Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
You're watching the Prep Rally podcast.
Welcome to Prep Rally. I'm your host, Sydney Ruth Mulvanen, here with Graham Thomas of Northwest Arkansas and Leland Barclay in the River Valley. Well, you guys, it's another week of Prep Rally. Another bunch of games happened, you guys, it was a lot. There were some good games this past week.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: The snow has melted. It is like 55 degrees outside. It was wonderful. I could walk outside, Leland. I bet it's nice down there.
[00:00:33] Speaker C: Absolutely. You know, I have favorite phrases, and some of them that I really hate is like, arctic cold front, you know, things like that. The ones I really like is, like, unseasonably warm. I like that phrase a lot. But my favorite phrase of all, we are two weeks away from pitchers and catchers report spring training.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: I saw a meme that, you know what memes are. No, I don't.
It was all about, like, how, you know, I'm more interested in spring training reporting than I am in the super bowl. And you can count me in on that one.
[00:01:16] Speaker A: I think everyone in this country feels the same way.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Well, I have a little chief's fatigue here. No, I know. I'm with you, Leland.
I'm not wearing a ski mask over my head because it's warm enough outside, so I'm not wearing. I didn't wear it. Bring a jacket with me to work.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: Yeah. Nobody be fooled. The fact that I'm wearing a sweater, I'm very hot right now. But, you know, it's one of those things where I want it to look nice on the show, but it is 60 degrees outside, so I've wanted to.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Look nice on the show for really ever since I came on the show, and we're still trying to get there.
[00:01:54] Speaker A: You do look nice.
You look dapper.
[00:01:57] Speaker C: I would. I would. I would love to be done with winter. Now. February hadn't even started yet, so I doubt if that's the case, but I would love to be done with winter.
[00:02:06] Speaker B: Remember, pitchers and catchers report.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:02:09] Speaker B: It's important.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:11] Speaker B: You know, we could just, you know, my family, we. I was born in Florida, in Cocoa, Florida. And we used to, you know, be right all around the spring training stuff until I was about three years old and we moved to Mississippi. But to think that we were always so close to the spring training baseball in Florida and, you know, pitchers and catchers report. I'm gonna be thinking about that all day. Thank you, Leland.
[00:02:37] Speaker A: Well, thankfully.
[00:02:38] Speaker C: You're welcome.
[00:02:39] Speaker A: Thankfully, you guys, we live near some great games as well, so.
[00:02:43] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:02:44] Speaker A: Yeah. So speaking of games, this week and some great games. We'll kind of go over the one that happened in Northwest Arkansas, the Springdale Fayetteville game on Friday.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Well, speaking of not great games, but. But what could have been a great game? Yeah, you know, the Springdale boy, I tell you what, Springdale, they're just putting on a show night after night after night. And I did not happen to be at this game, but you hear all about it. You saw the lopsided score. The girls were at the game. What did y'all think? Down. We need to hear what you thought of the game.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: So for anyone who doesn't know, me and our producer Diana, we went to the game on Friday and we didn't really get to see much of the boys game, so I had to rewatch that one. But it was. I mean, Springdale Boys, they truly are that team right now. I mean, I. I watched them come out the gate and they just, you know, I say that they're that secret, secret weapon of a team. I mean, they have. They're kind of like under the radar. I know that they're at the top of their game right now, but when you watch them play, they just leave it all out on the court. It's not taunting or anything like that. They just know how to handle the ball. Passing, rebounds. I mean, opening shot with. With Sealy, I believe, or, sorry, Jackson Connolly. No, it was Sealy. Sealy having the fade away for the three pointer. That was incredible. And then later on in the game, I mean, Jackson Conley with the pass underneath to DJ Hudson for two. Incredible. Like, I was just in awe that, you know, how aggressive they attacked the ball. And I mean, we said it last week, it was going to be the team who was aggressive off the bat, and that was Springdale. I mean, their defense brought it that night. I mean, even some of the announcers were saying that they look shaken up. And it's. It's true. And, And I think we talked about it as well, but it didn't help that there wasn't much of a crowd in the Fayetteville arena. I mean, we were there, but it wasn't that loud of a crowd. And I mean, when you have your home crowd getting into it, I mean, I think that helps your players. But instead it was on Springdale's advantage. I mean, they had one little section of a crowd, and those guys were hyped.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: Okay?
[00:04:55] Speaker A: So that really played to their advantage. And. Yeah, and. And the girls. The girls game was really good.
It was close. It was a battle to the Finish literally the very last second. And we were hoping that Fayetteville would score so it would be tied game, go overtime, but it was. Yeah, it was. But Fayetteville just. They. They couldn't shoot that night. It was just a constant back and forth. They had good rebounds, but they just couldn't get it in.
[00:05:24] Speaker B: Well, you talk about environments. When we have the battle of Springdale coming up this Friday, that will be, you know, and it'll be at this. The setting of the Class 6A state tournament at new.
The other Bulldog Arena. We have Bulldog Arena. In Fayetteville, we have Bulldog Arena. And in Springdale, that will be a special atmosphere, I can tell you, with that many Division 1 players out on the floor for the boys game. And then, not to mention, it's gonna be a great girls game too. So, you know, if you're up in this area and want to see some really good high school basketball on both the girls and boys end on Friday, Springdale High is the place. Place to be.
[00:06:12] Speaker A: I agree. And this may be.
[00:06:14] Speaker C: This may be Springdale's best team since the one that Jeremy Price played on about 25 years ago.
So I'd love to know his take, get his take on that. But this may be the best Springdale team since Jeremy Price Price's team.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: You know, in. In my young years, you know, I don't remember that era, but I can say that, you know, in all the years that I've covered and watched Springdale basketball, this is the best team that I've seen in the past, for sure.
[00:06:44] Speaker B: Well, and they've had some. Some pretty good teams, right, Leland? They've been to the state finals a couple times.
[00:06:48] Speaker C: Yeah, they've had some good, very good teams, but I'd say as four as being really first of all, very exciting to watch.
Also very dominant. And this team, like you said, does share the ball very well. They're very balanced.
But I tell you, that Jeremy Price team was really good, too.
[00:07:08] Speaker A: You.
[00:07:09] Speaker B: You know, I think maybe an apt kind of a moniker. And Rick Fires would appreciate this, but the true super S kind of Springdale team would fit them very good, I think.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: I agree.
[00:07:23] Speaker B: And Rick, if you're watching. Hi, Rick.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: Sup. Hope you enjoy retirement in Florida or something, wherever you're at.
[00:07:30] Speaker B: Prairie Grove.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: Oh, well, anyway, Leland, what was your game of the week?
[00:07:44] Speaker C: Oh, my game of the event. Well, that would actually be the social event of Lafleur county each year, and that is the 101st Lafleur County Basketball Tournament. It began in 1925. It's been played every single season. It is the oldest running, our longest running true county tournament west of the Mississippi. And it was, as always, a very, very packed house. Standing room only on Saturday night.
Watch the pecola lady Indians win their second straight LaFleur county tournament championship with a buzzer beating three pointer by Jordan Jackson for a 55, 52 win. And then the pecola boys. The Indians just dominated in winning their fourth straight lafleur county tournament championship behind kota terrell and Houston Stroops. There are two big twin towers inside and they kind of put on a dunk fest there for a short time and I think it was a third quarter. So that was definitely the. The big event of the. Really one of the biggest events of the year in our area.
[00:08:53] Speaker B: Leland, I think you would have enjoyed being at the game I was at on Tuesday night with northside girls at springdale Harbor.
That was. That was a battle. And harbor kind of pulled away late for the win. But it was just your typical 6A west kind of heavyweights going at it. And that. That girls division is going to be. It's going to be wild down the stretch. I have no idea who's going to win it. You know, Springdale's out in front, harbor is right there behind them. But north side still kind of laying there. And Fayetteville, you know, is going to. Going to factor in and bentonville will, too. I mean, it's going to be an exciting. I know Leland probably agree. It's going to be a very exciting fight to the finish starting Friday night with springdale and harbor playing well, and.
[00:09:46] Speaker C: They'Re going to be the ones that wrap up the first round of, you know, conference play. The way the 6A west is structured now with nine teams, there's a team every night that gets a buy. So north side gets a buy in that last week of the first half of the double round robin schedule. So they're done for the first half and yeah, it's. That next four weeks is going to be a knockdown drag out, especially starting next week with the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: Yes, Sidney, we got a three game week next week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I'm already tired just thinking about it.
[00:10:22] Speaker A: Wow. I'm so sorry for you guys.
Not though.
[00:10:26] Speaker B: But really not.
[00:10:29] Speaker A: I'll be supportive, though.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Well, thank you.
[00:10:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I appreciate it.
[00:10:33] Speaker B: We need all the support we can get.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Yeah, me and Diana got y'all. We support you. Well. All right, you guys, we're gonna go into my favorite segment of the week, which is our prep rally fantasy. League. Are you guys ready?
[00:10:47] Speaker B: Ready.
[00:10:48] Speaker A: All right, last week, let's kind of refresh who we picked. So I picked Isaiah Seeley from Springdale. Graham, who'd you pick?
[00:10:55] Speaker B: Ryder Scribner of Harrison.
[00:10:57] Speaker A: Okay, Leland, who was your pick?
[00:11:00] Speaker C: Alyssa Parker of Pecola, Oklahoma.
[00:11:02] Speaker A: That's right. Okay.
[00:11:03] Speaker B: Oh, Lord. We all lost. She had a big week.
I just heard those numbers he gave on Melissa Parker.
[00:11:11] Speaker A: Yeah, I know that.
[00:11:13] Speaker B: I'm impressed. She played slow pitch softball.
[00:11:17] Speaker C: Well, in. In Oklahoma, they play fast in the fall and slow pitch in the spring, and it's. It's still a big deal in Oklahoma. Slow pitch is. There's. I mean, they have state tournament, and it's been a big thing in Oklahoma for a long time. It's just kind of. It just kind of goes along with the others. Plus, they could have a Laflore county tournament in Tiddly Winks, and it would be big.
[00:11:43] Speaker B: And she would be really good and competitive at it, by the way.
[00:11:46] Speaker C: Probably. So she would probably be the MVP in that as well.
[00:11:49] Speaker A: Well, speaking of mvp, I think I'm an MVP today. You know why?
[00:11:58] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. We got the snacks.
[00:12:07] Speaker A: Ta da.
Oh, sorry, Leland.
[00:12:12] Speaker B: Leland didn't have any snacks.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: Yeah, well, you suggested snacks and drinks for this time, so I was like.
[00:12:19] Speaker B: These weren't exactly the kind of drinks I was talking about, but. Okay.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: They're a healthier soda. Okay.
[00:12:23] Speaker B: Oh, I got it. Yeah, prebiotic. So whatever that means it's good for your gut.
All right, fantasy time.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: All right.
[00:12:32] Speaker B: What kind of snacks you got here, Sydney?
We got some corn chips, got some pretzels. Pretzels. And.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: And then this is like popcorn chips.
[00:12:41] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[00:12:45] Speaker A: All right, well, you said you wanted snacks, and I want one as well, so.
[00:12:50] Speaker B: Okay, who's going first?
[00:12:53] Speaker A: All right, well, it's up to our producer, Diana. So, Diana Pierce, pick. Who's going first?
Okay. Based off of random draw, the first person to pick is. Sydney. Yes.
You knew I was waiting for that.
[00:13:12] Speaker B: I think you rigged it.
[00:13:16] Speaker A: She said in no particular order. Okay. At random, my pick for the second week of our draft is. I'm gonna go with Derek Shepard from Northside.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:13:33] Speaker A: Yeah, I like his playing style. And I think with Isaiah Seeley, I think they'd be good teammates. So that's kind of how I wired that one.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:13:42] Speaker A: Yeah.
All right. Who's our second pick is Leland.
[00:13:52] Speaker C: I'll take Kyla Piercy, Jr. Guard from Greenwood. She was held to six points at Harrison on Tuesday night only because she was.
She was called for her fifth foul 27 seconds into overtime and fouled out. But I'll take Kyla Piercey of Greenwood.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: All right, Graham, I guess we saved the best for last, Right? Okay, I'm going to. With my second pick in the prep rally draft, Graham Thomas selects Easton McCullough of Farmington. And with all the rights for all four years for her, just freshman.
[00:14:33] Speaker A: No. Why? That was like I was going to pick her. But then you had.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: You could have picked her number one.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: I know, I know. It's whatever, whatever.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: You know, some of these, if you look at some of the way some of these boys games are shaken out, like a lot of these boys teams are scoring by committee. So if you look at Springdale, yeah. You know, you're getting a lot of 12 point, 13 points because they're sharing the ball, as someone so adequately pointed out. So not that Farmington isn't sharing the ball either. They're just scoring a lot of points. It takes a lot to score 86 points in a basketball game.
[00:15:14] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's true. I mean, but we saw, we saw Springdale do that against Heritage, so.
But all right, good picks, you guys will.
[00:15:25] Speaker B: And snacks to go with it.
[00:15:27] Speaker A: And snacks to go with it. You're welcome.
I mean, we'll tally up the points. I mean, somebody will tally up the points. I don't really know who's currently winning. I think it is Leland, so.
[00:15:38] Speaker B: Well, I mean, assuming that, you know, Alyssa Parker gets credit for all those points she scored in the, in the county tournament, I would think she would have to be way in front.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Yeah. As of right Now, Leland's probably 10 points ahead, but, you know, we only get a single point for each week you win, so Leland only has one point.
Yeah.
Well, all right, we're going to talk about what's coming up in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. So, Graham, take it away. What are some of the updates?
[00:16:09] Speaker B: Well, I think, you know, it starts and ends with the big.
I hear that. No, it starts and ends this Friday with the big game, Springdale, harbor at Springdale. And that's, you know, not only a big boys game, but a big girls game as well. So on the, the girls side of it, you know, Springdale's in first place. Harbor is right behind them, just one game back. They haven't played each other yet. So.
Yeah, that's the, that's the big one this week.
You know, Fayetteville, Bentonville is a big one, too. And then on the, on the girls side, that is. And then when you go to the Boys game again, just the amount of Division 1 talent playing in that boys basketball game. You know, it starts with Isaiah Seely and Courtland Muldrew, you know, two of the best players in northwest Arkansas in the state, period. Sealy signed with Arkansas, Muldrew, his sign with Washington. Then, you know, Jackson Conley is a really good basketball player. D.J. hudson, I think, is going to be a Division 1 recruit by somebody. Both those guys were with Springdale. You know, Jackson Conley played at harbor last year. So, you know, harbor is going to be rip roaring ready to face him.
And then Harbor's got Hayden Wood, who had 20 points in their win against Northside last night. Hayden Wood signed with Jacksonville. Just a lot of good basketball players, two really good coaches with Jeremy Price and Tommy defibaugh.
So that's. That's what I've got my eyes on going into this week in northwest Arkansas. What about you, Leland?
[00:17:53] Speaker C: The mega matchup, you know, in the River Valley last week obviously was Subiaco Academy at Lamar. This week it is undoubtedly Monday night. Springdale at Northside. The girls game is. Is just monumental. And just because Northside lost at harbor on Tuesday night takes none of the luster away from that game on Monday because Northside does have two losses, harbor has one. Springdale, of course, leading the league with zero losses. But Northside in the second half of the conference season only has to go to Fayetteville in the second half. Among the league leaders, which is Springdale, Harbor, Bentonville, Fayetteville and Northside. They have already been to Springdale, Ann harbor and Bentonville. So that's a big advantage for north side in the second half of the conference season, only having to go to Fayetteville. So harbor has to come to Northside, Springdale has to come to north side, and it starts Monday night with the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Bears.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: All right, thank you guys for the updates. Now we're gonna do our final segment of the show, which is on the clock. Can I get a drum roll, please, you guys?
Thank you. Our on the clock this week is who will pull up the biggest upset.
All right, again, you have less than one minute. I'm gonna.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: Now are we doing a random on who goes first again or.
[00:19:23] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay. Diana, who do you want to go first?
Who went first last week? Oh, that's a great question.
[00:19:31] Speaker B: I think it was me.
[00:19:33] Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. So, Leland, you're gonna go first this time.
Does that sound good?
[00:19:40] Speaker C: Sounds good.
[00:19:41] Speaker A: Okay, let me get my officiating whistle.
All right.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: Oh, gosh. There's a whistle this week.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: All right. You'll know when you're out of time when you hear the whistle. Okay.
On your mark, get set, start.
[00:19:59] Speaker C: And I don't want to hear any debate from Graham about it being an upset, but I think that the Lady Bears get the upset win over Springdale on Monday night because. And it. And it would be a mild upset at this point since Springdale is leading the conference with zero losses. North side went through the first half of the conference play 6 and 2. Northside is at home. They don't lose at the new Northside arena very often. Arianna Gooden is just, you know, she's one of the best players in the conference, maybe the best player in the conference. One of the best ever put on a Lady Bears uniform. They've got all the ingredients around her. Hazely Groat John is very good. Erica Gooden is very good. Cadence Fleming comes off the bench. I think they have all the ingredients of an upset. And don't forget, they have Ricky Smith on the sideline.
[00:20:53] Speaker A: Oh, one second to spare. I was close. Good job, Leland.
[00:20:59] Speaker B: You didn't even get to blow the whistle.
[00:21:00] Speaker A: I know. I'm hoping I get two for yours.
All right, you're good to go in three, two, one.
[00:21:10] Speaker B: So I'm gonna go with. The Bentonville Lady Tigers are gonna beat the Fayetteville Bulldogs on.
On Friday in Bentonville. Bentonville was two points away from hitting Springdale its first loss. And I just. I think that Bentonville is a better team than their three and three conference record indicates, and they're going to have a say in things and they're going to knock off Fayetteville on Friday night.
So Bentonville Lady Tigers will be my upset of the week.
[00:21:49] Speaker A: Darn it.
[00:21:50] Speaker B: You mean keep talking Bentonville, Bentonville, Fayetteville.
[00:21:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Sing me a song.
[00:21:54] Speaker B: Upset of the week. How? You just want to blow the whistle, don't you?
[00:21:57] Speaker A: Yeah, I do. Just keep. Just keep singing for me.
[00:22:00] Speaker B: Oh, say Canton.
So I don't know. There we go.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: Well, thank you for that. Wow. You guys did good. All right. Our producer Diana is. Okay. So a little different this week. So whoever loses is gonna hear a special something. Okay. So, Diana, how did Graham do this week?
Okay.
Woo.
Congrats. All right. How did Leland do this week?
Congrats. How does victory feel, Graham?
[00:22:55] Speaker B: You know, I'd like to thank my mom and my dad and everybody who got me this far.
I'm also going to be announcing my retirement right now and go out on.
[00:23:05] Speaker A: Top, you know, retired. Asylum Springs. Right No Florida for you. Siloam's where it's at.
[00:23:13] Speaker B: I'm just waiting for my cake next week, so. The Rick fires retirement cake?
[00:23:17] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. We'll see what we can do on that. You know, I provided snacks this week. You don't know.
[00:23:24] Speaker B: I know, right? How was that chip, by the way?
[00:23:27] Speaker A: It was good. It was really good. I kind of underestimated bringing snacks on the show because this mic is really loud. You could have hear me. You could have heard me eat it. So I had to kind of go off camera to do that.
[00:23:40] Speaker B: You know, at some point, you're gonna have to go. You're gonna have to go down there and film a prep rally episode with Leland.
[00:23:45] Speaker A: And, you know, I'll bring all the snacks. Leland. I promise.
[00:23:50] Speaker C: Okay. I was expecting a care package, but okay.
[00:23:53] Speaker B: I'll go to Godfather's Pizza Leland in Siloam and send that down with her since she wants to be a little snarky about Siloam Springs.
[00:24:03] Speaker A: Hey, I didn't say there was anything wrong with Siloam Springs. How could you say that?
Did I? I don't remember.
[00:24:11] Speaker B: You said something about it. I can't remember what you said exactly, and I haven't even slept since then.
[00:24:19] Speaker A: Well, with all that being said, we hope you enjoyed this week of prep rally, and we'll see everybody next week.
