By Jason Avery
News-Times Staff
Sometimes all it takes is for one change to allow a rivalry to blossom.
In the case of Parkers Chapel and Spring Hill, that change came when the Arkansas Activities Association reshuffled conferences as part of the new combined classification districts.
Prior to the change, the Bears and Trojans met twice in the regional tournament.
Parkers Chapel topped Spring Hill 3-1 in 2014, but the Bears ended the Trojans' season a year later with a 4-2 triumph.
When the Bears and Trojans collide for the 2A state title Saturday in Fayetteville, it will mark the eighth meeting between the schools over the last two years.
There has been plenty of drama with six of the seven games being decided by three runs or less, including three by a single run in 2017.
"There's no need for scouting reports or any of that this week," said Parkers Chapel coach Mark Looney. "They know us. We know them. Right now, we're the hot team offensively. They got by who they needed to get by to get back to Baum Stadium, and they want to defend their championship. It's been a long, long time since anybody in our classification has gone back-to-back.
"Just like last year, we played them four times, and all four were good ballgames. We beat them three times by one run, and the fourth time we beat them was by three runs, and they went on to win the state championship.
"This year, other than the regional, the first two games we met were good, close ballgames. When you play somebody a lot, and when they're competitive ballgames, you become rivals no matter what town it is. That's the way it's been with us and Junction (City) for years."
Although Spring Hill coach Cameron Brown is in his first year as the Bears' head coach, this is his fourth year with the team, and he has seen the rivalry grown firsthand.
"I really feel like for both teams that it drives each other to get better," Brown said. "Parkers Chapel is a great team, Spring Hill is a great team, and every time we face each other, it's grit and grind and try to win by one run.
"We played each other four times last year, and three of those games were one-run games. Parkers Chapel got us all four games, but unfortunately, they were knocked out in the first round of the state tournament, and we weren't able to see each other again at Baum like we are this year.
"Even this year, it's been close games. They beat us by two, we beat them by two, then in the regional championship, we were out of pitching and they got the better of us. We're looking to get a little bit of revenge on it with our No.1 and No. 2 pitchers being able to go. It's a competition. I was speaking with a parent just this past weekend, and you know what happens on the field, stays on the field. We understand that we're there because we want to compete and want to win, but we leave it on the field."
Although Saturday's contest between the Trojans and Bears will be the final one for 2018, it will not be the final one between the schools.
Starting next year, the reconfigured 8-2A will have Parkers Chapel and Spring Hill along with Junction City, Woodlawn, Fordyce and Harmony Grove, making it one of the toughest conferences in the state regardless of class.
"With everything going back to somewhat normal next year, I assume it will continue," Looney said. "Our conference is going to be brutal. With Woodlawn, Junction City, Parkers Chapel, Spring Hill, Fordyce and Harmony Grove, that's six teams that can play a little baseball, and two of them aren't going to regionals. Then we'll be matched up with Horatio and Dierks from the other side (in the regional tournament), but that's next year."
In one respect, the Bears and Trojans are polar opposites of each other.
The Trojans have only two seniors, and their wins last weekend over McCrory and Palestine-Wheatley were their first in the state tournament since 2014.
Spring Hill has seven seniors back from last year's team that won the state title, and while the Trojans have won two of the three meetings in 2018, Saturday's game will be the one that writes the final chapter for this period.
"We're going to go up there and give it all that we have," Looney said. "I'm just so proud of this young bunch. Everybody is just doing their job right now."