The high school basketball season in Arkansas will come to an end Saturday in Hot Springs, and Izard County’s boys will play in the final game of the school year. The Cougars will compete for the Class 1A state championship as they meet Guy-Perkins.
Izard County came into the tournament as the number three seed from Region 2. The Cougars are currently 37-3 on the season after beating Mount Vernon-Enola a week ago in the semifinals.
It was ten years ago when Izard County won its last state title. Current head coach Kyle McCandlis was a player on the 2008 Cougar team that defeated Nevada 60-51 in the championship game.
Guy-Perkins entered the state tournament as the champions of Region 3 and bring a record of 35-8 to Hot Springs. The Thunderbirds trailed by a dozen at the end of the third quarter of their semifinal game but outscored Western Grove 26-7 in the final period to get the 65-58 victory.
For Guy-Perkins, this will be the final game under the direction of John Hutchcraft who is retiring at the end of the season. Hutchcraft has coached the Thunderbird boys’ and girls’ teams for several years, and between the two programs, he has won a total of 11 state championships.
Tip-off at Bank of the Ozarks Arena is scheduled for 7:45.
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