By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Time was, according to coaches and players who have been there, that winning the Northeast Arkansas Invitational Tournament was as good as winning a state title.
In fact, there are those coaches who admit given a choice between a NEA title and a state title, many would lean toward the NEA.
That's how prestigious the tournament has been.
As the high school boys' and girls' tournament begins another run today at the Arkansas State University Convocation Center, some of that past shine appears to be wearing off. But there are other factors involved.
That means things could be a little different next year.
A recent Jonesboro Sun story looked at the recent drop in enrollment figures and the lack of interest in the NEA among the larger schools as two primary reasons the tourney may invoke some changes.
The boys' AAAA-AAAAA division has only seven teams entered this season. The girls' large-school bracket has just six.
Osceola and Newport will drop to Class AAA next season, which could leave the boys' division with just five teams and the girls division with just four.
That could force NEA officials to take a look at a few changes in the tradition-rich tournament.
Gerald Jennings, the co-chairman of the NEA executive committee and superintendent at East Poinsett County, acknowledged there are several possibilities that could come about.
"If the interest is there, then it's a case if it's not broke, then don't fix it," Jennings said. "But if the interest is not there, then we'll look at things. As long as we've got six to eight teams in that division year in, year out, I'd like to see us keep it."
If changes have to be made, long-range possibilities include cutting out Class AAAA and AAAAA schools or just combining them with the Class AAA teams to return to the to two division style.
The tournament started in 1948 with a single-division, 16-team bracket, but expanded to two divisions in 1950 and went to three divisions in 1977.
West Memphis, which dominated the tournament in the late 1970s and early '80s with future All-American Keith Lee and future NBA standout Michael Cage, is one team that has dropped out in recent years.
Forrest City is another team which have opted to pass up the NEA.
The Mustangs' last trip to the NEA was in 1997 when the team defeated Pocahontas but lost to Jonesboro.
The next year they opted for the Red Devil Classic in Jacksonville and the last two years the Mustangs have played in the Bryant Tournament.
However, a glance at what was then the AAA-AAAA draw in 1985, which included 12 teams, shows some other problems.
Other teams have dropped down in enrollment and out of the tournament including Paragould and Greene County Tech, fixtures year in and year out. The Jonesboro girls dropped out last year and have not returned.
NEA executive committee co-chairman Jim Parrish said there will be a meeting of the executive committee either during or immediately following this year's tournament to discuss the matter.
"We've extended invitations most years to everyone in the area, but it's been awhile since we've talked to West Memphis or Forrest City. That's because they turned down invitations two or three years in a row," Parrish said.
Parrish said it would be tough to eliminate the AAAA-AAAAA division.
Some of the larger schools, such as Blythevlle and Forrest City, complain about having to face conference members at the NEA.
Jonesboro athletic director Don Riggs said a turn toward tournaments which guarantee teams two games and three games, such as the Rumble on the Ridge, the Hurricane Classic and the Red Devil Classic, is another reason the NEA has decreased in popularity among the larger schools.
Cutting the regular-season game limit for high school teams from 24 to 22 also makes the three-game tourney formats more attractive.
By TODD BROOKS
and FRED CONLEY
Sports Writers
EARLE -- Hughes' seven-game win streak came to an abrupt end Thursday night at Earle.
Before a packed house, Earle held on for a thrilling 80-78 win.
The Blue Devils slip to 9-4 for the year while the Bulldogs improve to 10-2.
Thursday's matchup gave fans a sign of things to come.
Hughes will join the 3AA-South Conference next year, which means the teams will meet on a regular basis.
The two teams battled back and forth the entire first half before the Bulldogs were able to get a toe hold on a small lead in the third quarter.
"We knew it was going to be a scrap and it was," Earle coach Ricky Nicks said. "This was a good test for us."
Perhaps the best thing for the Bulldogs was the fact they were able to win down the stretch without their leader, senior point guard Willie Thomas, who fouled out with 1:41 to go in the game and Earle clinging to a four-point lead.
Thomas had just two points in the first quarter, but handed out several assists to his teammates.
The two teams battled to a 20-20 tie to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Thomas poured in 12 points, including two three-pointers that helped his team lead by as many as seven before settling for a 41-39 halftime lead.
Hughes' Jermaine Davis and Robert Davis kept the Blue Devils in the hunt, combining for six three-pointers in the game.
Earle took the lead for good midway through the third.
The Bulldogs clung to a 58-55 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Hughes got as close as one point twice in the fourth, but never tied the game or took the lead.
With 1:41 left, the Blue Devils had a chance to tie with 22.8 seconds left when Robert Davis went to the line to shoot three free throws after being fouled on a shot behind the arc.
He sank the first two to cut the lead to 77-76, but missed the third and Earle got the rebound.
Earle's Bobby Moody, who scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, hit one of two free throws to make the score 78-76, but left the door open for the Blue Devils to tie or win the game with one shot.
Hughes would go for the tie instead of the win as Robert Davis drove the lane, but was called for a charge with 6.2 seconds left. Earle's George Dyson then sank two pressure-packed free throws with 5.5 seconds to go for a four-point lead that wrapped up the game. Hughes scored a meaningless basket as time expired to make the final, 80-78.
Dyson finished with 15 points for Earle
Hughes had four finish in double-figures with Robert Davis leading with 22. Jermaine Davis and Jay Doolittle had 14 each and Antonio Cotton added 13.
The Blue Devils will play in the NEA tournament in Jonesboro Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 6 p.m. against either Harrisburg or Corning.
Senior Girls
Earle 45, Hughes 34
The Earle Lady Bulldogs needed just one scoring run to put away the Hughes Lady Blue Devils 45-34 Thursday.
The two teams were tied at 7-7 in the first quarter when the Lady Bulldogs went on a 9-1 run that spilled over into the second quarter.
The Lady Blue Devils never recovered.
Earle led 11-7 at the end of the first quarter and then outscored Hughes 13-to-5 in the second to take a 24-12 halftime lead.
Earle took a 33-20 into the final quarter.
Hughes received a big blow when leading scorers Valreneeka Brown fouled out with 4:53 to go in the game with 10 points.
Jennifer Wilson led Earle with 18 points.
Shamiko Porter had eight points for Hughes and Latisha James had six.
* PREP FOOTBALLHigh School Basketball
Northeast Arkansas Invitational
at ASU Convocation Center, Jonesboro
Thursday's Scores
A-AA Boys
Izard County 66, Sloan-Hendrix 37
Delaplaine 72, Lynn 66
Rector 53, Black Rock 48
AAA Boys
Valley View 56, Trumann 46
A-AA Girls
Walnut Ridge 40, Izard County 37
Bay 39, BIC 35
AAA Girls
Piggott 65, Trumann 28
Cave City 65, Harrisburg 30
Friday, December 21
A-AA Boys
Turrell vs Rector, 1 p.m.
Armorel vs ICC, 3 p.m.
Bay vs Salem, 4:30 p.m.
BIC vs Riverside, 6 p.m.
Biggers-Reyno vs Walnut Ridge, 7:30 p.m.
AAA Boys
Rivercrest vs Brookland, 12 noon
A-AA Girls
Swifton vs Marked Tree, 4:30 p.m.
Lynn vs Salem, 6 p.m.
Riverside vs Rector, 7:30 p.m.
Biggers-Reyno vs Black Rock, 9 p.m.
AAA Girls
Rivercrest vs EPC, 12 noon
Valley View vs Brookland, 1:30 p.m.
Hoxie vs Gosnell, 3 p.m.
Saturday, December 22
A-AA Boys
Weiner vs Bay-Salem winner, 9 a.m.
Tuckerman vs Swifton, 10:30 a.m.
Parkin vs Maynard, 12 noon
Marmaduke vs B-Reyno-WRidge winner, 1:30 p.m.
River Valley vs Delaplaine-Lynn winner, 4:30 p.m.
AAA Boys
Manila vs Piggott, 3 p.m.
Heber Springs vs Gosnell, 6 p.m.
EPC vs Highland, 7:30 p.m.
Pocahontas vs Westside, 9 p.m.
A-AA Girls
Turrell vs WRidge-ICC winner, 10:30 a.m. Maynard vs River Valley, 1:30 p.m
Sloan-Hendrix vs Bay, 3 p.m.
Marmaduke vs Lynn-Salem winner, 6 p.m.
Parkin vs Weiner, 9 p.m.
AAA Girls
Heber Springs vs Manila, 12 noon
Hughes vs Jonesboro Westside, 4:30 p.m.
Corning vs Pocahontas, 7:30 p.m.