Local basketball teams in the thick of postseason action

Marion boys, both Earle teams advance

By Ralph Hardin

ralphhardin@gmail.com

The 2024-25 regular high school basketball season is in the books and all three of Crittenden County’s public schools had teams qualify for the state playoffs.

The hottest teams around may just be the Earle Bulldogs, with both the boys and girls teams advancing to the quarterfinals in their respective brackets.

The Bulldogs ran away with the win in the opening round of the Boys State Tournament, topping Marvell-Elaine by a score of 79-50. Earle The 1A No. 3 seed from District 2, will move on to take on Columbia Christian, the No. 4 seed in District 4 in Round 2.

Columbia dispatched County Line High School in the first round, in an upset, winning 51-39. The two schools will meet at 5:30 p.m., this afternoon in Trumann.

As for the Lady Bulldogs, the Earle girls were victorious in their opening-round clash with Augusta, the No. 3 seed from District 3. Earle, the No. 2 seed from District 2, was never in any serious peril, downing the Augusta ladies easily by a 77-38 margin.

The Lady Bulldogs will now set their sights on a quarterfinal match-up with the No. 1 seed out of District 4, Lafayette County. Tipoff time from Truman thie afternoon is set for 4 p.m.

The Marion girls team bowed out in the first round of the 5A Girls State Tournament.

The Lady Patriots, the No. 2 seed in the 5A East, came up short in a close contest with South No. 2 seed Benton, falling 44-40.

Benton also proved to be the bane of the West Memphis boys team when the Blue Devils took on the Panthers.

Benton, the 5A South No. 1 seed, hanging in early, but the second half was all Benton, as the Blue Devils, playing as the 5A East No. 4 seed, were eliminated from the postseason by a final score of 78-50.

Still alive in 5A competition is the Marion boys team.

After dispatching El Dorado in convincing fashion, 72-44, the Patriots, the No. 1 seed out of the 5A East, took down a tough Sylvan Hills team in the quarterfinals Thursday night. After going back-andforth with the Bears throughout the game, Marion was able to build a bit of a cushion with a seven-point lead and the Patriots held on to win 5450 to advance.

The win sets up a big semifinal showdown between Marion and Benton tomorrow afternoon.

With Benton’s teams already ending the postseason runs of the Blue Devils in the boys pracket and the Lady Patriots in the girls tournament, it may be on the mond of the Patriots to get a little revenge for the local teams.

Game time at Greene County Tech is set for 1:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the Earle Alumni Club

Photo courtesy of the Blue Devil News Crew