Class 4A championship capsule
2023 CLASS 4A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
BOYS
Thursday, March 9, 1:45 p.m.
Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs Convention Center
BLYTHEVILLE VS LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN
BLYTHEVILLE CHICKASAWS (34-1)
Head coach: McKenzie Pierce
State championships: (4) 2006, 1989, 1986, 1979
State championship games: (9) 2023, 2022, 2006, 1989, 1987, 1986, 1979, 1978, 1976
LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN WARRIORS (26-8)
Head coach: Kyle Pennington
State championships: (1) 2005
State championship games: (3) 2023, 2006, 2005
FEARLESS FACTS: Pierce is in his seventh year at Blytheville after two years at East Poinsett County. … Pennington is in his first year at Little Rock Christian after guiding Russellville to four-straight 5A-West conference championships. … Blytheville’s last state championship was in 2006 when the Chickasaws beat Magnolia, 46-41. …Blytheville is making a consecutive appearance in the state championship game for the first time since the 1986 and 1987 seasons. … Blytheville handed Farmington its first loss of the season in a semifinal on Saturday, scoring the final 11 points to win, 65-53, behind Rashaud Marshall, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. … Little Rock Christian ousted Magnolia, state champions three of the last four years, in the quarterfinals, and defeated Dardanelle in a semifinal. … Little Rock Christian’s Ben Fox scored 49 points in three state tournament games last week while Landren Blocker had 51. … Blytheville was ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette preseason rankings while Little Rock Christian was No. 2.
GIRLS
Thursday, March 9, noon
Bank OZK Arena, Hot Springs Convention Center
FARMINGTON VS NASHVILLE
FARMINGTON LADY CARDINALS (35-1)
Head coach: Brad Johnson
State championships: (2) 2020, 2004
State championship games: (9) 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2012, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1998
NASHVILLE LADY SCRAPPERS (29-3)
Head coach: Paul Dean
State championships: (1) 2023
State championship games: (3) 2023, 2022, 1973
FEARLESS FACTS: Johnson is in his 14th year at Farmington. … Dean is in his fourth year at Nashville after a year at DeQueen and eight years at Greenwood as an assistant under Clay Reeves. … This is a rematch from last season’s title game, which Nashville won 42-41 before a sold out crowd of 6,500. … Farmington is in the championship game for the fourth straight season after losing to Nashville last year and to Harrison the year before after being named co-champion in 2020 along with Star City after the game was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. … Nashville is in its third championship game, winning last year and losing to Highland in 1973. … Nashville’s girls teams remain known as the Scrapperettes, going against the current trend of ‘Lady’ in front of the school mascot. … The two teams have been generally considered the two best in Class 4A all season. … Farmington has won 25 straight games. … Nashville has won 24 straight contests.
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