By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The first four Rumble on the Ridge basketball tournaments have fielded some impressive basketball names from the high school ranks and beyond.
Players Marvin Stone, T.J. Cleveland, John Gunn, Johnathan Bender and NBA Coach Rudy Tomjanovich to name just a few.
Come next Thursday, when the fifth edition of the annual Thanksgiving tournament tips, Patrick Ewing Jr. hopes to add his name to the list of Rumble notables as a member of the Marietta High School Blue Devil basketball team, one of the eight teams making up the 2001 Rumble field.
And yes, we're talking about the son of Orlando Magic center Patrick Ewing, Sr.
Reports began swirling this week that Ewing Jr., who lives in the North Atlanta area with his mother, could be transferring from the private school he currently attends to Marietta High School. While it appears to a done deal, the timing may not coincide to make Ewing Jr. eligible for the Rumble.
As of this morning, according to Marietta High School officials, Ewing Jr. had not formally enrolled at the school and is not on campus.
Blue Devil Coach Charlie Hood said "it is a day-to-day thing which could happen this week or may not happen until after Dec. 1."
To be eligible, Ewing would have to have an established residence in the Marietta district, which he does not currently have.
Ewing is still enrolled at Holy Innocents, a small Class AA school.
The Marietta Blue Devils already have one NBA link on their team, Chris Ellis, son of former NBA star Dale Ellis.
The possible addition of Ewing would certainly make Marietta a strong favorite to win the Rumble title.
The Blue Devils are returning three starters from last year's 26-5 team which reached the final four of the state tournament, including Ellis, a 6-8 senior forward and 6-2 senior forward Keyon Boyd.
The addition of Ewing would give Hood seven players standing 6-3 or taller.
Marietta will open against Carroll, La.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
VALLEY VIEW -- Jill Shrable scored 22 points Monday night to lead the Valley View Lady Blazers past defending Class AA champions Palestine-Wheatley 56-35.
The loss was only the second in the past 50 games for the Lady Patriots, who slip to 1-1 for the year.
"We did some things better than we did last week in our opener against Arkansas Baptist," said P-W Coach Beverly Bass, "Our guard play was better but we just don't have that big scorer like we've had in the past and that means that defense will have to win games for us this season."
Nikki Bass led the Lady Patriots with 11 points and 15 rebounds while Nikita Love helped out with 10 points and three rebounds. From there the individual scoring dropped off significantly as Beth Varvil and LaRhonda Bender finished with four points each and Laquanza Reeder, Jameela Applewhite and Jenny Loewer had two points each.
Valley View improves to 3-2 with the win.
The Lady Blazers led 18-10 after one period and then outscored P-W 15-to-4 in the second period to build a 33-14 halftime lead while effectively going to a "box-in-one" on Bass for the remainder of the game.
"When they brought out their box, that pretty much spelled the end for Nikki's scoring," Bass said.
It was the first loss for the Lady Patriots since losing to Jonesboro in the finals of the White County Tournament in Searcy last November.
Palestine-Wheatley will travel to Ozark on Thursday.
After a good start in their own Wheatley Invitational Tournament over the weekend, finishing third, the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Lady Patriots were held to just seven points Monday against Valley View, who rolled to a 41-7 win.
The Junior Lady Patriots fall to 1-2 for the year.
At Hughes, the Junior Lady Blue Devils lost to West Memphis East 42-21 Monday night.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots couldn't contain the Pocahontas Redskins Monday night, losing 56-43.
Pocahontas used a 23-point second period to open a 31-22 halftime lead over the Patriots (0-2) and never looked back.
Brandon Swann led the Redskins with 14 points while Luke Holt added 13.
Oliver Smith led the Patriots with 18 points while DeVille Pickett added 11 points.
"We looked better and played well," said P-W Coach Terry Clardy. "It's still early and we have some young kids on the team who are still trying to find their roles."
Students from Astin's Taekwondo Academy competed in the NTFA State Martial Arts Tournament, Nov. 3, at Jacksonville and won eight trophies including four firsts, three seconds and one third-place. Students are: Tabitha Eary, Angel Hood, Jason Dobson, Wesley McGill and Chase Breeding. Carroll Astin is the chief instructor and Gina Astin is a 4th Degree Black Belt Chief Instructor.
The Forrest City White Junior Mustangs and White Junior Lady Mustangs opened their season Monday against Wynne at Mustang Arena.
Viveca Kimble scored 18 points to lead the junior girls to a 35-14 win.
Forrest City led 10-7 at the half and 24-12 after three periods.
Shari Rogers added nine points for Forrest City.
In junior boys action, Wynne took a 35-20 win over the White Mustangs.
Cord Gray scored 16 points for Wynne while Jacoby Martin led Forrest City with eight points. Augustus Haggins added four as did Cameron Henderson and Jarvis Palmer.
* PREP FOOTBALL
High School
Saturday's Scores
Forrest City at Pine Bluff Jamboree (Sr Boys)
North Little Rock 27, Forrest City 10
Forrest City 13, Little Rock Hall 9
Monday's Scores
Forrest City White 35, Wynne 14
Wynne 35, Forrest City White 20
WMemphis East 42, Hughes 21 (Jr. Girls)
Pocahontas 56, Palestine-Wheatley 43 (Sr. Boys)
Valley View 56, Palestine-Wheatley 35 (Sr. Girls)
Valley View 41, Palestine-Wheatley 7 (Jr. Girls)
Thursday, November 15
Forrest City Blue at Wynne (Jr. Girls, Boys)
Earle at Hughes (Jr. Boys, Sr. Girls, Boys)
Palestine-Wheatley at Ozark (Sr. Girls, Boys)
Friday, November 16
West Helena at Forrest City (Sr Girls, Boys)
November 22,23,24
Rumble on the Ridge at Mustang Arena
First-Round Games, Thursday, Nov. 22
Hughes vs Columbus, Miss. 3:30 p.m.
Osceola vs Woodlawn, La., 5 p.m.
Forrest City vs William Chrisman, Mo. 6:30 p.m.
Marietta, Ga. vs Carroll, La., 8 p.m.
* PREP FOOTBALL
CLASS AAAAA
Playoffs First Round
Texarkana 49, Springdale 31
West Memphis 21, LR Central 20
Cabot 29, LR McClellan 6
Bentonville 21, Pine Bluff 20
Russellville 32, Jacksonville 14
El Dorado 13, Mountain Home 7
Conway 28, Bryant 23
FS Southside 36, Mills Univ. 0
Second Round
Friday, November 16
West Memphis at Texarkana
Bentonville at Cabot
El Dorado at Russellville
FS Southside at Conway
Class AAAA - First Round
Alma18, Newport 0
Stuttgart 25, Pulaski Robinson 0
Osceola 63, Siloam Springs 27
Watson Chapel 20, Arkadelphia 14
Hope 17, West Helena Central 14
Wynne 56, Greenwood 35
Monticello 21, Magnolia 3
Searcy 41, Batesville 21
Second Round
Friday, November 16
Stuttgart at Alma
Watson Chapel at Osceola
Wynne at Hope
Searcy at Monticello
Class AAA - First Round
Ozark 13, Prairie Grove 8
Dumas 45, Pulaski Oak Grove 21
Yelleville-Summit 33, Harrisburg 28
Nashville 35, Hamburg 21
Rivercrest 28, Bald Knob 21
Beebe 36, Brinkley 33
Booneville 28, Huntsville 0
Fordyce 20, De Queen 12
Pulaski Academy 63, Hughes 29
Dardanelle 25, Gravette 10
Dollarway 28, Atkins 0
Gosnell 42, Hoxie 19
Star City 38, Ashdown 21
Trumann 21, Pocahontas 7
Warren 46, Mena 14
Clarksville 39, Farmington 8
Second Round
Friday, November 16
Ozark at Dumas
Nashville at Yellville-Summit
Beebe at Rivercrest
Fordyce at Booneville
Dardanelle at Pulaski Academy
Gosnell at Dollarway
Star City at Trumann
Clarksville at Warren
Class AA - First Round
Shiloh Christian 52, Westside JC 16
Hazen 28, Palestine-Wheatley 8
Harding Academy 36, Mountain Pine 20
Harmony Grove 47, Murfreesboro 6
Marked Tree 40, Clarendon 14
Carlisle 58, Jessieville 8
Charleston 41, Elkins 12
Junction City 34, Foreman 16
Mayflower 28, Bauxite 14
Des Arc 42, Salem 7
Barton 45, Rector 14
Greenland 26, Hector 0
Hampton 24, Gurdon 7
Danville 28, Mountainburg 0
Rison 35, Mineral Springs 20
Augusta 27, Mount Ida 21
Second Round
Friday, November 16
Hazen at Shiloh Christian
Harmony Grove at Harding Academy
Carlisle at Marked Tree
Junction City at Charleston
Mayflower at Des Arc
Greenland at Barton
Danville at Hampton
Rison at Augusta