Home of the Bearcats: & Home of the Viral Long-Snap, Half-Court Shot

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Not much goes on in the little town bordering Jonesboro, but the athletics at Brookland High School in Brookland, Arkansas are expanding and beginning to make quite the name for themselves. 

Brookland sends athletes to the collegiate level almost every year, as well as adding new sports facilities every few years - the most recent being their Bearcat Arena. Crystal Reynolds, mother of 4 student-athletes that have attended/are attending Brookland Public Schools, gave me her personal insight on this small town she calls home. 

Logo: https://www.hudl.com/team/v2/82932

Mrs. Reynolds has lived in Brookland for 24 years and has been involved with Brookland Schools (and their sports) for 18 of those years. She stated she has 2 alumni (both student-athletes) and has 2 attendees of the school right now. Mrs. Reynolds affirmed my point of the sports at BHS growing and making more progress each year. She said, “I love to see this district, that didn’t even have a proper football field when I moved here, grow athletically and get recognition”. She has been the parent of students in multiple sports, as well as currently serving her 3rd term as president of the Brookland Public Schools Soccer Booster Club. I asked Mrs. Reynolds, “If you could describe Brookland in just a few words, what would they be?” She responded with, “small-town, close community”.  

Another aspect of the sports at BHS is the passionate, fun, and involved coaches. In 2019 this Brookland football coach was featured on KAIT8 News, SportsCenter, and the House of Highlights Instagram page for his epic long-snap, half-court shot. 

Image: https://www.kait8.com/2019/02/11/brookland-football-coach-chuck-speer-going-viral-halfcourt-hike/ 

Brookland has multiple state championship titles including those in basketball, volleyball, golf, and cheer. The most recent being a 2022 volleyball state championship, according to scorebooklive.com. They also have dozens of state tournament appearances in sports including soccer, football, dance, and bowling. 

As mentioned earlier, BHS sends athletes to the collegiate level almost every year. Not only that, but according to greatschools.org, the college readiness of Brookland students is far above the state average.

While the town is small, Brookland grows a little more each year. Within the last the 10 years, the population has doubled, which has brought more businesses, more restaurants, more students, more athletes, and more workers. Even though Brookland is surrounded by two bigger cities with much more opportunities and entertainment, Brookland will always be home to me.

Map: https://www.landsat.com/brookland-arkansas-aerial-photography-map.html


Bibliography

“Brookland Demographics.” Get Current Census Data for Brookland, AR, https://www.arkansas-demographics.com/brookland-demographics. Accessed 27 Feb. 2023.

“Brookland Football Coach Chuck Speer Going Viral for Halfcourt Hike.” KAIT, https://www.kait8.com/2019/02/11/brookland-football-coach-chuck-speer-going-viral-halfcourt-hike/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2023. 

“Brookland Unveils New Arena.” KAIT, https://www.kait8.com/story/36764750/brookland-unveils-new-arena/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2023.

Guardian, Parent /. “Brookland High School.” GreatSchools.Org, 31 Dec. 2009, https://www.greatschools.org/arkansas/brookland/222-Brookland-High-School/.

Halpern, Jeff. “Class 4A Arkansas State Volleyball Championship: Brookland Sweeps Shiloh Christian.” Scorebook Live, 29 Oct. 2022, https://news.scorebooklive.com/arkansas/2022/10/29/class-4a-arkansas-state-volleyball-championship-brookland-sweeps-shiloh-christian.

Reynolds, Crystal. Interview - Hometown of Brookland. Interview by Livvie Campbell, 24 Feb. 2023.





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