Lonoke's Goforth to play football at Lyon College

Lonoke football player Dylan Goforth signed with Lyon College during a ceremony this week at the Gina Cox Center. (Photo courtesy of the Goforth family)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LONOKE — Lonoke Jackrabbits football player Dylan Goforth is taking his game to the collegiate level.

Goforth signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Lyon College Scots during a ceremony this week in the foyer of the Gina Cox Center.  Lyon will play their first season this fall in more than 63 years.

"Lyon always felt very welcoming every time I visited the campus," Goforth said. "The coaches and some of the teachers I spoke with always had great attitudes and welcomed me with open arms."

Goforth said he was recruited by some schools outside of Arkansas.

"But none of the recruiters were nearly as aggressive and consistent as the Lyon coaches," Goforth said. 

Goforth started playing football when he was in the fourth grade. He signed with Lyon as an athlete. 

"But I made the all-state team (as a junior) at defensive end and they have mentioned both defensive end and linebacker," Goforth said. "I have spent my entire life working towards my goal of playing college football. My hard work and determination has paid off but my grind won't stop here. It has only just begun."

Lonoke coach Doug Bost said Goforth always took direction well. 

"He always had a great attitude and took coaching well when either on the field or the weight room," Bost said. "He always works his tail off. I think he's going to be a great football player at Lyon College."

Goforth said he wants to stay involved with athletics after college.

"I aspire to be a football coach while teaching history and PE," he said. "But I have also considered a career in the medical field or business administration."

Bison open baseball season with 3-0 win; Gordon strikes out 14

Bison pitcher Jacob Gordon, throwing against Palestine-Wheatley in last year's 2A-6 district tournament, struck out 14 Midland batters in the season opener. 

PLEASANT PLAINS — The Carlisle Bison baseball team opened the 2015 season under new coach Joey Nelson with a 3-0 win over Midland last week.

Carlisle senior hurler Jacob Gordon pitched a complete-game shutout. He gave up only one hit while striking out 14 Mustang batters.

The Bison scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to get the win. 

"Our defense was really good considering the fact that we haven't been able to be on the field for the last three weeks," Nelson said. "We also haven't had a full team practice because basketball has just recently ended and coincided with the bad and wet weather conditions."

Lady Rabbits fall in regional tourney Feb. 26

Lonoke's Jarrelyn McCall (11) attempts a shot against Riverview in the semifinals of the 4A-2 district tournament last month. Also pictured for Lonoke is Eboni Willis. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

TRUMANN — The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits basketball season came to an end with a 56-45 loss to Pocahontas in the first round of the Class 4A East Region Tournament on Feb. 26.

The first half was close as Lonoke trailed 9-8 after one quarter and 20-19 at halftime. Eboni Willis scored 8 of Lonoke's 19 points in the first 16 minutes. Ashlyn Allen score 4. Kerasha Johnson hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter and Callie Whitfield and Jarrelyn McCall scored 2 each in the second quarter.

Pocahontas outscored Lonoke 14-9 in the third quarter and 22-17 in the fourth quarter to get the win.

Willis led Lonoke with 15 points. Whitfield, McCall, Johnson, Allen and Keiunna Walker had 6 points each. 

Lady Bison season ends with loss in regional tourney

Carlisle coach Jonathan Buffalo talks to his team during the regional tournament at Mount Ida (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

MOUNT IDA — It was not a good ending for the Carlisle Lady Bison basketball team.

Carlisle lost to Magnet Cove 52-41 in the first round of the Class 2A East Region tournament Friday at Jeanne Smith Arena. With the loss, the Lady Bison finish the season at 19-9.

The Lady Bison led 23-22 at after trailing 12-4 in the first quarter. Carlisle's leading scorer, Kylie Warren, did not score until the first quarter as the Lady Panthers played a tough man defense on her. She scored the final seven points of the first half.

The game went back and forth in the third quarter with Magnet Cove taking a 32-29 lead with 3:31 left. Warren then scored four in a  row to give the Lady Bison a 33-32 lead. 

With the score tied at 33-33, Carlisle was called for a foul with 2 seconds left in the third quarter. At the same time, Magnet Cove's Faith Linman was called for a technical foul.

Magnet Cove's Emily Fagan hit two free throws while Carlisle missed both foul shots on the technical, leaving the Lady Panthers ahead at 35-33.

Magnet Cove increased its lead to 42-33 with 4:41 left in the game. Carlisle cut the deficit to 45-39 following two foul shots by Warren with 2:25 left. 

Carlisle did not score again until Nicquira Burnett hit a short jumper with 20 seconds left.

"There is only team that is going to be happy at the end of the year in 2A girls basketball," Carlisle coach Jonathan Buffalo said. "We competed. We had our chances. It's what I stressed to them. If you compete and play hard, you will be there at the end."

Despite the loss, the Lady Bison won their third consecutive 2A-6 conference title. 

"I'm extremely proud of what they accomplished this year," Buffalo said. "Winning 19 games for such a young group of ladies."

Warren led Carlisle with 19 points. Ashby Terry had 6. Peyton Hitchins scored 5. Elex McClain had 4. Kayla Golleher had 3. Scoring 2 each were Nikita Harper and Burnett. 

Faith Woodfield led Magnet Cove with 17 points. 

Kimberly Lott runs up the floor in the regional. She was the lone senior on this year's team. 

The loss was the final game for one Lady Bison senior — Kimberly Lott. She is the only player to finish all six years playing for Buffalo, staring in seventh grade when Buffalo was promoted from assistant coach to junior girls and seventh grade girls coach.

"She's a great kid … always worked hard," Buffalo said of Lott. "She did everything that I asked her to do. 

"We talked about how we were a family. We lost a member of our family tonight. She will be missed in the locker room. But we learn from this and move on to next season."

Ashby Terry (22) goes up for a shot against Magnet Cove. 

Lady Rabbits win 2 games in district tourney, qualify for regional

Lonoke's Amanda Sexton shoots for 2 against Heber Springs in the old LHS gymnasium. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

LONOKE — It took some work but the Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits are headed back to postseason play. 

Lonoke (15-13) won its first two games of the 4A-2 district tournament to qualify for the Class 4A East Region tournament, which starts Wednesday at Trumann High School.

Lonoke beat Helena-West Helena Central in the first round of the tournament but needed an extra day and some old school medicine to make the regional.

Because of last week's inclement weather, tournament officials decided to play both the quarterfinals and semifinals of the district tournament Saturday, using both the Gina Cox Center and the old LHS gymnasium.

Lonoke then beat Heber Springs 67-46 in the old gym Saturday afternoon. The Lady Jackrabbits then lost to Riverview 57-35 in the Gina Cox Center on Saturday night.

In the win over Heber Springs, Lonoke led 16-8 after one quarter and 36-21 at halftime. 

The Lady Jackrabbits pushed the lead to 46-27 following a 3-pointer by Kerasha Johnson and two free throws by Jarrelyn McCall. Heber Springs tried to keep it close, cutting the deficit to 49-36 . Lonoke then outscored Heber Springs 4-1 the rest of the quarter. Johnson scored on a steal and layup and Riely Rowton was fouled as time expired. She hit both free throws.

Amanda Sexton led Lonoke with 17 points. Eboni Willis scored 16. Johnson had 14. McCall added 10. Keiunna Walker and Ashlyn Allen had 4 points each. Rowton had 2.

Lonoke's win over Heber Springs was its first game in the old LHS gymnasium since the Lady Jackrabbits beat Newport 48-38 in February 2013. 

"I love the Gina Cox Center and wouldn't trade it for the world but it felt good to win another in the old gym today," Lonoke coach Nathan Morris said. 

After beating Heber Springs, the Lady Jackrabbits had a few hours off before facing conference champion Riverview in the semifinals.

Lonoke scored the first four points of the game — all by McCall but fatigue set in as Riverview led 12-6 after one quarter and 35-18 at halftime.

McCall led Lonoke with 12 points. Johnson scored 7. Willis had 6. Walker scored 4. Callie Whitfield, Allen and Sexton had 2 points each.

Lonoke will play Pocahontas in the first round of the Class 4A-East Region tournament Thursday at 4 p.m. at Trumann High School. 

The Lady Jackrabbits opened the district tournament with a 60-30 win over West Helena on Wednesday. 

McCall led Lonoke with 22 points. Johnson had 17. Willis 10. Walker scored 5. Whitfield added 2.

Lonoke's Riely Rowton takes the ball away from a Riverview player while Eboni Willis guards. 

Lady Bison fall to Lady Lions in tourney semifinals

Carlisle's Noah Jennings, Kimberly Lott and Madeleine Brown surround a Clarendon player during Saturday's semifinal game at Hazen. (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

HAZEN — It was not the outcome most fans would have expected from the Carlisle-Clarendon semifinal game Saturday.

Clarendon got off to a hot start and routed the Lady Bison 62-35 in the 2A-6 district tournament. With the loss, Carlisle falls to 19-8 overall. Clarendon was scheduled to play host Hazen in the finals Tuesday night.

Clarendon scored the game's first six points while Carlisle's Kylie Warren picked up two quick fouls. The Lady Bison got on the board when Warren hit a short jumper with 5:29 left. 

Warren picked up her third foul with 3:45 left in the first quarter and the Lady Bison trailing 8-3. The Lady Lions finished the quarter on a 15-3 run to lead 23-8.

The run continued in the second quarter as Clarendon pushed its lead to 29-8 with 7:01 left. Carlisle tried to stem the tide but trailed 38-15 at halftime.

The Lady Bison scored the first four points of the second half and trailed 40-21 with 6:52 left. That was as close as they would get the remainder of the game as Clarendon led 54-25 after three quarters and 62-29 with 4:12 left in the game.

Warren led Carlisle with 15 points. Elex McClain had 9. Nikita Harper had 4. Kayla Golleher scored 3. Peyton Hitchings scored 2.

J'Tyia Thomas led Clarendon with 20 points. Skye Tyler had 18. Jennifer Draper scored 14.

The Lady Bison will be the third seed in the Class 2A-East Region Tournament at Mount Ida High School. Carlisle will play Magnet Cove in the first round Thursday at 4 p.m. If the Lady Bison win, they will play in the semifinals Friday at 4 p.m. The third-place game is Saturday at noon; the championship game is Saturday at 6 p.m. 

Carlisle's Elex McClain guards a Clarendon player. 

Jackrabbits split 2 games last week

Lonoke's Yancy Cooney dribbles against e-Stem last week. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

The Lonoke Jackrabbits split two games last week.

Lonoke beat Newport 57-33 on Tuesday but fell to e-Stem 67-42 on Friday.

In the win over Newport, Lonoke led 12-8 after one quarter and 27-15 at halftime. 

Jawaun Bryant led Lonoke with 12 points. Isaac Toney had 8. Nick Bates scored 7. Scoring 6 each were Yancy Cooney and Justin Meadows. Kylan Branscomb and Haven Hunter had 5 points each. Byron Fair and Brenton Bryant had 3 poitns each. Ryan Truelove scored 2.

In the loss to e-Stem, Lonoke trailed 21-13 after one quarter and 33-20 at halftime. 

Jawaun Bryant led Lonoke with 11 points. Toney had 10. Tyler Spencer had 5. Brenton Bryant and Nick Bates scored 4 points each. TaMarrae Moore had 3. Scoring 2 each were Bryson Jackson and Branscomb.