Gentry sweeps Tip-Off Classic Teams start Classic with wins

By Tom Glave tomg@nwanews.com

GENTRY ó Gentry girlsí basketball coach Tim Rippy knew the best thing for his young club would be a victory to start the season and the Lady Pioneers got a big one last Tuesday. Gentry beat Mountainburg 58-20 in their first game at the Pioneer Tip-Off Classic. The Lady Pioneers (1-0 ) advanced to play Elkins in Thursdayís semifinal. The Lady Pioneers ó with just one returning starter ó never trailed after the middle of the first quarter and Loren Cripps triggered the mercy rule with back-to-back baskets late in the third quarter. ìIt was a game I felt like our club needed to get some confidence,î Rippy said. Sophomore guard Courtney Millsap had 12 points and junior Kelsea Whitten added 11 to lead the Lady Pioneers (1-0 ). - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Gentry closes with 12-0 run in semifinal win

By Sam Steinberg sams@nwanews.com

GENTRYó The Gentry Lady Pioneers (2-0 ) closed out the game on a 12-0 run and pulled away to a 44-34 victory against Elkins (1-1 ) in the semifinals of the Pioneer Tip-Off Classic on Thursday night at Gentry High School. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Cheer squad takes first, wins grand championship

From Staff Reports

GENTRY ó The high school cheerleaders took first place in the 4A cheer competition in Van Buren Saturday and won the grand championship award as well. Joni Wilson, the squadís coach, said this was one of the most exciting wins she has had in her career as the Gentry High School cheer coach because this yearís squad is a young group with five sophomores and a freshman on the floor. ìSenior Megan Hodges tore her ACL a few weeks ago and is out for competition season,î Wilson said. ìShe will be having surgery in a couple of weeks. This really hurt us a lot; she was one of our main bases.î ìYou really have to admire freshman Lacey Stephens who has stepped up as a freshman to try and fill Meganís spot,î Wilson said. ìShe had to basically learn everything in a few weeks, while the others had all summer.î This is the first year the Arkansas Activities Association officially recognized cheerleading as a sport. When that happened this summer, the association moved the competition season to the fall, giving the young sq - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Decatur Youth Sports team has undefeated season

By Janelle Jessen janellej@nwanews.com

DECATUR ó The Decatur Youth Sports Football Team celebrated an undefeated season on Friday night with cake and an awards ceremony. The fourth-through-sixthgrade team was 7-0, even though all the teams they played were exclusively fifth-grade teams. They played Shiloh Christian, Siloam Springs, Gravette Big Orange, Gravette Big Black, Farmington, and Pea Ridge this fall. ìWe have small kids that block as good as big kids,î coach Darrel Bennett said. ìWeíre really, really proud. We were kind of the underdog, but they have more heart than any team,î Gayla Bennett said. Darrel Bennett and coach John Ussery are both in their first year of coaching, but said playing football for Colcord, Okla., in high school helped to prepare them for the job. Darrel is looking forward to being the director of the football program next year. During the awards program, first and second-grade cheerleading coach Star Bowen passed out awards to her students and thanked parents for their support. She also asked the gathering to remembe - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Gentry balloon found in Kentucky

From Staff Reports

GENTRY ó A balloon released by Gentry cheerleaders was recovered in north-central Kentucky. Gentry High School cheerleaders released balloons for good luck as they headed off to Berryville, Oct. 24, for a football game. Each cheerleader tied a tag to her balloon with her name and a paragraph explaining the reason for the balloonís release. A phone number was included on the tags, with a request that finders call. Cheer coach Joni Wilson received a phone call Monday from a hunter in Fort Knox, Ky., who found the balloon released by Laura Page. The hunter said he and some buddies were hunting in the woods last weekend and found Pageís balloon. The balloon was found 627 miles from where it was released and it is unknown how long it had been there before it was found. According to Wilson, when cheerleaders released balloons several years ago, a balloon released at 9 p.m. Thursday was found the next morning in Mobile, Ala., when a man went out to pick up his morning paper. ìA newspaper there did a big story on it - Wednesday, November 19, 2008