Swiney returns to Lonoke as Lady Jackrabbits basketball coach

New Lonoke girls coach Heath Swiney, right, congratulates Lonoke's Haven Hunter during a boys' game during the 2014-15 season. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — Lonoke's new Lady Jackrabbits basketball coach is familiar one to the program.

Former Junior Jackrabbits coach and current Newport boys basketball coach Heath Swiney was hired to replace Nathan Morris during Monday night's Lonoke School Board meeting. Swiney was the Lonoke junior boys coach for five years before spending one season at Newport. Morris was hired as the superintendent of the Two Rivers School District. 

"This is a great opportunity," Swiney said during an interview Tuesday night. "The tradition has been there in both girls and basketball. You don't get an opportunity to get a job like that every day.

"I can go back to Coach [Mark] Hobson, Coach [Daryl] Fimple and Coach Morris."

Swiney coached four years at Bradford before coming to Lonoke for the 2010-11 school year.

This is Swiney's first girls head-coaching job. He does have experience as an assistant for both boys and girls at Bradford during his first season. He also was an assistant coach Lady Jackrabbits softball team.

"I have coached girls basketball," Swiney said. 

Swiney said there will be some things he wants to do different from the previous coach. 

"Every coach does things differently," he said. "Coach Morris has done a great job of getting kids to work. It doesn't matter what kind of offense or defense we run, if the kids don't work, nothing else is going to pan out for you. The kids here are already used to working. I just want to get over there and continue that."

Swiney said Morris had already set up June activities for the team. 

"I'm working on July's schedule," he said. "I want to meet with the kids and talk to them to see what they've got planned. I don't want to play something for a week if I've got 15 kids that are going to be gone that week."

Swiney said he planned to meet the players today. However, unlike most new coaches, he knows most of the players through basketball or having taught them physical education at the middle school. 

"It's basically getting reacquainted with them and see what is going to go on," he said. "With the relationship, I think it's easier to get things going with the girls and Coach [Angela Watson]."

Watson is the girls assistant coach and Junior Lady Jackrabbits head coach. 

"Even though I wasn't on the girls staff, we were both junior high coaches," Swiney said. "We worked together a lot."

Swiney and his wife Courtney, who previous taught at Lonoke Middle School, have two children. Sophie will be in the third grade next year; Anna will be in the first grade. 

Lonoke's Martin hits for cycle as Jackrabbits win third-place game

Lonoke's Casey Martin, batting against Gosnell, hit for the cycle in the Jackrabbits' win over Jonesboro Westside in the third-place game of the regional tournament Saturday. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits rallied from a 7-3 deficit to beat Jonesboro Westside 11-9 in the third-place game of the Class 4A East Region Tournament on Saturday at the Lonoke Ball Park.

With the win, Lonoke will play Hamburg, the third seed from the South region in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament Thursday at 10 a.m. 

If Lonoke beats Hamburg on Thursday, it will play Shiloh Christian in the second round Friday at 10 a.m.

In the win over Westside, Lonoke's Casey Martin, who has verbally committed to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks, hit for the cycle. His three-run homer in the top of the sixth tied the game at 7-7. Also scoring on the play were Caleb Horton and Haven Hunter, who both singled to start the rally. 

Martin had a triple in the first inning, a double in the third and a single in the fourth. He was 4 for 5 at the plate with three runs scored and four RBIs. 

Lonoke broke the 7-7 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh. Scoring were Gabe Rooney, Keith Lingo, Brayden Hardy and Kameron Cole. 

Hunter went 3 for 4 at the plate with three runs scored. Savonte Rountree and Lingo both had two hits. Also getting hits were Horton and Kade Stuart. 

Lonoke lost to Gosnell 3-0 in the semifinals of the regional Friday. 

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when the Pirates plated three runs — two unearned — off starter Rountree, who gave up only five hits in 5 1/3 innings. 

Lonoke had only two hits in the game, both by Rountree. 

Lonoke first baseman Keith Lingo tags out a Gosnell runner. Backing up the play is Savonte Rountree.

Jackrabbits rally, beat Brookland in regional tourney

Lonoke's Talon Swint slides across home plate to score the winning run against Brookland on Thursday night. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

@markbuffalo

LONOKE — The Lonoke Jackrabbits baseball team is headed back to the state tournament.

Lonoke rallied twice to beat Brookland 5-4 in the first round of the Class 4A East Region tournament Thursday night at the Lonoke Ball Park. With the win, the Jackrabbits will play Gosnell in the semifinals Friday at 2:30 p.m. Lonoke will also play in the Class 4A state tournament next week at Ashdown.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Lonoke's Talon Swint walked to start the inning. He went to second on a single by Kameron Cole. Caleb Horton then laid down a sacrifice bunt. When the Brookland field threw the ball to first base in an attempt to get Horton out, Swint scored from second base to give the Jackrabbits the win.

The game was tied 2-2 after seven innings. The Bearcats scored twice in the top of the eighth to take a 4-2 lead. Lonoke tied the game at 4-4 with two in the bottom of the frame. Haven Hunter and Casey Martin led off the inning with consecutive singles. Two batters later, they scored on a single by Savonte Rountree.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth when Brookland plated one run. Lonoke scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Keith Lingo and Cole each scored.

Brookland tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth.

Hunter was 3 for 4 to lead the Jackrabbits. Also getting hits were Martin, Kade Stuart, Rountree, Lingo and Cole.

Martin got the win, pitching the last three innings. He struck out six while giving up two runs. Hunter pitched five innings. He struck out six. 

Lonoke's Casey Martin delivers a pitch in the sixth inning.