Tag Archives: Nettleton

Nettleton vs. Valley View | Boys & Girls Basketball

Posted on by

Lady Raiders win 53-40 | Raiders win 53-44. 

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO- The Nettleton Raiders girls’ and boys’ basketball teams defeated the Valley View Blazers, with both teams scoring 53 points at Raider Gym on Tuesday night. 

In the first game, the Lady Raiders (17-4) won 53-40 with the help of great shooting and defensive stops. 

The offense scored five three-pointers in key situations throughout the game, with three of them coming from guard Carmen McShan in the second half. 

McShan scored a team-leading 20 points, while center Donna Douglas scored 12 with a couple steals.

Nettleton girls head coach Kevin Frisbee expressed his thoughts on the team’s aggressive defense that helped lead them to victory, along with his feelings of beating a local school. 

Nettleton’s Keiarra Brown (25) tries to shoot through Valley View’s Madison Fischer (21) during the game on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Ibuki Hinohara/Delta Digital News Service

“Defense is where it starts with us. On-ball pressure is our top priority on the defensive side. I thought all of our guards did a good job pressuring the ball. Anytime you play a local team, it feels different. Anytime we play them we know it’s going to be a rock fight. Anytime you beat someone in town, it’s a little extra special,” Frisbee said. 

On the other side, Valley View (10-8) was missing a few starters that got the team out of sync. Blazer girl head coach Angie Ellis shared what went wrong for the team.

“We’re still trying to find our identity. We have some injuries on the team and we’re short on some guards. I’m having to rotate off-guards into the guard position because we are injured. We’re trying to find five kids to gel together. I thought we struggled to score and we needed other kids to step up and score for us,” Ellis said.

Coach Ellis also shared what the game plan was moving forward to get back on track. 

“We play in probably the best conference in the state of Class-5A with five teams ranked. We’ve got some key injuries. I thought that game got too physical and it’s hard to prepare them for that physicality of a game,” said Ellis. “We need to get our bodies back healthy and reset for Marion on Friday night.”

Despite the lack of guards for the Blazers, two players scored double-digit points. Bonnie Fagen scored 14 points and Annika Wilbanks scored 12 points. 

In the second game, the Raiders (12-8) defeated the Blazers (12-8) 53-44. 

Nettleton’s Taylor Smith (0) tries go past Valley View’s Laird Cullen (4) during the game on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Ibuki Hinohara/Delta Digital News Service

The defense and shooting were big factors for Nettleton, while shooting 8-12 from the free-throw line, three, three-pointers from guard Kam Bobo and only allowing five different players to score throughout the game.

Nettleton head coach Luke Tate shared his thoughts on the team’s success on defense that allowed the offense to open.

“If we shoot the ball the way we guard, we are going to be really hard to stop. Because we kept working against the zone and getting in the middle and attacking, it freed up some shooters. If we guard, we can rebound and get out and run,” Tate said.

“If we shoot the ball the way we guard, we are going to be really hard to stop. Because we kept working against the zone and getting in the middle and attacking, it freed up some shooters. If we guard, we can rebound and get out and run,”

Nettleton head coach Luke Tate

Guard Taylor Smith led the Raiders with 20 points, while guard Bobo and forward Ja’Kobe Jamison combined for 30 points in the win. 

Coach Tate expressed his thoughts on those three players and the impact they made for the team.

“Kam Bobo came off the bench and had 14 points, with some big three’s and guarded really well. Taylor Smith is always going to be the one everyone knows about and he attacked well. Ja’Kobe Jamison is a tough left-handed kid and he just finds ways to get in there and hit really tough shots,” Tate said.

Valley View was only down by three at halftime, but Nettleton ran away with the score in the second half.

Blazer head coach Lane Campbell explained his team’s struggles and what the team needs to get better at.

“We went into halftime down by three, I was very pleased with how we played. We couldn’t get shots to fall in the second half like we did in the first half and gave up too many second chance rebounds. You can’t do that against a team that is athletic like that,” Campbell said.

The Raiders and Blazers will both play at home on Friday, as Nettleton plays Searcy and Valley View plays Marion. 

-30-

Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature Photo shows Nettleton’s Carmen McShan (1) shooting against Nettleton’s Brianna Huff (22) during the game on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Photo by Ibuki Hinohara

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Nettleton vs. Southside

Posted on by

Southerners capture Raiders, 42-17

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 13, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Southside Southerners remain undefeated with a strong second half to beat the Nettleton Raiders 42-17 on Friday night at Raider Stadium.

Southerners quarterback Savion Hall scored four total touchdowns, one passing and the other three rushing, but Nettleton had the momentum early and fought, keeping the score 21-17 at halftime.

Southside went for an onside kick to start the game with Nettleton recovering in Southerners’ territory. 

Running back TJ Brown led the Raiders to their first score on their first drive, with three straight rushing plays to reach the endzone. Nettleton then decided to do their own onside kick and recovered at the 34-yard line. 

Nettleton’s TJ Brown (10) runs the ball against Southside during first half action in Jonesboro on Friday, October 13, 2023.

The Raiders’ drive was stalled to a successful field goal attempt by Mason Waln, giving them a 10-0 lead. 

Southside would eventually respond with Hall running straight up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown. 

The Southerners gained quick momentum when Raider quarterback Maddox Hampton threw an interception around midfield in a triple coverage scenario. 

Southside took advantage of the excellent field position with a 32-yard rushing touchdown by Hall, leading 14-10. 

The back and forth game continued, as Brown scored his second rushing touchdown on a 40-yard play to get the lead back early in the second quarter at 17-14. 

Hall’s final rushing touchdown occurred in a goal-line situation to regain the lead before halftime. 

On Southside’s opening drive of the second half, Hall threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaac Wallis, leading 28-14. 

Nettleton drove down the field on their next drive but failed to execute on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

After that, the Southerners would go on to score two more touchdowns and run the clock out.

The Raiders are now 6-2, looking to bounce back next week as they travel to play Forrest City in a conference matchup. 

-30-

Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo shows Nettleton’s Maddox Hampton preparing to throw the ball against Southside during first half action on Friday, October 13, 2023. Photo by Ibuki Hinohara

Nonprofit Fights Teenage Substance Abuse

Posted on by


by Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – Active in this community since 2008, the Craighead Out of The Dark Coalition plans to jump-start the organization.

CODC’s executive board attended the Arkansas Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Summit in Hot Springs. CODC received a $175,000 Drug-Free Communities grant to apply to its goals. Efforts to receive the grant started five years ago.

“I started out as a community volunteer and was contacted by the board because they had heard that I was running another youth state program,” President Noelle Richardson said. “Last spring we wrote for the DFC grant through Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and we found out in the last week of September that we were awarded the grant.”

The DFC grant will provide CODC with full-time and part-time staff. The grant assists communities in connecting with 12 different sectors, from government to education.

Meeting the Community

Noelle’s husband and CODC chair Kevin Richardson thanked attendees of the November meeting at the NEA Food Bank for their support.

“Even though you haven’t heard a lot from us, a lot has been going on,” he said.

CODC challenged Craighead County fourth-graders to create drug-free posters. The top contestants attended the meeting and displayed their posters; Cason Kifer of Buffalo Island Central West Elementary won the competition. His poster can be seen on billboards throughout the city.

The Prevention Squad held its Christmas party at Lost Pizza Co. (back row, l. to r.) Melissa Ayers, Noelle Richardson, Zavier Roberts, Mia Goodrich, Lauren Lewis; (front row, l. to r.) Jackie Sosa, Rylie Fanning, Abigail Pausch. Photo by Kevin Richardson.

The Prevention Squad, made up of six high school students from the area, gave a rundown of the events held within the last year. The Prevention Squad hosted a Back 2 School Bash and the “Leave Your Mark” rally in October. It also participated in the Mud Ball Tournament, which benefits the St. Bernards’ NICU.

The CODC’s chapters curently include the Bay, Brookland, Buffalo Island Central, Nettleton, Riverside, Valley View and Westside school districts. Seventeen school chapters exist across Craighead County alone, as well as more than 250 students who attended a five-hour leadership training course put on by CODC. Noelle Richardson said she believes they will have a chapter in every school within the next year.

“People should be on the lookout for Out of The Dark,” Noelle Richardson said.

Benton police department Cpt. Kevin Russell from the Coalition for Safer Arkansas Communities showed a video created by a Colorado-based group, Smart Colorado that provided information on the negative effects of marijuana in Colorado since they legalized recreational marijuana use.

Russell said youths need to be taught the importance of the word “yes.”

“They not only need to say ‘no’ to drugs but ‘yes’ to life, which is a life free of drugs,” Russell said.

CODC also participated in the Arkansas Rx Drug Take Back, which collected over 60 pounds of old prescriptions during the four-hour period.