After a one week delay in the Arkansas 3A playoffs and a scheduled bye week, the Harding Academy Wildcats will finally get back on the field. The ‘Cats will be hosting Paris in the second round of the 3A state championship bracket. Game time is 7:30, Friday the 27th at Harding University’s First Security Stadium in Searcy.

Harding Academy’s Matt Calhoun yesterday signed a national letter-of-intent to play baseball at Harding University. Matt is the son of Cary and Nan Calhoun and the grandson of Harold and Ann Norwood, all of Searcy.

Harding University Athletics – Harding Athletics Adds Several during Early Signing Period.

SEARCY – The NCAA’s early signing period began Nov. 11 and continues through Nov. 18. Harding has signed players in four different sports through Nov. 17. Below is a list of the signees that will be updated as more student-athletes select Harding as their collegiate destination beginning next school year.

Head baseball coach Dr. Patrick McGaha has added two to his squad. Joining the Bisons next season will be Harding Academy product Matt Calhoun, a 6-foot first baseman/catcher, and Tulsa Union High School’s Shane Kinnear. Calhoun hit a staggering .556 with 30 hits in 54 at-bats as a junior, earning Arkansas Class 3A All-State honors. In his sophomore season, Calhoun drove in a team-high 60 runs. Kinnear, a 6-foot outfielder, earned Academic All-Conference honors as a junior at Union.

Head coach Tim Kirby signed two to the women’s basketball team. Six-foot-two forward Lauren Harrison and 5-foot-11 guard Kristen Celsor, both of Searcy, Ark., will join the Lady Bisons next season. Harrison earned All-State honors as a junior and is a two-time All-Conference honoree. Celsor is also a two-time All-Conference honoree and can lay claim to being the top female athlete in Arkansas. As a junior, Celsor won the Arkansas State Heptathlon championship and was the state high jump champion.

Keith Giboney, Harding’s head volleyball coach, also signed two new players. Mollie Arnold, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Bono, Ark., is a three-time All-State honoree at Jonesboro Westside High School. As a senior, Arnold led Westside to a 30-3 record and an Arkansas Class 4A State Championship, earning tournament most valuable player honors. She finished the season with 602 kills, 178 blocks and 311 digs and won the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award for the state of Arkansas.

Arnold is joined by Alyssa Short, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker from The Woodlands, Texas. Giboney calls Short “a strong middle that will be a big blocking presence for us and another offensive threat.”

Reed Teel, a 6-foot guard from Montgomery, Ala., signed with head coach Jeff Morgan’s men’s basketball team. As a junior at Alabama Christian Academy, Teel earned 1^st Team All-Metro honors and was named honorable mention All-State. He averaged 19 points per game each of the last two seasons.

Men’s golf coach Dustin Howell signed Jordan Perry, a native of Judsonia, Ark., who attends Riverview High School. Perry is a four-time All-State golfer who finished third in the Arkansas Class 3A state tournament and fourth in the overall state tournament.

Chihuahua Pom mix? About 4 lbs. A real lap dog. Sweet temperament. Found on Pioneer Rd near Booth Rd. May have wandered from Pioneer Acres. No collar. Clean and dry. Must have been out only for a short time on Monday morning. Not familiar to Drs. Liles or Dunn clinics.

Know this dog? Leave phone # in comment space.

Harold Valentine

SEARCY – The Harding volleyball team fell to West Alabama 3-0 Saturday in the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament in Searcy, Ark. Harding ends their season with a 28-7 overall record.

West Alabama jumped out to take a 7-3 lead in the first set but the Lady Bisons took lead on a 5-0 run. The Tigers went on a 9-2 run to take a 16-10 lead and didn’t look back as they took the set, 25-16.

The Tigers again jumped out to take a 10-7 lead in the second set but the Lady Bisons battled back to take a 14-13 lead on two HU kills. West Alabama took back their lead and went on a 10-2 lead to take the set, 25-18.

West Alabama took a 10-6 lead in the third set before the Harding offense rallied to tie the set 11-11. The Lady Bisons kept it close in the middle of the set and took a 23-21 lead on two Tiger attack errors. West Alabama took a timeout to stop the Lady Bison rally. Out of the timeout, West Alabama had two quick kills to tie the set 23-23. A kill by senior Samantha Anderson put the Lady Bisons up by one but a West Alabama kill and a service ace gave them back the lead. Tiger sophomore Alexis McHale put the match away with a kill.

Harding senior Manuela Nesheva led the Lady Bisons with 11 kills and 13 digs. Freshman setter Amber Schinzing captured a double-double with 37 assists and 11 digs. Junior Emily Tate added 11 digs for the Lady Bisons.

West Alabama had two players in double-figure kills, leading the way was Jordan Kent who had 11 and Brittney Cousin with 10. Chanelle Esteban led the Tiger defense with 14 digs and Thais Hollerbach added 13 digs for the Tigers.

West Alabama defense only allowed the Lady Bisons to hit for .098 in the match. Harding had 24 errors in the match.

PINE BLUFF — Quarterback C.J. Branch threw four touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the Watson Chapel Wildcats to a 42-7 playoff victory over Searcy on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.  Branch threw touchdowns of 45, 49, 9 and 29 yards and had a 35-yard touchdown run. He was intercepted twice.

“He’s a great leader, and we’re fortunate to have someone of his caliber,” Watson Chapel Coach George Shelton said.

Searcy took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in five plays. The drive was capped by a 27-yard pass from Dezmond Stegall to Jacob Mowrer with 9:20 left in the first quarter. Steven Seitz’s extra point made it 7-0.

The rest of the first half was all Watson Chapel as the Wildcats scored twice within 20 seconds midway through the first quarter to take a 14-7 lead.

Branch hit Sam Bass for a 55-yard scoring strike with 3:11 left in the first quarter. The kick for the extra point by Collin Massanelli was good for a 21-7 lead en route to a 35-7 halftime lead.

SEARCY – With the season on the line, senior Manuela Nesheva hit a rocket to the far right corner to give the Harding volleyball team a 3-2 victory over Valdosta State in the opening round of the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Friday.  Harding improved to 28-6 on the season and will face West Alabama in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m., on Saturday.

Harding took a 14-13 lead late in the fifth set but Valdosta State quickly battled back to take a 16-15 lead. A solo block by freshman right-side hitter Bailee Graham tied the set at 16-16. The Lady Bisons took a one-point lead on a Nesheva kill but a Harding error allowed the Lady Blazers to tie the set again. A blocking error by Valdosta put the Lady Bisons back on top 18-17 and set up Nesheva’s match-winning kill. The fifth set was tied 15 times with five lead changes.

Three Lady Bisons finished with three players with double-figure kills.  Leading the way was Nesheva, who had 23 kills and 11 digs to capture her eleventh double-double on the season. The Lady Bisons looked to freshman outside hitter Reagan Smith in pivotal moments in the match as she ended with a career-high 15 kills. Senior Samantha Anderson was the other Lady Bison with 11 kills. Harding had a season-high 65 kills in the match.

Harding’s defense stepped up in the match with five players with 10 or more digs. Leading the way was junior Emily Tate with 20 digs. Senior Sarah Phipps had 17 digs, and sophomore Amber Parker had 10 digs.

Freshman setter Amber Schinzing controlled the Harding offense on the night with a career-high 48 assists and also added 10 digs. It was the third time in her career she has had a double-double.

Valdosta State was led by Ruthie King who had 19 kills and 17 digs. Irene Hannan added 18 kills and 17 digs for Valdosta State.

Arkansas 6A Football Playoffs

Searcy Lions vs Watson Chapel

Map to Watson Chapel

GO LIONS!