McCollum's Column: Wampus Cat blue again dominant color in Faulkner County for 2011
It’s a regular occurrence this time of year.
As we evaluate the top sports stories in the country from 2011, much of the cream rising to the top has a Wampus Cat blue tint.
Conway High athletic success has been a No. 1 story before. This year, the Cats created new vistas with major achievements.
The year ended with four state team titles, one individual title and several other close calls. There were state championships in wrestling (one of the school’s newest sports), girls soccer (an unprecedented undefeated season), 7A baseball (after a modest start), and boys golf. The Lady Cats’ Summar Roachell won both 7A and overall titles. Also, Conway teams were second in the state in swimming and claimed conference titles and reached the state quarterfinals in volleyball, football and boys basketball. The Wampus Cats had one of their most successful tennis seasons in history.
For banner performances across the board, Conway High’s athletic success is our top sports story in Faulkner County in 2010.
In this reporter’s opinion, here’s a ranking of other major developments:
2. UCA FOOTBALL; Things began with what appeared to be an April Fools Day joke that really wanted. That’s when UCA announced it was installing purple-and-gray striped artificial turf at First Security Field at Estes Stadium. The striped field, the first of its kind for a college stadium, attracted immediate attention from media outlets nationwide, furnishing the school’s athletic program with more widespread publicity than at any time in history. When the story shifted to developments on the field, the Bears earned their stripes, winning eight straight games after a 1-3 start and finished a 9-4 season, earning an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth in their second season of eligibility. They became the first team from the school to qualify for an NCAA Division I playoff event. The Bears reached the second round of the 20-team playoffs, losing to perennial power and fourth-seeded Montana at Mizzoula. The Bears only lost to teams that won or shared conference championships and who went either to the FCS playoffs or Football Bowl Subdivision bowl games — Arkansas State, Sam Houston State, Louisiana Tech and Montana. That included a historic game against ASU in Jonesboro (the first football meeting of Arkansas Division I teams). Sam Houston State completed an undefeated run to the Southland Conference title and reached FCS championship game.
3. FORMER CONWAY ATHLETES IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former CHS star Peyton Hillis, who became a icon for the Cleveland Browns for the 2010 season, won a nationwide fan vote to become the cover person for EA Sports Madden NFL 12 game, defeating Michael Vick in the final vote. Then, Hillis became another victim of the “Madden Jinx,” where athletes on the cover of the game have problems the next season. During the 2011 season, Hillis had all kinds of issues that limited his playing time and effectiveness, including a contract dispute, injuries and reported conflicts with his teammates.
Professional golfer Bryce Molder won for the first time on the PGA Tour with a victory over Briney Baird in a pulsating, six-hole playoff in the Frys.com Open. The back-and-forth playoff, between two players who were trying for their first win in a combined 478 starts on tour, was rated by many analysts and observers the best individual dual on the PGA Tour last season. The long-awaited victory helped put Molder at No. 40 on the money list with $1,957,944 and earned him a two-year exemption on tour and congratulatory messages throughout the country.
4. SUMMAR TIME: In addition to winning the 7A girls title for the third straight year and the Overall title for the second time in three years, Conway’s Summar Roachell made an international impact. She was an at-large selection for the Junior Solheim Cup in Ireland and won a key final match on the final day to help the U.S. golfers retain the Cup against the European All-Stars.
5. SUGAR BEARS: The UCA women’s program continued its rise in coach Matt Daniel’s fourth season. The Sugar Bears won 21 games, reached the Southland Conference tournament championship game and earned a berth in the WBI tournament, the first UCA team to be selected for postseason NCAA appearance. The Sugar Bears lost to Alabama-Birmingham in the first round of the national event. They began the 2010-11 season with back-to-back home victories over two teams from NCAA BCS conferences, Indiana and Alabama.
6. FIELD OF DREAMS: College Station Park, a long-awaited youth baseball facility at the old YBMA Fairgrounds, opened for play and provided Conway baseball teams with a first-class facility for league play and state and regional tournament. It was immediately acclaimed as one of the best facilities of its type in the region.
7. GREENBRIER FOOTBALL: Quarterback Neal Burcham again helped Greenbrier become a 5A football power, just a few years removed from being one of the bottom-feeder programs in the state. Burcham, who set multiple school passing and offense records, moved into the national spotlight after being named co-MVP at the prestigious Elite 11 camp in California over the summer. With Burcham at helm, the Panthers powered to eight straight victories before state champ Greenwood ended the streak. Burcham, who later committed to SMU, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a season-ending loss to Vilonia. The Panthers lost to Batesville in the state quarterfinals.
8. CENTRAL BAPTIST COLLEGE SUCCESS: CBC continued to make progress as an NAIA member, joining the Midlands Conference as a full member by the fall of 2011. The Lady Mustangs’ softball team finished 57-7, losing a berth in the national tourney during an NAIA regional final. They set several offensive records in softball, including the all-time NAIA record for home runs in a season with 135. Christen Kirchner was named NAIA Player of the Year after leading the nation in several offensive categories, including home runs. Tony Price took over as men’s basketball coach and the school fielded its first wrestling team, renovated Reddin Fieldhouse and continued an aggressive plan for facilities development. Justin Burns won the individual National Christian College Association golf title.
9. HENDRIX ATHLETICS: The Warriors, along with several Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference members, announced the creation of a new Division III league by next season that would be among like-minded institutions with less travel costs. In the meantime, the Hendrix women won a division championship and reached the SCAC tournament finals. The school recommitted to reviving football for the 2013 season and had some of its most successful seasons in the SCAC in volleyball, lacrosse, field hockey and women’s soccer.
10. CONWAY CHRISTIAN GROWTH: The school had its best overall season as a member of the Arkansas Activities Association. Michael Carter, a former Greenbrier and UCA player and former coach at Clinton and Arkansas Baptist, took over as coach and athletic director for Chuck Speer, who left for Gosnell. The Eagles again reached the postseason playoffs. They fielded strong teams that made a state impact in almost every sport and earned one of the biggest victories in school history with a upset of fourth-seeded Mena in the state soccer tournament.
ALSO NOTABLE: Greenbrier went 24-3 in softball, losing 1-0 to Wynne in the state 5A semifinals that it hosted ... Greenbrier’s baseball team reached the state 5A semfinals ... St. Joseph’s boys soccer team also reached the state semifinals ... Vilonia’s boys reached the state soccer tournament ... The UCA men’s basketball team has a frustrating, five-win season in the debut of new coach Corliss Williamson ... The late Raymond Bright, a former UCA football coach, was selected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
(Sports columnist David McCollum can be reached at 505-1235 or david.mccollum@thecabin.net)
