2016 RECAP RUMBLE ON THE RIDGE, FORREST CITY AR

Another fourth-place finish for Forrest City, another Rumble championship for El Dorado

Fourth place at the annual Rumble on the Ridge basketball tournament held each year over the Thanksgiving Weekend at Mustang Arena, is not exactly what longtime Forrest City head basketball coach Dwight Lofton had in mind for his Mustangs each year, but it has become an all but too familiar resting place for his teams.

Over the past 27-year tournament span, the Mustangs have finished fourth more than a dozen  times.

After winning the 2016 tournament opening game for the 14th time in 20 tries – a 76-59 victory over Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn., the Mustangs lost to North Little Rock 73-57 in Friday’s semifinal round, dropping them into the third-place game while propelling North Little Rock into the championship game.

That semifinal against North Little Rock was a rematch of sorts for both Forrest City and North Little Rock, the two teams that met in the 2014 tournament final, ending with a Forrest City win which still remains as their only Rumble title.

Conway opened the Rumble with a 71-49 loss to Parkview and defeated Blytheville 48-27 on Friday to set up the fifth-place game matchup with Memphis Mitchell, who lost to North Little Rock in the first round and then beat Raleigh-Egypt in the loser’s semifinals on Friday.

In the 2016 seventh place game, it was Blytheville, making their first visit to the tournament, defeated Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn. 57-50.

In the championship game El Dorado made it back-to-back Rumble championships, having won the previous 2015 Rumble.

El Dorado became only the second team in the 20-year history of the tournament to win back-to-back championship games and senior guard Czar Perry captured the most valuable player honors for a second consecutive year.

Facing North Little Rock, who won the Rumble on the Ridge in 2013, El Dorado held off a frenzied late run by the Charging Wildcats to take a 72-69 win.

El Dorado senior 6’11” post Daniel Gafford, named to the the 20th annual tournament played at Mustang Arena with 18 points, 28 rebounds and 13 blocked shots.ll Tournament First Team, turned in a triple double performance in the finals of

Gafford, who has signed to play college basketball at Arkansas, controlled the game on both ends of the court.

The only other team to win consecutive Rumble on the Ridge titles has been Southwind, Tenn., who accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2012.

El Dorado won the 2015 and 2016 tournament titles.

Both North Little Rock and El Dorado started slowly in the 2016 tournament championship game, each team missing their first seven shots from the field.

When the shots began to fall, it was North Little Rock, who won the Rumble on the Ridge title in 2013 and lost in the 2014 finals to Forrest City, that took a 7-0 lead. El Dorado tied the game at 13-13 and led 15-13 after one quarter.

Both teams battled through three ties and three lead changes in the second quarter which ended with the Wildcats taking a 39-31 lead into the half.

Three more ties in the second half and three more lead changes finally gave El Dorado the lead for good with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter at 56-54 on a two handed slam by Gafford.

The Wildcats pushed their lead to nine points twice in the final five minutes before holding on for the three-point victory.

North Little Rock 6’3” sophomore forward Collin Moore finished with 28 points and was named to the All-Tournament Second team, while teammate 5’10” senior guard Jarvis Ricks added 20 points and was named to the All Tournament First Team. Deion Dobbins, North Little Rock’s 6’5” senior forward contributed 17 points and was named to the All-Tournament First team.

North Little Rock played their way into the finals by defeating Memphis Mitchell in the first round and then Forrest City in the semifinals.

Little Rock Parkview finished third by defeating Forrest City in the consolation game 65-55 while Conway downed Memphis Mitchell 55-45 to take fifth and Blytheville finished seventh with a win over Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn.

The 20th annual Rumble on the Ridge field included seven former champions with Blytheville making its first appearance in the tournament.

After winning the 2016 tournament opening game for the 14th time in 20 tries – a 76-59 victory over Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn., the Mustangs lost to North Little Rock 73-57 in the semifinals, dropping them into the third-place game while propelling North Little Rock into the championship game.

Forrest City’s semifinal game against North Little Rock was a rematch of sorts for both teams. Both met in the 2014 tournament final with Forrest City winning their only Rumble on the Ridge tournament championship. North Little Rock downed Jonesboro to win the tournament in 2013.

Conway opened the Rumble with a 71-49 loss to Parkview and defeated Blytheville 48-27 to set up the fifth-place game matchup with Mitchell, who lost to North Little Rock in the first round and then beat Raleigh-Egypt in the loser’s semifinals.

In that year’s seventh place game, it was Blytheville, making their first visit to the tournament, defeating Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn. 57-50.

Blytheville, coached by McKenzie Pierce, who brought EPC to last year’s Rumble on the Ridge, lost to El Dorado in the first round and fell to Conway in the second round on Friday.

That 2016 tournament was like watching a replay of the 2015 Rumble on the Ridge tournament Saturday.

El Dorado became only the second team in the 20-year history of the tournament to win back-to-back championship games and senior guard Czar Perry captured the most valuable player honors for a second consecutive year.

Facing North Little Rock, who won the Rumble on the Ridge in 2013, El Dorado held off a frenzied late run by the Charging Wildcats to take a 72-69 win.

El Dorado senior 6’11” post Daniel Gafford, named to the All Tournament First Team, turned in a triple double performance in the finals of the 20th annual tournament played at Mustang Arena with 18 points, 28 rebounds and 13 blocked shots.

El Dorado advanced to Saturday’s finals by defeating Little Rock Parkview 74-72 in Friday’s semifinals after opening with a first-round win over Blytheville.

Both North Little Rock and El Dorado started slowly in the tournament championship game, each team missing their first seven shots from the field.

After grabbing the first quarter lead, North Little Rock only one more time at 51-50 to end the third quarter. The Charging Wildcats tied the game at 54-54 with 6:25 to play but never led again.

North Little Rock played their way into the finals by defeating Memphis Mitchell in the first round and then Forrest City in the semifinals.

Little Rock Parkview finished third by defeating Forrest City in the consolation game 65-55 while Conway downed Memphis Mitchell 55-45 to take fifth and Blytheville finished seventh with a win over Raleigh-Egypt, Tenn.

The 20th annual Rumble on the Ridge field included seven former champions with Blytheville making its first appearance in the tournament.