LIKE IT IS

Spruced-up Barton ready for challenge

— The Arkansas high school basketball state finals will be a walk down memory lane for many this year, and for those playing in one of the 14 games starting today, it may be something they never forget.

Terry Hartwick, executive director of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, and Barton Coliseum General Manager Ralph Shoptaw, with a lot of help from their staffs, have outdone themselves in turning the grand old lady into a great venue for this event.

Basketball fans will be treated to a new sound system, new lights and top-quality food - thanks to Tom Lyons - at Barton Coliseum, which has undergone more than $150,000 in improvements.

Every seat has been sanded and repainted.

The corridors are spotless, and everything will be set to roll when the undefeated girls from Jessieville take on Greenland for the Class 3A state championship today in the opening game at 3:30 p.m.

Fans who take the time to look will find some classic posters from events that were held in Barton Coliseum, and there are some great pictures of past action.

In one enlarged photo Bobby Vint, who played for North Little Rock, is guarding Ricky Tannenberger, who played for Little Rock Central, during a state championship game.

Another features Greg Flesher, a former All-Star player at Morrilton High School who is now a respected CPA with Frost PLLC. It’s a shot from his last game before moving on to play for the Hendrix Warriors.

All week yours truly has been getting e-mails about memories of great games played at the coliseum. They have run from one of Fort Smith Northside’s state championship game appearances to the night when the place was packed and UALR beat Baylor to advance to theNIT Final Four in New York.

During those days it was an honor and a privilege to play in Barton.

Decades may have passed, but the sturdy all-purpose coliseum has never just been about rodeos.

It has a long athletic history that includes Nolan Richardson bringing his Tulsa team to play Eddie Sutton and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

It has hosted hockey, semipro basketball and any number of sporting events. It is doubtful it has ever looked any better, and the parking is unbelievable.

Yet, when Hartwick set out to schedule the state championship games - which will probably return to Hot Springs next season but had to relocate this season because of the Sun Belt Tournament this weekend - it was a marriage between North Little Rock and Little Rock and the whole state is invited.

From day one Hartwick said he wanted to make sure the athletes who play in this tournament have a great facility, and the spruced-up Barton is exactly that.

There are some great games that will be played this weekend, and staying away just because they will be played at Barton Coliseum should not be an option.

In fact, it will be surprising if the place isn’t packed at 4:15 p.m. Saturday when North Little Rock and Fayetteville square off for the Class 7A boys championship.

Most of that crowd may still be in place for the Class6A girls championship between Little Rock Hall and Little Rock Parkview, and still there for the final game that will feature a great showdown between Little Rock Hall and Jonesboro for the Class 6A boys title.

Every game could be a thriller, and every game will be special at Barton Coliseum.

Security has been hired, and everything else is in place for a memorable weekend, especially for the 28 high school teams that are trying to crown their season with a state title.

Sports, Pages 15 on 03/07/2013