Future Lady Bulldogs keep summer winning streak alive at camp

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS

As the ball starts to go out of bounds, Lady Bulldog Shylee Morales catches and throws it over her head towards teammate Sydney Brooks during the Decatur-Rogers Hellstern junior high basketball contest in Rogers June 24. Brooks caught the pass and put it back into play for a Lady Bulldog field goal.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS As the ball starts to go out of bounds, Lady Bulldog Shylee Morales catches and throws it over her head towards teammate Sydney Brooks during the Decatur-Rogers Hellstern junior high basketball contest in Rogers June 24. Brooks caught the pass and put it back into play for a Lady Bulldog field goal.

ROGERS -- Throughout the summer, many junior and senior high sports teams attend a variety of sports camps designed to keep the athletes in shape during the off-season months. For one local junior high girls' basketball team, a chance to play basketball against others is better than sitting around watching television all day.

The Decatur junior high girls participated in the 2022 Hooping in the Heat basketball camp at Heritage High School in Rogers June 23-24.

The team played a series of three games with two 12-minute halves each. Some of the schools Decatur faced included Rogers Lingle Middle School, Rogers Oakdale Middle School, Springdale Southwest Junior High and Hellstern Middle Schools, Bentonville Lincoln Middle School and Locust Grove, Okla. Middle School. Two more games were added to the Decatur schedule on the second day, bringing the total number of games to eight for the two-day event.

Decatur's first game of day one was against Rogers Lingle Middle School. Decatur quickly gained control of the contest and 30 minutes later defeated the Rogers school, 16-6. In that contest, Daisy Fuentes led the way with nine points, followed by Sydney Brooks with six, Shaylee Morales and Cali Harrington with two each.

Next up was Rogers Oakdale Middle School. The Lady Bulldogs jumped out in front early and, like the Lingle contest, held onto the lead through the remainder of the contest. Decatur claimed its second win of the camp, 39-9, over Oakdale. Fuentes once again led the way with 10 points, followed by Kaylen Cruz with seven, Rubi Frye and Brooklyn Boyd each with six, Fuentes and Shaylee Morales each with four, and Harrington with two.

The final contest of day one was against Locust Grove Middle School. The Lady Bulldogs struggled in the first half, only scoring a total of nine points, with the Lady Pirates grabbing the lead until the final minute of the half when Decatur took it back by two. Decatur's offense woke up and began pulling away from the Locust Grove Lady Pirates, taking the third Decatur win of the day, 25-12. In this game, Sunshine Thor led the way with 11 points, followed by Fuentes with six, Brooks with four, Boyd and Harrington each with two.

In Day two of the Hooping in the Heat at Heritage High School, the Decatur Lady Bulldogs continued their winning streak, claiming victory in all five of its contests.

So far, the summer of 2022 has been good for the Decatur Lady Bulldog junior high basketball team. The team thus far stands at 28 wins and only two losses. The team, like all junior and senior high school sports, is in a two-week no-play break mandated by the Arkansas Activities Association. The girls will resume summer off-season camp play in mid-July before some of the team members move to volleyball for the opening of that season in mid-August.

Decatur Day Two Contests

Decatur 25 -- Rogers Lingle 0 and 12-0.

Decatur 35 -- Springdale Hellstern 16

Decatur 25 -- Heritage Orange 16

Decatur 34 -- Springdale Southwest 9

Decatur 28 -- Heritage Orange 13

photo Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS After being fouled, Sunshine Thor puts up a free throw in the first half of the Decatur-Rogers Hellstern junior high basketball contest in Rogers June 24. So far this summer the young Lady Bulldog junior high team posted an impressive 28 wins and only two loses.
photo Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Ruby Frye goes for a successful layup during the Decatur-Springdale Southwest junior high basketball contest which was part of the Hooping in the Heat basketball camp at Heritage High School in Rogers June 24.
photo Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Sydney Brooks (right) and a Lingle player lock arms in a fight over control of the ball during the June 23 Decatur-Rogers Lingle junior high contest in Rogers. Decatur and Lingle Middle School were part of the Hooping in the Heat junior high basketball camp in the three gyms at Heritage High School.
photo Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Brooklyn Boyd (center) blocks an Oakdale player, forcing a pass, during the Decatur-Rogers Oakdale junior high basketball contest at Heritage High School in Rogers on June 23. Boyd contributed six points to the Lady Bulldogs' 39-9 win over Oakdale.