Fayetteville High School sets the tone for boy’s basketball postseason tournament
Bulldogs dominate Little Rock Magnet in game 1 of the 6A Arkansas HS postseason
The Sports Reporter Collective
Thursday, March 6, 2025
By Lo Jones | Aspiring Journalist
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Fayetteville High School boy’s basketball team beat Little Rock Southwest Gryphons in a 65-53 victory in Springdale Wednesday night in front of a packed crowd.
Fayetteville pulled ahead in the first quarter, establishing the precedent for the remainder of the game. The Gryphons showed nerves early but settled in by the second quarter.
“The biggest thing in a state tournament is getting your feet wet and just trying to find your way through it. At the end of the day, it’s about surviving and advancing.”
–Brad Stamps
Coach Stamps said Fayetteville’s group of seniors responded well to adversity, seeking the school’s first state championship since 2009.
By the end of the night, key Bulldogs players Xavier Brown, Jaxson Jorgensen, and Quenci Bradford had scored over ten points apiece. Gryphons Kyleston Gill and Johnathon Hudson also scored over ten points each, keeping the game competitive.
“I don’t think we played great,” Stamps said. “We made some toughness plays down the stretch.… I give credit to Southwest… for three and a half quarters, they were really good…. But I like the way we finished.”
The Fayetteville turning point came in the form of a multiple-layup response from Brown after the Gryphon defense limited the Bulldogs’ 3-point scoring ability. With less than a minute left, Quenci Bradford slammed the door on the Gryphons with a dynamic breakaway dunk.
“Just so proud of that,” Stamps said. “But at this moment, my attention immediately goes to the next [game], which is Jonesboro, who I have great respect for.”
With the victory over Little Rock Southwest, the Bulldogs improve to 23-8 on the season. Fayetteville High School will face Jonesboro, with a record of 25-4, on Friday, March 7 at 8:30 p.m. in another postseason tournament matchup.
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REPORTER’S BIO | Lo Jones is a junior majoring in multimedia storytelling in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Lo Jones
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