all-state, including senior Aryah Hazley and freshman Janiyah Tucker.

Hazley was also nominated for the Arkansas All-Star Game.

In addition, senior center Tiera Bradley was named to the all-state tournament team.

Postseason team results found the Blue Devil boys ranked No. 1 overall in the state by MaxPreps and No. 2 overall in the Arkansas Sports Media poll.

In the MaxPreps poll, the Blue Devils were followed in the top 10, in order, by Jacksonville, North Little Rock, Magnolia, Little Rock Mills, Conway, Fort Smith Northside, Hot Springs, Blytheville and Springdale Har-Ber.

In the Arkansas Sports Media poll, Magnolia (26-0) was No. 1, followed by the Blue Devils, Jacksonville, Conway, Little Rock Central, Mills, Northside, Fayetteville, North Little Rock and Hot Springs.

The Blue Devils and Magnolia finished with the same number of first-place votes (7), but Magnolia finished just one point ahead of West Memphis in overall points.

Blue Devils' Brown named state's Coach of the Year

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Just two days after his team was declared co-state champions by the Arkansas Activities Association in the middle of the dreadful social distancing caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, West Memphis Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown received more exciting news.

Brown was named the Coach of the Year by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association.

The Blue Devils (26-4) advanced to the Class 5A state championship game after three straight wins in Russellville the week of March 3-7. Then the pandemic shut down all public events in America, including the team's forthcoming March 14 showdown with Jacksonville for the state championship.

On Monday, the AAA announced that all Class 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A boys and girls basketball finalists would share the state championships.

Now, Brown has won his first coach of the year honor in just his third year as a head coach.

"I'm excited and I'm humbled all at the same time," said Brown, who is 79-14 in three years on the job at his alma mater. "I share the honor with all the kids and my staff as well as having Coach (Larry) Bray in my back pocket along with all the support staff."

Brown's squad won their second 5A-East Conference championship in the last three years by going 13-1 in league play in 2019-20.

"I'm just real proud of the kids on my team," said Brown, himself a Blue Devil standout from 1990-92. "I'm a lot to put up with. Some people don't know the amount of preparation and the work the players put in. Plus, we hold our kids to a high academic standard, and that also takes a lot of work."

The Blue Devils this season used a powerful inside attack, led by four-time all-state choice Chris Moore, along with the leadership in the backcourt from junior point guard Jordan Mitchell.

"I think the thing that set us apart from a lot of teams was our defense," said Brown. "We had a bunch of guys who bought in from the start the way we teach defense. Plus, our guys played hard in every game we played."

Like the rest of America, life style has changed recently for the Blue Devil Boss, what with the social distancing from the pandemic.

"For me, I'm a home body anyway," he said. "I like being on the couch and watching TV and it's been great getting up in the morning and making breakfast for my family. It's been a good balance because I've been able to get some stuff done around the house that I probably wouldn't have been able to do. My wife (Raven) and I work well together.

"I've also watched some game tape from this past season and set my expectation level for the players we have coming back. But I miss seeing my players and the camaraderie we all share. Maybe I needed this break."

Blue Devils declared co-state champs; title is school's 7th in history

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It wasn't the storybook ending Blue Devil Nation was expecting, but on Monday the Arkansas Activities Association declared the West Memphis boys and all other state finalists from Class 3A on up as co-state champions.

The decision by the AAA was made on the heels of Governor Asa Hutchinson's press conference Monday in which he closed all school buildings in Arkansas due to the Coronavirus pandemic for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.

The Blue Devils, who finished with a 26-4 record, advanced to their 12th state championship round last month in Russellville and were set to play Jacksonville for the Class 5A title in Hot Springs on March 14. But due to the pandemic, the AAA suspended play.

Now, after the organization's ruling on Monday the Blue Devils share the state championship with the Titans.

And for West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown, history is made with the declaration. Brown becomes the first in Arkansas basketball history to win a state championship as a player and as a head coach at his alma mater.

The Blue Devil mentor, in his third season at the helm, lauded his team's rise to the championship on Monday.

"I thought we had a spectacular state tournament," said Brown. "I'm just really happy for our coaching staff and our kids for the work they put in."

Brown's club, after winning the 5A-East Conference championship, whizzed through three rounds of the state tournament at Russellville High School, blasting Beebe 69-50 in the first round, getting by Sylvan Hills 66-57 in overtime in the quarterfinals and then defeating Maumelle 59-43 in the semifinals.

"I'm super proud of the team for how they held up all year," Brown added. "The way our team was playing together, sharing the ball, shooting it and defending, our feelings were we were going to win the last game in the state of Arkansas. We were clicking on all cylinders and when all else fails, you got the big fella inside."

The big fella is Blue Devil senior Chris Moore, who was on his way to being named the Most Valuable Player in the state tournament. The Auburn signee, who will end his West Memphis career as the school's all-time leader in points and rebounds, had 9 points and 17 rebounds in very limited minutes against Beebe before exploding for 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 assists in the win over Sylvan Hills.

In the team's semifinals, the 6-foot-7 Moore had game-high totals of 17 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks. He also added 2 assists.

"Chris is a super kid," Brown said. "He's a great player, but a better person. Chris was our best communicator out on the floor, our leader and he was our best defender. I'm so proud of him."

When asked if his players and coaching staff would receive rings for their state championship, Brown quickly replied, "Absolutely!"

"We're ranked No. 1 in Arkansas and nobody else can say that," Brown added.

The three wins in Russellville last month was especially gratifying for Brown, who after winning a state championship his junior year in 1991, would go on to see he and his teammates fall short in his senior year in 1992 in, of all places, Russellville, where the state tournament was held that year.

"When we drove up to the gym on that first day, I thought about my senior year a little bit," Brown recalled, "I said out loud, 'dang, the last time I was here I walked out losing."'

While lauding his MVP, Moore, Brown was quick to point out that the Blue Devils would have not made it as far as they did without strong contributions from several players.

Junior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who will be named to the all-state team later this week, was a state sheet filler after getting his feet wet the first few weeks of the season. Mitchell dazzled the crowd at Russellville with a thunderous dunk over a Maumelle player and he zipped a no-look behind-the-back pass to Moore for another dunk.

Senior guard Immanuel Hoard, a shooter during his junior season, developed a strong all-around game this season and provided stability on both ends of the floor.

Two Blue Devils who seemingly came from nowhere to emerge as major contributors this season were seniors Kyalan Sykes and Akyrahn Hazley. Sykes was arguably the team's best three-point shooter and Hazley displayed a reliable mid-range game while also helping out on the boards.

Senior point guard Deon Williams also was strong off the bench for the Blue Devils with timely shooting and being a secure ball-handler.

Transfer Jaylon Lewis shined off the bench several times this season, including an 11-point outing, which led the team, in the first-round win over Beebe.

Also, seniors Daveon Doolittle and Xavier Warren provided valuable minutes on the low-post area all season.

Brown also noted the contributions of the coaching staff, which included assistants Alvin Hawkins, Curtis Washington Sr., and Zebton Wells. Basketball operations coordinator Skylar Bonds was also noted for his strong work all season.

Brown had just finished a practice session at Lehr Arena on March 12 as news broke that the state tournament was being suspended due to the pandemic.

"When they didn't let us play the game right away and then seeing the (pandemic) numbers coming in during the next few days, I felt like we wouldn't play the (state title) game," he stated. "I understand all of this, though. It's all about the safety of our kids and our community. It hurts that we didn't actually get to finish the game, but we're No. 1 in the state and our kids will be immortalized."

It was the school's seventh state championship to go along with winners in 1980, 1981, 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2005.

For Brown, the distinction of being the first ever to pull off the player-coach trick in state history is especially sweet. After much research among veteran sports writers in the state and especially from Walter Woodie, a former prep sports writer from Fort Smith who is now an archivist for the AAA, it was decided Brown is the first to win state titles as a player and coach at the same school.

"How awesome is that? Brown exclaimed. "I had a lot of help along the way. It's very special and I'm super humbled by it."

Brown will make history Saturday with victory

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Marcus Brown could make distinctive Arkansas basketball history on Saturday.

If his West Memphis Blue Devils defeat Jacksonville in the Class 5A state title game in Hot Springs, it is believed he will become the first person in history to win a state championship as a player and as a coach at the same school.

After scouring record books and checking with veteran sports writers around the state, every effort shows that Brown would indeed be the first person to pull off that accomplishment.

Walter Woodie, former sports writer for the Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith and now an archivist for the Arkansas Activities Association, said that it is likely that West Memphis' coach would be the first.

"I think it would be safe to say that Coach Brown would be the first coach in the modern era (1960s plus) to win a state basketball title at his alma mater as a coach and player," said Woodie. "The ones who are closest are Eric Burnett (the head coach at Fort Smith Northside), who won as a coach, but not as a player, Barry Gebhard, who won as coach but not player at Fayetteville, Kyle Adams, who won as a player, but had two losses in finals as a coach and Johnny Rice, who won a title at North Little Rock Northeast as a player, but not at North Little Rock High, where he was head coach."

Brown was a junior star for the 1990-91 Blue Devils, who captured the Class AAAA state championship. The tournament was played at the old Devil Dome.

That was back in the days of the Overall Tournament, which was disbanded in 1992. The 1990-91 Blue Devils also won the Overall, which pitted the state champions from all classifications in order to declare one state champion.

The Blue Devil head coach also had his shot to claim this distinction in 2018 when his team faced Jonesboro in the Class 6A state title game, but the Hurricane pulled off a 55-49 win over West Memphis.

Brown said he'd never thought of the distinction until it was presented to him Thursday morning.

"It would be real special," said Brown. "It's still definitely about the kids. I'm just so excited for this opportunity again. But if it happens, how sweet would that be?"

Former West Memphis boys basketball coach Bill Terwilliger won a state championship as a player at Fort Smith Northside and then won two state titles as a coach for the Blue Devils.

Moore's final hurrah in WM will be for all the marbles

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Saturday will be the final time Chris Moore puts on a Blue Devil uniform, and he is well aware of the emotions that will be tied to it.

Moore and the Blue Devils will play Jacksonville for the Class 5A state championship at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday at Hot Springs.

Although there is no official record book for Blue Devil basketball, it is believed Moore will end his career as the school's all-time leader in career points and rebounds, beating both spots held by the great Keith Lee.

Moore is the only player to have played four years for West Memphis. He needs 39 points Saturday to become the first player in school history to record 2,000 points and he needs 22 rebounds to best Lee's single-season record in that category.

Lee snatched 536 rebounds his senior year of 1980-81.

"I just want to say thank you to the city for everything it's done for me," said Moore, who is bound for Auburn next season. "They stuck with me even though I picked a team outside of the two home-town colleges. That really means a lot coming from a small city, having that community behind you.

"It'll be a little bit of sadness and a lot of excitement on Saturday. The sad part is I'm going to be leaving my city. I have a lot of great memories being coached by Larry Bray and Coach Marcus (Brown). It's also going to be exciting because this is the way to go out. Playing for the championship. Then I will be starting a new chapter in my life."

Moore has been a marked man ever since he moved up from West Junior High in the ninth grade to play for Bray in the 2016-17 season. He's led the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding all four years he's played.

No doubt, he will get special attention from the Jacksonville defense on Saturday.

Moore is the only Blue Devil with state title game experience, and the previous one didn't have a happy ending for he and his fellow mates.

Just two weeks after Moore put up huge numbers against Jonesboro in the 6A-East Conference championship game with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks, Hurricane head coach Wes Swift devised a plan to slow Moore in the state title game.

The then 6-foot-6 forward was limited to just 6 shot attempts for the whole game. Moore finished with a season-low 5 points and zero shot attempts in the second half as Jonesboro went on to win 55-49.

"I know (Jacksonville) is going to give it their best shot," said Moore. "If I can't produce in points that night, I will always be in there rebounding and doing other things to help my team win. If they come out in a double team, I'm still going to get mine, but at the same time I'm going to be smart about it because I don't want to force nothing and make it go wrong for the team."

Moore said the experience he gained from the 2018 championship game will be useful for him on Saturday.

"Everybody on the floor will be playing on emotion, playing on the biggest and brightest stage," he stated. "We'll have some who are playing with pre-game jitters, but I've got to be the person to tell them, 'hey it's still the same game we've played all year.' I think I put too much weight on my own shoulders two years ago. Now I kind of understand what it takes to be the man. I want to go in and play aggressive and not be timid."

Moore has already been a force in the three previous state tournament games last week in Russellville. Like the other starting Blue Devils he didn't get many minutes in the easy opening win over Beebe, but he had 9 points and 17 rebounds.

In the quarterfinal overtime win over Sylvan Hills, Moore willed his team to victory with game-high totals of 30 points, 17 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 assists. In last Saturday's 59-43 semifinal win over Maumelle, Moore had 17 points, 15 rebounds, 6 blocks and 2 assists.

"Knowing this is the last game, I've got to give it everything I've got," said Moore, who was the Sophomore of the Year in Arkansas two years ago. "We're just going to try to go out and bring it all home for West Memphis."

Jacksonville coach Joyner very familiar with Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Victor Joyner is no stranger to West Memphis basketball.

The head coach of the Jacksonville boys has squared off against the Blue Devils dozens of times over the last 25 years, both at his current post and as the head coach at North Pulaski.

He'll do it one more time this Saturday as his Titans (20-5) take on the Blue Devils (26-4) for the Class 5A state championship in Hot Springs at 1:15 p.m.

West Memphis and Joyner's North Pulaski and Jacksonville teams have competed in the same conference over the course of the last 25 years and he said one thing seems to stand out to him.

"I don't know where y'all get all those bigs," he said. "It just seems West Memphis always has a lot of size, and they've got them again this year. The guard play is good, too, but it feels like I'm always putting my little guards against all those good bigs."

A look at Jacksonville's roster this year would indicate that Joyner has the size to offset West Memphis' length. The Titans' point guard, Razorback signee Davonte Davis, is 6-foot-3. Plus, Jacksonville counters the Blue Devils' inside ace, 6-foot-7 senior Chris Moore, with 6-6 power forward Ryan Maxwell.

Jacksonville made it to the finals with two blowouts and a close win last week in Russellville.

The Titans had little trouble with their opening opponent, Little Rock Fair, in a 57-35 win. In a quarterfinal match-up with the East's No. 3 seed, Greene County Tech, Jacksonville jumped out to a 20-point plus first-half lead before taking its foot off the gas late in the third quarter as the Eagles sliced the deficit to 3 before the Titans finally won 82-69.

As most around here already know, it was very nearly an all-Crittenden County final, but after erasing a 16-point second-half deficit, the Marion Patriots lost 54-53 in the semifinals to Jacksonville.

In that game, Jacksonville's two guards, Davis and Christian Moore, combined for 12 turnovers against an effective Marion press.

Also in that game, Joyner was without one of his top guards, junior Braxton Brown, who was out with the flu. He'll be a full go for Saturday's tilt.

"We know West Memphis is going to press us, and we'll be better equipped to handle it with Braxton in there," said Joyner.

The Titans are not only big, but they are very athletic and skilled enough with shooters on both wings. Joyner said his team likes to get up and down the floor, playing as fast a tempo as they can stand.

Head coach Marcus Brown's Blue Devils play faster than last year's pace, but maybe not quite as fast as Jacksonville likes to play. Both Marion last week and Little Rock Hall, the last team to put a loss on the Titans in the last regular-season game, slowed down the tempo against Joyner's club.

Joyner said his game plan for the Blue Devils may begin with some divine intervention.

"Other than pray a lot, I think what we'll do is try not to get killed on the boards and keep Chris from getting 50 (points)," he said straight faced. "Chris is a handful. He's an outstanding kid, a high-character kid from what I'm told. He's very deserving of the scholarship he's getting from Auburn."

This is West Memphis' 11th appearance in the state championship game. After winning six of their first eight appearances, the Blue Devils have lost their last three, including 2018 when they were defeated by Jonesboro.

Joyner has brought Jacksonville state titles in 2009 and 2012.

Blue Devils punch their ticket to the finals with win over Maumelle

By Billy Woods

WM School District

RUSSELLVILLE --- As had been the case all day, there was a mad scramble for a rebound in heavy traffic, and as has been the case for the last four years, one Chris Moore came away with the possession.

Moore spotted his point guard, Jordan Mitchell near halfcourt and whizzed an outlet his way. With the West Memphis Blue Devils in clock-working mode, Mitchell saw an opening he couldn't resist.

As he penetrated the basket, Mitchell appeared to change his mind and back the ball out front.

But it was too good a moment to pass up.

So, Mitchell whirled a no-look behind-the-back pass to Moore for a dunk, and just like that the door was shut on Maumelle.

The Blue Devils punched their ticket to Hot Springs on Saturday with a 59-43 victory over Maumelle in the Class 5A state tournament semifinals.

Mitchell's dazzling pass which set the hundreds of West Memphians in attendance on fire, gave the Blue Devils (26-4) a 56-48 lead with just 1:57 left in the game.

The whole exhilarating day for Blue Devil Nation was defined by Mitchell, who had the most electrifying dunk of the tournament when he grabbed yet another outlet from Moore, found another open lane on the other end and threw down a vicious tomahawk dunk over Maumelle's Dreshaun Doyne midway through the fourth quarter.

"I just felt the moment when it happened," an exuberant Mitchell said. "On the pass, I know Chris is always behind me, and all I ever have to do with him is get it to him. He always knows what to do with it."

Moore put up another double-double as he led the Blue Devils with 17 points and 15 rebounds to go along with 6 blocks and 2 assists.

For the 6-foot-7 senior who is bound for Auburn next season, it will be his second trip to the state championship game in his career. Jonesboro handed the Blue Devils a 55-49 loss two years ago, and Moore wants to make sure his high school career ends with glory.

"I'm so blessed to be a Blue Devil and to be going to the finals again," said Moore. "But this time we've got to bring it all home."

The team that had to grind out a 66-57 win in overtime 24 hours earlier against Sylvan Hills, made sure the semifinals were going to be an easier ride for its fans.

Maumelle (24-8) led just once in the game, and that was 13-12 near the end of the first quarter. And that lead lasted all of 35 seconds when Moore sank a mid-range jumper with 4 seconds left before the buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 14-13 lead after one quarter.

Playing ahead all day was the formula that West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown emphasized all morning before the game. Brown has been battling the sniffles all week in Russellville and before he addressed the media he was already eager to head back to West Memphis.

"As soon as I get back home I'm going to Coast to Coast (minor medical)," Brown said. "I need a cocktail shot to get rid of this stuff.

"Getting out in front early was crucial as we learned (on Friday). We let a young Sylvan Hills get some confidence early against us. You can't give a young team confidence in a game of this magnitude because they don't know they're not supposed to be in that spot. We didn't want to let Maumelle fire away, fire away."

Although the Blue Devils led the Hornets most of the day, it wasn't until late in the third quarter before they pulled away.

With the score 33-25 West Memphis, Blue Devil senior Jaylon Lewis hit two free throws and then Mitchell drove the lane and completed a three-point play to make it 38-25.

The quarter ended in fashion when senior Kyalan Sykes drained a three-pointer with 1 second left to give the Blue Devils a 41-27 lead after three quarters.

The fourth quarter was nothing but a show for the Blue Devil faithful.

"Mitchell has thrown that (no look, behind-the-back) before," said Brown. "Thank God Chris caught it. Nothing Jordan does surprises me because he's talented as heck."

The Blue Devil defense was also solid all day, limiting Maumelle to 31 percent shooting overall from the floor and just 2 of 13 from the bonus arc.

West Memphis shot 55 percent and it was 4 of 10 from the three-point circle.

Interestingly, the Hornets became the first team to outrebound West Memphis since late November, by winning the battle of the backboards 24-23.

Mitchell finished with 13 points and 5 assists while Lewis played a strong game with 12 points. Sykes and reserve Deon Williams scored 5 apiece for the Blue Devils.

Maumelle got 12 points from Nico Davillier and 11 from Courtney Lawrence.

At post time, the Blue Devils are awaiting the winner of tonight's other boys semifinal game between Jacksonville and Marion.

A Marion upset would create a first-ever all-Crittenden County championship game.

Blue Devil forward Chris Moore (2) blocks shot by Maumelle's Nico Davillier.

Jubilant Blue Devils celebrate after 59-43 victory to send them to the state finals.

Blue Devils pull out heart-stopping win, move on to semifinals

By Billy Woods

WM School District

RUSSELLVILLE --- The West Memphis Blue Devils gave their fans coronary concern here Friday afternoon, but in the end they were able to take a deep breath and relieve the tension.

West Memphis survived another horrid shooting performance from the free-throw line and a slow start, and handed Sylvan Hills a 66-57 loss in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state tournament.

The Blue Devils (25-4) will take on Maumelle in the semifinals on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

It was an uneven performance for the team that is ranked No. 1 in 5A and No. 2 overall. It was enough to shake their own head coach, Marcus Brown.

"Don't need to have anymore of those," said a relieved Brown. "But I'm just so proud of my kids for the way they fought back."

The Blue Devils got off to a rocky start, trailing the Bears, at one point, 31-22 in the second quarter and then 31-24 at halftime.

After appearing to have the game sewn up in regulation, the Blue Devils even survived one other dagger, off the fingertips of Sylvan Hills sophomore Nick Smith, who swished a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to tie the score 55-55.

Smith and the Blue Devils' star senior forward Chris Moore jousted one another all afternoon, but it was the senior West Memphian who tipped the scales in his favor.

Moore poured through game-high totals of 30 points and 17 rebounds to go along with 3 blocks and 2 assists. Smith, likely the top sophomore in the state, hit 28 points in the losing cause.

"In the first half I thought me and Nick were just trading baskets," said Moore. "I'd come down and get a basket, then he'd do the same on the other end. Nick's got a bright future ahead of him, and I can't wait to see what he's got in him."

The Blue Devils dominated most of the stat sheet, shooting 41 percent from the field to Sylvan Hills' 37 percent. And the Blue Devils hammered the Bears on the glass, outrebounding them 41-20. They even won the turnover battle. West Memphis committed only 11 turnovers to Sylvan Hills' 12.

But it was the missed free throws that have been a concern all season,and it reared its ugly head in the state tournament on Friday.

The Blue Devils hit 18 of 33 from the free-throw line, but more importantly they went 2 for their first 8 from the line in the fourth quarter and in overtime, killing a chance to put the Bears to bed.

West Memphis trailed from the opening moments of the second quarter up until senior guard Kyalan Sykes sank a crucial three-pointer with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter to give the Blue Devils a 45-44 lead.

"We needed it really bad, so my mindset was 'this is what I do best, so I gotta do it.,"' said Sykes, who scored 11 points. "I had missed a couple threes before that, but when I get cold I gotta keep positive. Coach says to shoot it, so I just ring it up."

It was enough to push the team to a 51-46 lead with 5:07 to play.

A layup by Moore with 59 seconds and Jordan Mitchell's one-out-two showing from the free-throw line with 38 seconds left appeared to be enough to cinch it for West Memphis in regulation.

But with Sykes in his face, Sylvan Hills' Smith sank a triple from the deep corner to tie the game and sending it into overtime.

"During a timeout, I told our guys we want to foul with about 8 seconds to play," said Brown. "We had a little mental lapse, but it was really good defense by Sykes. He was in his face. Again, though, we have to do what the coach says."

But whaddya know, the Blue Devils sank two straight free throws when Mitchell popped a pair in to open the scoring in the overtime.

West Memphis scored the first 7 points in overtime to take a 62-55 lead with 58 seconds left.

The only points Sylvan Hills got in the extra frame were two free throws from Smith with 49 seconds to play.

But Moore and Mitchell, who scored 14 points and had 6 assists, sank 2 out of 4 from the free-throw line and Sykes put it away for good with a pair of charities with 5.6 seconds left.

"We missed a lot of open shots, layups and free throws, but we were able to overcome it and show the rest of the state what West Memphis basketball is all about," said Brown.

Brown admitted the Sylvan Hills combination of 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones made his team a little uncomfortable.

"We knew they'd throw some zone on us, but our ball movement was a little sticky," Brown commented. "We were in cool mode, not attack mode. We finally woke up and started attacking the basket."

The Blue Devils also got 5 points apiece from Akyrahn Hazley and Immanuel Hoard.

Sylvan Hills' Smith got very little support from his mates. DeShaun Fowlkes had 11, Tony Cribbs scored 8 and Corey Washington added 6.

Blue Devils' Jordan Mitchell (12) had 14 points and 6 assists in his team's 66-57 overtime win over Sylvan Hills.

Blue Devils hammer Beebe in the first round, 69-50

By Billy Woods

WM School District

RUSSELLVILLE --- Head coach Marcus Brown reiterated here on Tuesday in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament that when his Blue Devils are on their game it becomes entertainment.

They were engaged and then some by alternately ripping through Beebe and then showing the Badgers mercy by winning 69-50 in a first-round game.

Brown said last Friday, minutes after his team had beaten Mountain Home in the regular-season finale that "When we're focused and engaged we are fun to watch."

The Blue Devils (24-4) will face the winner of Wednesday night's game between Sheridan and Sylvan Hills on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

West Memphis bolted to a quick 19-8 lead after one quarter and then pushed the score to 39-21 at halftime. The Blue Devils shot a blistering 62.5 percent from the field in the first 16 minutes on 15 of 24 shooting.

They were even better than that from three-point range, sinking 4 of their 6 attempts.

"We're just trying to get to the promised land," said star forward Chris Moore, who like all starters played sparingly, but who also poured in 9 points and had a game-high 17 rebounds.

Brown showed a lot of mercy on Beebe (12-15) by playing 12 in the first half.

As efficient as the Blue Devils were offensively, they were equally dominant on the defensive end, limiting the Badgers to 8 of 27 shooting (30 percent) in the first two quarters.

The intensity was there from the opening tip, according to Brown.

"We're here for business," said Brown. "This is the first step. Everything's good."

West Memphis was one point away from applying the mercy rule in the fourth quarter, after leading by as much as 30 in the third quarter, but with Brown's liberal substitutions, Beebe was kept from getting embarrassed.

The Blue Devils led 57-30 after three quarters, much of it due to a balanced scoring attack that was led by senior Jaylon Lewis' 11 points.

"I'm playing off defense first," said Lewis. "I base my game off mid-range (shots) and then work my way in toward the basket. It felt good to contribute like this in the state tournament. I've been staying in the gym late and working out."

West Memphis hammered Beebe on the boards, 42-14, the team's largest margin of the season in that category.

The show was run deftly by junior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who was content in setting up his teammates. He passed a game-high 8 assists and scored 6 points.

For the game, the Blue Devils hit 55 percent on 29 of 53 shooting from the floor. They also finished 5 of 7 from the bonus arc.

Seniors Akyrahn Hazley and Kyalan Sykes each poured in 10 points.

"We wanted everybody to get to play tonight, get their feet wet and experience the electricity of the state tournament," Brown added. "Our kids want this, and they're locked in."

Moore's three previous trips to the state tournament included a first-round loss in 2017, a loss in the championship game in 2018 and a loss in the semifinals last year.

He emphasized his desire to go out a champion as a Blue Devil before he heads to Auburn and head coach Bruce Pearl.

"I'm pretty sure this is the best we've been together all season,"said Moore. "We just need to keep this intensity and stay focused on the task at hand. We all want to go all the way, but we know we have to play and play well."

Blue Devils Deon Williams (left) and Jamaul Crayton dive for loose ball against Beebe.

Blue Devils ready for state tournament; play Beebe Tuesday

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Last year at this time, West Memphis boys head coach Marcus Brown was asked why he thought his team could win the state championship.

"We've got the big man and we've got the point guard," he said, referring to forward Chris Moore and point guard Cavin Paige.

This year, the Blue Devils still have that combo.

Senior Chris Moore is still leading the Blue Devil charge and the point guard duties have been handed over to junior Jordan Mitchell, who one publication has listed as the No. 1 junior point guard in Arkansas.

But this time, the Blue Devils (23-4) have other weapons as they prepare to play Beebe Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament at Russellville.

Brown himself acknowledged he had "more depth" this year than last.

"We run 9-10 deep," said Brown, whose team captured the 5A-East Conference championship with a 13-1 record.

The Blue Devils appear to have enough shooters to keep the opposition from collapsing on Moore, the state's top inside threat. Seniors Kyalan Sykes and Immanuel Hoard have proven their prowess beyond the three-point arc, and Mitchell has mid-range capabilities with a step-back move that has served him well this season.

Also, senior reserve Deon Williams has been a calming effect coming off the bench and playing both guard spots with defense and shooting as staples.

Senior Akyrahn Hazley has also been an overall solid player, capable of playing inside or outside and senior Jaylon Lewis, who transferred in from Memphis Mitchell, has provided a mid-range shooting touch and quickness on defense.

"I am well aware of how (the opposition) is going to play off Chris," said Brown. "He's just got to continue to shoot his shot. I feel good about heading into the state tournament. When we're focused and engaged, we're so special and so fun to watch.

"But when we're stagnant and don't move the ball on offense and we start thinking it's my turn to shoot, it hurts us. Everybody who plays this week has got to give it their all."

One Blue Devil aspect that the Class 5A field may overlook is the team's defense. Brown's squad plays a hard man-to-man, but it also can give the other teams a look at a zone that may surface in the state tournament.

West Memphis comes into the game ranked No. 1 in Class 5A. But in the same bracket as West Memphis is the host school, Russellville. The two teams could meet in the semifinals on Saturday. Russellville, the top seed out of the West, will play Jonesboro in the first round on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in a match-up that the Cyclones would be wise to take as serious as possible, even though the Hurricane is the No. 4 seed out of the East.

Other top teams in the 5A field include second-ranked Hot Springs, Jacksonville and Sylvan Hills, who the Blue Devils could play in the quarterfinals if both teams win their opening games.

Blue Devil tip Mountain Home, ready for state tournament

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Two seasons down, one to go for the West Memphis Blue Devils.

With their eyes clearly on claiming a state championship, the WM can kiss the non-conference and the conference seasons goodbye and now focus on the big prize.

Playing with all types of rotation combos due to Senior Night festivities, the Blue Devils outlasted Mountain Home 46-39 on Friday night at Lehr Arena.

For the 5A-East Conference champion Blue Devils, it is now on to the state tournament, where they will play on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against Beebe.

When the final seconds ticked off, head coach Marcus Brown let his Blue Devils soak in the moment for their final game this season at home as the players mingled with friends and family on the court and took selfies with teammates.

"The next couple of days we'll be tuning some things up," said Brown, whose team improves to 23-4 overall and ends the season with a 13-1 conference record. "I knew tonight was going to be a tough game. It was our Senior Night, and reality starts setting in for some of these guys because it's their last game to step out on this court."

Ranked No. 3 overall in the state in the Arkansas Sports Media and No. 1 in Class 5A, the Blue Devils will be one of the favorites in next week's tournament.

They will no doubt play with whatever combos on the court that got them to this point.

However, Friday night was all about giving some seniors who have played sparingly this season some high-leverage minutes on the court.

The opportunity was seized by senior Tremaine Sims, who started and produced the first two baskets of the game for the Blue Devils, both of which came off offensive rebounds.

"Tremaine is a kid you want on your team," said Brown. "He doesn't complain and works hard every day by giving us the intangibles. I was happy for him tonight. In fact, I'm happy for all my seniors. They worked hard as a group all year and provided the right leadership."

Although Mountain Home (15-12, 6-8) didn't qualify for the state tournament, the Bombers probably would have been a playoff team in one of the other three Class 5A conferences.

They possess one of the better players in the league in forward Mat Jones, who led all scorers with 24 points. He was the single reason the Bombers refused to go away quietly even though their season's fate had already been decided.

The Blue Devils led 24-15 at halftime and then started the third quarter on a 6-0 run to push the score to 30-19.

But Jones hit a short bank shot to open the fourth quarter to bring the visitors within 37-34.

Also playing his final game at home, Blue Devil senior Kyalan Sykes sank a three-pointer with 2:57 to play and then fellow senior Akyrahn Hazley split a pair of free throws to give the hosts a 45-36 lead.

West Memphis played its second straight game with less than 10 turnovers by committing only 7 against Mountain Home.

And the Blue Devils' 28-15 margin in rebounds gave them 25 games out of their 27 this season outrebounding the opposition.

Senior forward Chris Moore wrapped up his four-year career by scoring 17 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds.

Four West Memphians scored 5 points, including Sykes, Jordan Mitchell, Deon Williams and Immanuel Hoard. Jaylon Lewis and Sims each had 4.

Blue Devil Akyrahn Hazley defends Mountain Home's Mat Jones (10).

All-time great Chris Moore wraps up career at home Friday

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis is saying goodbye to one of its all-time greats Friday night at Lehr Arena.

Chris Moore, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, will play his last game for the West Memphis Blue Devils at home when his team takes on Mountain Home.

The Auburn signee will leave a historical legacy.

He became the first-ever Blue Devil to play four years at the varsity level, and he will no doubt be the all-time leader in points and rebounds when he is finally through after play is over in the Class 5A state tournament.

But what Moore also leaves behind, and perhaps most importantly, is the memory of a polite, upstanding, coachable and affable young man.

The statistics measured in points, rebounds, blocks, assists and victories have been well-documented over the last four years. What we will touch on today, however, is the imprint he left on those outside the Blue Devil basketball program.

Here are comments from several who have known Chris in a personal way over his West Memphis basketball career:

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift

"I think Chris is a better person than he is a basketball player. He's one of the best teammates I've ever been around in my life. I think if you look up the word winner in the dictionary, if it doesn't have Chris Moore's face by it, then I don't know whose face it's going to be. He's one of the finest teenage basketball players in the United States of America. I've coached Chris on the AAU Circuit, and I've seen him guard 6-foot-10 to 7-foot guys and win time after time. But I guess my favorite memories of Chris, for whatever reason, is when he's on the bench. I'm watching him making five dudes out on the court better, and that's a skill that not many people have. Many people might think that may be an embarrassing thing over there on the bench, but Chris totally gets it. He can be standing right beside me on the sideline swinging his towel, cheering on his teammates. A couple of times he'd hit me with that towel. The year I coached him for The Woodz, we were the No. 1-ranked travel team in the country on all the shoe circuits until the very last poll before they moved Indiana Elite to No. 1."

Mayor Marco McClendon

"Chris is a very intelligent young man. I'm very proud of him. As mayor, I can see that he represents West Memphis with class. I know his momma, he comes from good stock. I also believe he will be so beneficial for the Auburn Tigers next year, and I look forward to following him all the way up to the NBA, and even in retirement, to see all the great things he's going to do in his life. One thing about Chris is, he's a big guy, but he's also a very humble young man. He's very aware of what's going on around him. I'm very excited about his basketball career, but what I see is the very fine young man he's growing into. That's what I'm more pleased and happy about."

Jennifer Presley, teacher at AWM

"I've taught Chris for three years, and he's a great kid. What I think stands out about Chris is there are some students that every teacher would love to have, and Chris is that kind of kid. You can tell he's had family support and parental input in his life. His behavior in the classroom is exceptional and his academic motivation is also exceptional. He has set up goals for his life, and not only has he set them for himself athletically, he has also set up academic goals for himself. I think that's what makes him the different type of student he is. He's decided who he wants to be athletically and also academically."

Alvin Hawkins, brother

"The four years here have gone by so quick. You're looking at a kid who was probably a little scared when he got here as a ninth-grader, but coach Marcus (Brown) believed in Chris. Now he's matured into a kid who wants the moment. That's growth within itself. His game has changed and he's learned a lot. He was a good slice of steak when he got here as a ninth-grader, but he had no seasoning. He's a finished product now.

"I'll give you a good example of that. He wanted to go to his freshman prom, and he had a big-time showcase tournament to play in, and I told him, 'Chris, when you're at this level there are certain things you have to sacrifice.' After that, he never talked about certain social functions. He kind of understands the business of it now. I think a lot of what he's about comes from our parents. He has older parents, and they have instilled into him old-school values."

Shirley Moore, mother

"I think his personality and his values come from both me and my husband. His dad is quiet and very serene. I'm a people person, though. I just enjoy being around people, and I think Chris is the same way. We knew very early that basketball was going to be his thing. When he was about 2 or 3, we gave him a soccer ball, a football, and a basketball. Well, he kicked the soccer ball away and after playing with the football a little while he threw that ball away. He got the basketball and just started bouncing it all over the house. He'd break things with that ball, but after a while we all knew something was going to come from that basketball.

"We all have really enjoyed his four years as a West Memphis Blue Devil. Friday night is going to be a bitter-sweet moment for me. But he's got the great memories from playing ball here. He's been a good child, the people of West Memphis love him, but he has to move on from here after these next few games."

Blue Devil senior Chris Moore will play his final game at Lehr Arena on Friday.

Blue Devils all business in knocking off Tech 71-64

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- On the dry erase board in the visiting locker room, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown listed his team's objective in descending order on Tuesday night.

It read:

1. Focus/all business

2. Defense is key

3. No second shots, limit turnovers

4. Play with patience, good ball movement

5. Communicate/stay together

6. Transition defense

7. Enjoy

The Blue Devils checked off all the boxes with a 71-64 victory at Greene County Tech.

Already having clinched the 5A-East Conference championship, Brown was emphatic last week with his intentions on the final week of regular-season play.

Play to win and tune up.

The Blue Devils were indeed all business against Tech.

The second box was checked by limiting the normally hot-shooting Techsters to 6 of 19 shooting from three-point range for 32 percent.

The Blue Devils (22-4 overall, 12-1 in the 5A-East) also outrebounded the Eagles (20-6, 8-5) 30-18 and they committed a season-low 7 turnovers to check off box No. 3.

"The ball movement was tremendous all night," said Brown aftwards, after watching his junior point guard Jordan Mitchell leave Tech spellbound with 5 assists to go along with 17 points.

Box No. 5 was taken care of when Tech trimmed the West Memphis lead to 52-49 after three quarters. Mitchell hit a tear-drop in the lane to open the fourth quarter and it led to a 13-5 run to open the fourth quarter, giving the visitors a 64-54 lead with 1:32 left in the game.

Greene County Tech also was limited to 3 points in transition all night, which checked off box No. 6.

Finally, the Blue Devils certainly enjoyed the victory.

"Our offense clicked all night. I was very pleased," said Brown. "We ran our stuff well all night. Our ball movement was very good, which we made sure to write on the board."

The Blue Devil depth just wore down the Eagles.

West Memphis placed four players in double figures with Mitchell leading the way. Senior guard Kylan Sykes, on the strength of four three-pointers and four-of-four shooting from the free-throw line in the final minute, was also key with 16 points.

Senior forward Chris Moore tallied only 12 points, but he cleaned the boards for 17 rebounds. Perhaps the biggest contribution came from senior Akyrahn Hazley, who provided 13 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.

"We're nine, 10 deep," Brown proclaimed. "We're getting production from a lot of folks."

Greene County Tech's high-scoring guard, Zane Butler, who was held to just 4 points in a 65-36 loss at West Memphis last month, sizzled the nets for a game-high 24 points on Tuesday night.

After Butler hit his first shot of the night, he proceeded to miss his next one, which then led to two turnovers.

Tech head coach Jeff Guiot then benched Butler.

After sitting for a few minutes, Butler returned to the game and then missed two shots the rest of the night.

His teammate, Cade Cancilla, added 16 points.

West Memphis outshot Greene County Tech from the field, 53 percent to 49 percent.

Chris Moore (2) blocks shot by Greene County Tech's Cade Cancilla.

Blue Devils clinch conference championship!!

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It's official.

The West Memphis Blue Devils are the 5A-East Conference champions.

West Memphis clinched the East's No. 1 seed in the state tournament via the combination of its 48-39 victory at home Friday night over Paragould and Marion's 55-53 overtime loss at home to Greene County Tech.

"Winning the conference was one of our immediate goals for the season," said a satisfied West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "I'm proud of my team. They represent the city very well."

The Blue Devils (21-4 overall, 11-1 in the 5A-East) have secured their state tournament fate. They will play their first-round game on March 3 in Russellville at 5:30 p.m. against the fourth-place team from the West, which looks like either Alma or Beebe.

Until then, the Blue Devils have two more regular-season games, and Brown said his team will approach those games with a win-first initiative.

"It's tune-up city baby," said Brown. "It's all cylinders go. We can't look at them any way else. We're focused on the next game and that's Tuesday night at Greene County Tech. We're pulling into Tech to take care of business and then on Senior Night we want to send our seniors out on a winning note."

After Brown's team humiliated Paragould (1-21, 0-12) last month 79-23 using only his starters for the first five minutes, the Blue Devil boss decided to give his starters the night off.

The starting five didn't even hit the floor against Paragould.

Thus, the score was way closer than it would have been otherwise.

"I knew playing it the way we did it would be a little bumpy," Brown stated. "But we did this with the mindset of getting some kids ready for the future."

The league championship is the second in the last three years for Brown. West Memphis' only remaining goal is to win the state, where the Blue Devils will be among the favorites along with host Russellville, Jacksonville and Hot Springs, all of which will be the No. 1 seeds from their respective conferences.

"It's all business from here on," Brown added.

With a starting lineup of seniors Jamaul Crayton, Deon Williams, Xavier Warren and Kyalan Sykes hooking up with junior Kaleb Burnes, the Blue Devils darted out to a 19-10 first quarter lead.

From there the play got choppy, but still the home team led 26-19 at halftime.

Even with leading rebounder Chris Moore and company on the bench, the Blue Devils still outrebounded Paragould 25-17, making it 23 games out of 25 that they have won the battle of the boards.

The closest the Rams got was six points at 42-36 with 1:54 to play in the game after a three-pointer from Carter Starling, but the Blue Devils got five straight free throws from the combo of Sykes, Akyrahn Hazley and Jaylon Lewis after the team had hit on only 5 of its first 14 free-throw attempts.

Williams led the Blue Devils with 9 points while Sykes tallied 8 and Burnes and junior Tremaine Sims each scored 6.

Paragould got 9 points from Eli Schreit and 8 from Nathan Leer.

The rest of the 5A-East standings see Marion, Jonesboro and Tech all tied for second place with records of 8-4. Marion hosts Jonesboro in its regular-season finale on Thursday night while Tech must win at home against the Blue Devils on Tuesday.

Kaleb Burnes scores inside against Paragould

Blue Devils' Jamaul Crayton (0) grabs a rebound against Paragould

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 21 edition

Coming off a pair of big wins on Tuesday night at Jonesboro, the West Memphis basketball teams get a pair of breathers tonight at Lehr Arena.

Paragould visits tonight in the next-to-last home game of the regular season for the Blue Devil squads. The Lady Devils (20-5 overall, 9-2 in the 5A-East Conference) posted a 57-54 win at Jonesboro on Tuesday night, which solidifies their hold on second place in league standings. The West Memphis girls ousted Paragould 47-32 last month in Paragould.

Although head coach Shelia Burns' team has a strong hold on second place, it will take a victory over Mountain Home next Friday night at Lehr Arena to clinch the No. 2 seed in the 5A-East Conference.

First-year Paragould head girls coach Sonja Tate makes her return to Lehr Arena tonight after she served as the Lady Devils' interim head coach last season. Tate is the greatest female player in West Memphis history, but she also holds that distinction at Arkansas State University. She is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and she is an inaugural member of the West Memphis Sports Hall of Fame.

Head coach Marcus Brown's Blue Devils will not get tested tonight by Paragould. Mark my words.

Brown played his starters less than five minutes last month at Paragould and the Blue Devils still came away with a 79-23 victory.

With a two-game lead and three games still to be played, the Blue Devils are solid favorites to clinch the 5A-East Conference championship.

A league title would pit the Blue Devils (20-4, 10-1) against the No. 4 seed from the West, which will most likely be Beebe, in the Class 5A state tournament on March 3 in Russellville.

And it will also put the Blue Devils into the same bracket as the host team, Russellville, which is a lock to win the 5A-West.

Surging Blue Devils claim crucial win at Jonesboro

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- The West Memphis Blue Devils took a huge step toward clinching the 5A-East Conference championship here on Tuesday night.

Senior forward Chris Moore scored 13 points and secured a game-high 17 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to a 48-45 victory over Jonesboro.

The win gives the Blue Devils (20-4 overall, 10-1 in the conference) a two-game lead with three to play. Marion (8-3 in league play) defeated Mountain Home Tuesday night and is all alone in second place. The loss moved Jonesboro into a tie for third place with Greene County Tech.

West Memphis now has games left at home against Paragould on Friday night, a Feb. 25 road date at Tech and the regular-season finale at home against Mountain Home on Feb. 28.

Head coach Marcus Brown isn't too concerned about the remaining schedule. He's still savoring Tuesday night's conquest at Jonesboro.

"We came here, fought through some adversity and got a big win here," said a jubilant Brown. "Big props to my kids. I'm super proud of them."

The adversity referred to by Brown came in the fourth quarter when the Blue Devils nearly blew a 12-point lead.

A three-pointer by senior guard Kyalan Sykes from the corner with 6:54 to play in the game gave West Memphis a 42-30 lead.

But no 12-point lead with that much time remaining is ever safe at Barry Pruitt Hurricane Gymnasium.

Junior guard Kelyn McBride and sophomore Kavon Pointer single-handedly brought the hosts back and it took some fancy footwork by the Blue Devils in the final minute to preserve the win.

"I thought we would have handled (the 12-point lead) better," Brown admitted. "We have to execute better. We did not run anything press-break-wise by attacking the rim."

McBride swished two free throws with 17 seconds left to slice the West Memphis lead to 48-45. Then on the inbounds pass, Blue Devil junior guard Jordan Mitchell was called for a charge before the ball was even in play.

The player-control foul gave the Hurricane (14-9, 7-4) the ball in their frontcourt.

McBride misfired on a banked two-point attempt and Moore claimed his 17th rebound on the night. He was fouled immediately.

After missing the front end of the one-and-one, it gave the Blue Devils a 5-for-12 night from the charity stripe. But more importantly it gave Jonesboro another chance.

However, Brown screamed for Moore to foul Jonesboro's Jesse Washington near midcourt with 1.4 seconds to play.

Washington purposely missed his free throw and the long carom was very nearly secured by McBride. However, Sykes swooped in at the last second to grab possession as the clock ran out.

The Blue Devils won the game with several buckets in transition, a 27-18 advantage on the boards, a more efficient three-point effort than Jonesboro (3-for-6 for West Memphis to Jonesboro's 4-for-15) and by outshooting the Hurricane overall.

The Blue Devils made 20 of their 42 shots from the floor for 48 percent while JHS was 15 of 40 for 38 percent.

"When our defense was as good as it was tonight it creates points in transition," said Brown. "If you're able to get (Jonesboro) back on their heels you can beat them down court. Overall, we did a really good job with that tonight."

Jonesboro led 11-9 after one quarter, but the Blue Devils took a 26-24 lead into the lockers at halftime.

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift said his team lost the game with a subpar third quarter.

West Memphis scored the final 10 points of the stanza to take a 39-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

"We're just letting teams space too far against us," said Swift. "Part of it was (West Memphis') defense, forcing us into some bad shots. We made a couple of turnovers and it turned into fast-break buckets for them."

Leading by just one point at 44-43 inside a minute to play and the Blue Devils trying to salt the clock, Mitchell sank a clutch pull-up mid-range jumper for a 46-43 lead. About 27 seconds later, Akyrahn Hazley got a break-away dunk for the 48-43 lead.

Sykes and senior Immanuel Hoard, back from sick bay last Friday night, contributed 10 points to the winning cause while Mitchell had 3 points and 5 rebounds.

Jonesboro got 16 points from McBride, 15 from Pointer and 12 from Washington.

Jordan Mitchell (12) splits two Jonesboro defenders.

Deon Williams (14) slips past Jonesboro's Kavon Pointer.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 18 edition

The West Memphis boys have a two-game lead in the 5A-East Conference standings with four games to play.

Insurmountable?

Not really.

Tonight, the Blue Devils (19-4 overall, 9-1 in the conference) travel to Jonesboro in a very important clash. The Hurricane, at 7-3, are tied with Marion for second place. Jonesboro's championship hopes were dealt a severe blow last Friday night with a loss at Greene County Tech.

Head coach Wes Swift's club, which is expected to get an upgrade on its frontcourt tonight with the addition of some junior high talent, lost 47-43 at West Memphis last month in a game that could have swung either way. That plays heavily into pregame thinking tonight.

A Jonesboro win tonight would go a long way into putting the team back into contention. But a West Memphis loss by less than four points would still give the Blue Devils the point advantage over both the Hurricane and Marion.

The Blue Devils have the point advantage over Marion by virtue of its nine-point win over the Patriots at Marion and their seven-point loss at Lehr Arena.

West Memphis still has games at home against Paragould and Mountain Home and another road game at dangerous Greene County Tech.

Looking even further ahead, the winner of the 5A-East Conference will be placed into the same bracket as Russellville, which is the likely winner of the West and the host of the Class 5A state tournament beginning March 3.

Playing Russellville on its home floor would be a tough ask.

The task at hand for West Memphis' boys will be to get back to playing as well as they were three weeks ago and then solidifying that level heading into postseason play. The Blue Devils have not shot it well from deep the last two games, hitting on only 7 of their 27 three-point attempts.

That will have to improve, especially if star post player Chris Moore continues to be placed on the perimeter.

And, the team's free-throw shooting has been an issue once again. After making just 9 of 21 foul shots in the 62-55 loss to Marion, the Blue Devils improved to 14 of 20 against Nettleton, a mark that pleased head coach Marcus Brown.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Devils will try to rebound from a 65-61 loss to Nettleton last Friday night at home. That game will forever be remembered for Nettleton's Elauna Eaton's assault on the Lehr Arena nets.

Hot would be a mild description of Eaton's shooting. She sank her first six shots, all three-pointers, on the way to 18 first-quarter points. She had 24 points by halftime and 38 by the end of the game. Eaton, a University of Arkansas signee, was called "by far the best player in the state" by Lady Devils head coach Shelia Burns.

Tonight, the Lady Devils face another Division 1 signee, in Jonesboro's Destiny Salary, who has inked with the University of Tennessee.

A win tonight by the West Memphis girls would be big, but the Lady Devils still have another tough test at home on Feb. 28 against Mountain Home in the regular-season finale.

Blue Devils take care of business against Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Moments after his team completed a second straight mercy-rule victory over Nettleton, West Memphis boys head coach Marcus Brown was asked how soon his team would start thinking about Jonesboro.

With the Hurricane looming on Tuesday night in Jonesboro, Brown calmly suggested the Blue Devils would wait until Sunday to start focusing on Jonesboro.

That's because Brown had already been informed that Greene County Tech had done his squad a huge favor in upsetting the Hurricane on Friday night 73-54.

So, after West Memphis' 62-29 win over Nettleton, the Blue Devils (19-4 overall, 9-1 in the 5A-East Conference) own a two-game lead over second-place Jonesboro and Marion, both of which are tied with 7-3 records.

Still, the game at Jonesboro on Tuesday night will be big in West Memphis' plans to win the 5A-East title. The Blue Devils edged past the Hurricane 47-43 last month at Lehr Arena.

Brown's club took care of business cleanly against Nettleton.

Senior forward Chris Moore scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the first quarter as the hosts built a 20-11 advantage after the first eight minutes.

"I thought we imposed our will tonight," said Brown. "Good vibes all the way around tonight. It was a feel-good win."

The Blue Devils seized a 37-18 lead at halftime and from there they never let up.

Once again they did it with defense, limiting the Raiders (5-16, 2-8) to a miserable 8 of 52 shooting from the field for 15 percent.

"We did a good job on defense," said Brown. "Nettleton's got a young team with a couple of good players. You'll see those guys 18 months from now and they'll be a lot better than they are now."

The Blue Devils took good care of the ball, turning the ball over only 11 times and also outrebounding Nettleton 36-24. Moore led the rebound charts for the Blue Devils with 15 boards.

Akyrahn Hazley added 9 points for the Blue Devils, who played without starter Immanuel Hoard, who was ill, while Jamaul Crayton came off the bench for 7 points and Jordan Mitchell hit 5.

The Blue Devils have four games in the final two weeks and Brown said his team must narrow its focus.

"I want to make sure everybody on the team is in tune with what we're doing" said Brown. "I want the ball movement to be good. We also need to get better at feeding the post and fine-tune our defensive rotations."

Daveon Doolittle flushes one against Nettleton.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 14 edition

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all!!

Nothing would be sweeter on the day that flows with chocolate than for the West Memphis Lady Devils to knock off Nettleton tonight at Lehr Arena.

It's the biggest game of the season for both teams, who are tied for first place in the 5A-East Conference standings. But it seems bigger for West Memphis.

Why?

Because Nettleton expected to be in this position.

And maybe inside their own camp, the Lady Devils expected it. But not many people thought the Lady Devils (19-4 overall, 8-1 in the conference) would be tied for first with the team that is the hands-down favorite to win the 5A state championship.

West Memphis head coach Shelia Burns, still affected by the brain aneurysm she suffered last year, forcing her to miss the entire season, has done a tremendous job in piloting the ship this season. Burns' competitive fire has not suffered one bit since the incident.

This has to be one of her finest coaching seasons ever. Her players have responded to her pleas for effort on the court. Hats off to the winningest coach in school history!!

For the Lady Devils to defeat Nettleton tonight, they must contain senior guard Elauna Eaton, who torched West Memphis for 31 points last month in a 67-46 win at Nettleton. Eaton gets her points in slash fashion, which makes it doubly tough to defend her.

Keeping the ball out of her hands in the backcourt is probably the most efficient way to slow the University of Arkansas signee. Looking back at last month's game, Eaton was quieted through the first quarter, and consequently the Lady Raiders led only 13-12 after the first eight minutes.

However, Eaton's teammates simply gave her the ball to start the second quarter and then got out of her way as the lefty-shooting guard scored the first 11 points and it led to Nettleton taking a commanding 29-14 halftime lead.

As big as this game is tonight for the Lady Devils, it will in no way totally decide the conference championship. West Memphis' girls still have tough dates left at Jonesboro next Tuesday and at home against Mountain Home on Feb. 28.

The Lady Devils will need a pair of efficient games from their dynamic backcourt duo of senior Aryah Hazley and freshman Janiya Tucker. But they're also going to need some production from the low post from Tiera Bradley and Terika Inmon.

On the boys side, the Blue Devils escaped a trap game on Tuesday night in Searcy as the Lions' Freddy Hicks scored a game-high 33 points in a 59-54 losing cause to West Memphis.

Head coach Marcus Brown's team should have zero problems with Nettleton (5-15, 2-7), whom it crushed 71-41 last month in Jonesboro.

The Blue Devils' biggest game the rest of the season will be Tuesday night at Jonesboro, whom they defeated just 47-43 last month at Lehr Arena. Jonesboro remains a game behind the Blue Devils in the conference standings.

A win, however, over West Memphis by more than 4 points would give the Hurricane the tie-breaker.

Blue Devils win, ward off 33-point showing by Searcy's Hicks

By Billy Woods

WM School District

SEARCY --- After suffering their first loss in conference play, the West Memphis Blue Devils didn't exactly have a cake-walk scheduled for Tuesday night.

Searcy, perhaps the most under-rated team in the 5A-East Conference, is in the midst of fighting for a state tournament berth and armed with one of the best players in the league and/or state in senior swingman Freddy Hicks.

And in a twist of ironic proportions, the game came down to free throws, which hasn't been the Blue Devils' forte' this season. Once again, the opponent was deadly from the free-throw line and West Memphis was...well, let's just say it was good enough.

Good enough for a 59-54 victory at the end of the day.

After clanking free throw after free throw in the loss to Marion last Friday night, the Blue Devils connected on 7 of 10 charities in the final minute to hold off a Searcy club that saw Hicks swish 18 straight free throws before a final costly miss.

"Seven out of 10, I'll take that," said a relieved Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "A win is always good in a hostile environment."

Hicks very nearly won the game for Searcy all by himself.

The still unsigned Division 1 college prospect scored a game-high 33 points, scoring all but 21 of his team's final total. And it seemed he'd never miss from the free-throw line, until he did when it counted most.

With Searcy (10-11 overall, 5-4 in the 5A-East Conference), trailing 56-51 with 18 seconds to play, Hicks was sent to the line. He drained the first free throw, but with a chance to make it a one-possession game, Hicks missed the second free throw.

"Freddy's a tremendous player," Brown said. "He does some tremendous things on the court for (Searcy)."

Surely the book is already out on the Blue Devils. Foul them in the final minute.

This time, Searcy began its hacking at exactly the one-minute mark, and sending Immanuel Hoard, Jordan Mitchell and Deon Williams all to the foul line.

The trio made the 70 percent mark on 10 attempts, with Williams icing the game with two drained shots with 4 seconds left.

The Blue Devils got big numbers once again from Chris Moore, the Auburn signee, who had 17 points and 16 rebounds.

West Memphis' defense, solid all season long, was once again a factor, forcing 25 Searcy turnovers.

"For the most part, I thought we played hard, but not necessarily smart," said Brown. "I think we missed the Big Fella (Moore) inside and the ball was just three or four passes and we try to score. Instead, of 8 or 10 passes and hitting Chris inside."

Outrebounded only twice this season, the Blue Devils once again won the battle of the boards, snaring 24 rebounds to Searcy's 18.

West Memphis also got 12 points from junior point guard Mitchell while Hoard and Kyalan Sykes, who drained a clutch three-pointer with two minutes to play in the game, added 8 apiece.

Akyrahn Hazley chipped in 7.

Searcy got an additional 8 points each from Griffin Love and Braden Watson.

Blue Devils' Chris Moore (2) vies for rebound against Searcy's Freddy Hicks.

Jordan Mitchell (12) had 12 points for the Blue Devils at Searcy.

Free throw woes doom Blue Devils in loss to Marion

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils find themselves in a similar situation as last year when the team struggled with free-throw shooting.

With a chance to create some space between themselves and second-place Jonesboro in the 5A-East Conference, the Blue Devils suffered a dismal 9 of 21 effort from the charity stripe, while the Marion Patriots connected on 16 of 20 free throws.

It all added up to a 62-55 loss on Friday night at Lehr Arena.

Although it isn't an official free-throw statistic, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown's camp figures front-end misses of one-and-ones as two misses. Thus, the Blue Devils could have conceivably left 18 points on the table.

"At this point of the season, we (as coaches) have done all we can do with free throws," said Brown. "Either the kids make them or they don't. It's just that simple. They have to step up there and just make them."

The loss was the first put on West Memphis (17-4 overall) in 5A-East play. It also snapped the Blue Devil winning streak at 10- games. Jonesboro, now 6-2 in the league, lost 51-44 at Mountain Home, still giving West Memphis first place all to itself.

However, the win put Marion (9-11, 5-3) back into contention in conference play.

Actually, it was just a miserable night shooting the ball for West Memphis overall. The Blue Devils made just 22 of 56 shots from the floor for 39 percent and only 2 out of 14 from the three-point arc.

"We just gave one away tonight," Brown said. "We actually auditioned tonight."

Although he was held under his season average, Marion high-scoring guard Detric Reeves, who torched Jonesboro for 40 points last week, scored a game-high 19 points, which included some tough shots with an array of Blue Devil defenders in his face most of the time.

"Give Reeves credit, but what we needed to do was stop everyone else on his team," said Brown.

The Blue Devils led just once in the game and it was very brief.

A Chris Moore dunk finished off a 9-0 Blue Devil run to give them a 44-42 lead with 57 seconds left in the third quarter, and it got the Lehr Arena crowd back in the game.

But Marion's Darrius Waterford, who scored 10 points on the night, drained a long three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to give the visitors a 45-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter, a lead the Patriots would keep the rest of the game.

"We lost sight of our rotation on that play," Brown stated. "We knew we wanted to rotate, but we didn't want to rotate and leave (Waterford) open."

The closest the Blue Devils came the rest of the way was 49-48 when Moore, who led his team with 15 points, stuck back a missed shot. He was fouled on the play, but couldn't convert the and-one.

Immanuel Hoard, who hit 6 points for the Blue Devils, sank two free throws with 29 seconds to play to make it a one-possession game at 58-55.

But West Memphis was called for an intentional foul on the ensuing possession and Waterford closed out the Blue Devils with two free throws with 17 seconds to play.

True to form, West Memphis outrebounded Marion 19-13 and only committed 9 turnovers.

"We didn't play bad, we just didn't play with enough urgency and enough patience when we needed to," said Brown.

Junior Jordan Mitchell added 13 points for the Blue Devils while Akyrahn Hazley hit 9 and Deon Williams scored 7.

Makyi Boyce added 17 points for Marion.

The Blue Devils travel to Searcy on Tuesday night.

Akyrahn Hazley picks up a loose ball for the Blue Devils against Marion.

Williams ensures Blue Devil win with two free throws at Mt. Home

By Billy Woods

WM School District

MOUNTAIN HOME --- With starting point guard Jordan Mitchell in a walking boot and unavailable and superstar forward Chris Moore out of the game after drawing a second quick foul, the West Memphis Blue Devils looked severely handicapped late in the first quarter here on Friday night.

But the Blue Devils got a solid game from senior guard Immanuel Hoard and Moore was able to return to the game and be a factor in West Memphis' 49-45 victory over Mountain Home.

Mitchell, the team's sparkplug on offense, was held out of action with a sore ankle. Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown, however, said Mitchell will be a full go next Friday night as the team hosts Marion in a big 5A-East Conference clash.

Brown inserted senior point guard Deon Williams in the starting lineup and the reserve sank two clutch free throws with 5.2 seconds left to cinch the outcome for the Blue Devils (17-3 overall, 7-0 in the conference).

West Memphis, ranked No. 1 in the state overall by MaxPreps and No. 2 overall in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll, completed a perfect run through the first half of the 5A-East round robin. It will take Tuesday off before beginning the second half at Lehr Arena against the Patriots.

Mountain Home (12-9, 2-5) has posted two major non-conference wins against top Class 6A and 5A schools in Fayetteville and Russellville. Plus, the Blue Devils handed the Bombers their first home defeat of the season.

"Our kids played hard. They left it all out on the court," said Brown. "We just didn't play smart all the time."

Playing their usual slow pace, the Bombers gave themselves a shot at beating the Blue Devils by committing just 8 turnovers on the night. But the hosts led just twice in the game, early in the second quarter and then again early in the third quarter.

Hoard, who led the Blue Devils with 15 points, sank a three-pointer with 4:26 to play in the fourth quarter to give the visitors a 41-34 lead.

But Mountain Home answered back with two baskets by Mat Jones, one of them a three-pointer, to make it a 41-39 West Memphis lead with 2:49 to play.

That's when Moore, who scored 14 points, took matters into his own hands, bringing the ball down court and then taking his man off the dribble for an easy layup in the halfcourt. That was followed by another basket by Hoard to make it 45-39 with 1:42 to play.

Later, with the Blue Devil lead at 47-43, Moore picked up his fourth foul with 6.9 seconds to play, which sent the sharp shooting Jones to the free-throw line, where he drained both shots to make it a two-point West Memphis lead.

With a foul still to give, Moore was fouled by Dawson Tabor with 5.9 seconds to play. On the inbounds, Williams was fouled by Mountain Home's Wyatt Gilbert sending the West Memphis senior to the free-throw line.

Miss, and it gives the hosts a chance to win at the buzzer with a three-pointer. Make it, and the Blue Devils are all but assured of the victory.

Without so much as a flinch, Williams sank both.

Brown said he was completely confident in his senior.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, I was at 10," said Brown. "My confidence level in Deon was max. He's more than capable of doing the job."

Asked what was on his mind when he went to the free-throw line, Williams said, "My mom (Monica Pledge). I was just thinking of something that would make me do my best."

Before Williams was sent to the line, the Blue Devils had only made 4 of 10 charities. Mountain Home sank 8 of its 10 free throws.

The Blue Devils also got 11 points from senior guard Kyalan Sykes while Williams had 4 and Akyrahn Hazley scored 3.

Gilbert scored 10 of his game-high 16 points in the first quarter. while Jones had 13.

West Memphis shot 45 percent on 19 of 42 shooting from the field while Mountain Home drained 16 of 40 for 40 percent. The Blue Devils outrebounded the Bombers 17-15.

Blue Devil Jaylon Lewis (30) blocks shot by Mountain Home's Wyatt Gilbert.

Blue Devils swarm Butler, run roughshod over Tech

By Billy Woods

WM School District

A year ago, the West Memphis Blue Devils were torched for 37 points by Greene County Tech point guard Zane Butler in an overtime win at Paragould.

Needless to say on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena, the focus was on defending Butler.

Using a trio of players on Tech's high-scoring back-court man, the Blue Devils held Butler to just 4 points on their way to a 65-36 mercy-rule win over the Eagles.

West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown made sure he kept fresh bodies on Butler as he rotated Kyalan Sykes, Jordan Mitchell and Deon Williams on him.

"Defense was the No. 1 priority tonight...well, it is every night, but especially tonight," said Brown, whose team improved to 16-3 overall and 6-0 in the 5A-East Conference.

"I know Zane. He's a good kid and a really good shooter. We just wanted to make him uncomfortable and make him work for his shots. The three guys we worked with on Zane did a great job...everybody took on the challenge."

After hitting the first two points of the game a minute and 13 seconds into the game, Butler then hit a mid-range jumper with 1:09 left in the first quarter.

He went scoreless the rest of the way.

Butler's rough night shooting was only a microcosm of the kind of defense the Blue Devils played on the rest of the Eagles (14-5, 2-4). Greene County Tech shot a miserable 27.6 percent on 13 of 47 shooting from the field.

"It was a total team effort," Brown added.

On offense, the fast-paced Blue Devils forced their will on Tech, jetting out to a 13-2 lead with four baskets in transition. By the end of the first quarter, several Eagles players were gasping for air.

"A couple of times when Zane went out of the game I wanted to press," said Brown. "That's when we really turned up the tempo."

Although Tech rallied to slice West Memphis' lead to 15-7 after one quarter, the Blue Devils scored the first 10 points of the second quarter on their way to building a 34-12 cushion at halftime.

In the second half, senior forward Chris Moore dunked four times from a flat-footed stance to bring the Eagles to the brink of mercy-rule status. Moore had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in only three quarters of work.

"The big man did his thing tonight," Brown said succinctly.

Ten West Memphis players scored and three landed in double figures, including Akyrahn Hazley with 12 points and Mitchell with 11. Hazley added 5 rebounds and Mitchell registered 3 steals.

Senior Jaylon Lewis came off the bench to score 7.

West Memphis outrebounded Greene County Tech 28-18 and kept the turnovers down to just 10 for the game while forcing 22 Eagle turnovers.

The only facet of the game that the Blue Devils couldn't master was in the free throw department. West Memphis made just 7 of 16 charities.

Payton Laubach managed to lead Greene County Tech in scoring with 15 points while Cade Cancilla and Dawson Greer added 6 apiece.

Blue Devil Akyrahn Hazley (4) gets one of his 5 rebounds against Greene County Tech.

Deon Williams (14) scores inside against Tech's Zane Butler (0).

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Jan. 28 edition

Welcome to the final week of the first half of the 5A-East Conference round robin.

It has been all West Memphis in the boys standings. The Blue Devils (15-3 overall, 5-0 in the conference) have an average margin of victory of 24.2 points in the five games. Of course, much of that figure is offset by the humongous 56-point margin over Paragould last Friday night. But the team also owns a 30-point win at Nettleton and a 22-point win over Searcy.

Tonight, the Blue Devils host Greene County Tech (14-4, 2-3), a team that features a hot-shooting point guard and a team that returns most of last year's roster that pushed West Memphis to overtime last year in Paragould.

The Eagles were figured to be a power in the 5A-East this year, with senior Zane Butler, who torched the Blue Devils last year for 37 points in the OT game in Paragould, and other top players such as Cade Cancilla, Payton Laubach and Dawson Greer.

But after rushing out to a 13-1 record, head coach Jeff Guiot's club has hit the skids, which topped out with a 16-point loss at home to Marion last Friday night. Still, Tech is a dangerous club that specializes in long-range shooting.

If the Eagles are on target, they are a huge headache.

It's clear at this point, that the Blue Devils are aiming their sights at the state championship. They have perhaps the best player in the state in Chris Moore, but they also have emerging solid role players.

They have enough outside shooters to counter when the opposition doubles down on Moore under the basket. In fact, that appears to be the opposition's best option to beating the Blue Devils. Moore is quite frankly unstoppable one-on-one in the paint. Other teams would be better off hoping West Memphis suffers a bad shooting night from outside.

The Blue Devils are ranked No. 1 overall in the state by MaxPreps (No. 89 in the nation) and No. 2 by the Arkansas Sports Media Poll. Both publications have West Memphis No. 1 in Class 5A.

The girls game tonight will begin approximately 6 p.m.

The Lady Devils (15-4, 4-1) are currently in a four-way tie for first place in the conference along with Nettleton, Jonesboro and Mountain Home. The deadlock will break up some tonight, however, with Jonesboro visiting Nettleton.

See you all tonight at Lehr Arena!!

Blue Devil reserves star in 79-23 victory at Paragould

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- When it was over, the public address system played Sweet Georgia Brown, and there were eight or nine kids parked right outside the Blue Devil locker room awaiting autographs.

Seriously.

And all of it was appropriate, considering the West Memphis boys had just hammered the hometown Paragould Rams 79-23 here on Friday night.

The Blue Devils were the appointed Harlem Globetrotters, and the Rams played the role of the long-suffering Washington Generals.

The only thing missing was Chris Moore concealing the ball underneath his jersey.

The 56-point winning margin was West Memphis' largest in many years, maybe ever. And the Blue Devils did it with their starters playing no more than five minutes. Most of the damage was done by the third-teamers.

So, there was no use asking West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown what was the turning point of the game.

Instead, the attention was turned to the bench warmers, many of whom had not even gotten off the pines in a varsity game this season. And, honestly, it was really impressive watching the group work the offense with crisp, disciplined ball movement and slick shooting.

"I told those guys I'd give them a 97 or 98 grade," said Brown. "The second and third string, their ball movement was superb. They were patient, they ran the offense. We came here for business and we did all that we were supposed to do."

The Blue Devils (15-3 overall, 5-0 in the 5A-East Conference) jetted out to a 20-2 lead with the starters powered by three 3-pointers by senior guard Kyalan Sykes.

Then the reserves took over.

The rest of the first half included a mix of second- and third-teamers, who ballooned the lead to a gaudy 40-10 halftime count.

Starring for the reserves were juniors Kaleb Burns and Daylion Watkins. Burns hit two straight three-balls and totaled 8 first-half points on his way to a team-leading total of 13 for the game. Watkins tallied 10 points.

The Blue Devils finished a scorching 10 of 18 from three-point range with Burns and the rest of the reserves going 7 of 13.

"We were just trying to get those guys into a comfort zone shooting the ball and they certainly found a rhythm," said Brown. "Barnes and Watkins can play multiple positions and they can defend. We're senior-heavy this year, so we haven't had too many opportunities to prepare for next year."

The Blue Devils outrebounded Paragould (1-15, 0-5) 34-10.

Moore, the Blue Devils' leading scorer and rebounder watched and cheered from the bench for his teammates after a short night that produced the first two points of the game on a dunk.

Jaylon Lewis, a senior, finished with 11 points while Sykes totaled 9.

The conference-leading Blue Devils will play at home Tuesday night against Greene County Tech, a 76-63 loser Friday night to Marion.

Blue Devil senior Xavier Warren (0) makes a power move to the basket against Paragould.

Blue Devils slide past slow-paced Jonesboro 47-43

By Billy Woods

WM School District

One look at Jonesboro's scores this season is all it took for Marcus Brown to know what the Hurricane's plan would be Tuesday night.

After beating Greene County Tech 48-37 last Friday night, it became obvious head coach Wes Swift's team would slow the pace and lock down on defense as it took on the West Memphis Blue Devils on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena.

Both materialized, but in the end it was just too much Chris Moore as the Blue Devils turned back the Hurricane 47-43.

Moore scored 15 points and hauled in 18 rebounds, but it was his third block of the game that proved to be the play that defined the night.

With West Memphis (14-3 overall, 4-0 in the 5A-East Conference) leading just 43-41 and just 30 seconds left to play, Jonesboro's Shamar Pitts found himself all alone underneath the basket for what looked like an easy layup.

Out of nowhere emerged Moore, who didn't go for a Pitts head fake. Moore then deflected Pitts' shot and also came down with the ball. Pitts had no other recourse but to foul Moore with 28.8 seconds to play.

"That was a big play, but that's what Chris does," explained West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "The key was not going for the head fake."

Swift's slow-down tempo on offense made for some scary moments for Blue Devil fans. West Memphis trailed 21-15 at halftime, making only 6 of 25 shots from the field for 24 percent.

"We absolutely were prepared for a slower pace," said Brown. "At halftime, the message was we've worked too hard all year to lose this game. What we talked about was turning up the pressure on defense. It allowed us to get some stops and some turnovers."

The Blue Devils created 16 Jonesboro turnovers, four in each quarter.

West Memphis outscored Jonesboro 20-5 in the third quarter to restore order and take a 35-26 lead into the fourth stanza.

But emboldened with Moore on the bench with three fouls, the Hurricane got a big three-pointer from Kelyn McBride, who led all scorers with 20 points. Later, the Golden Gang cut the West Memphis lead to 39-38 on a spin move by Amarion Wilson with 2:41 to play.

On the ensuing trip down the floor, Blue Devil senior guard Immanuel Hoard, who added 11 points, took a deep three-pointer from the baseline that bounded high off the rim. Moore outleaped the field, tipped it in and was fouled on the play.

He, however, missed the free throw.

After Moore's heroics on the defensive end, the Blue Devils had made just 4 of 11 from the free-throw line. But with Moore's two makes and then two more from Hoard with 5.3 seconds to go, the Blue Devils managed a still dismal 7 of 15 from the charity stripe.

"We've done about all we can do to practice free throws," said Brown. "We run when we miss them in practice, and we've tried all kinds of little tricks. But it just comes down to you gotta make them during the game."

Even with Moore's two free throws at the 28.8 second mark, Jonesboro still had two attempts to tie the score. Hoard blundered with a foul on McBride, who swished his two foul shots to make it 45-43 with 8.6 seconds to play.

West Memphis then turned it over on the inbounds play.

But McBride tried a difficult horizontal inbounds pass, and threw it out of bounds.

With Moore skying for the tough rebounds, the Blue Devils outboarded Jonesboro 21-16. The Blue Devils were credited by Brown for their defense, which limited Jonesboro to 16 of 44 shooting for 36 percent.

Deon Williams came off the bench to score 7 points for the Blue Devils while Akyrahn Hazley had 6 points and 3 blocks.

Jonesboro also got 11 points from Jesse Washington and 9 from Wilson.

With the win, the Blue Devils hold first place all to themselves in the 5A-East Conference. They will travel to Paragould on Friday.

Chris Moore had 15 points and 18 rebounds against Jonesboro.

Jailon Lewis (30) makes a strong move to the basket against Jonesboro.

Blue Devil Shoot-around: Jan. 21 edition

All weekend long, the talk around town has swirled around Blue Devil junior point guard Jordan Mitchell.

Did you see him last Friday at Nettleton?

Wow!!

Where has that been all year?

Mitchell transferred in from Marion last year, but couldn't get a waiver from that school district to compete immediately. Thus, he had to sit out a whole year. That much time away from competition takes a toll on any ball player. And it appears it did with Mitchell.

The 6-foot-1 ball-handler was a positive player for the Blue Devils through the first half of this season, but on Friday night at Nettleton he had a break-out game, scoring 17 points, dishing for 11 assists and swiping 5 balls from the Raiders in a 71-41 West Memphis win.

More noteworthy was the looseness with which he played. He was completely confident in the moves he was making and in the decisions he was making. If he plays like that the rest of the season, not necessarily stat-wise but with the same confidence, there may not be a team in Class 5A to touch the Blue Devils in the state tournament.

Tonight, the West Memphis boys face Jonesboro (10-5 overall, 3-0 in the 5A-East Conference), the team the Blue Devils have beaten four of the last six times they've played. However, it should be noted the Hurricane won the two most important games, beating the Blue Devils in the conference tournament championship game two years ago and then following that up with a victory over West Memphis in the state championship game.

JHS head coach Wes Swift is among the craftiest coaches in Arkansas. He has had both success and misadventure defending West Memphis superstar Chris Moore the previous three years. Two years ago, after scoring 23 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking 6 shots against Jonesboro in the conference title game, Swift devised a plan that totally shut down the 6-foot-7 power forward. Moore was limited to taking only 6 shots, in scoring 5 points, including none in the second half as the Blue Devils fell to Jonesboro 55-49 in the state championship game.

Why bring all that up?

Well, focusing so heavily on Moore tonight may not be such a great idea, what with the way Mitchell played at Nettleton. True, the Blue Devils had several plus players surrounding Moore two years ago, but none that needed to be game-planned for.

How do you gear up against a point guard, anyway?

That should be an interesting facet to tonight's game.

The winner of tonight's game takes full ownership of first place in the conference standings. Jonesboro broke a three-way tie for first last Friday night with a 48-37 win over previously 2-0 Greene County Tech.

Be sure of one thing, Blue Devil fans, it's still Jonesboro, and as long as Swift is calling the shots on the sideline, the Hurricane are a major factor.

A couple of other notable happenings in regard to the Blue Devil boys: The team is ranked No. 1 overall in the state in the MaxPreps poll, but they check in at No. 2 behind North Little Rock in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll. West Memphis garnered 3 of the 15 first-place votes while North Little Rock had 6. Previous No. 1 Rogers lost its first game last week and tumbled to No. 3.

The Lady Devils, on the other hand, are still smarting from that 67-46 loss at Nettleton. Like their boys counterparts, the Lady Hurricane don't have a great overall record (9-6), but they are 3-0 in league play and they have a player that may be the equal to Nettleton's Elauna Eaton, who torched the West Memphis girls for 31 points last Friday night.

Jonesboro's Destiny Salary is a University of Tennessee signee and is also capable of taking over a game.

Head coach Shelia Burns' Lady Devils just need to put the loss to Nettleton in their back pockets and return to the way they were playing before the Nettleton game.

Mitchell breaks through, Blue Devils overwhelm Raiders

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- Jordan Mitchell swooped in near midcourt and swiped the ball from Nettleton's Taybin McCollough and had a wide open lane to the basket on the other end. As he cuffed the ball in his left hand, the West Memphis bench rose in anticipation of a thunderous dunk.

Instead, Mitchell laid the ball softly in for the bucket.

Disappointed groans emerged from the Blue Devil faithful.

No worry.

Mitchell turned that same trick again on the next two Nettleton possessions, and both times did not disappoint, flushing the ball through the hoop.

The Blue Devil junior guard enjoyed a break-out game here Friday night, scoring 17 points, dishing out 11 assists, registering 5 steals and running the West Memphis offense with precision in the team's 71-41 mercy-rule win over the Raiders.

Mitchell sat out last season as a sophomore, transferring in from Marion, and it's taken him a couple of months to settle into a rhythm.

But he has now found it.

"I told (Mitchell) before the game that this was the type of game where he could have a double-double," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "His patience was really good. We want him to be an outside threat and tonight he hit some shots that we feel real comfortable in him taking."

In winning their sixth straight, the Blue Devils (13-3 overall, 3-0 in the 5A-East Conference) now share first place in league standings with Jonesboro, which defeated previously unbeaten Greene County Tech on Friday night.

Now, it's Jonesboro's turn to test West Memphis, as the Hurricane visit Lehr Arena on Tuesday night.

In the past, Hurricane head coach Wes Swift has had some success game-planning for Blue Devil superstar Chris Moore. Now, he must consider Mitchell, too.

"I think J-Mitch is coming into his own," said Brown. "We want him to be an outside threat and also a kid who can penetrate and dish inside. I think he's slowing down his process and it's just all coming together for him right now."

Mitchell went the entire first half scoreless, but turned on the jets in the third quarter, hitting a three-pointer with 6:54 to play in the stanza to get his spurt going.

By the time he was finished, he was mobbed by his teammates in celebratory fashion.

"The goal for me is to get a little better every game," said Mitchell. "We always preach one percent better every practice."

Mitchell teamed with Moore to overwhelm an overmatched Nettleton club.

Moore hit for game-high totals of 19 points and 17 rebounds to go along with 3 assists.

Rushing out to a 19-10 lead after one quarter, Brown subbed liberally to start the second quarter and it allowed the Raiders (3-11, 0-3) to creep into contention, trailing just 25-21 at halftime.

Committing a season-low 7 turnovers, the Blue Devils began operating on all cylinders in the second half.

Moore got it started with a short jumper and the team closed out the third quarter on a 19-2 run, giving the West Memphians a 54-31 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Blue Devils hit on 12 of their 16 field-goal attempts in the third stanza and ended the night shooting 58 percent from the floor (29 of 50).

They held Nettleton to just 36.5 percent from the floor on 15 of 41.

With Moore controlling the paint on both ends of the floor, Mitchell running the show with precision and the team also getting various ways to score from Immanuel Hoard, Kyalan Sykes and Deon Williams, the Blue Devils are building steam as they eye March and the Class 5A state tournament in Russellville.

"We've been disappointed with the way the season ended for us the last two seasons,' said Brown. "Coach (Larry) Bray and (superintendent) Jon Collins have entrusted me with this program, so we're going to give it our best this year. I think the team is building toward the end of the season and we know there are still a lot of big games to play. We just want to take each of them as they come."

Hoard added 10 points for West Memphis while Akyrahn Hazley and Daveon Doolittle each scored 4 and Sykes hit for 3.

Akyrahn Hazley (left) and Jamual Crayton dive for a loose ball against Nettleton.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 17 edition

The Blue Devil teams take to the road tonight to play Nettleton, and it will be opposite ends of the spectrum for each of our clubs.

First, the Nettleton girls (15-2 overall, 2-0 in the 5A-East Conference) are very powerful and should be considered the favorites tonight. The Lady Raiders are ranked No. 4 overall in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll and they are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, garnering 14 of the 17 first-place votes.

With senior Elauna Eaton leading the way, the Lady Raiders are also ranked No. 4 overall in the state in the latest MaxPreps Sports poll.

Second, the Nettleton boys, which have proven to be major pests to West Memphis the past two years, winning at Lehr Arena both times, are down this season, sporting an ugly 3-10 record overall and an 0-2 mark in the conference.

Gone from the Nettleton success machine the last three years are head coach Mark McCord, replaced by Bubba Deaton, and play-making guard Kevin Fulton, who is now starring at ASU Mid-South. Fulton beat the Blue Devils last year at Lehr Arena with a soft running floater near the end of the game to give the Raiders the upset victory.

The Blue Devils (12-3, 2-0) are one of three teams tied atop the conference standings. Jonesboro and Greene County Tech also own 2-0 league marks. Jonesboro entertains Tech tonight.

West Memphis' boys are ranked No. 3 in the state in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll and No. 2 by MaxPreps Sports. They have established themselves as one of, if not THE, team to beat for the conference championship this season. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A.

They should have no problem with the Raiders tonight. Marion, a team the Blue Devils beat last Friday night 52-43, blasted Nettleton 72-51 on Tuesday night.

The most consistent asset the Blue Devils have going for them this year is defense. Head coach Marcus Brown's fierce man-to-man has been active and well-drilled thus far.

Exhibit A: In last Friday night's contest at Marion, Brown appointed senior Kyalan Sykes to defend high-scoring guard Detric Reeves, who is capable of going off for 30-plus points on any given night.

Although Reeves scored a game-high 23 points, with the final points coming off a meaningless and unguarded three-pointer at the final buzzer, Sykes slowed down the Marion star with some of the most tenacious defense the Blue Devils have seen all year. Sykes forced Reeves to take off-balanced shots, most of which he missed, and covered him like a blanket all night.

But the girls game should be the most interesting clash tonight.

Head coach Shelia Burns' club (12-3, 2-0) has presented the opposition this season with double-trouble from the guard positions. With senior Aryah Hazley running the show at point, she is complemented by the cool-headed ninth-grade sensation Janiya Tucker.

With two very dependable ball-handlers in the lineup, the Lady Devils are dangerous and are capable of defeating the highly ranked Nettleton girls tonight.

There will be a boys junior varsity game kicking off the action tonight at 5 p.m., followed immediately by the girls varsity contest.

See you Blue Devils there!!

Blue Devils turn back Searcy 66-44

By Billy Woods

WM School District

With star forward Chris Moore playing less than 20 minutes and sitting out the entire second quarter, Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown was almost at a loss for an explanation after the game.

But it hardly mattered.

Held to just four points through the first two quarters, Moore exploded for 10 fourth-quarter points as the West Memphis boys pounded Searcy 66-44 on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena.

"That was just me...trying to get a couple other guys more minutes," Brown said, explaining Moore's prolonged absence. "Just wanted to see how those guys would respond."

Coming off an emotional 52-43 win last Friday at Marion, Brown said he was anxious about how his team would respond against Searcy, a team that was a heavy underdog on Tuesday night.

What Brown got was a balanced West Memphis attack that is now blossoming before his eyes. Senior guard Immanuel Hoard, whose past reputation has been built around his shooting stroke, has found other ways to score as his 14 points and 4 assists attested Tuesday night.

Also, senior Kyalan Sykes swished four three-pointers on his way to a 12-point night.

"I honestly think this year we go about nine or 10 deep on the rotation," said Brown. "We've got guys who can make shots in rhythm. Plus, we move the ball real well on offense."

The Blue Devils' only worry on the night was defending high-scoring Searcy senior Freddie Hicks, who wound up being the game's high scorer with 25 points.

But West Memphis (12-3 overall, 2-0 in the 5A-East Conference) met the challenge and then some.

With Moore riding the pines in the second quarter, Searcy (6-8, 1-1) was able to stay within earshot at 34-25 at halftime.

And although Moore was quiet on offense in the third quarter, the Blue Devils were able to push their lead to 45-30 after a rebound basket by Akyrahn Hazley with 3:12 left in the third quarter.

The defining sequence was the fourth quarter when Moore finally found his groove and punched down three dunks.

The 6-foot-7 Auburn signee has played the last two games on the perimeter, instead of being placed at his familiar low-post position. The result has been less scoring for Moore, who had 9 points at Marion and 14 against Searcy.

After a tip-in by Hoard to open the fourth quarter, Moore's eruption started with a beautiful alley-oop dunk after a steal by the aforementioned Blue Devil guard.

By the time Moore was finished with his spurt, the West Memphians were up 58-40 with 3:40 to play.

"I thought for about 20 minutes we played extremely well," Brown added. "Some of the guys are getting the confidence built up and that's going to help us down the road."

Junior point guard Jordan Mitchell and senior center Xavier Warren added 6 points for the Blue Devils.

West Memphis took care of the ball well all night, ending with just 10 turnovers while forcing 18 Searcy miscues. The Blue Devils shot 46 percent from the field on 26 of 56 shooting while Searcy was 14 of 29 for 48 percent.

Outrebounded just twice this season, the Blue Devils still won the battle of the boards 22-18 despite Moore's absence in the second quarter.

The Blue Devils travel to Nettleton on Friday night.

Blue Devil point guard Jordan Mitchell (12) challenges Searcy's Freddie Hicks.

Reserve guard Deon Williams (14) works inside against Searcy.

Blue Devils turn back Marion behind Hoard's shooting

By Billy Woods

WM School District

After winning seven in a row over Marion the previous three seasons, the West Memphis Blue Devils were swept by the eventual state champion Patriots last year.

The Blue Devils were ready for Marion this time.

With superstar Chris Moore playing out of position on the perimeter all night, the Blue Devils got a solid game from senior guard Immanuel Hoard and dominated Marion on the glass as West Memphis outlasted the Patriots 52-43 Friday night at Patriot Arena.

In winning their fourth in a row, the Blue Devils controlled the game most of the way and they would have run away from the Patriots if not for the play of Marion senior guard Detric Reeves, who continued to torch West Memphis with a game-high 23 points.

In five previous games against West Memphis, Reeves had averaged 21 points per game.

On Friday night, the one-man show just wasn't enough to beat the Blue Devils.

West Memphis got 15 points from Hoard, including three 3-pointers, and the visitors outrebounded Marion 34-18 on the night.

"I'm very very happy with the way we played tonight, particularly the way we defended and rebounded," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "Our ball movement and our pace on offense was a little stagnant, but we made up for it."

Moore, usually unstoppable in the low post, didn't get many touches in the paint area as Brown said he placed the Blue Devil standout on the perimeter "so he wouldn't wear himself down."

It resulted in only a 9-point performance from Moore, who has been held to under double digits in the last three meetings with Marion. But the 6-foot-7 forward dominated the glass with a game-high 17 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 assists.

Moore got 7 of his points in transition in the first half and he was held scoreless in the second half until he tipped in a missed shot with 35 seconds to play to give the Blue Devils (11-3 overall, 1-0) a 50-40 lead.

That left the door open for Hoard, West Memphis' best outside shooter.

"That's what Immanuel does, he hits some big shots for us," said Brown. "He missed a few tonight that he normally makes, but that's the way it goes in big games like this."

Although the crowd size was enormous and the fire marshall cut off ticket sales, turning some fans away at the box office, the Marion fans were less engaged in both the girls and the boys varsity games.

Nevertheless, the action on the court was heated.

West Memphis ran out to a 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Marion (4-9, 0-1) kept it close all night and in fact grabbed a brief 24-23 lead in the second quarter.

But the Blue Devils' well-rounded attack was too much for Marion.

Although the Blue Devils made less than 50 percent of their shots from the field (20 of 47), the Patriots were far worse, connecting on just 17 of 5-0 for the night (34 percent).

"We defended well all night," said Brown, who put one of his worst defenders, Kylan Sykes on Reeves. "Reeves got his points, but we were in his face all night. As usual, he made some tough shots. Every shot he made, though, he had to earn it."

West Memphis' lead was cut to 33-31 after a three-pointer by Marion's D.J. Johnson with 4:20 to play in the third quarter. But the Blue Devil lead was never under three the rest of the way.

"I thought our bench production was good, and we cheered for one another all night long," said Brown. "I put Chris out on the perimeter because I didn't want a lot of wasted energy. Believe it or not, he left a lot of other people open for us."

With Marion trailing only 43-40 with 2:24 to play in the game, the Blue Devils scored the next 9 points to cinch the outcome.

Jordan Mitchell also scored 9 points for the Blue Devils while Xavier Warren had early success on his way to a 7-point game and Sykes hit for 6.

The Blue Devils play again at home on Tuesday against Searcy.

The Blue Devils got 15 points from Immanuel Hoard in team's 52-43 win at Marion.

Blue Devil Shoot-around: Jan. 10 edition

The games get serious starting tonight.

Conference play starts tonight across Arkansas' top-tier classifications, and with West Memphis playing at Marion, is there a better, more intense, more exciting way to begin it than this?

The bi-annual athletic-budget-bulging series finds the first stop in Marion tonight. There will be a junior varsity boys game that will tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity girls game and the varsity boys game.

I'd get there no later than 5:30 if I were you.

Tonight's boys match-up pits the defending Class 5A state champion Patriots against the Blue Devils, a team that figures to be in the thick of the conversation for state contenders this season.

It will also pit two of the top seniors in Arkansas.

West Memphis' Chris Moore, an Auburn signee, was effectively bottled up last year by the Patriots in two games. With Marion 6-9 senior center Tim Ceasar playing behind him and another defender fronting him, Moore scored 10 points and 6 points in two Blue Devil losses.

Meanwhile, the Patriot will counter this year with senior guard Detric Reeves, a scoring machine from all over the floor.

In five career games against West Memphis, Reeves has scored 22, 19, 29, 20 and 15 points for an average of 21 points per game. The Blue Devils' attention will be focused on him all evening, but the Pats also have a very capable scorer in senior Makyi Boyce, whom the Blue Devils limited last year.

The game also features former Marion Junior High player Jordan Mitchell, who now plays for West Memphis. After struggling to run the offense at the point in the early season, Mitchell has been a force for the Blue Devils (10-3) the last several games.

Marion comes into the game with a paltry 4-8 record that included a brutal non-conference schedule that saw the Patriots play in a couple of highly competitive national tournaments, including one in Las Vegas.

On the girls side, the Lady Devils appear to be rolling along at a blistering pace, despite losing in the championship game of the Harrison Invitational. Guards Aryah Hazley and Janiya Tucker have been meshing well all season.

Patriot Arena will be rocking tonight. Go Blue Devils!!

Conference play begins for Blue Devils Friday at Marion

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils are done with non-conference play having won 10 of their 13 games. Now, it's time to get serious.

5A-East Conference play starts Friday, and the Blue Devils travel to Marion to take on the defending state champion Patriots in a game that could either propel the West Memphians to a strong start or find them playing catch-up.

Despite a late December loss to defending 6A state champion Fort Smith Northside, the Blue Devils find themselves in lofty ranking positions statewide. The West Memphis boys are ranked No. 2 overall in the state by MaxPreps and they are ranked No. 3 in the initial Arkansas Sports Media Poll.

Although the Patriots own a 4-8 record, that mark is skewed by their stout non-conference schedule that saw them lose three games in a national tournament in Las Vegas over the holidays.

Still, Blue Devils head coach Marcus Brown likes the way his team is playing as league play begins.

"We played some tough teams, some we beat, some we lost," said Brown. "But we got a chance to leave town to play in some tournaments, which gave us the opportunity to gel as teammates. I think the kids feel good and I think all of them understand their roles."

As has been the case in each of the last four seasons, the Blue Devils are led by superstar Chris Moore, an Auburn signee. Moore was named the Most Valuable Player in the Neosho (Mo.) Classic after Christmas. The 6-foot-7 forward scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the finale against Bentonville West.

In all, Moore hit 27 of the 32 shots he took from the field during the tournament.

"To me, the best thing to come out of the non-conference was to put the kids out on the road in some hostile environments," Brown added. "We went to Texas (two losses in Duncanville) and that was an eye-opener for our kids. The style of play and pace was off the charts. We turned it all around, though, by the time we got to Neosho."

With the departure of point guard Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige from last year's team, the Blue Devils don't have the facilitating capabilities this season, but with junior Jordan Mitchell running the show most of the time, Brown's club has played a noticeably faster pace this season.

Plus, it appears the team is a little deeper than it was last season when they finished second to Marion in the 5A-East Conference standings and made a run to the semifinals of the state tournament.

"We have some guys who can come off the bench and fill some voids," the Blue Devil chief said. "And I think where that is most visible is on defense. We may be a little better defensively this year than last year."

Marion's record belies its offensive potential with senior guards Detric Reeves and Makyi Boyce. Reeves is widely recognized as one of the top players in Arkansas. In five career games against West Memphis, Reeves has not scored less than 20 points in any one of them.

He could be a problem again for the Blue Devils.

"(Marion) has the title," said Brown. "It's always a big game, always a huge crowd and the atmosphere is just electric. We just gotta stay focused and do what we do best. Most likely, Reeves is going to get his points. Again, we have to be more concerned about what we do."

On the girls leger, the Lady Devils are flying high in the return of head coach Shelia Burns. They hold an 11-3 record and are ranked No. 23 overall in the state by MaxPreps and they are ranked No. 6 in Class 5A in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll.

The guard tandem of senior Aryah Hazley and ninth-grader Taniya Tucker has been powerful for the West Memphis girls. Plus, the inside defense from Tiera Bradley has been noteworthy.

Marion comes in with a 7-8 record under head coach Shunda Johnson, a former Lady Devil player.

Tipoff for the girls game should be approximately 6 p.m. at Patriot Arena.

Blue Devil senior guard Immanuel Tolbert scores against Fort Smith Northside.

Northside turns back West Memphis in overtime

By Billy Woods

WM School District

CONWAY --- For the second year in a row the West Memphis Blue Devils were taken to overtime in the John Stanton Classic, and both times the Devils came out on the losing end.

The defending Class 6A state champs, Fort Smith Northside, turned back West Memphis here on Friday night, 54-52 in overtime.

A year ago, it was host Conway which took a triple-overtime 100-95 victory over the Blue Devils. It was the most points in West Memphis school history in a loss.

On Friday night, turnovers were the culprits for the Blue Devils (7-3).

After senior reserve Deon Williams, who is making a bid to start, sank a deep three-pointer at the buzzer in regulation to send the game into overtime, the Blue Devils turned it over on their first four possessions in the extra period.

"Execution," Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown said when asked what his team could take away from the defeat. "We gotta execute better. We had what we were supposed to run, but we had some mistakes. We can't go off script."

In one of the best one-on-one matchups the state will see this season, Blue Devil senior big man Chris Moore, giving up two inches in height, was face-up against Northside's 6-foot-9 Jaylin Williams, a likely Arkansas signee.

Williams got the better of Moore, scoring a game-high 19 points. Moore hit 13, but only 4 of them came in the second half.

The Blue Devils jumped out to an early six-point lead, but Northside (5-3) came back to take a 27-20 lead at halftime. And the Grizzlies increased their lead to 30-20 with an opening three-pointer from Williiams in the third quarter.

But West Memphis senior Kylan Sykes swished a three-ball at the end of the third quarter to knot the score at 37-37 heading into the fourth quarter.

The game likely turned in regulation when the Blue Devil bench was assessed a technical with 1:05 to play with Northside leading 45-44. Jacob Joe, brother of Razorback star Isaiah Joe, made both free throws.

But with 8.9 seconds to play, the Blue Devils still had a chance. After a timeout to draw up a play, West Memphis players looked confused as soon as the ball was inbounded.

Williams, however, bailed his teammates out by double-clutching in mid-air and canning a three to send the game into overtime.

Asked if his club executed what he drew up during the timeout, Brown said, "Not even close.

"And that's what I'm saying about listening and doing what we as coaches are telling them."

The confusion bled over into the extra stanza.

The Blue Devils threw four passes out of bounds and although Northside turned those miscues into five points, West Memphis was fortunate it didn't find itself down more than 52-47.

"The plays we were running (in overtime) were wide open," Brown said. "But we refused to do what we were supposed to do."

Senior guard Immanuel Hoard led the West Memphis scoring with 16 points while junior point guard Jordan Mitchell hit 14. Sykes ended with 6.

Jordan Mitchell hit for 14 points against Fort Smith Northside.

West Memphis' Chris Moore defends against Northside's Braylin McKinney.

Blue Devils pass grueling back-to-back road tests

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Well before the season began, Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown wanted to test his team's resolve by scheduling road games on back-to-back nights.

Playing their second game in the same 24-hour span, the West Memphis boys passed the grueling test by scoring a 67-47 victory Tuesday night at Memphis Central.

"We're not going to shy away from any scheduling difficulties," said Brown. "The intent was to see how we would respond to playing back-to-back nights, which is probably what we'll have to do come state tournament time."

Actually, this test was much tougher than anything the state tournament could throw at the Blue Devils. They began the road swing with Monday night's game at Little Rock Central, whose two-hour drive didn't get the team back in town until near midnight.

Less than 24 hours later they made the short bus trip across the river to play Memphis Central.

All state tournament games will be played at one site.

"This just makes us get our minds right," Brown added. "I just told them (Monday night) to go home and get some rest. Of course, they had to get up early and get to school today, but they're 16- and 17-yard-olds. Young legs."

The Blue Devils (5-2) never trailed and in the fourth quarter, when their legs could have wilted, they pulled away with a furious finish.

Memphis Central (8-2) came into the game averaging 81.3 points per game, including a 106-point outing against Overton. But the underclassmen-heavy Warriors were overwhelmed with the steady hand of the Blue Devil veterans on defense.

The Warriors never led, but tied the game 30-30 with 54 seconds left before halftime. A layup by Immanuel Hoard, who led Blue Devil scorers with 17 points, gave the visitors a 32-30 edge at intermission.

The second half belonged to West Memphis, largely due to the break-out game of first-year reserve Jaylon Lewis, who scored 9 of his 14 points in the second half.

"He's just gotta get comfortable with what we do," Brown said of Lewis, a transfer from Memphis Mitchell. "Tonight his pull-up jumper was very good. Overall, he was one of the guys who helped our ball movement tonight, which was the way I like to see it."

The Blue Devils began the fourth quarter with a 48-37 lead, but Lewis hit two straight mid-range shots to burst it wide open. The Blue Devils outscored Central 19-7 in the fourth quarter.

Chris Moore added 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for West Memphis while Xavier Warren, who has started the last two games, pumped in 6 and Daveon Doolittle came off the bench to pour in 4 points.

Junior guard Jordan Mitchell (12) is fouled by Memphis Central.

Akhyrahn Hazley (4) scores early against Memphis Central.

Blue Devils overpower LR Central

By Billy Woods

WM School District

LITTLE ROCK --- A good butt-kicking is all the West Memphis Blue Devils needed, according to their head coach Marcus Brown.

Back in action after taking two losses in an invitational tournament in Duncanville, Texas last week, the Blue Devils responded with some solid play here Monday night, defeating Little Rock Central 62-53.

When asked what good came from the tournament in Texas, Brown responded, "Well, we got our butts beat and we needed to see that happen to us," he said bluntly.

The Blue Devils (4-2) were blasted 72-48 by Westlake High School out of Austin, Texas and then absorbed a 74-65 loss to Waxahachie, Texas.

On Monday night, the Blue Devils had no trouble with Central.

They rushed out to a 17-3 lead in the first quarter and then relied on their defense to post their first true road victory of the season.

Auburn signee Chris Moore, as usual, led the charge with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

But it was the three-point shooting from two senior guards that punctuated the victory.

Kylan Sykes and Immanuel Hoard each canned three triples to pump in 17 and 13 points respectively.

"The three-point shooting tonight was one thing that I was especially pleased with," said Brown, whose team plays again tonight at Memphis Central. "That's what we needed. That's what we ask of our guys, whatever it is we needed. And tonight it was three-point shooting. We want to be a consistent shooting team this year. Everybody's gonna sink in on Chris and we just need that consistency from the outside."

By the 3:12 mark of the first quarter, West Memphis sank three triples, with two coming from Sykes and the other from Hoard. Two minutes later it opened up the inside as Moore muscled his way inside for a layup and then seconds later a thunderous dunk that made it 17-3.

The visitors led 19-6 after one quarter and then utilized a successful stint in a 2-3 zone defense that haunted Central (2-1) through the third quarter.

"We played that zone because (Central) wasn't shooting the ball well, but we did not play well on the defensive end in the fourth quarter," Brown added.

West Memphis led 33-17 at halftime and then maintained that margin through the third quarter before some shoddy officiating aided the Central cause, cutting the Blue Devil lead under double digits.

The Blue Devils also got solid performances from junior guard Jordan Mitchell and senior Akyrahn Hazley, who scored 7 and 6 points respectively.

Little Rock Central was led in scoring by Corey Camper Jr, whose father was a high school and college teammate of Blue Devil assistant coach Curtis Washington Sr. at Brinkley High School and Harding University.

The two combined to lead Brinkley to a 26-1 season in 1985-86 with the only loss coming in the state championship game.

Senior Xavier Warren (0) scores first points of the game at LR Central.

Star forward Chris Moore (2) had 18 points and 11 rebounds at LR Central.

Blue Devils overcome early deficit, overhwhelm Hot Springs

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Upon entering his office in Lehr Arena after his team had just dismantled Hot Springs on Saturday night, Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown uttered what was probably on every fan's mind.

"They wanted some of us, and they got some," said Brown.

The Blue Devils improved to 3-0 on the season with a 68-46 victory over the Trojans.

After the visitors threatened to run West Memphis out of its own building by running out to a 13-0 lead, the Blue Devils outscored Hot Springs 68-33 the rest of the way.

"I am very very happy and impressed with the way our kids responded to getting down so early in the game," said Brown. "We just seem to get off to slow starts. I guess I'll have to change some things up."

After getting the recruiting dilemma out of the way, new Auburn signee Chris Moore has been his old dominating self. After his 22-point, 22-rebound game against Lake Hamilton, Moore has averaged 23.5 points and 19 rebounds a game.

Moore was a beast on both ends of the floor. Besides his 3 blocks and 4 assists, the 6-foot-7 forward impacted the game outside the stat sheet, where his presence in the paint altered numerous Trojan shots and forced several more turnovers.

"When all else fails, we have the big fella underneath," Brown said, referring to Moore. "He was great."

Six minutes into the game, the Blue Devils had 6 turnovers and zero points, while Trojan guards Caleb Campbell and Jadyn Walker were lighting it up from outside, helping their team build a 13-0 lead out of the gates.

Brown said he tried to keep his team calm.

"I just tried to let them play through it at first before I finally called a timeout," said Brown. "I tried to be as calm as possible in the huddle. I told them they'd worked too hard. You're parents are in the stands, the school is here, just go and play ball and have fun."

It certainly was fun after that.

The drought was broken by an Akyrahn Hazley 10-foot jumper to finally put the home team on the board with 1:42 to play in the first quarter.

Although the Blue Devils trailed 15-6 after the first quarter, they quickly flipped the game in the second quarter, jetting out to a 14-0 run to start the stanza.

Still trailing 24-20 with 2:23 to play before halftime, Moore gave his team the momentum at intermission with three straight baskets, with two of them coming on thunderous dunks to ignite the crowd.

West Memphis led 28-26 at the break.

Brown's first-ever Blue Devil team two years ago was characterized as an explosive third-quarter team.

On Saturday night, the detonation happened again.

West Memphis outscored Hot Springs 17-2 in the third quarter with senior guard Immanuel Hoard, who plays starter minutes, but who comes off the bench, swished two big three-pointers.

"Immanuel has the green light," said Brown. "He just has to make up his mind if he wants to play. I can't say it any plainer than that. He can score in bunches."

Hoard finished with a season-high 14 points.

From there, it was all West Memphis.

Moore scored the team's first seven points of the fourth quarter as the Blue Devils build a 66-41 lead with 1:48 to play before Brown emptied his bench.

"It was a great night for the home team," Brown said. "I liked the way we played defense and I loved the ball movement on offense in the second half."

Also scoring in double figures for the Blue Devils was Hazley, who hit 11. Senior reserve guard Deon Williams, who is making a bid to start, had two three-pointers and 7 points while junior point guard Jordan Mitchell hit 5.

Jaylon Lewis and Kylan Sykes hit for 4 and 3 points respectively.

Hot Springs got 21 points from Campbell while Walker hit for 13.

Blue Devil Chris Moore (2) grabs one of his game-high 22 rebounds against Hot Springs.

Blue Devils' Brown reunites with former Hog Scotty Thurman

By Billy Woods

WM School District

On the court as players they were similar-looking, smooth-shooting, high-scoring guards.

On the court as coaches?

Polar opposites.

West Memphis' Marcus Brown paces the sideline, steps onto the court frequently and frenetically coaches his team through highly-animated motions.

Little Rock Parkview first-year head coach Scotty Thurman is much calmer on the sidelines.

Some 24 years ago, the two hooked up on the collegiate court with Brown as a high-scoring Murray State guard and Thurman helping lead the Arkansas Razorbacks to a national championship and national runner-up in consecutive seasons.

They squared off as coaches on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena as Brown's Blue Devils got the best of Thurman's Little Rock Parkview Patriots 75-54.

The two played against each other twice in their college careers. Brown's Racers played the eventual national-champion Hogs in the first-ever regular-season game at Walton Arena on Nov. 29, 1993.

The Hogs overpowered Murray State 93-67 with Brown scoring 13 points for the Racers and Thurman hitting 10 points for the Razorbacks.

On Dec. 10, 1994, the Hogs downed the Racers 94-69, but Thurman did not play due to an injury.

Thurman, who took over this year for long-time Parkview head coach Al Flanigan, who retired, said he's known Brown for much longer than their college days.

"I've known Marcus since I was 16 years old," said Thurman. "We played against his Murray State teams, and he was a great player. He's also a great guy. Great memories of playing against Marcus."

Thurman spent several years on Coach Mike Anderson's staff at Arkansas before Anderson was fired after last season. Thurman was not retained by new head coach Eric Musselman.

"I'm so happy for Scotty and proud that's he's the new coach at Parkview," said Brown. "We were close to being teammates in college and we turned about to be rivals. He was immortalized by hitting the biggest shot in Arkansas school history."

Thurman's crucial three-pointer with less than a minute to play, helped the Razorbacks defeat Duke on Monday, April 4, 1994 in the National Championship Game.

Moore returns to form with 25 points, 16 rebounds in win

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Sound the alarm.

The weight has been lifted from the burly shoulders of Chris Moore.

After a pair of games, one of which didn't count toward the regular season, of scoring just 10 points in each, Moore made his college basketball decision in front of a few hundred Blue Devil, Razorback, Memphis and Auburn fans last Saturday.

And although his decision to sign with Auburn sent shockwaves throughout West Memphis and Crittenden County, Moore finally got a huge burden lifted from his mind.

And then he took it out on Little Rock Parkview on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena.

Moore scored a season-high 25 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked two shots to lead West Memphis to a 75-54 victory.

Playing with apprehension in a preseason game against Bartlett and in the season-opener against Little Rock Mills, Moore looked more like his old self on Tuesday night.

"I had a lot of weight on my shoulders picking a college," said Moore. "I was worried about losing fan bases, gaining fan bases and my head was pretty much everywhere. That was one thing I was really worried about going into my final season.

"Now that the weight has been lifted I feel more free out on the court. Tonight I just wanted to be the one playing the hardest."

The Blue Devils (2-0) outscored the Patriots 23-9 in the third quarter to break open a tight game. West Memphis led at the half 36-32.

After getting limited touches in the paint in his first two games, Blue Devil guards did a better job of feeding Moore against Parkview.

Moore sat with foul trouble for some of Tuesday night's game, but when he was on the floor he was the game-changer he's been for the last three years.

"He wasn't bad," West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown chided. "The key to the second half was just getting the ball to Chris. Defensively, we were able to get some stops, but I still wasn't satisfied with the way we finished plays. But because of the stops on defense, we were able to get some run-outs."

Moore teamed with junior point guard Jordan Mitchell, who scored 9 points, to deliver the knock-out punch in the third quarter. After Mitchell scored the first five points of the second half, Moore triggered a 14-0 run to end the third quarter, giving the hosts a 59-41 lead.

Moore picked up his third foul with 4 minutes to play in the third quarter, but Brown left him in. He proceeded to score seven of the Blue Devils' next nine points.

Also playing a vital role for the Blue Devils was senior guard Deon Williams, who canned three 3-pointers on his way to15 points.

"Deon's shot has come a long ways from last year," said Brown. "He gave us a big lift tonight."

Poor free-throw shooting was a key issue for last year's team, and while the Blue Devils clanked a lot of foul shots in the first half, they sank 8 of their last 10 to go 30 of 47 from the charity stripe.

Immanuel Hoard and Jaylon Lewis each added 7 points for West Memphis while Akyrahn Hazley scored 6.

The Blue Devils return to Lehr Arena on Saturday night against Hot Springs. The junior varsity game will begin at 6 p.m., followed immediately by the varsity contest.

Blue Devil center Daveon Doolittle (34) scrambles for a loose ball against Parkview.

Chris Moore (2) had 25 points, 16 rebounds in the victory over Parkview.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Nov. 19

It's a busy week in Blue Devil Land.

Tonight, our two basketball teams play host to state power Little Rock Parkview. On Thursday, the Lady Devils will play a girls-only outing at home against North Little Rock. Of course, on Friday, the football Blue Devils will host Lake Hamilton in a Class 6A state semifinal playoff game.

Topping it all off, on Saturday, the Blue Devil hoopers will play host to Hot Springs.

Whew!!

Let's not jump ahead of ourselves, though.

Tonight's game is important for the Blue Devil boys, who want to see how they measure up against a team that should once again be among the top 10 in Arkansas.

Thus far, the Blue Devils have beaten Bartlett (in a game that doesn't count on the record) and Little Rock Mills. But there have been issues crop up in both games that need cleaning up.

First, the Blue Devil guards have not done a good job of running the offense. There's been too much dribbling and not enough ball movement.

And, that's led to the ultimate end not happening nearly often enough. And that's feeding the ball into the post to the unstoppable Chris Moore.

The 6-foot-7 power forward who on Saturday shocked everyone in West Memphis by signing with Auburn, has not gotten near enough shot attempts through the first two games. In fact, in the second half of the Mills game, Moore had exactly two shot attempts from the field.

That can't continue happening.

But the good news is the Blue Devils won both of those games against solid competition. Just imagine, then, how good this unit could be if Moore got enough touches on offense.

Also on the good side, head coach Marcus Brown is pleased.

Any time this man is pleased with any phase of his team it should be duly noted. He's very hard to satisfy.

But, Brown has been vocal about his team's man-to-man defense through the first two showings, and he's got every reason to be. Both Bartlett and Mills shot under 40 percent from the field in the games against West Memphis. It seemed every shot was challenged. It seemed very few times the Blue Devils were out of position on defense.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Devils, last Friday night, simply overpowered a Blytheville team that normally is bad, but this year is worse than bad. So we still are not sure how good this Lady Devils team is.

However, this much is certain: Ninth-grader Janiya Tucker is the real deal. Maybe it's premature to place that type of tag on her. Despite her small frame, this girl has some serious confidence when it comes to handling and shooting the ball.

Tucker is not the least bit afraid to take control of games.

And the best part of that is this: The team's leading scorer the last two seasons, senior Aryah Hazley, doesn't seem to be jealous in the least. Several times last Friday night Hazley was content to find the open player, and much of it was to Tucker.

Hazley can still score with the best of them in Arkansas. And she will as the season goes on. But the fact she's on board with Tucker sharing the scoring load with her is nothing but good news for the West Memphis girls.

That duo will be a problem all year long for Lady Devil opponents.

Finally, an explanation is in order for the Blue Devil boys'-only game on Saturday. The regularly scheduled Blue Devil Classic had to be canceled this season due to the football team's presence in the semifinals.

Thus, arrangements were made for Hot Springs to come to Lehr Arena on Saturday to soften the blow of losing two scheduled games. So, Blue Devil fans, come on out on Saturday night. The junior varsity game begins at 6 p.m. and the varsity will follow immediately after that.

Blue Devils' Moore picks Auburn over Memphis, Arkansas

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Chris Moore said that the recruiting process was so difficult for him that he didn't even make his college basketball decision until about 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Which was only four-and-a-half hours before he was to make his decision public in a ceremony at the Academies of West Memphis' Performing Arts Center.

The game-themed program, coordinated by Tywanna Inmon-Smith, featured a warm-up, four quarters and finally the decision that all of West Memphis was waiting to hear.

After a few brief words, Moore reached behind him, pulled out an Auburn cap and fitted it over his head.

The announcement brought elation to family and friends, but disappointment to Arkansas and University of Memphis fans who attended the event, including a couple of Razorback fans who traveled all the way from Fayetteville to attend the ceremony.

Coach Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers were the first college to offer the Blue Devil standout a scholarship. And Moore very well may have ended up signing with the Tigers had Hardaway and his squad not been flagged for an NCAA rules violation that is still pending involving freshman center James Wiseman, who was deemed ineligible after his family accepted $11,500 from Hadaway for moving expenses from Nashville to Memphis.

The NCAA ruled Hardaway a Memphis booster because in 2008 he donated $1 million to the school to build the Penny Hardaway Hall of Fame on campus.

The decision was "so difficult," said Moore.

"It took this morning for me to make the decision because there was so much, I gotta stay home and play for Penny Hardaway, or stay in state and be the man," said Moore. "All in all I thought about what was best for me. For once I made the decision to be selfish."

Moore said the U of M's pending NCAA issues was a factor.

"It was a factor in the beginning, but Coach Penny broke it down for me," Moore explained. "I trust Penny. He's a great coach, a great guy."

Moore got a final visit from Hardaway and Tiger assistant coach Tony Madlock on Friday night.

"He convinced me he has his players' backs, but it came too late," Moore said of Hardaway addressing the NCAA issues. "It did hinder me from picking them because as a basketball player you don't want to be with all the --- I don't want to say drama and all that."

Moore's brother, Blue Devil assistant coach Alvin Hawkins, said he and Chris are glad the recruiting process is over, saying that Moore's performance on the court could have been affected by the decision.

Moore scored just 10 points apiece in the Blue Devils' first two games, a preseason contest against Bartlett and in the regular-season opener against Little Rock Mills.

"I think it's going to be a relief for Chris because his first two games I think he played with a lot on his mind," said Hawkins. "I think you'll see him turn into the regular Chris that we're used to seeing."

The Blue Devils play at home Tuesday night against Little Rock Parkview.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl finally landed a player he recruited from West Memphis. Pearl has recruited West Memphis before, working on former Blue Devil Sonny Weems when Pearl was head coach at the University of Tennessee.

And, Pearl recruited former Blue Devils Jason Henry and Anthony Borden, but landed neither of them after all three signed with Arkansas.

Pearl worked Moore hard and had the advantage of giving a lasting message when the Blue Devil forward used his final visit two weeks ago at Auburn.

"It feels like a home away from home," Moore said of Auburn.

Pearl, who led his Tigers to the Final Four last season, will use the West Memphian as a hybrid small forward, stretch-four player.

"They plan to use me in mis-matches, being probably not the number one (scoring) option, but the number two or top three for sure," Moore said. "Bruce Pearl is a great coach, but an even better guy. He loves my family and is very warm-hearted. One of the best coaches I've ever met.

"What Coach Pearl will allow me to do is give me freedom to create and use all my talents. He won't get upset at me for taking a bad shot once in a while."

Moore's current coach, Marcus Brown, also went through a somewhat controversial recruiting process his senior year at West Memphis in 1992. Ironically, in that instance, the Tigers also lost out when then-head coach Larry Finch mistook Marcus for another Brown (Paul) who played for the Blue Devils and head coach Larry Bray.

Marcus insists Auburn is getting a steal.

"We're just super excited for Chris. It's a great day to be a Blue Devil and a West Memphis alum," said Brown. "Coach Pearl is known for putting players who have Chris' skill set to good use. I have no doubt Chris will be a good SEC player. Big props to all the guys who recruited him, but Auburn ends up with the prize. Chris will be playing against big-time talent and he'll be playing with big-time talent with Auburn. They got a point guard over there in Shareef Cooper who can flat-out go. It's going to be fun, it's going to be entertaining, they are going to be up and down the court."

Brown was asked by out-of-town media what people who have never seen Moore play will see.

"Never seen him?" Brown replied. "Man you've missed something."

Chris Moore's hat tells the story...he's going to Auburn!!

Family and friends surrounded Moore during the signing of scholarship papers.

Tucker leads Lady Devil blowout over Blytheville

By Billy Woods

WM School District

BLYTHEVILLE --- Historically, the Blytheville girls have never been competitive with most teams, but especially so against West Memphis.

So it was again here on Friday night as the Lady Devils pummeled the Lady Chics 65-34 in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score would indicate.

In their regular-season opener, the Lady Devils could not have had an easier time. They scored the game's first 24 points and could have run up the score on Blytheville much more than they did.

But the Lady Devils couldn't have helped it.

They were just miles ahead of the Blytheville girls athletically.

Already showing signs of being much more than a contributor to the varsity squad, ninth-grader Janiya Tucker scored 17 points in the first quarter on her way to a game-high 23 points.

"Tucker is so quick off the ball," said West Memphis head coach Shelia Burns. "It was just too tough for Blytheville to guard her."

It took 6 minutes, 12 seconds for the Lady Devils to score 24 points while holding the hosts to nada.

Blytheville scored its first points of the game via two free throws with 1:29 to play in the first quarter.

By then, the game had been decided.

Burns began subbing by the start of the second quarter. Otherwise, the Lady Devils' lead would have been much more than the 43-15 margin they held heading into the locker room at halftime.

Senior Jamee Gholson came off the bench to score 11 points for West Memphis while Cortasia Hollins added 10 and senior Aryah Hazley pumped in 8.

The Lady Devils play their home opener Tuesday night against Little Rock Parkview in a boys-girls doubleheader. The girls game will begin at approximately 6 p.m.

Hazley powers Blue Devils to season-opening win over Mills

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Good news and red flags littered the West Memphis Blue Devils' regular-season opener on Thursday night at Lehr Arena.

First, the good.

West Memphis' boys overcame a 38-31 deficit with 7:18 to play in the fourth quarter and rallied for a 47-41 victory over Little Rock Mills.

The red flags?

The Blue Devils cannot continue this season feeding the low post, where 6-foot-7 star Chris Moore resides, at the terribly low rate they have this week.

Moore, who is about to make his college choice public on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Academies of West Memphis Performing Arts Center, had just two shot attempts in the second half, leading West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown to underscore that aspect of the victory.

"We didn't feed the post well at all," said Brown. "Only two shots for Chris in the second half...that can't happen again. We'll get better at that."

Moore, who scored 10 points in the Blue Devils' win over Bartlett in a preseason game on Tuesday night, once again scored just 10 points, which is 8 below his season average as a junior. But the broad-shouldered forward snatched 13 rebounds and blocked 4 shots.

Still, the Blue Devils notched a quality win over a Mills team that last year went 28-5 and advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals.

It looked like Mills' night when the Comets finally seized the lead after three quarters of back-and-forth with the Blue Devils.

West Memphis, which will play at home against Little Rock Parkview on Tuesday night, led 11-10 after one quarter and trailed 21-20 at halftime. Mills took a 36-31 lead after three quarters by denying the ball to Moore, who had zero shot attempts in the stanza.

"(Mills) went small-ball on us and it forced us to do things we didn't like," said Brown.

Mills' Jakari Livingston hit a twisting shot in the lane to open the fourth-quarter scoring, giving the visitors a 38-31 lead with 7:18 to play in the game.

That's when Moore got his only two field-goal attempts in the second half as he wriggled free for a layup with 7:09 left that triggered a 13-2 West Memphis run that also included a dunk by Moore with 6:26 to play.

But the star of the fourth quarter was unheralded hero Akyrahn Hazley, who scored 6 of his team-high 12 points in the final eight minutes.

"By Mills going small on us that left Akyrahn free to do some damage," said Brown.

Hazley scored six straight points for the Blue Devils, including a stickback with 3:05 to play that gave the hosts the lead for good at 41-40.

The Blue Devil defense, which Brown lauded after the game, denied the Comets any field goals for the final 3:39 of the contest.

"I'm really pleased with our man-to-man defense," said Brown. "Just a couple times on our rotation, that we were supposed to be sliding over, and that's about the only critique I have. Overall, it was just a very good defensive effort."

Another fourth-quarter hero was senior guard Kylan Sykes, whose three-pointer with 2:20 to play pushed the Blue Devil lead to 44-40. He then swished two free throws with 25 seconds to play that clinched the game, giving West Memphis a 47-40 lead.

Sykes ended the game with 11 points while junior point guard Jordan Mitchell had 5 points and Immanuel Hoard scored 5.

Livingston keyed the Mills effort with 12 points while Javian Guy-King scored 5.

The Blue Devils shot 17 of 36 from the field for the game, but were a dismal 3-for-11 from three-point range and an uneven 10 of 20 from the foul line.

Blue Devil star Chris Moore (2) scores opening basket against LR Mills.

Senior Akyrahn Hazley (4) led the Blue Devils with 12 points against Mills.

Blue Devils beat back Bartlett in preseason skirmish

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Head coach Marcus Brown threw out an almost entirely different group of Blue Devils Tuesday night at Lehr Arena as his team took on Bartlett in a preseason game.

Except for a couple of players who played low-leverage minutes last season, the Blue Devils were mostly unrecognizable.

Except for one vital piece.

Senior Chris Moore, already a three-time all-state pick who is one of the top 75 seniors in the nation and who is a few days away from revealing his college choice, had a rather quiet night offensively, but on defense he was a game-changer in leading the Blue Devils to a 56-48 victory over Bartlett.

Moore, who spent a lot of minutes on the bench in the second quarter, scored a modest 10 points, but he snared 13 rebounds, blocked 6 shots and altered countless other shots and passes in the interior.

"I played Chris more than I wanted to tonight, but I got him a really long break in the second quarter," said Brown. "I was really going into it with the mindset I wasn't going to play him much tonight because it was a benefit game. But he really impacted the game on defense. Chris is just so active and he has a high motor."

The Blue Devils have a quick turnaround as they play their regular-season opener Thursday night at home against Little Rock Mills. It will be a boys-only contest.

Brown went with a starting lineup that featured newcomer junior Jordan Mitchell at point guard, senior Kylan Sykes, senior Akyrahn Hazley and 6-foot-8 senior center Davion Doolittle.

The play was sloppy at times, but the Blue Devils were in control the whole contest against Bartlett, running up a margin of 15 points with 5:52 to play in the game before the brakes were put on.

"Overall I was pleased," said Brown. "We kinda leaked out on defense a few times and gave Bartlett about six, seven, eight points there. The effort was there, though. They were trying."

Tying Moore for team-high scoring honors were senior big man Xavier Warren and Mitchell.

Mitchell's three-pointer and Hazley's 15-foot jumper gave West Memphis a 5-0 lead out of the gates before Bartlett tied things up 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Brown shuttled players in and out of the game in the second quarter, but the Blue Devils still managed to take a 30-23 lead into halftime.

The Blue Devil boss went back to his starting five to open the second half and the execution immediately began to click as the hosts ran up a 46-34 lead after a layup from Deon Williams with 52 seconds left in the third quarter.

Brown said he intentionally set his team's first regular-season game just 48 hours after the preseason skirmish.

"I wanna see how these guys respond to playing games so close together because that's what we'll face in the state tournament," he commented. "I want the guys to understand how to recover and take care of their bodies."

Also contributing offensively for the Blue Devils were senior Immanuel Hoard with 8 points and Sykes and Hazley with 7 apiece.

Thursday night's junior varsity game will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity.

Xavier Warren is trapped on the baseline.

Jordan Mitchell (12) scored 10 points against Bartlett.

Paige and teammate Hill sign scholarship papers

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The greatest assist man in West Memphis history will take his show to Mississippi.

On Wednesday, Blue Devil point guard Cavin Paige signed a letter of intent with Coahoma (Miss.) Community College, where he says the coach there will let him play at his desired speed.

Paige is the all-time assist leader, for both single-season and career, in school history, which is saying something because the record he broke was owned by an all-time great.

Marcus Mangum, who helped the Blue Devils to two straight state championships earlier this century and who was named the 2005 state tournament Most Valuable Player, held the record for assists in one season at 125.

This past season, Paige blew past that mark with ease. The 5-foot-7 magician with the ball posted 165 dimes before the state tournament even started. Then the Blue Devil point man added onto that total with three more games in the state tournament.

Paige showed his acumen and his respect for Blue Devil lore when he spoke of Mangum.

"I didn't really expect (to set the record) because Mark...he's the G.O.A.T," Paige said. "I just feel really blessed to play at West Memphis. I'm gonna miss everything about it. Even Coach Marcus (Brown) screaming at me."

Paige shared the limelight Wednesday with his teammate Courtney Hill, who signed scholarship papers with Central Christian in Missouri. Hill was a seldom-used, but effective, player for Brown's Blue Devils this past season as the team went 25-6.

Paige said he looks forward to continuing his basketball career at Coahoma. As far as the style of offense at his new school, Paige said the coach will give him freedom to do what he does best, play fast.

"We're going to run the floor at my tempo," he said, confidently. "I'm gonna try and run the team."

Joining the signing ceremony Wednesday at the Academies of West Memphis was one of the all-time greats, former Blue Devil Sonny Weems, who is in town this summer, following another great pro season in China.

Weems is especially familiar with Paige since the two are cousins.

"I've been watching (Paige) since he was a baby," Weems said with a smile. "I'm very proud that he made this decision on his own."

Weems played with Mangum for the Blue Devils in 2003-04 when the team went 29-2 for the state championship. He said Paige compares favorably with his former teammate.

"Those two, individually, are great," Weems commented. "Just to be mentioned in the same breath as (Mangum) is really great for (Paige). We all know what Mangum meant to West Memphis basketball, so to break his record is a great accomplishment."

Blue Devils Courtney Hill (left) and Cavin Paige signed letters of intent Wednesday.

Hill and Paige surrounded by their Blue Devil teammates.

Hall puts an end to Blue Devils' state run

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PEARCY --- No matter how deep a team goes in the state tournament, the final loss is always a gut punch.

So it went for the West Memphis Blue Devils here Saturday night as they wound up on the short end of a 43-38 score against Little Rock Hall in the 5A state semifinals.

The Blue Devils also fell short of a highly anticipated rematch with Crittenden County neighbor Marion in the finals as the Patriots will face Hall for the championship after easily dispatching Lake Hamilton 60-46 in Saturday’s other semifinals.

When it was over, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown, normally a highly strung bundle of energy during the game was calm and philosophical.

“In basketball there’s going to be a winner and a loser,” Brown said in a soft voice. “We came up short tonight, but man…I got some winners. Especially my seniors. I’m so proud of them, win or lose. I’m going to roll with them every day of the week.”

In a game between two normally fast-paced teams, the tempo slowed to a standstill in the second half. The Blue Devils (25-6) shot just 37 percent from the field (13 of 35) and committed 16 turnovers. Hall was 51 percent from the field on 17 of 33 and they turned it over 14 times.

The Blue Devils were 4 of 12 from three-point range and they outrebounded Hall 19-13.

West Memphis trailed at halftime 22-20, but grabbed the lead at 30-29 after the third quarter. Then junior guard Immanuel Hoard, who scored 7 points, converted a steal in the back-court to a layup on the other end for a 32-29 Blue Devil cushion.

That’s where the game swung, according to Brown.

“(Hall) went to a match-up zone and we just stood around,” Brown explained. “We were so stagnant and would not move to the open spot. Every time we came out of a timeout we said we need to move to the open spots, but we just wouldn’t do it.”

Hall’s Gregory Johnson, who scored 8 points, hit a soft hook in the lane with 7:26 to play in the fourth quarter to bring the Warriors to within 32-31 and then senior Kevon Cooper, who led all scorers with 17 points, stole a ball and hit a layup to give his team the lead for good.

Hall outscored West Memphis 10-0 over a five-minute span in the fourth quarter to take a 39-30 lead with 2:47 to play before Blue Devil senior Terry Burgess drained a free throw to stop the bleeding.

Senior Corliss Brewer gave the Blue Devils a lift with 1:45 to play when he stole an inbounds pass and hit a short jumper in the lane while being fouled to make it 41-38 Hall. But Brewer missed his free throw.

Still, the Blue Devils had a final chance with 11 seconds to play and still down by the same score. They took a timeout and drew up a play. However, Hall trapped West Memphis’ Chris Moore, who scored 15 points to lead his team in scoring, and he threw a cross-court pass over the head of Brewer and out of bounds, which sealed the fate.

“These kids were prepared for everything Hall threw at us,” said Brown. “They played the lanes and we didn’t get into the open spots. All that’s on me. I didn’t put them in good enough spots to execute.”

In his final game as a Blue Devil, senior point guard Cavin Paige, who set the school record for assists this season, scored 7 points. Brewer hit 5 and Burgess scored 4.

Hall’s Cooper and Johnson got support from Montavious Dismuke and point guard Jonathan Coleman, who had 10 and 6 points respectively.

Blue Devils' Terry Burgess tries for an and-one against Little Rock Hall in the closing seconds.

Burgess (0) and Chris Moore vie for a loose ball.

Chris Moore (2) works inside against Hall.

Blue Devils advance to semis with win over Maumelle

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PEARCY --- The Maumelle Hornets tried to exploit the West Memphis Blue Devils' biggest weakness here Friday night, but to no avail.

Maumelle tried the old 'hack-a-shack" approach with 3:40 remaining in the game, hoping the Blue Devils' free-throw shooting would finally betray them. But the Blue Devils canned 9 out of 12 down the stretch to easily dispatch the Hornets 63-51 in a Class 5A state quarterfinal game.

The Blue Devils (25-5) are on win away from reaching the finals for the second year in a row. They will face Little Rock Hall, which defeated Hot Springs earlier on Friday, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Senior Cavin Paige was the largest recipient of the Maumelle strategy and the 5-foot-7 point guard responded by hitting 7 of his 8 free throws on the night.

"We've been working hard on free throws for two weeks straight," said Paige, who led the Blue Devils in scoring with 15 points. "Coach (Marcus Brown) has been real serious about free throws because we've been missing a lot of them. We started knocking them down tonight. It feels good, too."

The book was out on the Blue Devil scouting report, after they went a collective 15 for 42 (35.7 percent) from the charity stripe in the final two regular-season games against Greene County Tech and Mountain Home.

But on Friday night against Maumelle, the Blue Devils hit 13 of 19 for a respectable 68.4 percent.

"Getting into the double bonus on the fouls was a big plus for us," said Brown. "We also got some defensive stops down the stretch and that helped, too."

Although he wasn't quite as dominant as he was in the first round, Blue Devil junior Chris Moore put up 14 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.

For the second straight game, the Blue Devils came out strong, hitting the Hornets with an 18-12 deficit after the first quarter and then building a 27-17 halftime advantage.

Like El Dorado before them, the Hornets had trouble finding the range from the field in the first half against West Memphis. El Dorado went 2 for its first 17 in the first round on Thursday night and Maumelle hit just 7 of 27 in the first half on Friday night.

"It was very important to come out like that," Brown added. "Chris established his will inside and Big Daddy did his thing out front. Some of our other guys had some good looks. Hey, we just came here to play."

The Blue Devils, who outrebounded the Hornets 37-23, led from wire to wire and were never in serious trouble. They built a 16-point lead in the second half (44-28) and Maumelle did not come closer than 9 points on the night.

Offensively, with Paige at the controls, the Blue Devils took good care of the ball, turning it over just 8 times while forcing 13 Maumelle miscues.

Junior Immanuel Hoard added 10 points for the Blue Devils while senior Jamal Macklin had 7 and fellow senior Terry Burgess scored 6.

Brahm Harris paced the Maumelle attack with 12 points while Jayvain Menifee hit for 8.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: March 1 edition

PEARCY --- As the calendar flips today, welcome to March Madness.

And we all have Chris Moore to thank for it.

After all, the 6-foot-6 junior forward put together one of the most memorable performances in West Memphis basketball history in state tournament play as he poured in 32 points, snatched 20 rebounds, dished for 6 assists and blocked 6 shots in his team's 63-52 first-round victory over El Dorado.

Also worth noting on this first day of March, it is National Peanut Butter Appreciation Day, so let that stick to the roof of your mouth.

Fans, you still have a few hours to savor last night's win over El Dorado, but be advised to get your game face on well before tonight's 8:30 tip-off against Maumelle in the quarterfinals.

Because Maumelle looked awfully impressive in its convincing first-round win over 5A-West champion Russellville. Granted, the West is weak this year, but Maumelle has plenty of firepower even though it finished fourth in a loaded Central Conference.

Six-foot-five senior Brahm Harris is the team's leading scorer and played on the EYBL Circuit last summer. He can handle, is athletic and can shoot off the bounce.

I would imagine that even as I'm typing this, Maumelle head coach Michael Shook is wracking his brain to try and devise a plan to contain the Blue Devils' Moore, who is the talk of the state tournament this morning.

Auburn, which is putting on the full-court press in its pursuit of the Blue Devil star, was represented at last night's game by assistant coach Wesley Flanigan, who was mostly present to see his son, Trey, who played in a losing cause in last night's late game against Marion.

But Wesley was standing outside the Blue Devil locker room waiting to speak with the Blue Devil Main Man.

Also of recruiting note: Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway somehow got wind of Moore's big night and placed two calls to him before lights were out.

If I had to handicap Moore's current recruitment I would say that Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss are the schools that have shown the most desire for his services, but I would say that Memphis is stepping up its interest.

Tigers assistant coach Sam Mitchell attended the Blue Devils' home finale last Tuesday against Greene County Tech and came away very impressed, according to a source.

At any rate, although the Blue Devils (24-5) will probably not get another performance out of Moore like they did last night, they will need more standout production from the forward tonight against the Hornets (17-12).

Free-throw shooting (the lack thereof) has been an immense problem for the Blue Devils this season as their 9 for 24 effort against Mountain Home and 6 for 18 against Greene County Tech would attest.

And although the Blue Devils got off to a horrid start from the charity stripe against El Dorado, they did manage a respectable 63 percent showing (17 for 27) in the end.

Another note of interest, West Memphis point guard Cavin Paige keeps adding on to his new school record for assists in one season. Paige handed out 11 assists last night to go along with his 12 points.

Big Daddy will need to step up against tonight against Maumelle.

Moore's the man in leading Blue Devils to first-round win

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PEARCY --- Chris Moore's memory of his previous experience in a state tournament game here two years ago fueled one of the best individual state tournament performances in school history.

Moore had game-high totals of 32 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocks to lead the West Memphis Blue Devils to a 63-52 victory over El Dorado Thursday in a first-round 5A state tournament game.

Two years ago as a ninth-grader the Blue Devils lost 47-44 in overtime in heart-breaking fashion in a first-round state tournament game at Lake Hamilton High School.

"The last time we came here to play we played terrible and lost," said Moore. "My mindset today was we ain't gonna lose. I wanted to do everything I could to try and erase that memory."

West Memphis (24-5) advances to the quarterfinals on Friday at 8:30 p.m. where it will face Maumelle.

Moore owned the floor Thursday.

El Dorado (12-14) tried all it could to contain the 6-foot-6 junior. The Wildcats simply had no answer.

"He's a phenomenal athlete," Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown said of Moore. "He was simply the man out there tonight. I will say, though, that our team did a great job of getting him the ball."

And when Moore got it, even with two and sometimes three Wildcats draped over him, he over-matched the El Dorado defenders.

Asked if he was ever conscious of his numbers as the game progressed, Moore said, "Not really, but every time I went to the bench my teammates were saying you got 20, you got 30."

The Blue Devils actually won the game in the first quarter by jetting out to leads of 12-0 after the first four minutes and 17-4 at the end of the stanza.

Conversely, the Wildcats simply couldn't buy a basket in the first quarter, going 2 for 17 from the floor.

Still, El Dorado clawed its way back into it, twice cutting the Blue Devil lead to 8 points in the first half before West Memphis claimed a 30-20 halftime cushion.

"We let up after we got off to that big lead," Brown said. "We probably could have been up 20 at halftime."

As it was, the Blue Devils led wire to wire, even though El Dorado sliced the West Memphis lead to seven on four occasions in the second half, including twice in the fourth quarter.

But the night was clearly defined by the Blue Devil big man.

Moore scored all of his team's field goals in the fourth quarter and tallied 14 points in all in the final stanza.

After El Dorado cut the West Memphis lead to 50-43 with 3:10 to play in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils hit the Wildcats with a 13-2 run with Moore scoring 6 of those points.

The Blue Devils outrebounded El Dorado 36-29 and they committed only 7 turnovers.

Senior point guard Cavin Paige had 12 points while Immanuel Hoard added 7 and Mark Robinson and Corliss Brewer each scored 7.

El Dorado got 16 points from Brenden Johnson while Mason Lockhart and Brendan Simmons had 8 and 7 points respectively.\

Moore said the win should give his team a boost of confidence heading into Friday's game against Maumelle.

"We've seen Maumelle once this year in the (Neosho Classic) and they got a pretty good team," he said. "I think if we play pretty well we should come out OK."

Terry Burgess (0) battles for possession against El Dorado.

Moore, Paige lead Blue Devils in quest for state title

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It's not exactly March Madness yet, since the high school basketball state tournaments start on the 26th of February. But when the tournaments are over by the end of the week, the calendar will have flipped to March.

So let the Madness begin.

For what it's worth, most everyone in the West Memphis Blue Devil camp likes where the team is positioned in the Class 5A bracket, though the same folks would have you know that experience tells them anything can happen regardless of what the bracket looks like.

But the vibe is there for the Blue Devils (23-5) to make a deep run this week at Lake Hamilton High School.

Despite less quantity and overall quality than a year ago when the team advanced to the state championship game, head coach Marcus Brown revealed what he thinks makes his team dangerous this week.

"We have the point guard and we have the big man," said Brown, referring to senior Cavin Paige and 6-foot-6 forward Chris Moore.

Those two players have been the mainstays for the team that finished a strong second in 5A-East Conference play this season.

Paige, a two-year starter at the lead guard position, is now the all-time single-season assist record-holder at West Memphis. His 165 assists this season demolished the previous record of 125 set by two-time all-state player Marcus Mangum in 2003-04. Paige, who averages 10 points per game, averages 5.8 assists per game this season with a high of 12 assists in one game.

"Big Daddy runs the show for us," said Brown. "He gets us into the offense. Our ball movement in offensive sets has been vital to us this year and it's because Big Daddy gets guys in the right spots, sets up the shooters, drives, dishes and never picks up his dribble."

The big man is Moore, in more ways than one.

The heavily recruited junior leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, hitting for 17.5 points per game and swiping 16.1 rebounds off the boards per game.

"Chris has been our go-to guy for a while now," said Brown. "He's only a junior, but he's a three-year starter for us. He's going up (to the state tournament) with a lot of experience behind him. That will be very valuable."

The Blue Devils play their first-round game Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against El Dorado, a team they've already beaten 70-62 this season, albeit way back in November in a benefit game that did not count toward the regular-season record.

The Wildcats (12-13) are led by two players Brown said "make them go."

Senior point guard Jo Ramey, at 6-3, is a player similar to West Memphis' Paige, but with size to go with it.

Junior shooting guard Brendan Simmons is El Dorado's top scorer.

"Simmons is the shooter," said Brown. "They have some other pieces. They are an intriguing team. Dangerous team. We just need to take away some of the things they like to do."

Winners of their last six games, the Blue Devils are locked in mentally, according to Brown.

"This is playoff basketball, and this is the best time of year," he added. "We're going in the right direction. The kids are eager, we just have to channel that and make sure we just play West Memphis basketball."

Unlike the last 12 years, the state tournament bracket for the current 5A schools will include a full 16 teams, rather than 12 teams from years past. All of which makes it much more difficult to win the tournament, what with no first-round byes and four No. 1 seeds rather than just two.

"This is the way I've been wanting it," said Brown. "It's much more competitive with 32 teams in the classification rather than 16. Just makes it more fun."

Just above the Blue Devils in the state bracket are Russellville, the 5A-West champion, and Maumelle, the No. 3 seed from the Central. Should West Memphis defeat El Dorado on Thursday it would face the winner of Russellville-Maumelle on Friday in a quarterfinal game at 8:30 p.m.

Other first-round games, starting today, include Marion vs Benton at 2:30 p.m., Jonesboro vs Lake Hamilton at 5:30 and Little Rock Hall vs Alma at 8:30 p.m. First-round games on Wednesday include Russellville vs Maumelle at 2:30 p.m., Greenbrier vs Little Rock Parkview at 5:30 p.m. and Pine Bluff vs Vilonia at 8:30 p.m.

Chris Moore leads Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding with averages of 17.5 and 16.1 respectively.

Cavin Paige (30) is the all-time assist leader for a single season in school history with 165.

Road victory sets up Blue Devils for state tournament play

By Billy Woods

WM School District

MOUNTAIN HOME --- Head coach Marcus Brown declared the West Memphis Blue Devil ready for the postseason after his team defeated Mountain Home worse than the 57-46 final score would indicate.

The Blue Devils (23-5 overall, 11-3 in the 5A-East Conference and ranked No. 7 in the Arkansas Sports Media Poll) will play Thursday in the first round of the Class 5A state tournament Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against El Dorado, the third-place team from the South.

With his team's postseason fate already determined, Brown played a loose rotation at Mountain Home. He went with a starting lineup that now has been in place for the last four games, which included the insertion of senior center Mark Robinson, who has added strength and another inside presence to take some of the pressure off ace low-post player and leading scorer Chris Moore.

But Brown also played an 11-man rotation that limited Moore to just 18 minutes.

However, when the starters played, they dismantled the Bombers (9-17, 4-10).

Moore, who scored a game-high 16 points to go along with 12 rebounds, displayed some range on his shot, making a few mid-range along with a 30-foot three-pointer at the halftime buzzer, which gave the Blue Devils a 27-21 lead at intermission.

But with all the starters on the floor to open the second half, it was all West Memphis as the Blue Devils ran out to a 49-26 lead on the strength of 4 of 5 shooting from three-point range.

"We wanted to come in tonight and tune up and not show a lot," said Brown. "Guys did a good job being focused and I'm super proud of that. I thought defensively we were locked in."

The Blue Devils excelled in all statistical categories except free-throw shooting. For the second straight game they shot a much better percentage from the field than they did from the free-throw line.

Connecting on 22 of 40 from the field, the Blue Devils shot 55 percent, compared to 33 percent from the free-throw line (6 of 18). They also made good on 6 of 12 from the three-point line and also committed a season-low 7 turnovers.

Contributing to the surge was senior Corliss Brewer, who had three three-pointers and 13 points, a somewhat misleading figure since Brewer, like the rest of the starters, did not play a lot of minutes.

"I started subbing early to rest my starters and trying to stay healthy for the state tournament," said Brown.

The hot three-point shooting was especially pleasing to the Blue Devil chief.

"We were able to get some good looks at the basket because of the ball movement on offense," he said. "The defense collapsed on us as it usually does, but we had some guys penetrate and then dish to the open man on the perimeter."

Moore scored 12 of his total in the first half as he was barely challenged when he received the ball in the post. Seniors Terry Burgess and Cavin Paige added 6 points as did seldom-used Daveon Doolittle.

Having won their last six games, Brown said his team is ready for the state tournament.

"I feel good about it," he said. "We're going in on a positive note. We feel like we're going to make a good showing. I think our guys are focused on the goal at hand."

Blue Devil point guard Cavin Paige (30) is stripped of the ball on his way to the goal.

Mark Robinson (4) scores an early goal for the Blue Devils.

Daveon Doolittle scored 6 points at Mountain Home.

Corliss Brewer knocked down 3 three-pointers on his way to 13 points at Mt. Home.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 22 edition

Happy final-game-of-the-regular season day Blue Devil fans!

As a few of us get ready to battle the elements on the way to Mountain Home today for the last game on the schedule, take comfort in the fact that your West Memphis boys secured the No. 2 berth from the 5A-East Conference as you were preparing for bed time last night.

Jonesboro lost to Marion 66-52 last night and across town, the Nettleton Raiders thrashed Searcy 94-69, clinching second place for head coach Marcus Brown's team. All of which means the Blue Devils (22-5 overall, 10-3 in the conference) will play next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in a first-round state tournament game against El Dorado.

The state tournament will be played at Lake Hamilton High School for the second time in three years.

So, tonight it'll be interesting to see how close to the vest Brown plays it as his team takes on the Bombers (9-16, 4-9).

One note of interest: Last month, as hard as it was to believe at the time, the conference champion Marion Patriots were down for the count against the Bombers at Mountain Home before piecing together a miraculous final few seconds to post a win.

The Blue Devils have to stay away from that tonight for no other reason than to keep the momentum building for next week at Lake Hamilton.

One of the things West Memphis has to get squared away (tonight would be a good start) is the team's free-throw shooting. It hasn't been good all year, and it was worse than ever in Tuesday night's 64-52 victory over Greene County Tech.

The Blue Devils were a putrid 9 of 24 from the foul line.

You don't want to see that part of the game come into play during the state tournament.

Finally, in this brief edition of Shoot-Around, those of you making the trip today take into consideration that one of the finest eateries on the 5A-East circuit is no longer in business. The Blue Pig on the outskirts of Mountain Home has closed.

The Blue Pig offered BBQ ribs on the level of The Rendezvous. Just like the Rendezvous, the Blue Pig did not offer french fries. Ribs were the thing.

So, be careful hunting down an alternate choice this afternoon.

Happy muscles!!

Former Blue Devil Weems rolls out Foundation

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Sonny Weems is still playing professional ball and is still loving every minute of it. But in the meantime he wants to show how much more he loves his hometown.

Weems, the former Blue Devil basketball great, was in West Memphis recently to discuss roll-out of his new Weems World Foundation.

"We want to give the kids of West Memphis the tools for success," said Weems, who is in his second year playing in China for the Dongguan Southern Tigers. "We want them to believe that somebody out there cares for them. We want to provide some things as far as reading or just putting something in their minds emotionally that we want to help them. We want to see a difference made in the kids and a difference made in the city."

Weems is partnering with his agent, Tywanna Inmon-Smith, herself a former West Memphis basketball great who is a 2018 inductee of the local Hall of Fame, and former Blue Devil football star lineman Joseph Wilson.

Wilson, who was voted the 5A-East Conference's Lineman of the Year in 2003 when the Blue Devils advanced to the state championship game, is the executive director of Weems World Foundation.

"We are focusing on education and in the area of health and wellness," said Wilson. "We know that if children aren't up to speed on literacy by the third grade, their chances for succeeding in the world are hurt. Plus, we want to just do a lot of community service around West Memphis."

One of Weems' first major events for his foundation will be March 23 at Hamilton-Shultz Field from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m..

The Weems World Field Day will include fun, fitness and games. Some of the activities include a tug of war, relay race, egg on a spoon, sack race, football toss and bean bag toss.

To sign up for the event, visit the foundation website at www.weemsworld.org.

The event is recommended for students in grades kindergarten through the sixth grade.

The Weems World Readers Book Drive is also currently running through April 1. Donors are encouraged to drop off books at Graham Primary Healthcare. Donors can also make electronic monetary donations on the website.

In an exclusive interview, Weems hit on various subjects including his career, life and culture in China and Blue Devil basketball.

Q: What are your impressions of China?

Weems: "Very innovative country. It's the most innovative country in the world, to me, as far as technology, infrastructure and security. That's the thing that surprised me most. In my city alone (Dongguan) there are 9 million people."

Q: What's the food like?

Weems: "You know at our Chinese restaurants here they have the yellow rice? They don't actually have yellow rice. It's just plain white rice. Sweet and sour chicken? They don't have that. That's something Americans came up with. If you ask for that stuff over there they look at you with this blank face. They have some of the freshest fruit and vegetables in the world because a lot of people are farmers. Everything is pretty good over there."

Q: So are you on a break of some kind in your season?

Weems: I'm on National Team break. It's kind of crazy. You have a break in the middle of the season while you're team may be doing real good and some of the teams just go and play other national teams. My team is very established. The fan base is very strong. We're No. 1 in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) right now and we're 36-4. I think we have a pretty good chance of winning the championship."

Q: Your old team is about to compete in the state tournament. Any message you want to give them?

Weems: "Just need to play with pride. I hope it comes down to Marion vs West Memphis for the state championship. I've seen Marion play and they just refuse to lose. Wouldn't that be something? I think everybody from both cities would travel for that one. I think we'll be OK. My cousin is Big Daddy (Cavin Paige) and he is fun to watch."

Q: It's been 15 years since your Blue Devil team won the state championship. How hard is that to believe?

Weems: "It doesn't feel like 15 years. We had a great run back then in both football and basketball. A lot of great athletes came through here."

Blue Devil win clinches second place in conference

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Informed that his team had just clinched the No. 2 seed from the 5A-East Conference, West Memphis boys head coach Marcus Brown paused and conceded guarded satisfaction.

"It's an OK consolation for us," he said, following his team's 64-52 victory Tuesday night at Lehr Arena over Greene County Tech.

The Blue Devils' first-round match-up in the Class 5A state tournament next Thursday at Lake Hamilton High School has been decided. They will face El Dorado (12-13 overall, 7-7 in the South) at 5:30 p.m.

West Memphis clinched second place in the East with help from Nettleton, which defeated Jonesboro 49-45 Tuesday night. The Raiders and the Hurricane are now 9-4 in league play with Jonesboro still slated to play league-leading Marion Friday night in the two teams' final regular-season game.

Even if West Memphis (22-5 overall, 10-3 in the conference) is upset at Mountain Home Friday and Nettleton wins over Searcy, the Blue Devils still have the tie-breaker over Nettleton.

Brown, who hasn't handed out compliments to his team unless it has been sufficiently warranted this season, was far less diplomatic about his team's free-throw shooting against Tech (16-9, 5-8).

The Blue Devils clanked free shots all night to the tune of a 9-for-24 effort.

"I'm not happy about it all," said Brown, an 89 percent free-thrower in his career at Murray State University. "I don't know what to say about it. I mean, in practice we run when we miss them. I guess at this point in the season we've done all we can do. The players just have to step up there and make them."

Facing a team that made the Blue Devils conjure up a mild miracle last month to come away with a 74-72 overtime victory at Tech, West Memphis was again faced with some early difficulties.

Star junior Chris Moore, who drew an audience of University of Memphis assistant coach Sam Mitchell, drew two early fouls and sat out some of the first quarter and all of the second quarter, all the time getting just one point out of the blue-chipper through the first half.

But the Blue Devils more than made up for it with a stellar defensive effort, especially on Tech's own star junior, point guard Zane Butler, who torched West Memphis for 34 points last month.

Butler and the Eagles went the entire first half without a three-pointer, as Tech misfired on its first 11 attempts behind the bonus arc. Part of the plan came as Brown continuously threw fresh defenders at Butler, who ended the night with just 13 points.

"We tried to keep putting different guys on (Butler) the first game, but we just kept relaxing," said Brown. "We just get into some bad habits when the ball is on the other side. We tend to stand around. But tonight, we paid attention to where he was at all times."

With Moore cooling his heels on the bench, the Blue Devils still led 31-23 at halftime. When the 6-foot-6 forward returned to start the second half his presence was felt immediately, as he scored 6 quick points and the hosts built a 40-25 lead.

Moore ended the night with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Tech, however, wouldn't go away quietly into the night.

The Eagles sliced the Blue Devil lead to 49-45 with 5:59 still to play, but Moore scored two baskets and junior reserve Deon Williams hit a layup to give the home team some breathing room at 55-45.

Closing out his career at home, senior point guard Cavin Paige put up 10 points and 5 assists. Paige was one of several Blue Devils charged with guarding Butler.

"There was some pressure with me wanting to go out with a bang," said Paige. "(Butler) is real quick. Coach kept telling us to put two people on him going downhill."

The Blue Devils finished with a solid 54.2 percent shooting percentage from the field for the game, making 25 of 46 attempts while limiting Tech to 19 for 50 for 38 percent. West Memphis also forced 14 turnovers and committed just 10 miscues itself.

Senior Corliss Brewer added 11 points for the Blue Devils while Immanuel Hoard had 8 and Terry Burgess and Mark Robinson pumped in 6 apiece.

Terry Burgess (0) knocks down an early shot against Greene County Tech.

Junior Immanuel Hoard (22) had eight points against Tech.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 19 edition

Good morning Blue Devil fans!!

It's time to say good-bye to our basketball seniors tonight as they play their final game at Lehr Arena when Greene County Tech comes calling.

The Blue Devil boys will try to hang onto the No. 2 seed in the 5A-East Conference, but it won't be easy. Last month, head coach Marcus Brown's squad pulled out a Houdini-like escape job at Tech by winning 74-72 in overtime and withstanding the deadly three-point shooting from junior point guard Zane Butler, who ripped the cords for a game-high 34 points.

It seems the Blue Devils have had trouble extending their defense against strong three-point shooting teams. Last Friday night, the Paragould Rams had 14 three-balls against the Blue Devils in a 64-54 loss to West Memphis.

Tonight, the Blue Devils had better be aware of Mr. Butler.

So, let's talk state tournament.

West Memphis needs to secure that No. 2 seed and it will have to win both games this week to do it, including Friday night's regular-season finale at Mountain Home. The No. 2 seed in the state tournament will play the No. 3 from the South, and at this point it looks very likely it will be El Dorado, a team the Blue Devils defeated in a pre-season benefit game at El Dorado.

Also in the same bracket is the No. 1 seed from the West, which has all been all but officially secured by Russellville. The Cyclones, however, will be paired against the No. 4 team from the Central, which will either be Jacksonville or Little Rock Parkview.

You heard it here first: Russellville will NOT get past that first-round game, which would pit either Jacksonville or Parview against the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals, that is if West Memphis takes care of business in the first round.

And that's the thing about this year's state tournament.

A message to all you fans: It will be much more difficult for any team to win the state championship this season.

Why?

Reason No. 1: Class 5A is no longer just a 16-team classification. It is now 32 teams, which means there will be four No. 1 seeds from four different conferences.

Reason No. 2: No first-round byes. In 12 years, the top two classifications in Arkansas have included first-round byes in its state tournaments. No more.

Reason No. 3: The games will be more grueling because there has been an extra day added due to 16 teams involved, instead of just the 12 of the past 12 years. The team that can withstand the grind of the week will emerge the winner.

So, the Blue Devils can not take Tech lightly tonight. At just 5-8 in the conference, the Eagles are officially out of the state tournament picture, but they can act as a spoiler this week.

Tonight, the Blue Devil boys will say their good-byes to seniors Terry Burgess, Jamal Macklin, Courtney Hill, Cavin Paige, Corliss Brewer and Mark Robinson.

The Lady Devils will bid farewell to Kenya Freeman, Chyna Alls, Tiara Amos and Taylor Donald. And, of course, special recognition will be given to Jatava Murray, the Lady Devil senior who was killed in an auto accident last November. We all miss Jatava and we love you still!!

Blue Devils weather Paragould 3-point storm

By Billy Woods

WM School District

PARAGOULD --- The West Memphis Blue Devil players got an earful after the game from their head coach. Somehow, allowing 14 three-pointers will do that.

With each step the West Memphis defenders took toward getting out on Paragould's shooters, the Rams simply stepped back further and the drilling kept on coming.

In the end, it took some resiliency and some fancy outside shooting from their own Immanuel Hoard for the Blue Devils to come away with a 64-54 victory on Friday night.

It was hard to imagine the Rams hadn't won a 5A-East Conference game all season long watching swish after swish on their Senior Night. But the hosts sank 9 three-pointers in the first half to keep them close and then kept it going in the third quarter to put a legitimate scare into the Blue Devils (21-5 overall, 9-3 in the conference).

"We just weren't locked in on defense," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "We had too many defensive lapses, but (Paragould) did shoot the ball well. I think they hit three of them off the glass. That was the kind of night they were having."

Paragould sank 14 of 25 from three-point range for the game. The Rams were so dependent on three-point shooting that they had just one two-point field goal through three quarters.

All that said, the Blue Devils were saved by Hoard's own outside accuracy. He drilled just two threes among his 19 points, because his feet were set just inside the bonus arc on four other field goals.

"That's what Immanuel can do," said Brown. "Paragould came out in a box-and-one on Corliss (Brewer). I explained to him that's a compliment. Big Daddy (Cavin Paige) was able to find Hoard all night. He got some good looks and was able to knock those shots down."

The win kept the Blue Devils in a tie for second place in the conference with Jonesboro, which drubbed Searcy 84-70 on Friday night. West Memphis' two wins over the Hurricane, however, give them the tie-breaker for second place in league standings.

Although Brown fussed all night about his players not stretching far enough on defense, ironically it was the Blue Devil defense that proved to be the ignition to a big part of their offense.

West Memphis forced 15 Paragould turnovers and converted them into 14 points.

And once again, junior forward Chris Moore was just too tough to handle. The 6-foot-6 muscle man scored a game-high 22 points.

Paragould tied the game 29-29 at halftime by hitting two late three-balls and then held a 35-31 lead with 6:28 left in the third quarter before the Blue Devils decided enough was enough.

Hoard scored 7 of the team's 9 final points of the third quarter to give the visitors a 46-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

West Memphis then hit Paragould (6-17, 0-12) with a 12-2 run to open the fourth quarter to open up a 58-42 lead with 3:26 to play in the contest.

"We actually had some spurts where we played good defense," Brown admitted. "And that started the transition game for us. I applaud us for winning the game. We played tough and we played hard. But we still are making mistakes we shouldn't be making this time of year."

Orchestrating the show as he always does, point guard Paige added 14 points.

Paragould's Cole Duke drained 6 three-pointers on his way to 18 points while Hunter Wilmes hit for 11 and Jonah Treece scored 9.

The Blue Devils host Greene County Tech on Tuesday on Senior Night.

Chris Moore (2) had a game-high 22 points in win at Paragould.

Immanuel Hoard (22) was clutch for the Blue Devils with 19 points.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 15 edition

Good almost-afternoon Blue Devil fans!

A little late on this blog today, but one note of importance before we look at match-ups and other basketball issues: Tonight's Blue Devil games at Paragould High School have been moved up one hour because of the threat of winter weather in the Paragould area later in the evening.

Thus, there will be no JV game today. The action will begin with the girls varsity game at 5 p.m., followed by the boys varsity.

Tonight's game is of importance for both West Memphis teams for different reasons. The Lady Devils are in a must-win situation tonight if they wish to qualify for the Class 5A state tournament in two weeks at Lake Hamilton High School.

In fact, the Lady Devils (12-9 overall, 5-6 in the 5A-East Conference) need to win their remaining three games in the regular season to secure the fourth and final tournament berth. Head coach Sonja Tate's troops are currently tied at 5-6 with Marion, one game behind tonight's opponent, Paragould, which holds down fourth place. A victory over the Rams would give West Memphis the tie-breaker due to its earlier victory at home over Paragould.

The two remaining games are Greene County Tech at home next Tuesday and Feb. 22 at Mountain Home.

On the boys ledger, head coach Marcus Brown's squad just needs to keep winning and avoid any pratfalls like losing to lesser teams such as Paragould.

The Blue Devils (20-5, 8-3) are in command of the No. 2 seed in the conference race. They will be marked as favorites from here on out, so their fate will depend largely on their mental approach to these remaining games.

State tournament time is almost here, so adrenaline is rushing higher for both teams who are scratching and clawing just to get in and those who are pushing to get the highest seed possible.

Super sub Williams shoots down Jonesboro

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Relegated to the deep end of Marcus Brown's bench for most of the season, West Memphis guard Deon Williams is slowly gaining the trust of his head coach down the regular-season stretch.

With his team facing dire straits, Williams was summoned off the pines in the second quarter of Tuesday night's game at Lehr Arena against Jonesboro and the junior responded by hitting some clutch three-pointers on the way to a 55-41 victory over the Hurricane.

The win moves the Blue Devils (20-5 overall, 8-3 in the 5A-East Conference) into a tie with Jonesboro (17-7, 8-3) for second place in league standings. However, with two wins over the Hurricane this season, the Blue Devils own the tie-breaker.

Williams was the first subject that Brown addressed in his postgame presser.

"Deon breathed some life into us," said Brown. "We had hit a low, and Deon was very crucial for us tonight."

By the 2:38 mark of the second quarter, the Blue Devils were staring at some troubling circumstances.

They were down 24-15.

Their starting center, Mark Robinson, was ejected for an intentional flagrant foul.

Their starting point guard, Cavin Paige, sat out most of the first half after picking up two quick fouls.

And the Blue Devils finished the first quarter with zero team rebounds.

Enter Williams, a lefty-shooting mighty mite.

His two drained three-pointers to end the first half accomplished two things for West Memphis:

1. It sliced Jonesboro's lead to a much more manageable 24-21.

2. It gave the Blue Devils some momentum for the start of the second half.

"Big props to Deon," Brown continued. "He's been working on his shot and we're super happy for him. I always say playing time at West Memphis is not given, it's earned, and Deon has earned some playing time with the way he works in practice."

Although Jonesboro bolted to early leads of 9-0 and 11-2, it was all West Memphis in the second half.

The hosts didn't take their first lead until senior Terry Burgess, who scored 11 points, stole a ball and sprinted the length of the floor for a basket with 3:57 to play in the third quarter for a 30-28 Blue Devil cushion.

The second half was mostly about defense for the Blue Devils.

Showing zone for the first time all season, the Blue Devils put the clamps down on Joneboro's shooters, limiting the Hurricane to a 5-for-20 effort from the floor for the second half.

"I just thought we played a much better second half all-around," Brown stated. "They hit a couple, but for the most part we got out on their shooters."

A 40-34 West Memphis lead at the end of three quarters soon ballooned to 19 points (53-34) as Brown's bunch scored the first 13 points of the fourth quarter and by game was put to bed.

But it didn't look especially good for West Memphis after Paige picked up his second foul of the game not three minutes into it. He sat out the rest of the half.

"It's just a lot smoother operation when Big Daddy's in there," said Brown. "As you could see in the second half we started rolling when he was playing."

Junior Chris Moore had a somewhat quiet night, for him anyway, with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Williams poured in his career-high mark of 11 points. Immanuel Hoard and Paige, who added 3 assists, hit for 7 points apiece.

Jonesboro got 9 points from Shamari Milton and 8 from Marcedus Leech.

The Blue Devils hit the road Friday to play at Paragould.

Blue Devil Immanuel Hoard (22) defends against Jonesboro's Amarion Wilson (10).

Chris Moore drives baseline on Jonesboro.

Blue Devils' Mark Robinson meets up with Jonesboro's Marcedus Leech.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 12 edition

The text from Marcus Brown came around 10:30 p.m.

The Blue Devil team bus had yet to pull into the Lehr Arena parking lot on the way home from Nettleton High School after a big 55-48 win over the Raiders last Friday night.

The West Memphis head coach had already set his sights on tonight's big game at home against Jonesboro.

"Be sure to tell everybody that we need them to show up in big numbers" for tonight's all-important game against Jonesboro.

Mathematically, the Blue Devils (19-5 overall, 7-3 in the 5A-East Conference) still have a shot at finishing in first place in league standings. But already with two losses to the Marion Patriots and the men from north Crittenden County sitting at a perfect 10-0, the West Memphians need to set their sights on second place.

Standing in their way is the Jonesboro Hurricane at 8-2.

One of Jonesboro's losses was a 54-46 decision to West Memphis on Jan. 15 at Don Rigs Hurricane Gym.

A victory tonight over JHS would give the Blue Devils the inside track on securing the No. 2 seed from the East heading into the Class 5A state tournament, which will be held at Lake Hamilton Feb. 26-March 2.

So, yes, the Blue Devils will need all the fan support they can get tonight as Hurricane head coach Wes Swift brings in his troops.

In the first meeting between the teams, West Memphis' star junior, Chris Moore, did not play the final 8 minutes-plus after crashing to the floor as the result of taking a charge from Jonesboro's Marcedus Leech with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.

The importance of the outcome of that game is significant, given the unlikely odds the Blue Devils had of holding onto a slim lead against Jonesboro without Moore on the floor.

Although that night proved the Blue Devils could win a big game without their biggest weapon, they would rather not have to face that obstacle tonight.

In order to secure the No. 2 seed, the Blue Devils will no doubt have to win out. The rest of the schedule after tonight's game includes a road date this Friday night at Paragould, followed by a Feb. 19 home finale against Greene County Tech and the regular-season finale Feb. 22 at Mountain Home.

The No. 2 seed from the East will face the No. 3 seed from the South in the first round of state competition on Feb. 28. The No. 3 seed from the South, so far, looks like El Dorado, a team the Blue Devils have already beaten this year in a benefit game on the Wildcats' home floor.

Last month, the Blue Devils played solid defense and forced Jonesboro to take more perimeter shots than it wanted. The result was an off night from its best shooters. Tonight may not afford that opportunity unless the WM defense is once again stellar.

So, Blue Devil fans, be there in force tonight for what promises to be a war between two of the better teams in Class 5A.

Paige gets his revenge, Blue Devils down Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- The mental image of getting crossed over by Kevin Fulton on Jan. 11 stayed with West Memphis' Cavin Paige for nearly a month.

He can now put it in the rear-view mirror.

Nettleton's Fulton, who like Paige is a diminutive point guard in charge of making things happen for his offense, chased down a loose ball three-quarters of the way of the other end of the floor on Jan. 11 and then put a cross-over move on Paige on his way to dropping in a 10-foot floater with 2.3 seconds to play to give the Raiders a 39-37 win over the Blue Devils at Lehr Arena.

On Friday night at Nettleton High School, Paige got his revenge, holding Fulton to just 11 points and zero field goals in the second half and then dishing for a game-high 8 assists in West Memphis' 55-48 win over the Raiders.

The victory pushes the Blue Devils (19-5 overall, 7-3 in the 5A-East Conference all alone in third place in league standings and awaiting an all-important game Tuesday night at home against Jonesboro.

Paige responded quickly after the game when asked if the final play of the previous game served as a source of motivation for him on Friday night.

"That (cross-over) last game made me get up on him closer this time," said Paige, who added 8 points to the cause. "I stopped him from going left sometimes because when he goes to his left that's when he's going for his jump shot. When he goes right, he's going to attack (the basket) hard. He's a good player, though."

It was an efficient offensive performance and defensively, the Blue Devils proved to be the tougher team.

West Memphis held the Raiders to just 30 percent shooting on 12 of 40 shooting. The Blue Devils sank 16 of their 31 shots for 51.6 percent and they outrebounded the Raiders 31-21.

The overall effort made head coach Marcus Brown a proud man after the game.

"This team is capable of playing like this," he said. "As far as game management, making shots and getting the ball to guys that are hot, we did what we were supposed to do. I'm happy with everything except the free-throw shooting."

The Blue Devils won despite a 10 of 19 performance from the foul line, which included some big misses in the fourth quarter.

But the night was defined by the Blue Devil toughness and resiliency.

Except for a brief period at the start of the game in which Nettleton held a 5-2 lead, the Blue Devils were in command all the way. They had a pair of nine-point leads in the first and second halves.

But as Nettleton (12-7, 6-4) crept closer in the fourth quarter, trimming the West Memphis lead to 50-46 with 1:38 to play, the Blue Devils could have folded.

The Raiders saved themselves from a back-court violation with three acrobatic moves and scored on a layup by Kortez Hamilton to make it a two-possession game.

"Yeah, the scramble for that ball...I thought we just stood around and became spectators on that particular play," Brown recalled. "But overall, I think we imposed our will on them."

As shoddy as the free-throw shooting was down the stretch, senior Terry Burgess hit a pair with 1:09 to play that calmed things down for the Blue Devils, giving them a 52-46 lead.

As the game wound down to under a minute to play and West Memphis up 53-48, West Memphis junior Chris Moore, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds, blocked a three-point attempt by Fulton and in the scramble for the loose ball, Paige was fouled.

He negotiated one out of two at the free-throw line and then Burgess did the same with 9 seconds to play to seal the win.

Brown was overly complimentary of his team's offensive mind-set.

"Nettleton is very good when they get a chance to set their defense," he said. "Which made it important for us to get the ball moving and get out in transition, which is what we were able to do."

Burgess tacked on 9 points for the Blue Devils while Immanuel Hoard and Corliss Brewer each scored 6.

Jarquavious Cain led Nettleton with 12 points and Marion McFadden hit 10.

Despite basking in the glow of the victory, Brown noted the urgency of Tuesday night's game against Jonesboro.

"I'm urging every Blue Devil fan to show up and ready to support our guys on Tuesday," he said. "Big, big game."

Blue Devil Mark Robinson reaches for a loose ball with Nettleton's Jarquavious Cain.

Blue Devils' Cavin Paige (30) had 8 points and 8 assists in win over Nettleton.

Immanuel Hoard hits a layup at Nettleton.

Once again, Chris Moore (2) dazzled with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 8 edition

Perhaps it's the biggest game of the season.

The West Memphis Blue Devils travel to Nettleton tonight to take on one of the teams they are jockeying with for second place in the 5A-East Conference.

Right now, the clear favorite to win the league is Marion with a perfect 9-0 record. The Blue Devils, at 6-3, are locked in a tie for third place with the Raiders. One game ahead of both teams is Jonesboro at 7-2.

Here is a look at the boys standings heading into tonight's game:

Marion 9-0
Jonesboro 7-2
West Memphis 6-3
Nettleton 6-3
Greene County Tech 4-5
Mountain Home 2-7
Searcy 2-7
Paragould 0-9

The Hurricane should have an easy time with Greene County Tech tonight, but they still must travel to West Memphis on Tuesday, travel to Nettleton on Feb. 19 and host Marion on Feb. 22.

West Memphis (18-5 overall) would love nothing better than to run the table the rest of the way, having gotten Marion out of the way and playing Jonesboro on its home floor.

That's why tonight's game is doubly important.

The Raiders (12-6) defeated the Blue Devils 39-37 on Jan. 11, the night ESPN came to Lehr Arena to televise Memphis East-Rancho Christian (Calif.) Academy. Perhaps the hoopla that came with the event served as a distraction to the Blue Devils that night.

We may find out the answer to that question tonight.

Once again, the Blue Devils will have to come up with an answer for Nettleton's star senior point guard, Kevin Fulton, who torched Marion for 29 points on Tuesday of this week in a 66-52 loss to the Patriots.

Fulton will be paired up against West Memphis' own star point guard, senior Cavin Paige. The two are different types of playmakers. Fulton loves to penetrate and score.

Paige loves to penetrate and dish.

Although the Blue Devils held Fulton to just 9 points in the first meeting this year, the diminutive point guard beat West Memphis by dropping in a 10-foot floater with 2.3 seconds remaining in the game.

It gave Nettleton two straight victories over West Memphis at Lehr Arena. Last season after the Blue Devils lost to the Raiders at Lehr without the services of Paige, who was struck with the stomach flu, the Blue Devils countered by blowing out Nettleton on its home floor, 73-49.

Tonight, the Blue Devils would take a win by the slimmest of margins.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Devils (12-7 overall) have quite a task in trying to beat league-leading Nettleton.

The addition of Jonesboro transfer Elauna Eaton, the 2018 MVP of the Class 6A state tournament, has made the Lady Raiders the favorite to win Class 5A this season.

Here are the standings for the 5A-East girls:

Nettleton 9-0
Paragould 6-3
West Memphis 5-4
Mountain Home 5-4
Jonesboro 5-4
Marion 4-5
Greene County Tech 2-7
Searcy 0-9

Robinson dazzles with career-high in Blue Devil win

By Billy Woods

WM School District

On Tuesday night, the West Memphis big man had his career-high in points by the two-minute mark of the first quarter.

Chris Moore, you say?

Of course not.

It was Mark Robinson.

Of course.

In his first-ever start, Robinson was inserted into the lineup at Lehr Arena in place of injured Jamal Macklin in a move that saw head coach Marcus Brown elect to go big against middling Searcy.

And did Robinson ever jump on that opportunity.

The man known more for his football ability worked nimbly in the low post, took some pressure off Moore and scored 10 points by the 2:11 mark of the first quarter on his way to a 20-point night in the Blue Devils' 80-71 victory over Searcy.

With Macklin out with an achy wrist, Robinson scored 10 points before Moore, the Blue Devils' star and leading scorer, had even scored.

"I'm extremely happy for (Robinson)," said Brown. "We've been waiting on a game like this for a long time."

It was a great night all around for Blue Devil bigs.

Senior point guard Cavin Paige, who at a listed 5-foot-8 is interestingly nicknamed "Big Daddy," dished for a career-high 12 assists to go along with just two turnovers.

And the aforementioned Moore had a slow night, for him, with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

But the night clearly belonged to Robinson, who today signed football scholarship papers with North Alabama. In addition to his offense, he lent some big board work, clearing a game-high 8 rebounds, also a career-high for him.

"(Robinson) gives us that edgy attitude and some toughness," Brown said. "He finished around the rim well tonight."

Robinson was also on the receiving end of some pin-point passing from Paige, whose no-looks were snagged softly and without issue. Normally a sub-par free-thrower, Robinson even sank 3 of his 4 foul shots.

Searcy (9-13 overall, 2-7 in the 5A-East Conference) couldn't keep Paige out of the lane even when it appeared the Lions had him trapped and forced to pick up his dribble.

But as Blue Devil fans learned a long time ago, Paige rarely picks up his dribble in traffic.

"Big Daddy played extremely well and I'm proud of him," Brown remarked. "When he's able to control the game like that, it's a big plus for us."

Although the Blue Devils (18-5, 6-3) had trouble putting Searcy away, it never felt like the outcome of the game was in jeopardy.

The hosts led 24-14 after one quarter and 46-36 at halftime before the Lions got hot to open the second half. Brown held Moore and fellow starter Corliss Brewer on the bench to start the third quarter and it wound up costing the Blue Devils.

In the 3 minutes and 57 seconds the pair were on the bench, Searcy actually caught and passed West Memphis due to some hot shooting from the game's high scorer, Peyton Caldwell, who had 25 points, and junior Freddy Hicks, who added 16.

Down 48-47, Brown sent Moore and Brewer to the scorer's table to check in and the move paid immediate dividends. Moore hit a jumper just inside the three-point line and Paige wriggled free inside for a basket to give the hosts a 51-48 lead.

Still, it took some late key baskets from junior guard Immanuel Hoard, one of five Blue Devils in double-figure scoring with 10 points, and Terry Burgess, who with 9 points nearly placed a sixth Blue Devil in double figures, to hold off Searcy.

Paige had a double-double with 10 points.

Searcy also got 15 points from Trystan Alcorn and 10 from Griffin Love.

The Blue Devils hit the road Friday night for a crucial conference match-up against Nettleton.

Blue Devil big man Mark Robinson (41) scored a career-high 20 points win over Searcy.

Senior point guard Cavin Paige (30) dished for a career-high 12 assists.

Chris Moore had 17 points and 7 rebounds against Searcy.

Moore's dunk in the first quarter helped the Blue Devils to an early double-digit lead.

Reeves, Marion gun down Blue Devils, 55-48

By Billy Woods

WM School District

With one half of the 5A-East Conference season complete the Marion Patriots are establishing themselves as the team to beat, not only in league play, but also for the upcoming state tournament.

Once again Detric Reeves proved to be the Blue Devil killer as he scored a game-high 22 points to lead the Patriots to a season-sweep over West Memphis with a 55-48 win on Friday night at Patriot Arena.

The Pats (15-3 overall, 8-0 in the conference) already own a home win over Jonesboro and the season sweep over West Memphis, the two teams which appear to be the only serious challengers to the Patriots.

For the Blue Devils it was the same story as it was on Jan. 4 when they fell 64-52 to the Patriots. With 6-foot-9 senior center Timothy Ceasar playing behind West Memphis' Chris Moore and another defender fronting the Blue Devils' star forward, it was difficult for the Blue Devils to get Moore enough touches to make an impact on the game.

Moore scored 10 points and had 9 rebounds.

"We couldn't feed the post...we don't know how to feed the post," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "We're teaching it, but we can't do it. We've got Chris inside and we've got all kind of different sets to get him the ball and we end up looking for all the guys on the outside."

On the other end it was just too much Reeves.

The junior shooting guard hit from an array of shots on the floor.

He made shots off the dribble.

He made shots off balance.

He made shots from deep.

"We had no answer for Reeves tonight," Brown added.

Reeves has scored 20 points or more in four of his five career games against West Memphis.

The Blue Devils got off to a decent enough start.

They led 11-10 after one quarter and had a 13-12 lead after a Moore dunk with 5:42 to play in the second quarter.

But the Patriots surged ahead for a 24-21 lead at halftime.

Just as West Memphis' Terry Burgess, who had an off night with just 2 points, picked up his third foul in the opening seconds of the third quarter, Marion reeled off 8 straight points to seize the momentum for the rest of the game.

Standing just 5-foot-9, West Memphis junior Immanuel Hoard doesn't pass the eye test for shooting guards, but he lit up Marion for a team-high 14 points, including a layup with 2:48 to play in the game to cut the Patriots' lead to 46-42.

However, after a West Memphis timeout, the Patriots swung the game back their way with a free throw by Keyshawn Woods and two more foul shots from Reeves for a 49-42 lead with just 1:17 to play.

"Our kids played hard," said Brown. "But we dug ourselves a hole there early in the third quarter. We're going to have to get down and dirty and find our identity."

Point guard Cavin Paige scored 12 points for West Memphis, but he had an uncharacteristically bad floor game, finding himself on the minus end of assists to turnovers.

Paige had 3 assists to 5 turnovers.

Tristan Haymon added 10 points for Marion while Ceasar had 8 and Woods scored 6.

The Blue Devils return home Tuesday night to take on Searcy.

Junior Immanuel Hoard (22) lofts a layup over Marion's Timothy Ceasar.

Chris Moore (2) slams one home over the Patriots.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Feb. 1 edition

Good morning Blue Devil fans!! Do you know where you'll be tonight around 6 p.m.? You should most certainly be at Patriot Arena (or whatever it is they actually call it) to watch the latest installment of the best high school rivalry in Eastern Arkansas.

The Blue Devil teams will visit Marion in two important 5A-East Conference battles.

There is a high school basketball poll that most likely none of you are aware of. It's called the Arkansas Sports Media Poll and it's made up of a collection of 26 sports writers around the state.

Yours truly participates.

In this week's latest poll, the Marion Patriots (14-3 overall, 7-0 in the conference) are the No. 2 overall team in the state, behind Class 6A's Fayetteville. The Pats are No. 1 in 5A.

Right behind Marion in the 5A poll are our Blue Devils (17-4, 5-2) and they are the No. 7 team overall. The entire state is taking note of what could turn out to be the greatest Patriot team in school history. They already own a 64-52 win over the Blue Devils on Jan. 4 at Lehr Arena.

Can the Blue Devils reverse the course tonight?

It'll be interesting.

For one, head coach Marcus Brown's squad has a potent Marion offense, which has plenty of firepower, to defend. Brown's base defense is man-to-man and he'll most likely man-up on Marion tonight. But one has to wonder how effective some sort of zone would be on the Patriots.

The Pats have an elite scorer in junior Detric Reeves, who has scored at least 20 points in three of his four career games against West Memphis. But he's not all the Patriots possess.

Mikyai Boyce, another junior and a cousin of Reeves, is a double-figure scorer and the team got a huge shot in the arm this season when 6-9 senior Tim Ceasar transferred back to Marion after a year at Southwest Christian Academy in Little Rock. Local fans have previously known Ceasar to be a defense-first player, but this season he's developed a plus offensive game, to make the Patriots doubly tough.

And under first-year head coach David Clark, the Patriots are defending much better this season.

Still and all, it would be a difficult task for Marion to run the table in the 5A-East Conference. The Pats are coming off a home victory over Jonesboro, but they still have tonight's game against the Blue Devils and a road date against the Hurricane left on the schedule.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Devils (10-7, 3-4) need a win to get back in the thick of the state tournament picture. Head coach Sonja Tate's girls came into last Friday night's game against Mountain Home in a four-way tie for third place, but the 39-37 loss to the Bombers have now put the Lady Devils on the outside looking in.

They'll need another high-scoring game from junior guard Aryah Hazley for a victory, but she'll need help from other teammates.

See you folks in Marion tonight!!

Blue Devils drown Mountain Home

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The growing trend of mediocre perimeter defense from his team has head coach Marcus Brown frustrated.

Despite his team's 55-46 victory over Mountain Home Friday night at Lehr Arena, Brown first addressed his team giving up 18 three-pointers in the last two games, including seven from the Bombers.

"I congratulate my team on the victory, but we still had too many missed assignments on defense," said Brown. "We act like nobody on the other team can shoot the ball. We just gotta make up our minds what kind of team we're going to be on defense."

With the victory the Blue Devils (17-4 overall, 5-2 in the 5A-East Conference) now have the upper hand on second place in league standings after Marion's victory over Jonesboro. The Blue Devils and the Hurricane are now tied for second in the standings, but West Memphis has the tie-breaker by virtue of its 54-46 win at Jonesboro.

Proving to be a pesky sort at times this season (the Bombers had Marion beaten a week earlier at home before losing 50-47), Mountain Home used a sinking defense on West Memphis' Chris Moore and to some extent had some success with it.

Despite being swarmed when he caught the ball in the post, the Blue Devils' 6-foot-6 junior forward still managed 18 points and 9 rebounds.

Still, the Blue Devils needed help from Moore's teammates to put away the Bombers (7-12, 2-5).

The help came in the form of senior guard Corliss Brewer, who scored 10 points on long jumpers that came just inside the three-point arc, and senior point guard Cavin Paige, who scored 12 points, but more importantly dished for 7 assists with just 1 turnover.

Because of that, the Blue Devils operated efficiently enough on offense, sinking 25 of 48 field-goal attempts (52 percent).

And duly noted by the previously critical Brown.

"Now we did some good things offensively," said Brown. "I thought our ball movement was much better and we were much more patient. Corliss came around and hit some big jumpers. And that's what we have to do. We have to find the guys who are supposed to be shooting those shots. Kids need to realize they're open for two reasons. Either because the play was executed well enough for them to be open or because the other team wants them to be open."

Perhaps offsetting that grind-it-out style on half-court sets was the lack of free-throw attempts by West Memphis. Moore hit 4 of his 6 free throws, which was the total amount for the team.

Mountain Home led 12-11 after one quarter, but junior Immanuel Hoard, back in action after a four-game absence due to injury, sank his first shot attempt in nearly three weeks, a three-pointer to give the Blue Devils an 18-16 lead early in the second quarter.

West Memphis built a 48-32 lead by the 4:26 mark of the fourth quarter before the team's lack of defensive rotation left Mountain Home three-point shooters with some open looks at the basket.

The visitors sank 3 three-pointers in the final four minutes to make the score look more respectable on their end.

The Blue Devils had a near perfect game with regard to ball security, turning it over just five times while forcing 15 Bomber miscues.

Hoard finished with 7 points while teammate Jamal Macklin hit for 6.

Mountain Home was paced by Wyatt Gilbert's game-high 20 points while Matt Jones totaled 14.

West Memphis takes Tuesday off before returning to action this Friday night at Marion.

Senior point guard Cavin Paige (30) had 12 points and 7 assists against Mountain Home.

Chris Moore (2) traps Mountain Home's Wyatt Gilbert (22).

Blue Devil senior Corliss Brewer (32) stepped up with 10 big points against the Bombers.

Jamal Macklin wriggles inside for a basket against Mountain Home.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Jan. 25 edition

Good morning Blue Devil fans, and welcome to the final game of the first half of the 5A-East Conference round-robin schedule.

Tonight, the Blue Devil squads entertain Mountain Home at Lehr Arena. And while most observers would expect the West Memphis boys to handle the Bombers let me send out a warning. Last week, the league-leading Marion Patriots had to miraculously rally in the final seconds to hand the upset-minded Bombers a loss.

That said, probably the biggest game tonight will involve the girls. Mountain Home, West Memphis, Marion and Paragould are all locked in a four-way tie for third place in the conference standings with 3-3 records.

Marion will play host to Jonesboro tonight, which stands all alone in second place at 4-2 behind league-leading Nettleton at 6-0.

So, needless to say head coach Sonja Tate's club would benefit greatly by beating Mountain Home. One note of interest, Mountain Home already owns a 45-30 victory over Marion, which beat the Lady Devils earlier this season.

The Lady Devils are coming off two consecutive victories, at home over Paragould and at Greene County Tech. Junior point guard Aryah Hazley has had the hot hand lately, hitting 23 points on Tuesday night at Tech and then scoring 55 percent of her team's points last Friday night with 21 against Paragould.

Head coach Marcus Brown's boys, who escaped with a 74-72 overtime win at Tech on Tuesday, will be watching the Jonesboro-Marion clash with much interest. On one hand, a Marion win would put Jonesboro into a tie with West Memphis for second place in the conference...provided the Blue Devils take care of business tonight.

On the other hand, a Jonesboro win would set up a chance next Friday for the Blue Devils to create a three-way tie for first place.

Hopefully, you Blue Devil fans will show up in great number tonight for what should be an exciting night of basketball at Lehr Arena.

Jamal Macklin (4) had a career-high 13 points in the overtime win at Greene County Tech.

Terry Burgess (0) scored the game-winning layup in overtime for the Blue Devils.

Blue Devils dismantle Paragould

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Last year the Blue Devils carved out a niche as an explosive third-quarter team. This season, it's something quite different, and head coach Marcus Brown is looking to tweak it.

On Friday night at Lehr Arena, the Blue Devils had no trouble dismantling Paragould, 53-31, but it hasn't always been that easy for Brown's squad at home this season.

"We've been doing excellent on the road this season," said Brown, whose club improves to 15-5 overall and 3-3 in the 5A-East Conference. "We just seem to play with more focus on the road because there are fewer distractions. So what we're trying to do is eliminate the distractions that come with playing at home. We have not played nearly as well at home this season as we have on the road."

The Blue Devils followed up their big win at Jonesboro three days previously with another solid effort behind dogged perimeter defense and dominance on the boards.

West Memphis pounded Paragould (6-10, 0-5) on the glass 26-13 even though junior forward Chris Moore didn't play at all in the fourth quarter.

The much smaller Rams had no offensive options inside against the Blue Devils and had to roll the dice on three-point shooting. Ten of Paragould's 11 field-goal attempts in the third quarter were treys.

The Rams hit just one.

For the game, the visitors sank 7 of 25 (28 percent) from three-point range.

"We got off to a bit of a slow start, but I think we had some carryover from the Jonesboro game," Brown added. "We picked it up defensively."

Helping out matters was the floor game of senior point guard Cavin Paige, who despite just 6 points, dished for 9 assists against 1 turnover.

"Another great floor game by Big Daddy," said Brown.

Paragould's slow-paced tactics required some patience by the Blue Devils, who utilized two huge runs to pull away from the Rams.

With the score tied 14-14 in the early moments of the second quarter, Brown ordered his troops into a full-court press, which forced six Paragould turnovers in the stanza and it resulted in a 12-0 run that gave the hosts a 26-14 cushion at halftime.

"We tried to get (Paragould) out of their comfort zone a bit," Brown explained. "We wanted to get them running and jumping a bit. We let their best shooter (Cole Doke, who scored a game-high 17 points) get way too comfortable catching and shooting the ball. We just weren't engaged."

West Memphis followed that up with the spurt that put Paragould away. The Blue Devils scored the final 13 points of the third quarter to take a 43-19 lead into the final eight minutes.

Although it's rather difficult to force turnovers against a slow-paced team like Paragould, the Blue Devils turned the Rams over 17 times, which delighted the Blue Devil mentor.

"We looked good in the press and it turned into some easy baskets for us on the other end," Brown said.

Moore dazzled the crowd with a couple of thunderous dunks, one of which came on the other end of an alley-oop pass from Paige,. Moore scored 14 points and had 5 rebounds.

Reserve Deon Williams, who is beginning to gain the trust of Brown, provided 7 points. Jamal Macklin also added 6 points and senior Terry Burgess had 5.

West Memphis hits the road Tuesday night to play at Greene County Tech.

Blue Devils' Jamal Macklin (4) scores inside against Paragould.

In only three quarters of action, Chris Moore (2) scored a team-high 14 points.

Moore goes down, Burgess steps up in Blue Devil win at Jonesboro

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- The thud could be heard all over Don Riggs Hurricane Gym.

You could argue that at the moment it could have been heard all the way back to West Memphis.

Because when Blue Devil star Chris Moore banged his head on the floor after taking a vicious charge with 55.7 seconds left in the third quarter here on Tuesday with West Memphis clinging to a precarious lead, the prospects of the Blue Devils winning without him the rest of the game would have had to be considered slim.

But without Moore for the remaining 8 minutes and 55 seconds, the Blue Devils proved to themselves that they can win without Moore on the floor against the fourth-ranked team in the state.

Senior transfer Terry Burgess scored all 14 of his points in the second half to key a 54-46 West Memphis win over Jonesboro.

"We needed that one bad, to be honest with you," Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown said with an exhale. "We had to get back on track, and then to do it the way we did it with Chris on the bench...that was sweet."

Faced with the possibility of falling further back in the 5A-East Conference standings in the early going, the Blue Devils (14-5 overall, 2-2 in league play) wiped out memories of a 39-37 loss last Friday night at home to Nettleton.

Moore, the Blue Devils' leading scorer and rebounder, already had team-leading totals of 19 points and 11 rebounds when he decided to step in front of Jonesboro's Marcedus Leech on his way to the basket in the third quarter.

Although Moore got the call from the refs, he paid a high price for his heroics.

He lay on the floor clutching his head for a few minutes before he was escorted to the Blue Devil locker room, where he remained until the midway point of the fourth quarter. When he returned, he held a bag of ice on top of his head and did not return to the game due to concussion protocol.

"I was just wanting to sacrifice my body for the team, and I'm kind of glad I did because the rest of the guys responded," said Moore. "That's what it's all about. Whenever one of the better players goes down it's gotta be next guy up."

The next guy was Burgess, who was held scoreless through the first half.

It didn't take the 6-4 forward long to step up.

Burgess sank a layup with 38 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Blue Devils a 36-32 lead. Then he opened the fourth quarter with a key three-pointer, which ignited a 7-0 run by the visitors.

Burgess hit 10 points in the fourth quarter.

"The last couple of games have been hard for us," Burgess explained. "All of our guys played good tonight, though, not just me."

Also receiving kudos from Brown for the effort were 5-7 junior Deon Williams for his defense and senior point guard Cavin Paige, who only scored 2 points, but he "ran a good floor game," according to Brown on his way to 4 assists.

With a well-disguised match-up zone to open the game, the Blue Devil defense confounded the Hurricane (12-5, 3-1) and mixed with some straight man-to-man in the second half the visitors held Jonesboro to a 7 of 21 shooting performance in the first half and just 11 of 37 for the game (.297 percentage).

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils shook off a 7 of 25 effort from the floor in the first half and used a spread attack in the second half to go 12 of 21 from the field.

With just 6.6 seconds left before halftime and the Blue Devils looking to take a 22-21 lead into the locker room, Jonesboro sophomore Kelyn McBride took the ball the length of the floor and sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to get the Hurricane crowd into it and momentum heading into the second half.

With Blue Devil fans fully expecting Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift to employ a heavy double-team on Moore, as he did in last year's 6A state championship game when Jonesboro held the Blue Devil star to just 6 field-goal attempts, the Hurricane defense didn't resemble the swarming method that teams are starting to use on the 6-6 standout.

Moore hit most of his 19 points in the paint, but stepped out to sink a pair of mid-range jumpers.

"We knew we were a better team than we should the last few games," Brown pointed out. "To be honest, we're a better road team than we are at home. There are less distractions. Chris was really good before he got hurt, but I thought Deon and Burgess played really strong for us."

West Memphis opened up a pair of nine-point leads in the fourth quarter thanks to Paige's deft vision when Brown decided to spread the Jonesboro defense. Paige found Corliss Brewer with a no-look 25-foot pass with 4:50 to play to give the Blue Devils a 43-34 lead.

"Big Daddy played an outstanding floor game," Brown said.

Later, Burgess swished a pair of free throws with 1:15 to play to give West Memphis a 53-43 lead.

It was West Memphis' second straight win at Hurricane Gym, where last year the Blue Devils snapped the Hurricane's home winning streak at 69 games.

Brewer added 9 points for the winners while Jamal Macklin tallied 7.

McBride paced Jonesboro with 12 points, all coming on three-pointers, while Leech contributed 8.

The Blue Devils return to action Friday night at home against Paragould.

Corliss Brewer dishes off a pass against Jonesboro.

Jamal Macklin (4) scored 7 points at Jonesboro Tuesday night.

Chris Moore slams home 2 of his game-high 19 points against Jonesboro.

Cavin Paige (30) tries a reverse layup against Jonesboro.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Jan. 15 edition

Wes Swift started all this.

When the Jonesboro head coach got a full week of preparation in March of 2018 before the match-up between his Hurricane and the Blue Devils in the Class 6A state championship game, Swift devised the plan that has put a crimp in the West Memphis machine.

It wasn't anything fancy, but Swift double-teamed Blue Devil star Chris Moore, putting a defender in front and a defender behind the 6-foot-6 forward. The result was a 55-49 victory for the Hurricane, which had lost the first two of four games against West Memphis last season and in the previous game, Jonesboro defeated the Blue Devils in overtime in the 6A-East Conference championship game as Moore scored 23 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and swatted 6 shots.

Moore was limited to only 6 shot attempts in the state championship game and zero second half points.

And the double-teaming was on.

Surprisingly, the Blue Devils didn't see Moore double-teamed again until Jan. 4 when the Marion Patriots doubled West Memphis' leading scorer and held him to 6 points, which included another scoreless half en route to the Patriots' 64-52 win.

Then, Nettleton did it last Friday night at Lehr Arena with less success as Moore tallied 14 points and 16 rebounds, but it kept him from going off in a 39-37 Raider win.

Tonight as the Blue Devils (13-4 overall, 1-2 in the 5A-East Conference) travel to Don Riggs Hurricane Gym, no doubt Swift will have two assigned to Moore, perhaps as soon as the Blue Devils' leading scorer steps through the doors of the facility.

So, therein lies the problem that West Memphis must confront the rest of the season.

"I'm surprised we didn't see this sooner this season," declared West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown after Marion swarmed his star player on Jan. 4.

So, it won't surprise anyone in the West Memphis camp tonight when it happens. Which only means the Blue Devils have to make adjustments.

One way for the Blue Devils to combat the strategy on Moore is to hit some shots from outside. Which leaves us with another problem for tonight.

The team's best outside shooter, junior Immanuel Hoard, did not play against Nettleton last Friday night and his absence was felt in a big way. He apparently suffered an injury in last Tuesday's win at Searcy, and word is Hoard is questionable for tonight's game at Jonesboro.

That will leave the Blue Devils with senior Corliss Brewer as the biggest outside threat with fellow seniors Terry Burgess and Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige as the secondary threats.

Enough of that.

The last time the Blue Devils were in Riggs Gym, they defeated Jonesboro 68-60 to snap an astonishing 69-game winning home winning streak for the Hurricane. In that game, Moorre had 16 points and 6 rebounds and sat out the final four minutes with four fouls.

Jonesboro (12-4, 3-0) can create some distance between itself and West Memphis in the conference standings with a victory tonight. The Hurricane defeated Greene County Tech 62-50 last Friday night and they own league victories over Paragould (72-51) and Mountain Home (56-42) as well.

The Blue Devils need a fast start against the Hurricane tonight and find a way to get the ball to Moore where he likes it in the low post.

Have a safe trip up I-555 Blue Devil fans!! See you there!!

Nettleton does it again to Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Nettleton seems to have the Blue Devil number the last three years in Lehr Arena.

On Friday night that number rolled No. 1, the numeral on the back of senior point guard Kevin Fulton, who stuck a game-winning dagger on the West Memphis boys to give his Raiders a 39-37 victory.

Fulton's floater with 2.3 seconds left to play gave Nettleton its third straight win on West Memphis' home floor.

"That's never been done before has it?" asked an elated Nettleton head coach Mark McCord.

The Raiders (9-6 overall, 2-1 in the 5A-East Conference) led for nearly the whole game using a slow-down method on offense and another collapsing defense against Blue Devil star Chris Moore.

It's a scheme that West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown expects to see the rest of the season.

"I'm surprised we didn't see this earlier," Brown said. "That's how I would play us."

Moore had his moments on the floor, scoring 14 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, but he had very little support from the perimeter players.

With the Raider defense sinking on West Memphis (12-4, 1-2) the Blue Devil shooters suffered through a 1 for 10 effort from the three-point arc.

"But we also missed a lot of layups, many of them coming off offensive rebounds," Brown added.

The Blue Devils outrebounded Nettleton 36-23.

Although Brown's club has man-handled Nettleton on its home floor, especially with a mercy-rule victory on the final day of the regular season last year, Friday night was a slog for the second-year head coach's squad.

West Memphis hit just 3 of 11 field-goal attempts in the first quarter and found itself down 9-7. For the first half, the hosts connected on 5 of 15 from the floor.

"It's the number of shots that was disappointing," Brown added.

Meanwhile, with the 5-foot-8 Fulton at the controls, the Raiders were deliberate but efficient, turning it over only 6 times for the entire game.

To complicate matters for the Blue Devils, senior point guard Cavin Paige, matched up one-on-one with Fulton most of the night, picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and sat out much of the first half.

Nettleton claimed leads of 20-16 at halftime and 30-25 at the end of three quarters.

The Blue Devils finally got their first lead since 4-0 when senior Jamal Macklin stole a ball near mid-court and his layup was ruled goal tending on Nettleton for a 37-36 West Memphis advantage with 55.4 seconds to play.

Nettleton milked the clock down to 11.5 seconds before a series of timeouts from both teams. When play resumed, Paige deflected the inbounds pass deep into West Memphis' end of the floor.

Fulton chased it down.

He crossed over Paige at mid-court and made his way toward the basket, where he lofted a floater from 10 feet that found nothing but net with 2.3 seconds to play.

"Fulton was the only option for us," McCord said "That was no secret."

West Memphis' final attempt to win was thwarted when Nettleton's Jarquauvious Cain picked off the inbounds pass at mid-court and was fouled.

Cain hit 1 of 2 from the free-throw line for the final score.

The Blue Devils, who play at Jonesboro Tuesday night, also got 10 points from Macklin while Corliss Brewer added 8 points.

Fulton and Cain each scored 9 to lead Nettleton while Nathan Anderson hit for 7.

Jamal Macklin (4) had 10 points against Nettleton.

Blue Devils' Chris Moore (2) reaches for a rebound.

Cavin Paige (30) works inside against the Raiders.

Corliss Brewer (32) breezes in for a basket.

Blue Devil Shoot-around: Jan. 11 edition

Welcome fans to an historic day in Blue Devil basketball lore.

ESPN is coming to West Memphis tonight, and no it isn't airing the Blue Devil-Nettleton game that will begin early this evening, but ESPN is perhaps the biggest sports entity in the entire world.

That alone is noteworthy enough.

Our Blue Devils make it a near matinee affair as the Lady Devils take on Nettleton at 4 p.m., followed by the boys contest immediately thereafter (approximately 5:30 p.m.). The games are moved up, as you all know by now, to clear space for ESPN to broadcast the Memphis East-Rancho Christian (Calif.) Academy game at 8 p.m.

Please take note that the game will be aired on ESPN2.

One anecdote to this arrangement: Paragon Marketing, one of the leading packagers for ESPN, along with Ross Mobile Productions, told West Memphis School officials that the hope is for a big crowd at Lehr tonight, thus it wanted to make possible arrangements for most of the crowd to sit on the scorer's table side of the arena to face the cameras so as to make it appear it would be a capacity crowd.

Let's hope it doesn't take that tonight. I'm betting it won't because I've heard a lot of buzz around West Memphis the last several days.

The game came off for one reason only: Memphis East 7-foot center James Wiseman is the No. 1-rated senior in the nation. ESPN contacted East head coach Darius Veasley, an acquaintance of Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown, about a telecast last summer. East High School does not have the facility to handle such a production, thus Veasley contacted Brown about using Lehr Arena.

Brown was more than happy to accommodate and because of that the Blue Devils just may be rewarded with another ESPN game next year, but this time to feature West Memphis senior-to-be Chris Moore. No promises yet, but the possibility has already been discussed.

Now for West Memphis' games today, it should be noted that Nettleton presents a challenge to the home squad. The Raiders are coming off a 66-46 loss at home to Marion on Tuesday night in a game that featured a Timothy Ceasar dunk that ironically made ESPN's Top 10 Plays of the Day on Wednesday.

Back for his senior season is all-state point guard Kevin Fulton, who is one of the top floor generals in the state and should present quite an interesting match-up with West Memphis' own point prodigy, Cavin Paige. Fulton arrived on the scene as a sophomore having transferred into the Nettleton district from Jonesboro, and how that happened on Wes Swift's watch I'll never be able to explain.

Anyway, the 5-foot-8 Fulton was a slashing scorer as a sophomore who could either shoot the Raiders into it or out of it. A little out of control at times, Fulton's game was dialed back by Nettleton head coach Mark McCord in his junior season.

Nettleton has proved to be quite meddlesome in the Blue Devils' quest for success the last two years, beating West Memphis on its home floor both times.

On the girls ledger, the Lady Raiders are simply the best team in the 5A-East Conference, thanks to the addition of Elauna Eaton, who transferred to Nettleton after leading the Jonesboro Lady Hurricane to the Class 6A state championship last season. The Raiders bombed the Marion girls on Tuesday by a whopping 50 points.

The Lady Devils will need their best effort of the season to beat Nettleton.

See you guys at the Arena today. Let's make a day of it!!

Moore back with a vengeance in Blue Devil blowout

By Billy Woods

WM School District

SEARCY --- Chris Moore said he felt he let the city of West Memphis down.

Strong words coming from a 16-year-old high school junior, but Moore has shoulders broad enough to carry the burden. The Blue Devils' 6-foot-6 star forward scored a season-low 6 points last Friday night as West Memphis lost to Marion 64-52.

On Tuesday night Moore was a man on a mission and his final numbers bore it out. He scored a game-high 32 points and he added 11 rebounds and 5 blocks in the Blue Devils' 79-59 dismantling of Searcy.

Moore said after the game that he had extra motivation after last Friday night's loss.

"I felt like I let my city down losing that intense game," said Moore. "I had to bounce back really hard and play to my strength. I think I slacked off a little and I think I had to get my head right."

Moore was a man among boys at Searcy.

Of his 21 first-half points, eight came on four consecutive trips down the floor as the Blue Devils had to fight back from a first-quarter deficit. Searcy, led by junior Freddy Hicks and senior Peyton Caldwell, came out strong and led West Memphis 19-16 at the end of the first quarter.

After a Hicks basket to open the second quarter stretched Searcy's lead to 21-16, it merely signaled Moore's dominance.

West Memphis went off on a 15-0 run that began with a Cavin Paige three-pointer and then another layup from the senior point guard who had a career-high 12 assists.

But in between was one of Moore's best stretches in a Blue Devil uniform that began when he was a merely a ninth-grader. He scored 13 of his points in the second quarter alone.

Although the Blue Devils (13-3 overall, 1-1 in the 5A-East Conference) still only led by 40-32 at halftime, it was clear even at that point that collectively, the team was out to clear the bad taste out of its mouths from the loss to Marion.

"I hope we had some extra motivation...I know I did," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "We came out with a little more energy and just trying to get back on the right track. I thought our execution was good tonight and our defense was a lot better."

Not even Moore picking up his third foul with 4:31 left in the third quarter could stop the Blue Devils from gaining even more steam in the second half. Paige, who scored 11 points, hit a step-back 15-footer to give the visitors a 50-35 lead, but Moore was levied his third foul right after.

He stayed in the game, however, and provided a thundering dunk just 21 seconds later. Then when senior Terry Burgess, who 11 points and had 5 rebounds, drained a three-pointer, Brown felt the lead was safe enough at 55-35 to let Moore finally take a seat on the bench.

Moore later returned to punctuate the final points of the third quarter with a basket inside to make it 64-46 heading into the fourth quarter.

Paige baffled the Lions (8-7, 1-1) with left-handed wrap-around bounce passes for assists and once again the opposition had no answer for keeping the 5-7 guard from penetrating the lane.

"Big Daddy had a good floor game," Brown said succinctly. "When he plays like that and Terry is hitting from the outside it just opens up everything for Chris inside."

Moore could have added to his big night, but the Blue Devil lead was so safe after Moore split a pair of free throws to make it 75-51 that Brown summoned his star to the bench for the rest of the night with 3:55 still to play in the game.

Corliss Brewer added 10 points for the Blue Devils while Jamal Macklin and Immanuel Hoard added 7 and 6 points respectively.

Hicks paced the Searcy attack with 23 points while Caldwell hit 15.

Terry Burgess (0) had a solid game with 11 points in win over Searcy.

Point guard Cavin Paige (30) had 11 points and a career-high 12 assists at Searcy.

Chris Moore (2) dazzled with 32 points and 11 rebounds in win over Searcy.

Corliss Brewer (32) had 10 points in the 79-59 blowout over Searcy.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 8 edition

After getting humbled last Friday night in the 64-52 loss at home to Marion, the Blue Devils are surely champing at the bit to get the bad taste out of their collective mouths.

In years past, a trip to Searcy has always been the remedy for whatever ailed the Blue Devils. Hopefully tonight will be no different. Head coach Marcus Brown's squad was flying high heading into the game against Marion, so it would behoove the Blue Devils to get everything back on the rails tonight.

One of the issues that West Memphis will have to deal with the rest of this season is the doubling-down on defense against junior star forward Chris Moore. Jonesboro began the strategy last season in the Class 6A state championship game that limited Moore to just six shot attempts in a move that single-handedly won the state title for Jonesoro.

Marion copied the scheme last Friday night and held Moore, who came into the game averaging 22.7 points and 14 rebounds in his last seven games, to zero points in the first half and only 6 for the game.

One counter move Brown tried in the second half in order to get the ball in his leading scorer's hands was to simply let him bring the ball down court and then call for a clear-out on one side of the floor.

It didn't go very well.

So, with that in mind, it'll be interesting to see what the coaching staff draws up for Moore the rest of the season.

Searcy comes into the game with an 8-6 overall record and a 1-0 mark in 5A-East Conference play following last Friday night's 67-47 victory at Paragould. The Lions' signature win this season is a two-point victory over Pulaski Academy.

The Lions, coached by John White, have some size. They have four players listed at 6-foot-4, including junior Freddie Hicks, the son of Freddie Hicks Sr., who was a standout player for Marianna in the early 1990s.

One more reminder for all Blue Devil fans: Friday night's game at Lehr Arena is extra special. ESPN will be telecasting the Memphis East-Rancho Christian (Calif.) Academy game that is set to tip off a few minutes after 8 p.m.

Which means our West Memphis teams' tip times will be moved up earlier. The Lady Devils will face Nettleton at 4 p.m., followed by the Blue Devil boys at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advanced at either the West Memphis School District's administrative office or at the Academies of West Memphis main office.

Tickets are $5 each.

Marion cools off Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Marion's boys showed why on Friday night they are a team to be reckoned with come state tournament time.

Behind the inside defensive dominance of 6-9 senior Timothy Ceasar and the outside prowess of junior guard Detric Reeves, the Patriots broke a seven-game losing streak to West Memphis as they came into Lehr Arena and posted a 64-52 victory over the previously high-flying Blue Devils.

Ceasar, whose long arms and athleticism serve him best on the defensive end, got some help inside as the Pats double-teamed West Memphis star Chris Moore, who came into the game averaging 22.7 points and 14 rebounds in his last seven games.

On Friday night, Moore was held to a season-low 6 points.

"Our execution tonight was...I don't know what we were doing," West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown explained. "I thought we had two good practices coming in. We played hard, but we didn't play smart."

It was all Marion for the entire 32 minutes, except for a brief stretch in the second quarter when the Blue Devils (12-3 overall, 0-1 in the 5A-East Conference) rallied from a 23-8 deficit.

After a 16-0 run by Marion, the Blue Devils summoned up enough energy to nearly match it with a 15-0 spurt of their own to cut the Patriots' lead to 25-24 with 1:20 left before halftime.

Marion, however, held on for a 27-24 lead at intermission.

"They got us playing at their pace," Brown said. "What I mean by that is they wanted it sloppy and the score to be in the 50s."

The Blue Devils could never recover after that.

With Moore bottled up inside and the Patriots daring the Blue Devils to make the shots from outside, it became a frustrating slog the rest of the way for the hosts.

Senior Corliss Brewer, who has been a pretty consistent threat from three-point range, suffered an off night and finished scoreless. The Blue Devils did get some production from deep, however, in the form of junior reserve Immanuel Hoard, who led all scorers on the night with 22 points.

But the scoreless first half from Moore and the rest of the Blue Devil machine out of synch, kept the Patriots on the prowl.

Reeves, who has garnered Division 1 interests from colleges, continued his mastery of the West Memphis defense.

Last season, Reeves, in three losses to the Blue Devils, scored 29, 20 and 15 points against West Memphis. This time he led his team with 19 points while Ceasar tallied 14.

"Reeves and Ceasar are two good players," said Brown. "And they were sinking really hard on Chris all night on defense. And our guys that shoot, didn't make any shots tonight. But you can miss shots. We didn't play any defense, however."

Marion crushed West Memphis on the boards, ourebounding the hosts 24-11. West Memphis could manage only 19 for 44 shooting from the field while Marion sank 25 of 42.

The Blue Devils also got 14 points from senior point guard Cavin Paige while Jamal Macklin added 6.

The Blue Devils hit the road Tuesday night at Searcy before returning home this Friday night to play Nettleton in a game that will start at approximately 5:30 p.m.

ESPN will televise the Memphis East-Rancho Christian (CA) Academy game from Lehr Arena starting at 8 p.m. Tickets for the game will be on sale this week until the day of the game. They will be available at the West Memphis School District's administrative office on South Avalon as well as the Academies of West Memphis main office.

Tickets are $5 apiece.

Blue Devils' Cavin Paige (30) is met inside by Marion's 6-foot-9 Timothy Ceasar.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 4 edition

What a way to begin the 5A-East Conference schedule.

It's West Memphis-Marion basketball time again and tonight at Lehr Arena it's going to be another raucous atmosphere, and why not?

The Blue Devil boys (12-2) are rolling along with a No. 2 state ranking (according to the Arkansas Sports Media poll) and fresh off a Neosho Holiday Classic championship. Marion (7-3) has signature wins over Little Rock Parkview and Little Rock Mills.

Tonight's game will usher in a 14-game conference slate for each team, heading back to the traditional number of league games after playing 18 conference games the last two seasons in a revamped league.

First off, the Blue Devils have won the last seven meetings between the two teams. The last two years the West Memphis boys have won three games total against Marion, including last year when the Blue Devils won all the games by double digits, including an 81-53 devastation at Patriot Arena and a 70-50 win over the Pats in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state tournament at Lehr Arena.

But the Patriots, coached by first-year mentor David Clark, a former Little Rock Hall assistant coach, are hungry for payback. And they have the talent to do it.

Like last season, the Patriots are strong offensively, but disinterested on defense. They roll behind junior shooting-guard Detric Reeves, who had scoring totals of 29, 20 and 15 points against West Memphis last season. He is drawing some Division 1 college interest. Reeves can shoot it off balance, off the dribble, from deep and from mid-range.

Don't be surprised to see the ultra-confident Reeves to try to do most of the damage by himself against the Blue Devils tonight.

The Patriots, however, added a significant piece to this year's team. Six-foot-9 senior center Timothy Ceasar is back at Marion after playing at Southwest Christian Academy last season. Ceasar, who played at Marion as a sophomore, is adept on defense. Unlike two years ago, however, Ceasar now plays more offensively-minded.

The match-up against West Memphis junior star Chris Moore in the low blocks will be worth the price of admission tonight.

Which brings us to the 6-foot-6 Moore's current streak.

In his last seven games, Moore is averaging 22.7 points per game and 14 rebounds. Two years ago, when Moore was a ninth-grader playing at the varsity level, and Ceasar was a sophomore, the Marion center was unable to match Moore's dogged effort on both ends of the floor and for the full four quarters.

It'll be interesting to see if Ceasar is finally up to the task tonight.

Marion's other significant pieces include senior Makyi Boyce and Keyshawn Woods, both guards in the 6-foot range who can score.

But the Patriots, and most other teams in the state, don't have the special talent the Blue Devils have at point guard, in senior Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige. Paige's deft handling of the Blue Devil half-court offense and his ability to break down his defender, enter the lane and then toss no-look passes to wide open teammates is the component that separates West Memphis from most other teams in the state.

Back to subject of conference play: Here's how this season's revamped league lineup looks like. Out are Valley View, Forrest City, Blytheville and Wynne. This year's lineup includes Marion, West Memphis, Jonesboro, Greene County Tech, Paragould, Searcy, Mountain Home and Nettleton.

There will be no conference tournament as there was the last two years. In fact, qualification for the state tournament will be for the top four teams in each of four Class 5A conferences. There are 32 schools in the 5A classification, instead of the 16-team format East schools have been accustomed to in recent seasons.

Triumphant Blue Devils ready to take on Marion Friday

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Months before the season even began, Marcus Brown anticipated his team's lack of experience and decided to test its mettle right away.

After losing six key players in the rotation from last year's state runner-up team, Brown said the current team would need:

1. To play a lot of games in the non-conference.

Check.

The Blue Devils have played 14 non-conference games on precipice of Friday night's 5A-East Conference opener at home against Marion.

2. It would need to play a lot of road games.

Check.

The Blue Devils have only played two home games thus far.

3. It would need to play some tough competition.

Check.

The Blue Devils have played state powers Fort Smith Northside, Conway and Little Rock Parkview along with the No. 3 team from Oklahoma and the No. 2 team from Ohio.

Today, the Blue Devils stand at 12-2, fresh off a Neosho (Mo.) Holiday Classic championship in which they beat Memphis Mitchell 61-50 last Saturday night in the championship game.

Friday's game against Marion should do nothing but stoke Brown's fan base. It should be a capacity house at Lehr Arena with a raucous atmosphere.

"Hopefully, our schedule has gotten us ready, especially from a mental standpoint, for our conference season," said Brown. "I wanted to see our kids play from ahead and play from behind just to see how they react. We accomplished that. My biggest thing with this group is I didn't want them to get comfortable. I wanted them to be put in some adverse situations."

Junior forward Chris Moore was named the MVP of the Neosho Classic after his 23-point, 15 rebound game against Mitchell. He will face plenty of length in Friday night's game against Marion as the Patriots have welcomed back 6-foot-8 center Timothy Ceasar, who played for Marion as a sophomore, but who transferred to Southwest Christian Academy last season.

Ceasar has long arms, lots of athleticism and swats shots well.

Besides Ceasar, however, the Pats have one of the best shooting guards in the state in junior Detric Reeves, who scored at least 20 points in each of last year's three games against West Memphis.

But the Blue Devils have been playing at a high level, too, especially Moore and senior point guard Cavin Paige, who has had two double-digit assist games this season.

"(Marion's) been playing some good ball," said Brown. "It's the first conference game for both teams, and both teams are having good seasons. It should make or a huge crowd Friday night."

The Lady Devils are also fresh of a holiday tournament championship, winning the Lyndel Thomas Classic in Harrison.

Interim head coach Sonja Tate's team swept through three games and now is awaiting some payoff now that conference play is about to begin.

"The dynamic of the team has changed since we started the season, but the girls have responded well," said Tate. "A lot of pieces have moved on. I thought we grew a little bit this past week. I'm looking forward to the most important part of the season."

Action on Friday night begins at 5 p.m. with a junior varsity game, followed by the girls varsity at approximately 6:10 p.m. and finally the boys varsity game.

Blue Devils take split at Conway Classic

By Billy Woods

WM School District

CONWAY --- As the season heads toward the final games of the non-conference portion of the schedule, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown is constantly in push mode, and although his team doesn't always respond to his high standards, it is clear it is making progress.

Saturday's loss to Conway in the John Stanton classic perhaps overshadowed just what all the Blue Devils accomplished in the two games over the weekend. They first defeated Fort Smith Northside, a top 10 team in the state, 60-56 on Friday before they fell in an epic 100-95 triple overtime game on Saturday to the home-standing Wampus Cats.

Despite leaving Buzz Bolding Arena with a bushel-full of positives to build on, Brown could only dwell on the areas his team fell short of in the loss to Conway.

"We didn't play smart at all," said Brown, whose team stands at 8-2. "These are young kids that are learning the game of basketball. The effort we got in the three overtime periods...we just needed that kind of effort in the first, second and third quarters."

The Blue Devils made big play after big play after junior star Chris Moore fouled out of Saturday's game 31 seconds into the second overtime. What transpired was inexperienced junior guard Emmanuel Hoard stepped up to provide 12 of his 16 points in the final two overtime periods.

"(Hoard) came through when we lost a lot of offense with Chris fouling out," said Brown. "That was good to see."

Moore, who elicited gasps from the Wampus Cat faithful with five devastating dunks on his way to a game-high and career-high 35 points and 11 rebounds, stuck back a missed shot to tie the game at the end of the first overtime as the two teams were tied 78-78.

But the 6-foot-6 Moore fouled out just 31 seconds into the second OT and there went a huge portion of the West Memphis offense.

Enter Hoard.

The diminutive sharp-shooter delivered 10 points in the second overtime and the two teams headed into the third OT tied 89-89.

In the end, the Blue Devils just couldn't keep Conway off the free-throw line. The Cats outscored the Blue Devils 32-18 from the charity stripe, getting 46 attempts to West Memphis' 34.

Brown was more critical of his team's on-ball defense.

"We did not defend well at all, one-on-one," Brown continued. "Nor did we box out. Three keys to the game: Take care of the ball, box out and defend one-on-one. Chris Moore fouled out because we can't defend one-on-one. We left him out to dry a lot. Plain and simple."

As the score indicates, the Blue Devils didn't have much trouble getting to the basket. Even besides Moore.

Hoard was also joined with 16 points by senior point guard Cavin Paige, who was a nightmare all game long for multiple Conway defenders, who could not keep the 5-foot-7 floor general out of the lane. Paige had 16 points, but even more impressive were his game-high 10 assists, which included several no-look passes to alert teammates.

Senior Terry Burgess chipped in 13 points and senior Corliss Brewer scored 10.

Conway got 23 points from Kylen Milton while Jakilyn Kaiser pumped in 20.

On Friday night, the Blue Devils rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat the Northside Grizzlies.

Moore put up another double-double with team-high totals of 13 points and 13 rebounds while Burgess also totaled 13 points. Hoard pumped in 10 points while Paige had another stellar night distributing the ball with 6 assists and only 1 turnover.

The Blue Devils return to action on December 26 with a three-game journey to the Neosho (Mo.) Classic.

Match-ups and game times with be announced later this week.

Chris Moore snags one of his 11 rebounds against Conway.

Point guard Cavin Paige (30) terrorized the Conway defense with 10 assists.

Chris Moore saves a ball from out of bounds against Conway.

Senior Terry Burgess scored 13 points against Conway.

ESPN comes to West Memphis Jan. 11 to telecast game

By Billy Woods

WM School District

For the first time in history, national TV cameras will beam on a sporting event held in West Memphis.

ESPN will televise a high school basketball game from Lehr Arena on Jan. 11, pitting two nationally ranked teams, Memphis East vs Rancho Christian from Temeculah, Calif.

The nationally televised game will conclude an evening at Lehr that will find the West Memphis Blue Devil boys and girls playing a 5A-East Conference doubleheader with Nettleton. The evening's games will begin at 4 p.m. with the Lady Devil varsity game against Nettleton, with the Blue Devil boys following immediately afterward.

There is projected to be a 30-minute-or-so break in between the West Memphis boys game and the Memphis East-Rancho Christian game, which is slotted for ESPN airtime for 8 p.m. Central time.

"This will be a great thing for the community," said West Memphis athletic director Larry Bray. "I'm real proud that this will be taking place. It also gives (West Memphis High School) a chance to show off our facility. Our fans will have a chance to see a few of the top players in the nation, some of whom they already are aware of."

Memphis East features the No. 2-ranked player in Rivals.com's list of the top 150 high school players in the U.S., 7-foot center James Wiseman, who recently signed to play at the University of Memphis. East also features another Tiger signee, 6-9 four-star player Malcolm Dandridge.

East is ranked No. 119 nationally by Rivals.com.

However, Rancho Christian (6-0 and ranked No. 10 nationally) features three future Division 1 college stars in Southern Cal signee Isaiah Mobley, a 6-10 forward who is ranked No. 20 in Rivals.com's list.

Mobley's younger brother, 7-footer Evan Mobley, however, is the biggest prize among the Rancho players. He is ranked the No. 2 player in the Class of 2020 and is thought to be a sure bet to follow his brother to the USC campus.

Rancho also features 6-4 junior point guard Dominik Harris, a Gonzaga verbal commit, who is ranked the No. 46 player in the Class of 2020.

Lehr Arena was the pick to host the contest over the Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., a venue that has already hosted a marquee high school match-up this season when East faced off against Olive Branch, Miss., which features Memphis signee D.J. Jeffries.

Bray said East head coach Darius Veasley is an acquaintance of Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown and the two hooked up to arrange the game for Lehr Arena after ESPN contacted representatives from both East and Rancho Christian.

On Tuesday of this week, two representatives of the two production companies which will handle the broadcasting logistics for ESPN, visited Lehr Arena and with Bray to get a feel for their set-up stations.

"(Lehr Arena) ranks right up there with some of the better high school facilities we've broadcast from," said Paul Harvey, of Paragon Marketing, which will work alongside Ross Mobile Productions, two of the leading packagers for ESPN.

"We think, aesthetically, this place will work fine for us. It's always a big promotional opportunity for the high schools we work with when we come to broadcast a game for ESPN."

Nick Minore of Ross Mobile Productions also complimented the layout of Lehr Arena, which opened in November of 2008.

"Having the facility on campus is big for us," said Minore. "It also has plenty of seating for fans. High school games we do for ESPN normally draw a lot of fans. We love to get involved with the community that is hosting the game, and there will be plenty of references to West Memphis on air. But the important thing is the size of the crowd. The bigger, the better because it looks good on TV."

There's another promotional coup in it for West Memphis.

ESPN is very interested in coming back next season to telecast a game involving the Blue Devils and an opponent to be named. The Blue Devils' top player, 6-foot-6 forward Chris Moore, is among the top 100 players in Rivals.com's 2020 list.

"We don't know for sure, yet, but there is a good possibility that ESPN will be back here next year to show one of our games," said Bray. "We'll see how this year goes first. We want to put on a good show for the TV audience."

Ticket information will be handled by Paragon Marketing. Tickets for the game are $5 apiece. Although ticket information is not complete yet, it is believed tickets will be available via the Internet and also locally at the Academies of West Memphis and at the West Memphis School District Administrative Office.

Nick Menore (left) and Paul Harvey (center) meet with athletic director Larry Bray in Lehr Arena.

Lehr Arena will host ESPN for a Jan. 11 telecast.

Blue Devil win two in Classic

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils made their only home appearance in 2018 this weekend for the 2018-19 season, but they made it memorable.

West Memphis won both its games in its annual Blue Devil Classic, downing Vilonia 58-48 in Friday's game and then walloping Germantown 65-48 on Saturday at Lehr Arena.

Now the team will play in three consecutive tournaments in December to close out the first half of its schedule before coming back home on Jan. 4 to kick off conference action against Marion.

The Blue Devils play in the Ozark Shootout this weekend before playing in the Convway Invitational and the Neosho (Mo.) Classic.

Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown emphasized the importance of game action this early in the season.

"The most important thing to come out of this (Classic) was that we just got a chance to play," he said. "Got a chance to get some stuff on film so we can learn. We just need games. I also thought our kids cheered for each other. I thought the first night our energy wasn't there, but I think in the final three halves we played it looked more like West Memphis basketball."

The reason for the slow start against Vilonia on Friday was star junior Chris Moore getting in foul trouble. He collected his third foul with 6:53 still to play in the second quarter and sat out the rest of the half.

However, after trailing 28-24 at halftime, the Blue Devils rode Moore's dominant second half that saw him score all 16 of his team-leading points.

The 6-foot-6 forward, who drew the presence of new Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis for Saturday's game against Germantown, scored 7 of the Blue Devils' first 11 points of the second half and then stretched the lead to double digits by late in the fourth quarter.

Junior guard Emmanuel Hoard kept up his solid play early in the season with 13 points while senior point guard Cavin Paige scored 11 and Terry Burgess hit for 9.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils had very little trouble dispatching a mediocre Germantown team, running out to an early 10-2 lead and a 33-24 bulge at halftime

The Blue Devils put the game away as soon as the third quarter tipped by scoring the first 9 points of the second half.

"I think Hoard and (Corliss) Brewer took the biggest strides this weekend," said Brown. "They have to be consistent for us. Corliss has played well defensively for us so far this season. Emmanuel has to score and ignite us this season and so far he's done that. He can also rebound for a small guard."

Moore tallied 13 points to lead his team in scoring while Burgess tallied 10 and Hoard scored 5.

The Blue Devils will play host Springfield (Mo.) Parkview on Friday in the Ozark Shootout. Other teams in the tournament include Springfield Kickapoo, North Little Rock, Tulsa (OK) Memorial, Springfield Glendale, Confluence (Mo.) Prep, Republic, Mo., Purdy, Mo., Brashear, Mo., Springfield Catholic, North Crowley, Texas, Hazelwood Central out of St. Louis, Purdy, Mo., Clever Mo., Kankakee, Ill., Kansas City Central Academy, Nixa, Mo., and the Blue Devils' Saturday opponent Putnam City, OK.

"We're now an experienced team, but we have some experienced players," said Brown. "That's why we need to play in these upcoming tournaments. I want to see us face some adversity. The best way to due that is to baptize them and see how they're going to react.

"It's an evaluation for me. I gotta see who I can depend on and...everybody should be in shape, but I gotta see who's in shape."

Blue Devils' Cavin Paige hits reverse layup over Germantown.

WMHS' Chris Moore soars over a Germantown defender.

Blue Devils' Jamal Macklin (4) was a force early inside against Germantown.

Newcomer Terry Burgess (0) was a source of consistency in the Blue Devil Classic.

Parkview edges Blue Devils in overtime, 64-62

By Billy Woods

WM School District

LITTLE ROCK --- In a game that could have been won in a variety of sequences, in the end all Marcus Brown could say was "I take full responsibility."

With a chance to win the game in regulation with 0.9 second to play and two free throws, the Blue Devils couldn't convert on either and Little Rock Parkview came away with a 64-62 victory here Tuesday night.

"I'm very, very disappointed, but it's all on me," said Brown. "I take full responsibility, full blame for this loss."

It took a game-high 28 points and two very deep buzzer-beating shots from Auburn signee Allen Flanigan and a big free-throw dissimilarity for the Patriots to edge West Memphis, which falls to 3-1 on the season.

In fact, it all came down to just free throws.

The Blue Devils couldn't convert theirs (11 of 21) and Parkview nearly doubled the Blue Devils in total makes (21 of 31).

West Memphis dug itself an early hole, falling behind 17-8 before increasing the defensive pressure to get back into it.

"We started trapping and pressing a little in the first half," Brown explained.

Still, the Blue Devils trailed 26-22 at halftime with their leading scorer, junior forward Chris Moore, hitting only 6 points.

Under the watchful eye of University of Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson and assistant Melvin Watkins, Moore was placed on the perimeter to start the game. Moore is the Hogs' No. 1 recruiting priority in the Class of 2020.

But in the second half, Brown placed Moore back into his most comfortable position (low blocks) and the 6-foot-6 all-stater dominated to the tune of 17 points, giving him a team-high 23 on the night.

Moore also had a game-high 12 rebounds.

When a Little Rock newspaper reporter asked Brown what he thought of Parkview's Flanigan, Brown replied, "He can play. But...I know a kid who's a monster under the basket."

A Corliss Brewer rebound basket with 2:52 to play in the third quarter gave West Memphis a 36-28 lead, its biggest of the game.

But Parkview always had an answer for any Blue Devil push, in the left hand of silky-smooth Flanigan, who is the son of Auburn assistant coach Wesley Flanigan and the grandson of Parkview head coach Al Flanigan.

He swished a three-pointer and then added a layup to cut the three-possession Blue Devil cushion to a one-possession game.

Down 56-54 with just over a minute to play in regulation, Moore sank two free throws to tie the game.

And the Blue Devils had their best chance to win with junior guard Emmanuel Hoard, who scored 12 points, on the free-throw line with the score tied 56-56 and just 0.9 to play.

He missed both and to overtime the game headed.

West Memphis' only lead in overtime was 60-58 after a long two-point jumper from junior Akyrahn Hazley.

But another three-ball from Flanigan swung the lead back to Parkview for good.

"We shouldn't have been in the position we were in with Emmanuel at the line," said Brown. "We start off games too slow. We're so cool (at the start of games). We're the coolest team in Arkansas. Now, when we finally decide to start playing, we're a very good basketball team. That's where we've got to improve."

Senior point guard Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige had 9 points, a game-high 8 assists and 5 turnovers while Hazley also added 9 points.

Flanigan's night was supported strongly by center Airion Simmons' 14 points.

The Blue Devils play their home openers this weekend in the Blue Devil Classic. On Friday night at 8:30 they face Vilonia at Lehr Arena. On Saturday at 8:30 p.m. they will battle Germantown.

Chris Moore (2) hit 17 of his team-high 23 points in the second half at Parkview.

Point guard Cavin Paige lofts one over Parkview's Allen Flanigan.

Junior Xavier Warren (35) scores inside on Parkview.

Moore (2) jams one home on Parkview's Flanigan.

Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown begins his second season at the helm.

Blue Devils set to open season on Friday at Mills

By Billy Woods

WM School District

After losing four key cogs in a banner 28-4 season last year, the question from high school basketball observers in Arkansas this season is how are the West Memphis Blue Devils going to overcome the loss of firepower.

Well, as second-year head coach Marcus Brown opens the 2018-19 season Friday night with a non-conference game at Little Rock Mills, it should be noted that the Blue Devil cupboard is far from bare.

West Memphis lost four of its top five scorers from a year ago in guards Curtis Washington, Kelsey Hubbard and Sidney Stinson and front court player Zachary Byrd.

But...

They have the best player in the state in junior Chris Moore.

They have one of the best point guards in the state in senior Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige.

And as Brown points out, they won't play totally off those two big pieces.

"We have a lot of experience that left us, some guys that went about putting our program back on the map," said Brown. "But we feel like we've got some kids who are ready to step up. It's their turn. They just have to be focused and ready to do the job at hand."

Moore, a 6-foot-6 post player, enters the season with a large target placed on his back. He averaged team-high totals with 14.1 points per game and 8 rebounds last season.

He has several Division 1 scholarship offers already on the table from the University of Memphis, Arkansas, Florida, Auburn, Tulsa, Wichita State, Oregon, SMU, Oklahoma State and several other schools have expressed high interest.

Moore had an exceptional season on the summer circuit in 2018, winning an EYBL national championship and playing well in the Peach Jam. He features a strong upper body with above-average leaping ability and a high motor, which sets him apart from other nationally-ranked prospects.

"Chris played up in age group and showed he belonged there," Brown commented. "He had a great, great summer. I think the one area where he really grew in was in leadership. By far he's our most vocal person on the team. We think he'll be a great leader for us this year."

Paige attended the Point Guard College last summer in Oklahoma City that hosted the top 250 point guards in the nation. Paige ended the week in Oklahoma City ranked in the top 20.

Paige is a gifted passer and is outstanding at running Brown's offense.

"He is the heartbeat of our team," Brown said of his point guard. "As he goes, we go. There is a lot on him this year, but we've been preparing him for this."

The rest of the starting lineup in the early going of the season will be filled out by seniors Corliss Brewer and Jamal Macklin as well as senior transfer Terry Burgess, who was the leading scorer and rebounder for Wynne last season.

Brewer is considered an outside threat with his shooting and Macklin lends a defense-first mentality.

Burgess, at 6-4, can score from inside or outside, according to Brown.

"He can start the fastbreak for us also," Brown said of Burgess. "He has the perimeter game and he can post. He should be a good match with Chris inside."

The player who could break into the starting lineup as the season progresses is junior guard Emmanuel Hoard, who scored a team-high 21 points with 6 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 70-62 win at El Dorado last Saturday night in a benefit game.

"Emmanuel has to be the igniter for us," Brown said. "As soon as he comes into the game he has to be looking to attack. He knows what his role is."

Other players who could see high-leverage minutes for the Blue Devils off the bench include Daveon Dolittle and Xavier Warren.

The Blue Devils are faced with a heavy non-conference schedule that includes a Nov. 27 game at perennial state power Little Rock Parkview before coming to Lehr Arena for the home opener on Nov. 30 in the first game of the Blue Devil Classic.

Thus, with the team's appearance in the Riverbend Classic in New Madrid, Mo., the Blue Devils will have played five road games before they play their first home game.

Devils' Paige and Moore excel this summer

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The top two returnees on the Blue Devil basketball team got serious about their games this summer, and the results look promising for the coming season.

Junior Chris Moore, who was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Sophomore of the Year in Arkansas, just won a national AAU championship with the Arkansas Woodz Elite on the EYBL circuit.

And senior point guard Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige recently attended the Point Guard College in Oklahoma City. The 5-foot-8 West Memphis floor general was one of 250 point guards from around the nation in the camp and he was deemed one of the top 20.

Both players helped head coach Marcus Brown's first Blue Devil squad to a 28-4 record and a state runner-up spot in 2017-18.

At 6-7, Moore became one of the top recruits from Arkansas on the EYBL. He averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds a game for the Woodz. He has also garnered more Division 1 scholarship offers, including Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Baylor, Miami, Oral Roberts and Tulsa.

"It was a very cool experience," Moore said, of winning the national title. "We've got a special group of guys. We've got Kaylen Robinson of Bryant and Chris Harris of Dumas. All of those guys contributed and everybody played a part. I'm glad we had a great summer."

In the finals the Woodz defeated Garland Elite from Raleigh, N.C., coached by David West of the Golden State Warriors.

Moore, a beast in the low blocks since his freshman season, said he worked specifically on his perimeter game this summer.

"I'm starting to gain some confidence in that area," said Moore. "Without confidence you can't play this game. I need to make sure I have an all-around game, whether it's playing inside or outside."

Paige, the leading assist man for the Blue Devils, said the week at Oklahoma City was both "fun and work."

"It was a great experience," he said. "It matured me a lot from a leadership aspect."

The director of the camp, according to Paige, was Matt Damon, a former player at Baylor.

Paige said each day of work was scripted from wake-up call to bed-check.

"We went to class each day at 8 a.m. and took notes for about an hour," Paige stated. "It included subjects like one-on-one play, help defense...I got like 15 pages of notes at home.

"After class we headed to the court and stretched for a while before heading to our director. There were like eight directors there for the whole group. We practiced drills for a long time before taking a break. Then we'd do personal workouts before scrimmaging the rest of the day. I was exhausted at the end of every day."

Point guard Cavin Paige stood out at Point Guard College.

Chris Moore (right) is a national AAU champion.

Blue Devils reap rewards of great season

By Billy Woods

WM School District

In his first year of head coaching, West Memphis' Marcus Brown brought a charisma and excitement that caught on in West Memphis for the 2017-18 season.

Brown aced his first test as head coach, leading the Blue Devils to the regular-season conference championship and to the Class 6A state tournament championship game, going 28-4 in the process.

The 28 wins mark the third-highest in school history, behind only the two 30-0 teams from 1979-81 and the 2003-04 club.

"First of all, I'd like to cite my seven seniors, who were great for us all year," said Brown. "Their parents should be proud because they represented the program, the school and their families very well."

This season's team drew large crowds to Lehr Arena and it culminated with West Memphis hosting the Class 6A state tournament, where even larger crowds gathered for four days in March.

"I think our style of play, uptempo, and guys getting a lot of dunks had a lot to do with folks wanting to come out and watch us play," Brown added. "It kind of reminded me of the old days, just a different venue. I want to thank the fans for coming out and supporting us this year. It meant so much for us to see the student body get so involved in the games, so thanks go to them."

There were postseason awards galore for the Blue Devils this year.

Forward Chris Moore, who averaged 14.1 points and nearly 8 rebounds this season, was named Sophomore of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In his second season as a starter for West Memphis, Moore also made the all-conference and all-state teams.

"For our team this year I'd have to say it all started in the summer," Moore said. "We all evaluated each other (in AAU tournaments) all summer. By the end of the summer we knew what we could do, what we couldn't do and what we needed to work on. This is a great group of guys, and I love to look up to them."

Moore was joined on the all-state team by teammates Curtis Washington and Zach Byrd.

Washington was the team's second-leading scorer at 11 points per game at 10.8 points per game, shooting 60.9 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from the three-point circle. Byrd averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, shooting 63.8 percent from the field and 70.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Byrd, a three-year varsity letterman, provided the energy and tenacity for the Blue Devils.

"I grew up playing with all the guys on this team, and they were the scorers, so I had to find some other aspect of the game to make me stand out," said Byrd. "I love playing defense hard, getting the blocks on the other end or just being energetic out there."

Senior Sidney Stinson was named to the all-state-tournament team along with Moore. Stinson was one of the best sixth men in the state this season, averaging over 7 points per game and shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 68.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Also earning postseason honors this season was senior shooting guard C.J. Prackett, without a doubt the most improved player on the team. Prackett averaged 8.4 points per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from three-point range to lead the team in that category. He was also the team's leading free-throw shooter at a blistering 84.1 percent.

Prackett said he made a strong decision to improve his game in the summer of 2017.

"I always had the confidence in myself, but Coach Marcus gave me the chance to expose my talent," he said. "I worked really hard on my shot and on the defensive end. Last year people told me I had slow feet, so I had to work hard at that too."

Blue Devil postseason honorees include (from left) Zach Byrd, Sidney Stinson, Chris Moore and C.J. Prackett.

Senior guard Curtis Washington was also an all-state pick.

Jonesboro downs Blue Devils in title game

By Billy Woods

WM School District

HOT SPRINGS --- This time the third quarter betrayed the West Memphis Blue Devils.

After an uncanny string of dominant third quarters that carried them to a 24-win regular season, the Blue Devils saw the opposition turn the tables on them in a third quarter that saw the Jonesboro Hurricane outscore West Memphis 17-7 on the way to a 55-49 Blue Devil loss here Saturday in the Class 6A state championship game.

"This one hurts," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "We just never got into an offensive rhythm today and we had some uncharacteristic turnovers."

Although the third quarter was a notable factor in Saturday's title game, the overriding factor was Jonesboro's defensive number on Blue Devil star sophomore Chris Moore, who scored 23 points with 15 rebounds and 6 blocks in the two teams' last meeting in late February in the final of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

The Blue Devils just couldn't get the ball to their 6-foot-6 inside ace all afternoon. Moore ended the game with only six shot attempts, only five points total and zero points in the second half.

"All that is on me," Brown said. "We've played these guys four times this year and there are no secrets. We knew they could probably try and double-team Chris, and we tried to counter with Sid (Stinson) down there as well, but for some reason we just were a little passive in that aspect of the game."

After sweeping the two regular-season games with Jonesboro this season, the Blue Devils (28-4) lost the final two postseason games to the Hurricane (26-5). For Jonesboro and head coach Wes Swift, it was their second straight 6A championship.

When asked if he had been told before the game that Moore would get only six field-goal attempts, Swift would have said "We win."

"We had a week to go over about 1,000 different scenarios to defend Chris," said Swift. "We played around with doubling him on every possession, we played around with doubling him in a zone. We finally decided we wouldn't double-team him at all because it's so hard to rotate around it and (Moore) passes it so well out of the traps.

"We ended up doubling him on the wing when the ball was in front of him with backside help. And when the ball was at the top we do what we call a wedge. When (Moore) was in the middle we just told A.J. (Aycock) just do the best you can buddy."

The Blue Devils got out quick on the Hurricane, building a 14-point lead (28-14) with 2:16 left in the first half. That's when the pulse of the game changed dramatically.

Hurricane senior guard Tony Hutson, who hit a game-high 23 points, 17 of which came in the first half, scored six points in the final 1:04 of the first half to help his team cut into the West Memphis bulge.

The Blue Devils led at the half 31-27.

"Emotionally, we felt like we were in the lead at halftime," Swift confessed.

Then, the Hurricane scored the first two baskets of the third quarter and the momentum belonged totally to Jonesboro.

"We got out well in the first 12 minutes, but we had some real crucial turnovers the rest of the first half," said Brown. "We started letting them get some momentum. They've got two terrific guards, and once you let them start rolling downhill it gets very difficult."

Hutson carried Jonesboro in the first half and then turned it over to his back-court mate, Desi Sills, in the second half. Sills had a lackluster first half, but he sprang alive in the second half for 10 points and 16 for the game.

Still riding the crestwave in the third stanza, the Hurricane built their biggest lead (49-41) with 6:36 to play in the game.

But the Blue Devils weren't finished.

Led by Zach Byrd's six straight points and then a free throw from C.J. Prackett, the Blue Devils got within 49-48 with 3:14 to play.

But given two chances to either tie or take the lead, the Blue Devils couldn't convert from the free-throw line. They hit a dismal 10 of 18 from the stripe for the game.

Byrd, who picked up his fourth foul with 3:35 to play in the fourth quarter but stayed in the game, led the Blue Devils with 20 points.

After Byrd split a pair of free throws with 1:45 to play to make it 51-40 Jonesboro, the Hurricane got the winning plays from Lamar Williams, who sank two free throws and Sills, who squirmed inside for a layup to dash the Blue Devil hopes.

The Blue Devils also got 9 points from senior guard Curtis Washington, who also didn't score in the second half, and 7 from Sidney Stinson, who injured his ankle around the one-minute mark and had to leave the game.

West Memphis was 6 of 26 from the field in the second half while Jonesboro converted 11 of 22.

The Blue Devils were plus-11 on the boards (38-27) and they took nine more shots than Jonesboro (51-42). But the Hurricane had two more made three-pointers than the Blue Devils (5-3).

West Memphis point guard Cavin Paige drives around Jonesboro's Tony Hutson.

Zach Byrd and Chris Moore battle Jonesboro's A.J. Aycoc and Lamar Williams for a rebound.

Curtis Washington was emotionally ready during introductions.

Zach Byrd (12) paced the Blue Devils with 20 points.

Game notes: Brown confronts state media

By Billy Woods

WM School District

HOT SPRINGS --- Facing the state media in his postgame presser, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown let them know they squeezed his best player on coverage this season.

After star sophomore Chris Moore was completely bottled by the Jonesboro defense here Saturday in the Class 6A state championship game, Brown told the media they had ignored his star player.

"We're the stepchildren in the state of Arkansas and a lot of times we get ignored by the state media," said Brown, whose team fell to Jonesboro 55-49. "Nobody wants to cover Chris Moore, and he's an absolute monster, but he doesn't get any recognition in Central Arkansas. Seven of our last 11 games were mercy rules, so his numbers were low and he didn't get nominated for anything."

Brown also noted that his team captivated the West Memphis community as was noted in several highly attended games this season and in the first three rounds of the state tournament, which Lehr Arena hosted.

"We had people come watch us play this year who hadn't been to games in 20 years," Brown said. "We brought some new life back to West Memphis basketball."

Three-point drought

After hitting 2 of their first three-pointers of the game, the Blue Devils went ice cold from deep, ending the game making only 3 of 22.

"We've had some games like this this year, but not many," Brown added. "We have three or four good three-point shooters, but today was just not our day."

Points in the paint

After leading Jonesboro in scoring in the paint (14-10) in the first half, the Blue Devils allowed the Hurricane to get in the lane in the second half.

Jonesboro had 28 points in the paint for the game, to West Memphis' 22.

It was practically a stalemate in the turnover department. West Memphis committed 14 miscues for the game to Jonesboro's 13.

"It wasn't the number of turnovers for us, it was the timing of our turnovers," Brown stated. "Jonesboro played championship basketball down the stretch and we committed some untimely turnovers."

Devils-JHS: A battle for the ages

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis' Chris Moore will be almost impossible to stop in the low post if he gets the touches Saturday.

Jonesboro's star duo at guard, Desi Sills and Tony Hutson, are arguably the best back-court tandem in the state.

Those are the two biggest factors heading into Saturday's Class 6A state championship game at the Hot Springs Convention Center between the Blue Devils and the Hurricane.

The two teams will meet for a fourth time this season with the Blue Devils (28-3) having won two out of the three contests. Jonesboro (25-5) won the last game in controversial fashion. As Sills drove to the basket in the final two seconds of the 6A-East Conference tournament at Lehr Arena, he missed a short runner. A foul was called on West Memphis' Sidney Stinson on the rebound with zero time on the clock.

It allowed the Hurricane to hit a free throw to send the game into overtime, where the Hurricane edged past the foul-plagued Blue Devils.

They may not say it for the record, but you can bet that the Blue Devils are out for revenge on Saturday.

"At West Memphis, we've always had our big rivalries," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "When I was in school Jonesboro was a rival, but I think our biggest rival back then was Blytheville. Now, I think it's Jonesboro. (Saturday's game) will be good for basketball in West Memphis. And I think it'll be good for basketball in Jonesboro."

The defending state champion Hurricane had arguably its best season in history when it went 33-0 and taking the title with a victory in the final over El Dorado. Jonesboro was nationally ranked near the top 10 in just about every major poll.

However, they lost some major talent from last year in Marquis Eaton, Jonathan Adams and Ben Harvey.

Sills and Hutson are two of the best. Hutson plays point and can score. Sills is a 6-foot-4 athletic shooting guard with range on his three-pointers.

"They've got two very, very good guards," Brown said. "The team does a very good job of screening for them. Sills has the good shot and Hutson has the penetration. We have to try and limit the things they like to do. We gotta keep Sills off the free-throw line and we gotta keep Hutson from getting into the lane. We just gotta make 'em earn it."

Sills has come up big the last two games against West Memphis, scoring 30 in each of them. However, in the second game between the two teams in February at Jonesboro, Hutson was limited to 10 points and the Blue Devils went on to win 68-60.

Jonesboro doesn't have the natural size and leaping ability to shut down the Blue Devils' Moore, who had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks against Jonesboro in the conference championship game.

"They've done some zoning and some doubling," Brown said of Jonesboro's defensive strategy against Moore. "It's just a great chess match when we play Jonesboro."

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift, whose teams had gotten the best of West Memphis until this season, knows the competition between the two programs has now evened out, to the point of near standstill.

"These Jonesboro-West Memphis games are fun from a fan's standpoint, but (West Memphis) is no fun to prepare for," Swift stated. "They have seven seniors among their top nine and they have one of the two best sophomores in the state in Chris Moore. Their senior guards just make winning plays, and they're not scared of any moment. I think the thing I've seen out of West Memphis this year that I hadn't seen in the last three or four years is their ability to defend.

"They're one of the best defensive teams in the state right now. Offensively, they put four people in double figures almost every game, which shows you they share the basketball, and they are really hard to guard. And at the end of the game they've got a stud (Moore) they can go to."

The Blue Devils' experience plays beyond the time the seven seniors have had at the high school level. The group of Sidney Stinson, Curtis Washington, Zach Byrd, C.J. Prackett and Kelsey Hubbard has played together for longer than three years.

"I don't expect to see us star struck on the big stage," Brown said. "I think one of the big things that has helped us is going up to Jonesboro and beating them there. This group has played together about seven years, going back before their junior high seasons. In fact, a lot of times I don't have to tell them what to do or where to go on the floor. They work very well together."

Blue Devils' C.J. Prackett (left) battles for a loose ball against Jonesboro's Desi Sills earlier this season at Jonesboro.

Little man Paige plays big for Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The smallest man on the court isn't big on words.

But 5-foot-7 Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige lets his play on the court do all the talking. The junior point guard has been racking up the assists and he's very sure with the ball.

Paige may not get enough notice on this 28-3 Blue Devil team that will play for the Class 6A state title on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. in Hot Springs, but to a man the West Memphis squad admits "Big Daddy" is the cog that makes the machine go.

Ask Paige if he tailors his game after an NBA player.

"I don't even watch the NBA," he'll say.

Ask him how he developed his left hand, either dribbling or passing.

"It's crazy," he said. "I don't know."

Ask him how he learned not to stop his dribble to avoid double-teams.

"Just God-given, I guess," he said.

Paige is only the seventh-leading scorer on head coach Marcus Brown's team, but his job isn't to score. It's to find the open man, which he is more than adept at.

Paige is piling up the assists this season, averaging 3.6 per contest.

His assist-to-turnover ratio is on the plus side. He is only averaging 2.2 turnovers per game.

"Big Daddy is very important to us because he's the one who makes us go," said Brown. "He's kind of like the head, but at the same time he probably has the biggest heart. The constant pressure he puts on the defense is great for us."

Some traits of Paige's game that has emerged this season has been the constant penetration into the lane, drawing a crowd and then finding the open man near the basket.

The one aspect of his game that is overlooked is the fact he constantly keeps his dribble alive, which prevents double-teaming and allows him to get into the lane.

"Coach tells me if I see something I don't like, just keep dribbling, keep dribbling," Paige added. "Sometimes he tells me to break the press, and I love going to my left because I'm just as comfortable with my left hand as my right hand and the defense doesn't expect many guys to be able to go to the left."

He averages just 5.7 points per game, but Paige doesn't care about the points. His thrills come from the no-looks and the needle-threading passes that bring the crowd to its feet.

"Sometimes we have to tell Big Daddy to shoot more," Brown acknowledges. "The pass-first mentality is a lost art. Sometimes he's too unselfish. I thought the Marion game (in the state tournament) was his best game as far as patience goes on the pick and roll. We're extremely proud of his growth as a player from last year to this year."

Buses will roll Saturday

The West Memphis School District will be providing three school buses for transportation to watch the Blue Devils in Saturday's championship game at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Tip-off is set for 12:45 p.m.

Two student buses are being scheduled for high school students only through the principal's office at WMHS.

One adult bus is being scheduled through the athletic director's office at 301 South Avalon. You must sign up by the end of school or business on Wednesday in order to ride.

If your name is not on the sign-up list you can not load the bus.

All buses have a rider capacity of 50 passengers. First 50 to sign up get seats. Be at the ticket booth of Lehr Arena at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Buses will depart at 8 a.m. sharp.

All buses will depart for the return to West Memphis 45 minutes after the end of the West Memphis game. If you are not on the bus at the specified time for the return trip you will be responsible for your own transportation back home.

Moore draws defenses, college coaches

By Billy Woods

WM School District

A year later, Chris Moore confesses his tepid response to getting moved up to the high school varsity.

Last season Moore became the first known West Memphis ninth-grader to be promoted to the high school varsity, where he eventually became the team's leading scorer and rebounder on the Blue Devils' 24-6 squad.

"I'm not going to tell you a story, I was a little scared," Moore recalls about the move. "Moving up to that stage was like a real big thing for me. The first game I had to get the jitters out. I had already said yes to the commitment, but it ended up being a very fun year."

Moore is once again leading the Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding as the team heads into Saturday's Class 6A state championship game against Jonesboro. The two teams meet for the fourth time this season at 12:45 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore is averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds for the 28-3 Blue Devils.

"Last year I think I would give myself a B-plus overall," he said. "I think there were some things I could have done last year that could have gotten us to the state championship game."

Last season's individual success only led to Moore being met with gimmick defenses and a lot of double-teams this year.

"I've had to expand my game and learn how to confuse the defense," said Moore, who also averages nearly 3 blocked shots per game. "Coach (Marcus Brown) told me at the beginning of the year I would be the target for every team. They would try to foul me out or try to triple-team me in the low post. He told me to just try and play through it. Not every game is going to be my best game. It took a little toll on me, but I just had to get used to it."

Moore first caught the attention of Division 1 college coaches before his ninth-grade season. Last year alone he earned scholarship offers from the University of Memphis, SMU, TCU, Southern Miss and Marquette.

The University of Arkansas hasn't offered a scholarship yet, but head coach Mike Anderson and his staff are highly interested. Anderson sent assistant coach Melvin Watkins to a Blue Devil preseason practice this season to watch Moore.

The recruiting process has been mostly fun, according to Moore.

"You know one day the ball will stop bouncing for me, so for right now I consider it a blessing to be able to talk to college coaches who are interested in me," he said. "Some of the colleges that have offered me or shown interest in me might not be some of the most well-known schools like Kentucky, Duke or North Carolina, but getting offers from some of these schools...some of them have the best programs around."

Brown has often referred to his prize sophomore as being in 'rarified air." At 6-6, Moore is already considered the best low-post player in Arkansas, but he also knows he will have to develop his perimeter game for college, where he will have to face-up and shoot from mid-range or deeper.

But right now, Moore is a definite impact player in the middle for the Blue Devils, who will be going for the school's seventh state championship. Moore's shot-blocking ability discourages the opposition from entering the lane.

And it will surely force Jonesboro to make deep jumpers on Saturday, where guards Desi Sills and Tony Hutson have that ability.

"Shot-blocking is really just a timing thing," said Moore. "I've studied some of the old-timers like Wilt Chamberlain and some of the guys today like LeBron (James). I really love watching LeBron. Serge Ibaka is one of the best and he teaches you how to time it. You have to study the game. Some things you just can't make up on your own. You have to study what the greats are doing because that's the only way you're going to get better."

Blue Devils' Chris Moore flushes one against Pine Bluff.

Blue Devil point guard plays big.

Devils win would mean history for Brown

By Billy Woods

WM School District

One of the first things Marcus Brown wanted to incorporate into his team once he took the job as Blue Devil basketball coach was a sense of the program's legacy.

For sure, none of the current players on the team that will play for the Class 6A state championship Saturday know who Keith Lee and Michael Cage are. In fact, they are only vaguely aware that their own coach would be on the program's Mt. Rushmore.

But as the West Memphis boys (28-3) are on the verge of the school's seventh state championship, not even Brown himself was aware of this nugget of information:

With a victory Saturday over Jonesboro (in a game that will tip-off at 12:45 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center) Brown will become the only person in school history to win a state championship as a player and as a coach.

"It's really all about the team," Brown said, brushing aside any personal accolades. "But it would be cool."

Cool indeed.

Brown was a 6-foot-2 junior when the Blue Devils packed the Devil Dome in March of 1991 as the team defeated Watson Chapel 66-48 in the state championship game.

Sports historians would probably be stumped when asked if any person in Arkansas has ever won a state title at the same school as a player and then as a coach.

"Win or lose I think I silenced a lot of people...not that I gave a (darn) anyway," said Brown, in his first year as head coach. "I think we flew below the radar for much of the season, but this is our goal now. To play in the final game in the state of Arkansas."

In that 1991 championship game, the Blue Devils faced a nine-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. That is until Paul Brown (no relation to Marcus) hit 5 three-pointers in the final stanza and West Memphis went on to roll past Watson Chapel.

"That meant everything to me," said Brown. "You're representing your family, your school, your community and you're representing the program. To be able to play on that stage and bring home the trophy...it was just a great, great feeling."

Like many players on that 1991 team, Brown cut his teeth on the Blue Devil brand, watching Lee, Cage and Company compile a state record 60 straight victories and two straight state championships.

"We went to just about every game during that run, and I remember telling myself this is what I want to do," Brown recalled. "Growing up back then, you wanted to be a Blue Devils. I think our team this year has brought back that sense of community. This is a very historic program. That's why other teams want to kick our butts. To beat West Memphis would be a notch in their holsters."

Brown's advice to his players when they run out of the tunnel and onto the court for warm-ups is to "embrace the moment."

"Have fun with it," he added. "Not a lot of people expected us to be here, so there's no sense in us putting pressure on ourselves. We believe in ourselves if no one else does. I've believed in this team from Day One."

With a win Saturday over Jonesboro, Marcus Brown (right) would become the first person in school history to win a state championship as a player and as a coach.

Blue Devils edge Hall, earn berth in finals

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It was a strange evening even from the start.

First, with the No. 2-seed from the East the West Memphis Blue Devils were inexplicably deemed the visitors Saturday night at Lehr Arena in the Class 6A state tournament semifinals.

The Blue Devils wore their road uniforms and sat on the visitors bench.

Then Little Rock Hall comes out and plays a spread offense to try and slow the pace against the high-powered West Memphis offense.

It worked for the most part, but in the end the Blue Devils got the victory as Hall's Gregory Johnson missed a short jumper at the buzzer giving West Memphis a 34-32 victory, putting the Blue Devils into the championship game for the first time since 2011.

The ending was setting up to remind long-time Blue Devil fans of 1989's ill-fated title game gaffe in which Lee Suggs' banked-in jumper was waved off at the buzzer while Blytheville went on to win in overtime.

And it reminded everyone else of just one week ago when the phantom foul call on Sidney Stinson allowed Jonesboro to tie the game and send it into overtime in the 6A-East Conference tournament where the Hurricane went on to win at Lehr Arena.

But all was well when the buzzer sounded this time.

"If the ball had gone in it wouldn't have counted, in my opinion," said an elated Blue Devil sophomore Chris Moore, who scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. "All I know is we won the game and I'm happy."

The Blue Devils (28-3) will head to the championship game in Hot Springs against the Jonesboro Hurricane, a 65-48 winner on Saturday over Pine Bluff.

"Man, I'm so happy for those kids," West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown said. "It's like heart-stopping, you know what I'm saying? The kids have worked so hard this year and so far it has been all worth it."

Hall head coach Jon Coleman shocked the crowd at Lehr Arena by coming out in a stall offense. It didn't work right away as West Memphis scored the first 13 points of the game. The Blue Devils defense pitched a shutout through one quarter as the home team led 13-0 heading into the second quarter.

"I knew coming in that (Hall) wanted to keep it as ugly as possible," said Brown. "So I was not the least bit surprised to see them come out in a spread."

Despite the early hole they dug themselves, the Warriors stuck with the game plan and soon enough it started paying dividends. West Memphis led only 19-14 at halftime.

Nineteen is usually the Blue Devil total after one quarter.

Later on, three key Blue Devils, Moore, Sidney Stinson and Zach Byrd, landed in foul trouble, another reminder of last week's loss to Jonesboro.

But the trio didn't foul out, and it turns out West Memphis needed all three in the final sequence.

Uncharacteristic turnover totals by the Blue Devils (17 on the night) kept Hall in the game, and although it wasn't a turnover on the stat sheet, a mental mistake by Stinson gave Hall a chance to win the game at the end.

With the Blue Devils up 34-32 and 26 seconds left on the clock, Brown instructed his team to just hold the ball out front. Well, Stinson drove the baseline and found himself with his dribble stopped under the basket against Hall's 6-foot-7 Kevon Cooper. Stinson put up a shot and Cooper swatted it toward the sideline, and in a scramble for the ball it was given to the Warriors when it went out of bounds.

After a Hall timeout with 7.4 seconds left, the Warriors' Montavius Dismuke missed a potential game-winning three-pointer. The ball went out of bounds and it was awarded to Hall with 0.5 seconds left after a brief conference of officials.

"On the throw-in with (0.5) all I told our kids was (Hall) was going to have to lob it in order to get a shot off," Brown explained. "So, I told Sid, Chris and Curtis (Washington) they had to jump as high as they could on the inbounds."

When the ball bounded off the rim, Lehr Arena erupted in jubilation.

"The great thing about this is now we have a better understanding of the moment," Brown stated. "We did do one thing well all night, and that's defend. We played our butts off all night on defense."

The final individual scoring totals were low, obviously, but for the first time in a long while the Blue Devils placed just one player (Moore) in double-figure scoring. Washington provided 9 points while C.J. Prackett and Stinson each scored 5.

Dismuke paced Hall with 14 points while Cooper added 12.

Chris Moore slams one home on Little Rock Hall.

Jubilation from the Blue Devils at the final buzzer.

Blue Devils jump all over Marion

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils literally could not wait to take the floor on Friday night.

They spent six days stewing over a controversial loss to Jonesboro in the 6A-East Conference tournament finals and they took out a lot of frustration by dismantling the Marion Patriots for a third time this season 70-50 in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state tournament at Lehr Arena.

The Blue Devils (27-3) advance to Saturday's 7:30 p.m. semifinal against Little Rock Hall, a 53-44 winner over Lake Hamilton on Friday.

Head coach Marcus Brown's team came out of the gates with an added burst of momentum.

"A whole lot of adrenaline before the game," said West Memphis senior sixth man Sidney Stinson, who led the team in scoring with 17 points while also pulling down 10 rebounds. "We just kept counting down the days before this game."

It actually took the Blue Devils a full quarter to really get going. They led Marion 21-17 at the end of one quarter, but Brown turned to senior Kelsey Hubbard off the bench, and the smooth-shooting guard ignited the fuse for the blowout by hitting three consecutive three-pointers to push the West Memphis margin to 31-17 with 4:47 to play in the second quarter.

"It was good to see Kelsey hit those shots," Brown said of Hubbard, who missed a good portion of this season due to an injured ankle. "That was just what we needed. It got the fans involved and it gave us another shot of momentum."

West Memphis hit 15 of 23 shots from the field (.652 percentage) in the first half as sophomore Chris Moore, who poured in 15 points and snatched 10 boards, thrilled the overflow crowd with a pair of vicious dunks.

"We're an inside-out team, and when I start killing it on the inside and I see that pressure start coming to me I see my guys and tonight they hit some threes," said Moore.

Marion's own super sophomore, guard Detric Reeves, dazzled once again against West Memphis by scoring a game-high 25 points. But it was way too little against a stacked Blue Devil squad.

With his team threatening to apply the mercy rule against Marion for the second straight time, Brown pulled Moore, point guard Cavin Paige and C.J. Prackett in order to rest them for Saturday's tilt against Hall.

West Memphis led 43-22 at halftime and then 50-24 by the early moments of the third quarter before Brown began coaching for the next game.

Stinson and Moore combined for 30 of the team's 35 rebounds as the Blue Devils outboarded Marion 35-24.

Hubbard added 12 points for West Memphis while Prackett tallied 8.

Marion's season ends at 15-15.

Zach Byrd (12) snatches offensive rebound against Marion.

Chris Moore (2) had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the 70-50 win over Marion.

Blue Devil shoot-around March 2 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

As the Benton-Pine Bluff boys were winding down their quarterfinal game last night in the 6A state tournament at Lehr Arena with a couple hundred fans on hand, a referee walked up to the scorer's table.

"This time tomorrow night there won't be a seat in the house," he said.

No doubt.

Tonight at 8:30 p.m. the Blue Devils take on Marion for the third time this season. A berth in the semifinals is at stake. It should be rocking at Lehr Arena tonight.

West Memphis hasn't played since last Saturday when it fell 70-67 in overtime to Jonesboro in the 6A-East Conference tournament final. So, the boys clad in blue (possibly neon?) should be ready to take away some frustration.

The Blue Devils (26-3) rolled to an 81-53 mercy-rule victory at at Marion last month and WMHS has won the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Patriots, who defeated a weak Sheridan team yesterday in the first round, have an above-average offensive team, averaging just over 70 points per game.

But Marion gives up almost as many points on the season. That's why in the last game at Marion between the two teams the Blue Devils had a realistic shot at hitting 100 before the mercy rule kept the clock moving in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Marcus Brown, who won a state championship as a player at West Memphis, will no doubt have his team emotionally ready to play.

"At this time of year there are no excuses," he said. "It's either win or your season is over. Simple as that."

With the Lehr crowd cheering them on, the Blue Devils will be hard to beat.

In the 7 p.m. game tonight, head coach Shelia Burns' club will take on Lake Hamilton in a quarterfinal game. Burns was in the stands scouting Lake Hamilton's 66-54 victory over Jacksonville yesterday.

It was a tale of two halves for the Lady Wolves. Senior Taylor Wells couldn't miss from three-point range in the first half. She swished five of them in the first quarter alone, six in the first half and seven for the game.

And while Lake Hamilton had just one turnover in the first half, it totaled 13 miscues in the second half as Jacksonville's press devoured the Wolves.

Burns downplayed the possibility of her team coming out of the gate and pressing Lake Hamilton, but you'll most likely see a man-to-man with the Lady Devil guards in the faces of Wells and Lake Hamilton point guard Jenny Peake.

Games today start at 4 p.m. with the Greenwood girls taking on Mountain Home, followed by Little Rock Hall's boys against Lake Hamilton at 5:30 p.m.

Jonesboro tips Blue Devils in overtime

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Desi Sills, Jonesboro's best player, drove the through a crowded lane and met resistance. He got the shot off, but missed. What happened next infuriated an already overheated Lehr Arena.

With no time left on the clock in regulation, West Memphis' Sidney Stinson appeared to corral the rebound to give the Blue Devils a 62-61 win over the Hurricane.

Before the Blue Devil faithful even had time to start rejoicing, a whistle interrupted everything. Stinson was called for a foul, coming over the back of Jonesboro's Blayton Williams,.

By that time, Blue Devil fans had seen three of their starters foul out and Jonesboro the beneficiary of the whistles in the game.

Williams split the two free throws and the game went into overtime, where more Blue Devil misfortune happened and in the end Jonesboro took a 70-67 win Saturday in the 6A-East Conference tournament final.

The Blue Devils, whose winning streak was halted at 18 games, will be the East's No. 2 seed in this week's state tournament at Lehr Arena, They will play Friday night at 8:30 against the winner of the third-place team from the West against the No. 6 team from the East.

Despite foul trouble which had not hurt them all season, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown took the high road.

"My team didn't show up tonight," Brown said, somberly. "I love my kids and they play hard, but we just didn't show up tonight. I count myself among them, too."

West Memphis' Cavin Paige, Zach Byrd and C.J. Prackett all fouled out and Chris Moore, who scored 23 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and swatted 5 shots, and Sidney Stinson both ended the night with four fouls.

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift's comments after the game came from a relieved man.

"West Memphis was my pick to win this game," he said. "I said that before the season even started. You can put us in there, (Little Rock) Hall in there, but the team to beat was always West Memphis in my mind.

"In a game like this, one possession, the ball's going to bounce a certain way, And the ball bounced our way a couple of times."

The Blue Devils (26-3) were down 61-60 with under 10 seconds to play in regulation. Moore raced all the way down the floor and was fouled with a punch to the gut. He calmly sank both free throws to give his team a one-point lead.

Sills, who combined with back-court mate Tony Hutson for 55 of the team's 70 points, had his mind made up he was going to take the last shot.

"Right there, Desi is the guy I want with ball in his hands," Swift said.

Williams and Stinson went toe to toe for the rebound, but the Blue Devil senior was called for over the back.

Williams could have won the game for Jonesboro in regulation, but he only managed to split the two free throws.

The Blue Devils lost Prackett when he fouled out with 2:15 to play in overtime, but the player West Memphis missed most was Paige, who picked up his fourth and fifth fouls 14 seconds apart in the third quarter.

"Big Daddy is the one who runs the show for us," Brown simply said.

From there it was point guard by committee for the Blue Devils, handled by Stinson, Curtis Washington and whoever else hadn't fouled out yet.

In overtime, Sills made two free throws to give Jonesboro a 70-67 lead with 19.3 seconds to play.

West Memphis' Kelsey Hubbard air-balled a three-point attempt with four seconds on the clock. But Stinson stole the ball from Jonesboro and had a good look at a game-tying three-pointer.

But the ball bounded off no good.

Sills scored a game-high 30 points, giving him 60 in his last two games against West Memphis, while Hutson poured through 25.

"We were so scared of Sills and Hutson tonight," Brown commented. "We played hard, but not smart. We let Sills and Hutson beat us off the dribble all night."

Washington added 15 points for West Memphis while Paige and Stinson hit 8 apiece.

Jonesboro (23-5) had no other player in double figures.

Cavin Paige hits layup against Jonesboro.

Devils' Chris Moore had 23 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks against Jonesboro.

Blue Devil shoot-around Feb. 25 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Good morning Blue Devil basketball fans. Welcome to one of the better days to be a fan of both the boys and girls basketball teams.

By the time you digest your lunch today it'll be time to head to Marion to watch your Lady Devils play the Lady Patriots for the 6A-East Conference tournament championship. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

When that one is over, you'll have time to choke down an early dinner and then head to Lehr Arena for Jonesboro-West Memphis in the boys title game at 6 p.m.

The Lady Devils (16-13) are flying high on the heels of their 72-71 overtime upset over Jonesboro in the semifinals last Tuesday night at Don Riggs Hurricane Gymnasium. And they should be plenty confident about their chances today against Marion, a team they split with during the regular season.

The West Memphis girls defeated Marion 45-37 at Lehr Arena in January and then lost at Marion 60-50. However, in that loss the Lady Devils jumped out to leads of 18-10 and 24-13 before a fourth-quarter collapse.

Also in that game, Marion post player Morgan Christian had a dominant game inside, scoring 19 points and grabbing a game-high total of rebounds.

"She's a beast on the boards," Lady Devil head coach Shelia Burns said of Christian. "If we don't keep her off the offensive boards we're in trouble. That's her strength."

In the boys game, West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown admits it will be hard to beat Jonesboro for a third time this season.

"It's going to be tough," he said. "I'm sure (Jonesboro) will make some adjustments. This is why you play the game, though. There's no other group of guys I'd rather go into battle with than my guys. They've put in the work."

The Blue Devils (26-2) will have to keep Jonesboro senior guard Desi Sills at bay and at the same time keep his counterpart, Tony Hutson, from picking up the slack. Sills scored a game-high total of 30 in the last meeting against West Memphis, a game the Blue Devils won 68-60 that snapped the Hurricane's home winning streak at 69 games.

Still, the Blue Devils have been rolling at peak proficiency of late. They have mercy-ruled three of their last six opponents.

So, enjoy the day Big Blue fans!

Devils will play Jonesboro at 6 p.m. Saturday

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Times and opponents have been set for Saturday's championship rounds of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

Both West Memphis teams will be playing for the league title.

The Lady Devils (16-13) will play at Marion with a 2 p.m. tip-off. The West Memphis boys (26-2) will host the Jonesboro Hurricane at 6 p.m.

Jonesboro, the No. 2 seed, trounced No. 3 seed Little Rock Hall 62-42 Tuesday night at Jonesboro. The Blue Devils own two wins over the Hurricane already this season, defeating them 64-49 at Lehr Arena in January and 68-60 at Don Riggs Gymnasium earlier this month.

The Lady Devils, fresh off their 72-71 overtime upset at Jonesboro Tuesday night, have split the two regular-season games against Marion.

Blue Devils rip Zebras, roll to final

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils got off to a slow start, for them anyway, on Tuesday night at Lehr Arena. But as we all have come to know, when the Blue Devils get going they roll in three speeds.

Fast, faster and disaster.

The latter part was true for Pine Bluff as the Blue Devils recorded their sixth mercy rule of the season with a 73-56 win in the semifinals of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

West Memphis (26-2) will play the winner of the Little Rock Hall-Jonesboro game on Saturday for the league title. So far, no official game time has been announced.

The Neon, err, Blue Devils came out slow against Pine Bluff, but really only for about four minutes. Clad in as much neon as the law allows (socks and warm-ups) the Blue Devils found themselves down 14-7 with 4:01 left in the first quarter.

But it was only a matter of time before the home club got it going.

"It was shades of last year," West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown said, referring to the Blue Devils' 47-44 loss to the Zebras in last year's Class 6A state tournament. "We didn't come out and match (Pine Bluff's) intensity. But the kids persevered and stuck to the plan just like they have all year."

The third quarter is supposed to be West Memphis' break-out quarter, and it certainly was again Tuesday night. But they seized the momentum in the second quarter, hitting on 9 of its 13 shots from the field, including a 3 for 4 effort from beyond the three-point arc.

The Blue Devils ended the second quarter on an 11-2 spurt to take a 36-29 lead into halftime.

"I told (assistant coach Alvin Hawkins) at halftime this is good for us," Brown stated. "We needed a little adversity."

And a little is all they got from the Zebras (16-10).

As was mentioned, the Blue Devils once again dominated the third quarter. This time the hosts outscored Pine Bluff 23-9, once again hitting 3 of 4 three-balls.

Brown said there wasn't anything in particular that turned it around for his club Tuesday night.

"We're just that deep," said Brown. "I subbed in Kelsey (Hubbard, who scored 6 points) and Sid (Stinson, who scored 12) and then we started getting the ball inside to Chris, and there was just no answer for him down there."

True enough.

Moore scored a game-high 17 points, which included five dunks, two of which came from alley-oop passes.

West Memphis led 59-38 by the end of the third quarter and then put the mercy rule into effect with 5:02 to play in the fourth quarter when Hubbard broke free for a layup to make it 73-43.

Then Brown yanked his top players in order to keep them healthy for Saturday night's championship game.

"One of our great qualities is we share the ball," Brown commented. "We've been a really good third-quarter team. I just thought our bench played well tonight. I cut the rotation down a little tonight, but those things tend to happen this late in the season when the games get more important."

Senior swingman Zach Byrd, who plays as if the light's stuck on yellow, also scored 12 points for the Blue Devils while Curtis Washington added 11. Other top scorers included C.J. Prackett, shaking off a slow start, with 8 points and junior point guard Cavin Paige with 7 points and 4 assists.

Pine Bluff got 16 points from Kaleb Higgsin while Jyrimee Thompson hit 14 and Kendrick Thorn hit for 11.

West Memphis outrebounded Pine Bluff 29-25 and forced 17 Zebra turnovers.

C.J. Prackett (14) scores two of his 8 points against Pine Bluff.

Pine Bluff had no answer for Chris Moore inside on Tuesday night.

Cavin Paige (30) had 7 points and 4 assists against Zebras.

Zach Byrd (12) was his usual reliable self, hitting 12 points against Pine Bluff.

Blue Devil shoot-around Feb. 20 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The magic number for the West Memphis Blue Devils is five.

As in five wins to be state champions.

Thus far, the Big Blue is 1-0 in the 2017-18 postseason after walloping Searcy last Saturday night at Lehr Arena, 86-58. The next step is tonight at 6 in Lehr Arena against Pine Bluff in the semifinals of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

I can't estimate how much of a factor last year's game against Pine Bluff in the state tournament will play tonight. But there are eight Blue Devils who dressed for that 47-45 ugly loss in overtime to the Zebras in the quarterfinals (which seemed like a first-round game because after West Memphis was given a first-round bye, this was its first game).

I would have to say all eight players (as well as head coach Marcus Brown) will remember that game before they take the floor tonight. But knowing the psyche of this group of kids, they won't treat this game unlike any other this season.

The Blue Devils (25-2) just try to dismantle every opponent. No matter who it is.

Tonight could be a very close game, though.

Not trying to jinx my Blue Devils, but frankly, I don't think there's a team in Class 6A who can beat them. They are rolling at peak proficiency right now. The shooters are shooting the skin off the ball. Who can stop Chris Moore in the low post? Who would dare try to drive the lane with Moore there to pin their shots against the backboards? If Brown unleashes his all-out full-court press, I pity the team.

Also, can anyone remember the opposition trapping West Memphis point guard Cavin Paige? Perhaps it's happened, but if so it's a rare thing, simply because Paige does not pick up his dribble. That's a key attribute for the 5-foot-whatever junior.

Still, the Blue Devils must stay on task, just keeping their eyes peeled to their next opponent only.

Tonight is going to be a very interesting night in the conference tournament where Little Rock Hall, perhaps the wild card in this event, travels to Jonesboro for another semifinal game, in which the winner will play either West Memphis or Pine Bluff in Saturday's championship round.

On the girls side, the Lady Devils (15-13) travel to top-seeded Jonesboro after their 64-53 victory over Jacksonville last Saturday. A few weeks ago, the Lady Devils gave the Lady Hurricane a good game before falling 47-42.

Blue Devils blow past Searcy 86-58

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils began the postseason the same way they played during the regular season. By totally dismantling the opposition.

West Memphis put five players in double figures and netted its fifth mercy-rule victory of the season by crushing Searcy 86-58 Saturday at Lehr Arena in the first round of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

The Blue Devils (25-2) stretched their winning streak to 17 games and will host Pine Bluff Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a semifinal contest.

Heading into the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and playing the 9-20 eighth-seeded Lions, the Blue Devils didn't fool around.

"Sometimes in a game like this you don't respond at the start of the game because you're expected to win big," Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown explained. "But we came out and were really focused. We got the job done."

The Blue Devils wore the nets out.

They made 30 of 52 shots for the game (57 percent), including a 9 of 16 effort from the three-point arc (56.2 percent).

When we're making three-pointers we'reextremely dangerous," said Brown. "Because if we're hitting outside, other teams have no answer for Chris (Moore) inside."

As has been the case often this season, Moore, who filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks, deferred to his hot-shooting teammates. C.J. Prackett, easily the most pleasant surprise of the season, kept rolling by pouring through a game-high 19 points while swingman Zach Byrd, who normally gets the bulk of his points inside the lane, hit a pair of three-pointers on the way to 16 points.

Curtis Washington, another outside ace, had 12 points, including 3 three-pointers and fellow senior Kelsey Hubbard, who is starting to shake the rust of his month-long absence due to injury, compiled 11 points and 4 assists.

But perhaps the most exciting player on the court was West Memphis junior point guard Cavin Paige, who dished out 8 assists against only 3 turnovers.

Playing at a frenetic pace, West Memphis was on pace for nearly 100 points, pouring through 25 points in the first quarter and heading into the half with 46 points.

The hosts put on their fifth mercy-rule of the season when Byrd hit a layup , following a Prackett three-ball, to make it 76-46 with 7:17 to play in the contest.

"Our ball movement was superb today," Brown added. "I was also very pleased with the defense we played."

Searcy suffered 17 turnovers, and it likely would have been more had the clock not been non-stop the final seven-plus minutes.

West Memphis outrebounded Searcy 27-17 and held the Lions to 18 of 48 shooting from the field (.375 percentage).

Blue Devils Chris Moore (left) and Zach Byrd pressure a Searcy ball-handler.

Kelsey Hubbard drives the baseline for a basket against Searcy.

Another 3rd-quarter eruption by Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- No one can explain it, but the third quarter simply belongs to the West Memphis Blue Devils this year.

And nothing they've done in that stanza this season has been explosive as they were at Nettleton Thursday night. The Blue Devils outscored the Raiders 29-9 n the third quarter en route to a 73-49 victory over Nettleton in the final regular-season contest.

"We had more energy and more focus in the third quarter," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "Our defense became our best offense."

In winning their 16th straight, the Blue Devils (24-2 overall, 17-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) trailed for much of the first half due to five first-quarter turnovers and several missed layups.

"I didn't think we played all that bad in the first half," said Brown. "Early turnovers and think we were pressing."

The Blue Devils wanted to avenge their last defeat, which came against Nettleton on Dec. 5 at Lehr Arena.

Nettleton (19-7, 13-5) held a 20-16 lead with 3:02 left in the first half before things started swaying West Memphis' way. The visitors ended the first half on a 9-2 run, but the most notable occurrence was yet to come.

With the Blue Devils clinging to a slim 25-22 lead at halftime, Nettleton head coach Mark McCord struck a nerve with the officiating crew as his team was walking toward the locker room.

McCord got T-d up and two Blue Devil free throws would have to wait until before the start of the third quarter. Then the Blue Devils would get the ball to open the second half.

C.J. Prackett, who led all scorers with 17 points and a near 80-percent free-throw shooter, swished both technical free throws. Then junior point guard Cavin Paige, who missed the first meeting between the two school with a stomach virus, drove the lane for a basket and the Blue Devils just couldn't be stopped from there.

They started the third quarter on a 22-4 run and by the time the smoke cleared West Memphis held a 59-31 lead after three quarters.

Asked if the technical foul was a factor in swaying the game his team's way, Brown said, "Well, before the half, the tide was turning our way a little bit. The technical helped, but I sensed we were on our way anyway."

The Blue Devil dominance showed up in the team outscoring Nettleton 34-9 in the third quarter. After committing the five first-quarter turnovers, the Blue Devils only turned it over three times over the next two stanzas.

The Blue Devils also hit 14 of their 20 field-goal attempts in the third quarter for 70 percent. and they hammered the Raiders on the glass 13-4 in that span.

"We weren't playing our tempo in the first half," said Prackett. "The third quarter is our charm."

Paced by Zach Byrd and Chris Moore, the Blue Devils outrebounded Netleton 45-22 for the game. Byrd and Moore each put up a double-double. Byrd had 14 points and 13 rebounds while Moore had 10 points and 10 boards in only three quarters of work.

Not to be forgotten, senior Curtis Washington, who drilled a pair of three-pointers, added 15 points and Paige had 6 assists against 4 turnovers, three of which came in the first half.

Paige's counterpart at the point, junior Kevin Fulton, had an off night, hitting only 11 points.

Zach Byrd (12) was ferocious on the boards Thursday night.

Chris Moore had a double-double at Nettleton.

Blue Devil shoot-around Feb. 15 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Happy Day-After-Valentine's Day to one and all!

Can we get some love for the Blue Devils tonight as they play their final regular-season game? The West Memphis teams travel to Nettleton tonight to play the Raiders before beginning their postseason odyssey Saturday at Lehr Arena in the 6A-East Conference tournament.

I'm not from the school that this game doesn't matter because it doesn't have postseason implications. If it's on the schedule it needs to be won. And there's no doubt in my mind that boys head coach Marcus Brown and his guys want to win tonight's game.

Way back on Dec. 5 (it seems longer than that) the Raiders came into Lehr Arena and upset the Blue Devils 56-52 for West Memphis' first of two losses this season. Nettleton has a solid club, coached by Mark McCord. But there were a few factors in that game that came into play.

First, the Blue Devils played without junior point guard Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige, who was out with a stomach virus. His absence was felt in a huge way. The Blue Devils turned it over a season-high 23 times and had only 9 team assists. The game before that, Paige dished out 10 assists with zero turnovers.

"It wasn't the fact we didn't have good people backing (Paige) up, but they're just not Big Daddy," Brown said moments after his team's victory Tuesday night at Valley View. "We're looking forward to having Big Daddy this time."

In the loss to Nettleton, the Blue Devils suffered a 2 for 18 shooting effort from the three-point arc. Also, seniors Zachary Byrd and Sidney Stinson fouled out.

With Paige at the controls at Valley View Tuesday night the Blue Devils (23-2 overall, 16-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) turned it over just four times, a season low.

Paige will be matched up tonight with another of the state's finest junior point guards, Nettleton's Kevin Fulton, who scored 21 points and sank two free throws with 5.5 seconds left to play in the win over the Blue Devils on Dec. 5.

In the girls game, the Lady Raiders are considered one of the teams capable of taking home the Class 5A state championship. The Lady Devils (14-12, 10-7) desperately want to get healthy before the conference tournament with nagging injuries to Aryah Hazley and Tierra Bradley being nursed.

Don't forget, the Blue Devil teams will play Saturday in the 6A-East Conference tournament at Lehr Arena. At 4 p.m. the Lady Devils will face Jacksonville and immediately following, the West Memphis boys will play Searcy.

The Lady Devils were given a No. 4 seed in the conference tournament and the Blue Devils were an obvious choice for the No. 1 seed.

Near-perfect Blue Devils drub Valley View

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- The streaking West Memphis Blue Devils could have come into Tuesday night's game against Valley View a little flat and it would have been understandable.

West Memphis probably could have defeated Valley View with its second five. Instead, head coach Marcus Brown's club kept its mental edge and drowned the Blazers right from the start in an eventual 66-38 mercy-rule victory.

Among the highlights, the Blue Devils, winners of their last 15 games, sank 8 of their first 12 shots, three of which came from the bonus arc. But the most telling statistic was in turnovers.

The Blue Devils, who played their reserves all of the fourth quarter, committed only four turnovers on the night, a season low.

"When our guys are focused like that, it's all them," said a jubilant Brown after the game. "We came up here tonight focused right from the start. We had one or two lapses, but for the most part we did what we came to do tonight."

West Memphis (23-2 overall, 16-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) jabbed Valley View in the face out of the gate. On the strength of three three-pointers from Curtis Washington and C.J. Prackett, the visitors bolted to a 15-2 lead less than five minutes into the game.

Valley View's ace in the hole is 6-foot-8 center Reed Graddy, who scored only 7 points. He found the going rough in the low post with West Memphis sophomore Chris Moore defending. Moore swatted two early Graddy shots, pinning one of them against the glass and starting a fastbreak for the Blue Devils

"I'm a perfectionist and I'm hard to please, but I gotta say we handled our business tonight," Brown stated.

West Memphis led 23-8 at the end of the first quarter, hitting 3 of their first 4 three-point attempts. It led 36-18 at halftime.

As most any of their fans can tell you, the Blue Devils are a third-quarter team. It wasn't as dominant Tuesday night, but West Memphis started out the second half on a 12-4 run to get the score to 48-22 four minutes in.

By the end of the third quarter it was 55-27 and, needing only a three-pointer to set the mercy rule in motion, senior Sidney Stinson provided just that hitting a pull-up deep ball just 36 seconds into the fourth quarter to make it 58-27.

The Blue Devils took great care of the ball, going the whole third quarter without a miscue and having only one quarter (the first) with as many as two turnovers.

"I'm so proud of them," said Brown. "It's hard to put into words, but it's scary when they're locked in."

The Blue Devils placed three players in double figures with Prackett leading the way with 14 points while senior Zach Byrd hitting 12 and Stinson scoring 10. Moore hit only 8 points, only because he only played three quarters. But he controlled the lanes, discouraging any penetration by the Valley View guards after watching the 6-foot-6 leaper block two of Graddy's shots.

Washington also finished with 6.

The Blue Devils have sewn up the No. 1 seed for the 6A-East Conference tournament, which begins Saturday at Lehr Arena, likely against either Searcy or Mountain Home.

Game times will be announced in Thursday's paper.

Chris Moore (2) controlled the backboards at Valley View Tuesday night.

Knocking over anything that got in his way, Devils' Zach Byrd (12) scored at will at Valley View.

Sidney Stinson (34) scored 10 points against Blazers.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Feb. 13 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Down the stretch we go!

Tonight the Blue Devils embark on, not a two-game week, but a week with three games in it. West Memphis travels to Jonesboro tonight to take on Valley View, followed by an interesting game on Thursday at Nettleton and then the mystery opponent for Saturday (which could be an afternoon affair at Lehr Arena), which will serve as the first round of the 6A-East Conference tournament.

The first two games this week are the final two of the regular season, and the Blue Devils have been churning along at peak efficiency. At least they were until last Friday night against Wynne, where it took them an entire half to really get going.

But my take on that was the fact that, as every single high school team in the state and possibly the nation, the Blue Devils changed up their starting lineup to pay homage to their seniors on Senior Night. Out of the starting lineup were sophomore star Chris Moore and junior point guard Cavin Paige.

You might be surprised how much it can affect a team when you make the slightest changes to a starting lineup, even if the players who are replacing the regulars are outstanding players themselves. Anyway, I don't see that as being anything but a blip on the radar screen, if it's even that.

Valley View (12-12 overall, 6-10 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) was introduced to the West Memphis press last month in a 66-42 loss at Lehr Arena. Head coach Marcus Brown ordered the full-court pressure in the third quarter and it forced 11 turnovers in a seven-minute span and a whopping 26 turnovers for the entire game.

Brown may put the press on tonight if for no other reason than to speed up Valley View's pace. The Blazers would be wise to try and limit possessions for the offensively charged Blue Devils (22-2, 15-1).

The most interesting event, however, on the horizon is set for Wednesday when the 6A-East coaches all meet in Searcy to decide seeding for the league's tournament. Although this is the second year for the current format, fans are still confused by the method.

Here it is, and I only hope I can express it sufficiently.

Each team will be arbitrarily seeded. The tournament will not be played in one venue. The team with the best seed will host each game. There will be three rounds and will be played on Saturday, the following Tuesday (Feb. 20) and the championship round will be played on Feb. 24.

The West Memphis boys have locked up the No. 1 seed, which means they will play all three rounds at Lehr Arena. In fact, after this Thursday's game at Nettleton, the Blue Devils will not play away from their home court, unless they make it to the state final, which will be played on a neutral court at Hot Springs.

Seeds two and three in the 6A-East boys division should go to Jonesboro (2) and Little Rock Hall (3).

The Lady Devils (14-11, 10-6) should also play a first-round game at home. I think seeds two through four are in play for the West Memphis girls.

But enough of the thinking ahead. The Blue Devils are focused on tonight only.

Hubbard rounding into shape for Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

So far it hasn't been the senior year that Kelsey Hubbard expected.

The 6-foot guard, who started as a junior, came into the year with a nagging ankle injury and it slowed him for the first few games. But then he suffered a high ankle sprain in the Blue Devils' Christmas holiday tournament at Neosho, Mo.

It kept him out until just less than two weeks ago. He missed over a month.

But Hubbard looks like he's rounding into shape as West Memphis heads into the stretch run before the postseason. He scored a team-high 11 points, including a pair of three-pointers on Friday night as the Blue Devils blew past Wynne 66-45 at Lehr Arena.

Hubbard said the time on the injured list really wasn't as stressful as he thought it would be.

"To start off, I was a little down, but Coach (Marcus Brown) told me to keep my confidence and that he was going to ride with me," said Hubbard. "Coach told me to trust the process. I'm just really happy I'm out there playing again."

The Blue Devils (22-2 overall, 15-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) actually had a slow start due to the Senior Night activities before the game. Wynne bolted to a 9-2 early advantage and the first quarter ended in a 12-12 deadlock.

"It's extremely emotional on Senior Night," said Brown. "Everything that happened tonight is expected on Senior Night. I remember my own Senior Night at Murray State. I remember going into the tunnel against Middle Tennessee and my Dad was giving me that nod to get me to relax. I ended up scoring 27 in the second half and ending the game with 39."

As they have done so often this season, the Blue Devils stepped up their game in the third quarter after leading only 29-21 at halftime.

After Wynne's Terry Burgess hit a three-pointer with 46 seconds to play in the third quarter to cut the West Memphis lead to 40-34, the Blue Devils caught fire. Senior Curtis Washington, who along with Sidney Stinson scored 8 points, swished a three-pointer, and C.J. Prackett, who hit 9, stole a ball in the back-court and converted it into a layup at the buzzer.

Then the Blue Devils scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to effectively put Wynne away, leading 55-35.

A little too three-point happy overall for the evening, the Blue Devils hit only 8 of 25 from long range. But after starting out 3 for their first 9 from deep, the Blue Devils connected on 3 of their next 5.

"We were settling instead of working the ball inside," said Brown. "But in fairness, we're a pretty good three-point shooting team. Tonight they just didn't fall as often as they have been."

The Blue Devils had only 7 turnovers through the first three quarters before turning it over 5 times in the fourth quarter when the reserves were in the game. In the 81-53 win over Marion earlier in the week, the Blue Devils had only 6 turnovers through the first three quarters.

West Memphis outrebounded Wynne 32-26.

The Blue Devils also got 7 points from Zachary Byrd and Chris Moore, who deferred to his senior mates on their special night and ended up playing limited minutes.

The Blue Devils travel to Valley View on Tuesday and Nettleton on Thursday before the 6A-East Conference tournament, which will begin on Feb. 17.

Kelsey Hubbard led the Blue Devils with 11 points Friday night.

Cameron Fuqua hits a soft jumper against Wynne.

Senior Night shoot-around Feb. 9 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils will honor seven boys and five girls on Senior Night tonight at Lehr Arena.

The Blue Devils face Wynne tonight and while it would appear the boys will have little trouble against the Yellow Jackets, I'm sure head coach Marcus Brown mainly wants to keep his team rolling at the efficient pace they've displayed the last 14 games.

Although this will be far from the last game the West Memphis teams play at Lehr Arena this season, the seniors will be honored formally tonight. Both Blue Devil teams will play additional games at home in the 6A-East Conference tournament as well as the 6A state tournament Feb. 28-March 3.

Playing their final regular-season home game for the boys will be Cameron Fuqua, Curtis Washington, Nick Brown, Zachary Byrd, C.J. Prackett, Kelsey Hubbard and Sidney Stinson.

All seven of those seniors have contributed significantly to Brown's fortunes this season. Fuqua has provided some valuable minutes as a reserve big man and his left-handed touch around the basket has proven deft. Washington, a two-year starter, is the club's second-leading scorer this season. Brown has been used at point guard for defensive purposes. Byrd has three years worth of varsity experience and has started the past two seasons. He is without a doubt the hardest-working man on the team. Simply relentless.

Prackett has been the biggest surprise of the Blue Devil boys this season. He wasn't even in the playing rotation last year, but Brown has lauded Prackett's work last summer and it has carried over to this season. Prackett is shooting at an 80 percent clip from the free-throw line and he is arguably the team's top three-point threat.

Hubbard's senior season hasn't to this point worked out like he wanted it to because of injuries, but Kelsey was activated over a week ago and he is progressing to his old self. Hubbard will provide an added weapon come postseason time.

Stinson is the coolest Blue Devil, in this writer's opinion. I like to call the way he's playing as "loose." He isn't afraid to make a mistake or take the big shot. Brown has said on more than one occasion this season that when Stinson is "locked in" he brings a whole new dimension to the team with his ability to do everything on the court.

The Lady Devils should have absolutely no trouble with the Lady Jackets tonight. So, Senior Night should definitely be fun.

Head coach Shelia Burns' five seniors include Tasia Woods, Tatyana Burks, Kyla Proctor, Jamecca Smith and Dadrianna Robinson.

Tip time for the girls should be around 6 p.m. See ya there!

Blue Devils overwhelm Marion

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The only thing flashier than the Blue Devils' neon warm-ups and socks was their execution level in Tuesday night's 81-53 victory at Marion.

The No. 1 team in Class 6A came out decked in bright neon and it must have blinded the Patriots. West Memphis (21-2 overall, 14-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) never gave Marion (12-11, 6-9) a chance, bolting to an 8-0 lead just barely two minutes into the game.

And the Blue Devils had a legitimate shot at hitting 100 points on the night. They kept pace by scoring 25 points in the first quarter, 57 by halftime and 78 at the end of the third quarter. But the mercy rule and substitutions kept the Marion scoreboard from blowing up.

"We were running on all cylinders," said West Memphis first-year head coach Marcus Brown. "That was beautiful to watch."

Brown said the idea came from him to wear custom-made neon warm-up T-shirts and socks to match.

"I'm just a different kind of guy," Brown said with a smile. "I've always kind of gone against the grain. When everybody's going one way, I'm going another."

The pace of the game, which was partly dictated by Marion's deference to defense, allowed the Blue Devils to put up 18 shots in the first quarter alone and 34 for the first half. West Memphis hit on 20 of those shots in the first two quarters and it got five three-pointers, three by Curtis Washington, who had 15 points, and two by C.J. Prackett, who led all scorers with 16 points.

"C.J. is playing extremely well right now, there's no around it," Brown said of Prackett. "The kids were just dialed in tonight."

The Blue Devils dominated every facet of the game, including on the boards where they outrebounded Marion 37-22 with sophomore Chris Moore leading the way with 13 caroms. Defensively, the Blue Devil press threw Marion off its game. It wasn't just in turnovers, where Marion had 15 on the night, but it made the Patriots earn every one of their points.

And in the halfcourt, the Blue Devils defended fiercely, limiting the open shots for Marion's top scorer, Detric Reeves, who led Marion in scoring, but only with 15 points. In the first meeting between the two teams Reeves scored a game-high 29 points.

"We just let (Reeves) get too dog-gone comfortable last time," Brown admitted. "Tonight, we just played hard. No disrespect to anybody but we just wanted to play him hard tonight."

West Memphis clicked so efficiently that the first-teamers committed only six turnovers through the first three quarters before Brown emptied the bench for the mercy-rule fourth quarter.

The Blue Devils placed four in double figures with swingman Zachary Byrd finishing with 11 points while Kelsey Hubbard added 9.

Mikiya Boyce added 8 points for Marion, which shot just 31.2 percent for the game on 15 of 48 from the field.

The Blue Devils return home Friday night for the final regular-season game at Lehr Arena, for the annual Senior Night festivities against Wynne.

Neon is nice for the Blue Devils.

Blue Devil shoot-around Feb. 6 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils are streaking toward the finish line.

Hard to believe, but there are only four more games left in the regular season, counting tonight's clash at Marion. If the Blue Gang can avoid any pitfalls the rest of the way against Marion, Wynne (in the home finale and Senior Night), Valley View and Nettleton, they will without a doubt secure the No. 1 seed heading into the 6A-East Conference Tournament.

But tonight's affair won't be easy.

The West Memphis boys threatened all night to run away from the Patriots Jan. 9 at Lehr Arena before settling for a 74-62 victory. My first glimpse of Marion sophomore Detric Reeves was indeed memorable. The 6-foot-4 guard scored a game-high 29 points against the Blue Devils, but it seemed more like 39.

If Reeves can indeed check off all the boxes that go with a successful basketball career beyond high school this kid could be the real deal. He can shoot it deep (well behind the three-point circle). He can shoot from mid-range. He can shoot off the dribble.

Reeves has the size for a Division 1 shooting guard at 6-4 and it looks like he has the handles as well.

I don't think Reeves, who has eclipsed the 40-point mark a couple time already this season, can beat West Memphis by himself. But the Blue Devils still can't allow him to go wild. His back-court running mate, senior Martinez Harper, has had some good games against the Blue Devils and when both he and Reeves get going it could spell trouble for WMHS.

The Blue Devils have won 14 of the last 19 games between the two teams, including the last five in a row. The two clubs played before a packed Lehr Arena crowd last month and, of course, the same is expected tonight at Marion.

Head coach Marcus Brown's team has won its last 12 games and momentum is gained each time the team plays. With the addition of senior guard Kelsey Hubbard from the injured list, the club has an additional weapon as it heads toward the postseason.

On the girls ledger, Lady Devils coach Shelia Burns' squad won the earlier meeting against Marion this season and it appears they too are rounding into shape for the postseason.

The Lady Devils have an opportunity to secure a pretty high seed for the conference tournament, and wouldn't it be sweet if both WMHS teams could play at home in the first-round game on Feb. 17?

There will be no junior varsity game of any kind tonight, thus tip time for the girls game is 6 p.m. sharp. See you there!

Blue Devil bench shines in victory

By Billy Woods

WM School District

For those who may have thought there might have been a letdown by the West Memphis Blue Devils after their epic victory last Tuesday night at Jonesboro, well, you're wrong.

With the Blue Devil core players sitting most of the game, it was their bench that provided the sock in the team's 73-48 victory Friday night at Lehr Arena over Greene County Tech.

The West Memphis reserves scored 38 points, including 27 in the second half. In all, 11 players scored for the Blue Devils, which is important in keeping the troops happy.

"One of the main goals tonight was to get Chris (Moore) (Zachary) Byrd, Curtis (Washington) and the others who play a lot of minutes some rest tonight," said West Memphis head coach Marcus Brown. "The bench came out and did the things they were supposed to do. I wanted them to get tired and build up their legs. We did well, and we accomplished the goal."

Perhaps the best part of the victory was senior Kelsey Hubbard getting a lot of minutes. Hubbard, a starter all last season, missed a month's worth of action due to a high ankle sprain before he returned to the court in last Tuesday's 68-60 Blue Devil victory at Jonesboro. In that game, he played sparingly but he made his mark by hitting a deep three-pointer at the end of the first quarter to give his mates a one-point lead after the first eight minutes.

Against Tech, Brown said he wanted to stretch Hubbard quite a bit more.

"I kind of threw him into the fire at Jonesboro, but he's more than capable of handling that," Brown said of Hubbard. "He's not in top game shape yet, but he'll get there and tonight it was a great opportunity to just let him go."

Hubbard scored 9 points.

West Memphis (20-2 overall, 13-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) had no trouble disposing a Greene County Tech team that took an 81-59 loss to the Blue Devils on their home court in January. The hosts led 18-8 at the end of the first quarter and from there Brown began mixing his starters with his top reserves.

In the second quarter, Brown went mostly with his bench, including Cam Fuqua, who hit a 10-foot jumper the first time he touched the ball.

"Cam didn't play the last two games, but here at West Memphis playing time is earned," Brown stated. "If you're going to play with a sad face, things are not going to work out for you. You have to give everything because it's team first."

The Blue Devils led 40-26 at intermission, and after spending less than a minute-and-a-half in the locker room at halftime, it was an all-reserve second half after the first two minutes. Senior C.J. Prackett, who scored a game-high 23 points which included 7 three-pointers in the game at Greene County Tech, hit two straight in less than 20 seconds in the third quarter, which gave him 11 treys in two games against the Eagles, and it gave the Blue Devils a 49-28 edge.

Prackett also led the West Memphis scoring with 11 points while Washington hit 10 and Sidney Stinson scored 9. Sophomore Moore, the Blue Devils' top scorer on the season, played limited minutes and scored 7 points.

Payton Guiot of Greene County Tech led all scorers with 19 points while teammate Kayne Wilson hit for 13.

The Blue Devils will play at Marion on Tuesday night.

Chris Moore powers his way to the basket against Greene County Tech.

Curtis Washington (4) scored 10 against Tech.

Blue Devil shoot-around Feb. 2 edition

By Billy Woods

The aftermath of Tuesday night's epic victory over Jonesboro has all you Blue Devil fans giddy and thinking of the postseason. And rightly so. In that sense, let's get down to it.

First off, the Blue Devils (20-2 overall, 12-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) have a home game tonight against Greene County Tech. They mauled the Eagles 81-59 last month in Paragould behind a career-high 23 points from senior guard C.J. Prackett, who hit seven of the team's season-high 12 three-pointers.

The Blue Devils can't come in tonight still in the glow of the 68-60 win at Jonesboro, mainly because if they keep taking care of business on the court they should secure the No. 1 seed in the 6A-East Conference tournament at the end of the regular season. Which would give them home-court advantage all the way through.

No doubt you fans have been thinking ahead, and no doubt the possibility of head coach Marcus Brown's team facing Jonesboro four times this season has crept into the front of your mind.

But if WMHS continues to win the games it's supposed to win the Blue Devils won't have to face the Hurricane at Don Riggs Hurricane Gym anymore this season. At worst, they would play Jonesboro at home in the finals of the conference tournament and/or on a neutral court (in Hot Springs) for the state title game.

Interestingly, I was surprised with a few conversations I had with friends in Jonesboro, who were at Tuesday night's game. Everyone, to a man, expected the Blue Devils to come into Hurricane Gym and defeat head coach Wes Swift's club.

The Blue Devils did not disappoint, despite a sub-par half. They turned it over 6 of their first 7 trips down the floor, and they racked up 17 first-half turnovers. It could have arguably been the worst half of basketball the team has played this season or, at best, a long time. Still, they trailed by just four points (26-22) at halftime.

It's already been chronicled this season how dominating the Blue Devils have played in the third quarter, and they flipped the score on Jonesboro to lead 39-36 after three quarters. In all, the Blue Devils scored 46 second-half points, maintaining their attack-mode down to the final few minutes instead of playing passive, trying to merely hold onto the lead.

Credit goes to Brown in that vein.

The most beautifully executed play of the night, in my opinion happened in the second half. With Sidney Stinson working the point in a half-court set, Brown stationed regular starting point guard Cavin Paige off the ball and at the high post on the weakside. With Zachary Byrd on the low post and the ball on the right wing, Paige flashed to the free-throw line, received the pass and in one quick motion threw a beautiful no-look bounce pass to Byrd, who was being fronted. It resulted in an easy basket.

So well done.

I'm sure most of you noticed that when star sophomore Chris Moore left the game after he picked up his fourth foul with 3:55 to play that Brown never bothered to put him back in. Brown elected to go small with his lineup the last four minutes and it turned out great.

Another point that needs addressing: West Memphis fans came out in large numbers to Jonesboro Tuesday night...and they were LOUD! In fact, a few times they drowned out the cheers for the home team. You folks need to keep coming to the games and cheering on your team.

Finally, the West Memphis boys' win at Jonesboro was historic. The Hurricane hadn't lost a home game in over three years, piling up 69 straight wins in a row on Barry Pruitt Court.

Five games remain in the regular season, and of course, the Blue Devils need to keep the edge they've been playing with the last several weeks. They still must play at Marion and travel to Nettleton, which put the only conference loss on West Memphis this season.

Blue Devils snap JHS home streak

By Billy Woods

WM School District

JONESBORO --- The West Memphis Blue Devils stopped one winning streak and got another one going here Tuesday night at Don Riggs Hurricane Gym.

Behind a beautifully executed second half and an uncharacteristic 40 free-throw attempts on the road, the Blue Devils quieted a near-capacity, raucous crowd with a 68-60 victory. The win snapped Jonesboro's home winning streak at 69 games.

And it started an actual winning streak against Jonesboro at two games.

"I think the first win (on Jan. 2 at Lehr Arena) we got the mental block out of our minds," said Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown. "I am really proud of the kids and the way they played."

It had been over three years since the Hurricane (16-4 overall, 10-3 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) lost a game at home. The Blue Devils defeated Jonesboro 64-49 on Jan. 4 at Lehr Arena, marking their first win over the Hurricane since the 2010 state tournament.

The Blue Devils (19-2, 12-1) had to overcome a very ugly first half in which they turned it over on six of their first seven trips down the floor and 17 overall turnovers in the first half. Still, the visitors were down just 26-22 at halftime.

"I told the guys at half, we didn't execute one thing we drew up in the first half and we were only down four points," said Brown. "I just told them to stay together and chip away at this lead a little at a time."

The Blue Devils pared the turnover rate down to 7 in the second half and because of that the team hit on 12 of 18 shots from the floor (.666 percentage).

WMHS welcomed back senior Kelsey Hubbard on Tuesday night. The senior guard had missed a month of action because of a high ankle sprain he suffered at the Neosho (Mo.) Classic back in December. Coming off the bench late in the first quarter, Hubbard punctuated his return by swishing a deep three-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Blue Devils a 10-9 lead.

"I knew Kelsey could only play in small stretches tonight because he's not back in shape yet, but he gave it all he had and he played well," Brown said.

Down the stretch, Jonesboro senior guard Desi Sills did all he could to keep his team in it as the Blue Devil offense was pouring in 46 second-half points. Sills, a Razorback signee, led all scorers with 30 points, 19 of which came in the final two quarters.

But for every Sills basket, the Blue Devils had an answer.

After Jonesboro's Blayton Williams tied the game 49-49 with 3:29 to play in the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils got a three-ball from senior C.J. Prackett, who scored 10 points, and then senior Sidney Stinson, who also scored 10, stole a ball in the back court and converted a three-point play to put the Blue Devils back on track.

"We defended all night," Brown stated. "That was one thing we did the entire game, and we wouldn't have won without it."

Sophomore Chris Moore, who led the Blue Devils with 16 points and 6 rebounds, scored 9 second-half points, but left the game with 3:55 to play in the fourth quarter after he picked up his fourth foul.

Brown never sent him back in, but it didn't matter as the Blue Devils hit enough free throws (24 of 40 for the game) to keep the Hurricane off their backs.

West Memphis outrebounded Jonesboro 25-21 and held the hosts to 8 of 29 shooting in the second half.

The Blue Devils placed five in double figures with senior Zachary Byrd hitting 13 points to go along with 6 rebounds, while senior guard Curtis Washington added 12 points.

Doing a lot of the heavy second-half lifting was junior point guard Cavin Paige, who only scored 3 points, but he dished for a game-high 5 assists against just 2 turnovers.

Jonesboro was a one-man show on offense and Sills just wasn't going to beat West Memphis by himself. His running mate at guard, senior Tony Hutson, scored 10 points, but he had only one field goal the entire game.

The Blue Devils will play at home Friday night against Greene County Tech.

Cavin Paige slides past two Jonesboro defenders.

Devils' C.J. Prackett battles Jonesboro's Desi Sills for a loose ball.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 30 edition

By Billy Woods

WM School District

I'm not a betting man, just to be clear. However, if I were I'd say Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift will have his guys extra pumped and that Hurricane Gym will be rocking tonight as the Blue Devils visit for a game between the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in Arkansas.

The second-ranked Blue Devils (18-2 overall, 11-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) walloped Jonesboro earlier this month (64-49) at Lehr Arena for West Memphis' first win over Jonesboro since the 2010 state tournament. Rumor is that at the Hurricane practice the very next day, Swift did not bother rolling out the ball rack. Instead, his players had a track and field workout, mostly involving the lines on the court.

So, don't expect the Blue Devils to manhandle the Hurricane again tonight on their home floor. However, it should be a tight game and it could go either way.

One of the keys for West Memphis will be stopping the dribble penetration of Jonesboro guards Desi Sills, a Razorback signee, and senior Tony Hutson. Blue Devil guards have gotten beat off the dribble enough times this season to frustrate head coach Marcus Brown.

Another key for the visitors will be making enough deep shots to keep the Hurricane from collapsing on West Memphis sophomore big man Chris Moore. Swift is a huge admirer of Moore, and no doubt will have a plan or two for the Blue Devil star.

Now on to another subject that could factor into tonight's contest: The Blue Devils have played the last month without senior Kelsey Hubbard, a starter on last year's team and one of the best outside shooters on the team.

Hubbard's senior year has been marred with injury. He battled an injury to start the year and once he got going he was met with another. Hubbard badly sprained his ankle during the team's jaunt to Neosho, Mo., over the post-Christmas holiday. He hasn't played since the team's second game in that Classic.

However, there is a chance he could play tonight at Jonesboro. Brown left open the possibility in the moments following last Friday night's Blue Devil win over Blytheville.

"I said maybe tonight (last Friday night), but it was so chippy out there, and I went with my gut to hold him out," said Brown. "Maybe a little bit at Jonesboro. I don't know, though. It's day to day. We'll see how practice goes (last) Sunday and Monday. It's just going to be a matter of how his ankle responds. I always want to put my kids in the best position possible to succeed."

A totally synched-up Hubbard would be a big additional weapon for West Memphis. His role has been taken by fellow senior C.J. Prackett, who probably wouldn't have been on anyone's list to make the Blue Devil starting lineup before the season.

But Prackett has been a huge help this season with his perimeter skills and even his ball-handling. But with Prackett, Hubbard and senior starter Curtis Washington (and even senior Sidney Stinson on occasion) the Blue Devils would have plenty three-point threats.

But Hubbard is going to need to play enough to get his timing and rhythm back before state tournament time. Here's hoping one of the good guys on the Blue Devil team gets it going, and hopefully that starts tonight.

And let's not forget about the girls contest tonight, which I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the Lady Devils could give league-leading Jonesboro all it wants. Sophomore Aryah Hazley has been close to unstoppable all season and it looks like senior Tatyana Burks, junior Kenya Freeman and the emergence of sophomore Jamee Gholson are rounding into shape.

The girls game should tip off sometime just after 6 tonight. See you there!

Third-quarter strikes again for Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

There's just something about the third quarter for the West Memphis Blue Devils this season.

They turn from a good team to a bunch of ravenous, ball-hawking wolves. Forcing turnovers, turning up the defensive heat and then turning those turnovers into transition points.

It happened again Friday night at Lehr Arena as the Blue Devils outscored Blytheville 17-4 on their way to a 59-42 victory.

"My kids are different from my mentality," Blue Devil head coach Marcus Brown said. "My mentality is 150 miles per hour for an entire game. There's is like, 'Hey coach, we got this.' And then they just turn it up in the third quarter. It's not like we're doing it on purpose. We want to play with the same results all four quarters. But I'll have to say the third quarter has been very good to us this year."

No. 2-ranked West Memphis (18-2 overall, 11-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) led wire to wire against Blytheville, but couldn't put enough distance between themselves and the Chicks. The Blue Devils led 28-21 at halftime, but mostly because of eight first-half turnovers, the West Memphis boys were less than their best.

Then the quarter happened, and it all blew up.

Senior guard Curtis Washington started the avalanche with a three-pointer only 20 seconds into the third quarter and then senior Zachary Byrd, who nearly fouled out but who also scored 11 points, converted a three-point play.

By the time the smoke cleared, the Blue Devils ended the third quarter on a 10-0 flurry and they led the Chicks (11-9, 7-9) 45-25.

"When we're locked in, we're a different team," said Brown.

Sophomore Chris Moore hasn't gotten as many touches on offense as he did early in the season, but against Blytheville the Blue Devils found him on the low post and the 70-plus percent shooter delivered. Moore led West Memphis in scoring with 19 points, but he also dominated the paint area with 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots.

"We've been talking to Chris as far back as July about teams doubling and tripling him on defense," said Brown. "The biggest thing tonight was we weren't hitting our flashers on offense. But we did get the ball more to Chris tonight."

The Blue Devils were able to drown out Blytheville's leading scorer, senior guard Tony Newmy, who scored 27 points in the two teams' meeting back on December 19 in which the Blue Devils came away with a hard-fought 76-71 win.

On Friday night, Newmy was held to just 4 points.

"I wouldn't say we made a conscious effort to stop Newmy, but generally I like to take away the main ingredient for the other team," said Brown. "He didn't get very many good looks tonight, and I thought overall as a team we played very good defense. Held Blytheville to 52 points, down from 71 (last month)."

The game was a bit of a grind for West Memphis through the first half. The two teams fought to a 14-14 deadlock after one quarter before the hosts pulled ahead for that seven-point halftime lead.

Although the Blue Devils shot a solid percentage in the first half (12 for 23 from the field), the hosts ended the first two quarters with eight turnovers and finished with 21, well above their season average.

But West Memphis forced 16 turnovers on the night, which marks the fifth straight game in which the Blue Devils have created at least 16 turnovers.

"Blytheville played us tough," Brown stated. "But everybody is going to do that against West Memphis."

And on that note, on Tuesday night the Blue Devils travel to Jonesboro in a crucial league matchup. The Blue Devils defeated Jonesboro for the first time since 2010 with a 64-49 victory earlier this month at Lehr Arena.

Sidney Stinson added 9 points off the bench for the Blue Devils against Blytheville while Washington and fellow senior C.J. Prackett each scored 7.

Blytheville got 11 points from Treay Jamison and 9 from Michael Caruthers.

Zachary Byrd (12) fights inside against Blytheville.

Chris Moore (2) had 19 points and 11 rebounds on Chicks.

Curtis Washington drives baseline in Friday's game.

Blue Devil shoot-around: Jan. 26 edition

by Billy Woods

WM School District

Back on December 19, the Blue Devils held a 17-point lead in the second half at Blytheville. I just knew it was over.

Nope.

Behind a carnival-like shooting effort from a couple of Chicks, namely senior Tony Newmy, Blytheville clawed its way back into it, getting to within one possession. Newmy, whose father Tony Sr., was a football standout for the Chicks in the 1990s, hit a shot just inside the half-court line at the third-quarter buzzer. He then hit two more threes that were at least six feet behind the arc.

Newmy is the biggest potential factor heading into tonight's Blue Devil clash with Blytheville at Lehr Arena.

I honestly feel, however, that tonight Newmy will have a much tougher go against the Blue Devils. First off, head coach Marcus Brown's defense, which was pretty solid in the first half of the season, is trending way upward.

Brown's full-court press can best be described as a pack of ravenous wolves in search of prey. Lately, the first-year Blue Devil boss has waited until the third quarter to employ the full-court pressure. When Brown has called on it, it has devoured the opposition.

The last four games the Blue Devils have forced 25, 26, 16 and 16 turnovers. On Tuesday night at Forrest City and last Saturday against Valley View, both teams had a hard time crossing half-court.

No doubt we'll see that tonight from the Blue Devils.

Also in the works is a half-court trap that Brown debuted at Forrest City. That defensive wrinkle was shown only briefly, perhaps just to give the coach a glimpse of how it looks live.

Blytheville (11-8 overall, 7-4 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) is enigmatic. The Chicks have played the Blue Devils very tough before losing and they lost by one point go Nettleton. But they have come out lackadaisical in a few games this year, too, namely in a five-point win over Forrest City and in a 71-37 loss at Jonesboro a couple weeks ago.

Second-year head coach McKenzie Pierce has a state championship on his resume, and his volunteer assistant, Bill Tyer, is one of the great coaching minds in Arkansas. Tyer was once highly considered to succeed Marvin Adams as the Arkansas State University head coach in the 1980s before local favorite Nelson Catalina got the job.

Blytheville, by the way, is ranked No. 28 overall in Arkansas by Max Preps, if that indeed means anything at all.

See you tonight at the game! Go Blue Devils!

Blue Devils by the numbers

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Welcome Blue Devil Nation to our new website where we'll give you more comprehensive, more detailed and quicker coverage than you've been used to getting just through the newspaper.

Your boys basketball team has won eight consecutive games, it's ranked No. 2 in Tim Cooper's overall state poll in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and it is hosting the Class 6A state tournament. The success of the team has all of us thinking of March already.

I've been intrigued by the way head coach Marcus Brown's team works its way toward victories this season. We have a young superstar, as most of you already know, in sophomore forward Chris Moore, but he has plenty of talent surrounding him.

Opposing coaches have been game-planning around Chris in the last several games. He's drawn double- and triple-teams, leaving his teammates open to work their magic. And that's just what has happened.

Perhaps the most consistent performer on the team is senior guard Curtis Washington, who is the team's second-leading scorer behind Moore's 14.9 points, at 10.8 per game. Washington is the team's top three-point shooter, having knocked down 37 percent from long distance.

Senior C.J. Prackett is without a doubt the most pleasant surprise of the season. He is the team's top free-thrower at 82.6 percent, is shooting 32.8 percent from three-point range and he is averaging 7.1 points per game.

Zachary Byrd and Sidney Stinson, both seniors, have been solid. Byrd, along with Moore, is averaging 7 rebounds per game to lead the team and Stinson is averaging 6.8 points in only 17 minutes per game.

But folks, the guy who makes this team go is junior point guard Cavin "Big Daddy" Paige. If you'll notice when Paige leaves the floor the pace of the game is slower, the team's turnover rate rises and the score changes.

When Paige is in the game, simply put, the Blue Devil machine just runs smoother.

Only two players on the team have a plus assist-to-turnover ratio, and the leader, by far, is Paige. The 5-foot-7 floor leader has 63 assists on the season to 41 turnovers for an average of 3.5 assists to 2.3 turnovers.

For an historical comparison take Stanley Andrews in 1979-80 set the school record for number of assists with 119. That year Stanley turned it over 86 times. Andrews played in 30 games that year. Paige's figure is only through 19 games, which gives him a shot at Andrews' mark.

Only problem is Andrews' school record was broken in 2005 by who is considered the best point guard in school history, Mark Mangum. Unfortunately, I don't have Mangum's assist total readily available.

The point is, Paige is being mentioned in some pretty good company. And, he's only a junior.

He'll be fun to keep an eye on the rest of the way.

Tune in tomorrow for what will be a regular feature on this website. It'll be called Blue Devil shoot-around and it will be posted on the morning of game days. It'll include a preview of that night's game and some thoughts of mine heading in.

Blue Devils outclass Forrest City

By Billy Woods

WM School District

FORREST CITY --- The Blue Devil defense has emerged as a serious weapon as the team heads to the stretch run of the regular season.

Head coach Marcus Brown once again called on his team's full-court press in the third quarter here Tuesday night, and it sent Forrest City into a panic. The Blue Devils forced 12 turnovers in just the third quarter alone, and 24 for the game, in the team's 69-44 victory over the Mustangs.

Brown said he wasn't fully pleased with the energy his team displayed in the first half, and at halftime knew one way to get his players on the move.

"In the first half, the kids really didn't respond well," said Brown. "For whatever reason we were just so nonchalant. Some of that is my fault. But in the second half I decided we were going to get up on people, instead of just laying back. We did that, and I think it got us into transition on offense."

The No. 2-ranked Blue Devils (17-2 overall, 10-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) led just 32-24 at halftime to a team they mercy-ruled in West Memphis in December. But it didn't take long for them to dispatch the Mustangs in the second half.

West Memphis scored eight of the first 10 points of the third quarter to increase its lead to 38-26, but that's when the clamps came down on defense.

Junior point guard Cavin Paige, who scored 13 points, stole three balls in the back-court and he scored nine straight points with the final basket coming on a three-point play to make it 54-31.

"For this season the third quarter seems to be the key quarter for us," said Brown. "But part of that is due to me and what I like to do in the first half."

West Memphis ended the third quarter by scoring the final 14 points and outscoring the Mustangs (5-13, 2-9) 26-9.

With Paige driving the ship, the Blue Devils once again shared the ball and got everyone involved in the offense. Four players scored in double figures, led by senior swingman Zachary Byrd with 14 points. Paige was joined with 13 points by senior guard C.J. Prackett while sophomore Chris Moore tallied 10 points.

Moore and Byrd each had 7 boards to lead the rebounding.

After a dismal shooting effort in the first half (11 of 28), the Blue Devils were more judicious in their shot selection in the second half and sank 12 of 21 shots from the floor. The Blue Devils also outrebounded Forrest City 30-23.

West Memphis' 22 turnovers, way above its season average, was a source of consternation from Brown.

"Too many for my liking," he said.

But the game was won with defense, as the Blue Devils held the Ponies to a 13 of 43 shooting effort (.302 percentage) for the contest.

Normally a more sharp shooter, Forrest City's Randal Moore found the going rough against West Memphis' man-to-man in the halfcourt. Moore led the Mustangs with 10 points while Deviunta Foster and Deveyon Williams each scored 8.

The Blue Devils return home Friday to face Blytheville.

Devil D harasses Valley View

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Marcus Brown hasn't stretched his team's defense the full 94 feet that much this season, but in the last two weeks he's used it to overwhelm two Class 5A teams.

Last Saturday at Lehr Arena, Brown put on the full-court press and his guys darted from sideline to sideline and baseline to baseline to force 11 Valley View turnovers in less than seven minutes on the way to a 66-42 Blue Devil win over the Blazers.

The game was made up from last Tuesday's postponement due to snow and ice.

On Friday, the Blue Devils (16-2 overall, 9-1 in the 6A/5A-3 Conference) mercy-ruled Paragould 50-23 with another strong defensive effort, albeit from half-court proportions.

For the most part, Brown, in his first year at the helm, remains mum on his team's new defensive weapon, perhaps to use it as a surprise late-season option against top competition.

"Let's just say we don't like the (opposition) to get comfortable on offense," said Brown. "The kids like to get up and down the floor and we like to get other teams out of their comfort zone."

The press was only used for seven minutes of the second quarter and it produced the aforementioned 12 turnovers, but the Blue Devils were just as effective in their half-court schemes. They forced 26 Valley View turnovers and they were responsible to forcing the normally slow-paced Blazers to play at a tempo they were unfamiliar with.

After building a 16-6 lead one quarter into it, the ball-hawking Blue Devils stretched the cushion to 33-9 just five minutes into the second quarter. West Memphis led 38-17 at halftime.

"Our second quarter was very solid all the way around," Brown stated. "We hit a lull in the third quarter, I think, because we had just played a full game less than 12 hours earlier."

Indeed the Blue Devils were sluggish in the third quarter, allowing the Blazers to make it a single-digit game (46-37) heading into the final eight minutes.

But the hosts summoned up enough energy in the final quarter to once again put the brakes on Valley View's offense, which is derived from an inside-out approach with 6-foot-8 center Reed Graddy, who led all scorers with 17 points, hitting from around the rim and also kicking it out for his three-point shooters, who canned four treys in the third quarter alone during the surge.

"Kids aren't used to back-to-back games, but we'll have to do that when we get to the state tournament," Brown added. "Valley View had to play back-to-back, too. Today, we just had to play our way through the fatigue."

The Blue Devils increased their lead back over 20 points in the fourth quarter thanks to 8 of 14 shooting from the field. They held Valley View scoreless the final 3:38 of the game.

Sophomore Chris Moore was one of five Blue Devils in double figures with 14 points. The 6-foot-6 post player also had 10 rebounds before exiting the game when he hurt his knee going up for a dunk in the fourth quarter.

Blue Devil coaches said the injury wasn't serious and that Moore would be a go for tonight's game at Forrest City.

Curtis Washington added 12 points for West Memphis while Zachary Byrd and Cavin Paige had 11 apiece. Sidney Stinson pumped in 10 points. Paige also added 5 assists and only 2 turnovers.

On Friday night, the Blue Devils held Paragould to only three field goals through three quarters.

C.J. Prackett led West Memphis with 12 points while Washington scored 10.

Blue Devil Corliss Brewer dishes a pass against Jonesboro.

Blue Devil Shoot-Around: Jan. 18 edition

Good morning Blue Devil fans! Your team returns home to Lehr Arena tonight after scoring one of its more impressive victories of the season on Tuesday night at Jonesboro.

West Memphis faces Paragould (6-9 overall, 0-4 in the 5A-East Conference) tonight with the girls game getting underway at 6 p.m. There will be no junior varsity game.

With the Blue Devils' 54-46 victory at Jonesboro in the rear-view mirror, let's take a look at a possible scenario had they not come away with the win.

Head coach Marcus Brown's team (14-5, 2-2) would have been 1-3 in league play with a loss at Jonesboro. With that said, not only would the Blue Devils be playing the rest of the season from behind, it may have gone a long way toward setting the tone in a negative way.

Unlike the previous two years, conference play this season is comprised of 14 games instead of 18. Also unlike the previous two years, only the top four finishers in league play advance to the state tournament. Before, it was the top 6.

Class 5A consists of 32 teams this year, whereas the Blue Devils have played in a 16-team classification since 2006.

So, the Jonesboro win was huge in that sense.

The win now gives the team a much-needed boost of confidence with the likes of Paragould, Greene County Tech and Mountain Home on the horizon to finish out the first half of the conference schedule. Those are teams the Blue Devils have had no trouble beating in the past, but Mountain Home had league-leading Marion beat on Tuesday night before the Pats pulled out a rather miraculous victory.

Plus, Jonesboro didn't exactly punish either Paragould, Mountain Home or Greene County Tech, beating Tech 62-50, Mountain Home 56-42 and Paragould 72-51.

And all you fans who are wondering about the status of one Chris Moore: He will be in the starting lineup tonight against Paragould.

Moore, the Blue Devils' meal ticket, crashed to the floor at Jonesboro, banging his head in the process of drawing a charge with 55.7 seconds left in the third quarter. He was escorted to the locker room and did not play the rest of the evening.

Little known fact: In the last two Blue Devil games at Jonesboro, Moore has played approximately three minutes in the fourth quarters...and West Memphis has won both of those games. Last year, Brown held out Moore midway through the fourth quarter of a 68-60 win simply as a coach's decision as the 6-foot-6 star had four fouls.

Do not expect that to ever happen again, however.

On the girls ledger, Lady Devils head coach Sonja Tate entertains a Paragould team that stands 13-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play, and one that is ranked No. 7 in the state by MaxPreps.

Although Paragould fell 56-38 to league-leading Nettleton on Tuesday, head coach Jay Cook's Lady Rams already own a 58-46 victory over Jonesboro this season. The Lady Devils stand at 8-6 overall and 1-3 in the 5A-East.

Chris Moore was the man for West Memphis with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocks in win over El Dorado.

Chris Moore's 32 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocks led the Blue Devils over El Dorado.

Blue Devil set to open season Thursday night at LR Mills