PATRIOTS-COMETS REMATCH FOR ALL THE CLASS 5A

Before Khalil Garland and Darious Hall head to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, they'll have one more high school game to play in the Spa City. That's the Class 5A boys state championship game at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. Garland's Little Rock Parkview Patriots and Hall's Mills Comets square off at 5:15 p.m. today in a rematch of last month's 5A-Central Conference championship game won by the Patriots in overtime. "Everybody in the state wanted to see us again," said Parkview Coach Al Flanigan of the Patriots and Comets. "It was a heck of a game the first meeting. I think it will be the same way in the second one." Mills (30-2) and Parkview (28-5) have been ranked in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette's Top 10 throughout the season. The Comets have defeated Class 7A Bentonville, Class 6A El Dorado twice and 5A-West champion Maumelle. The Patriots' most impressive victories have come against Class 7A Little Rock Central, Maumelle and 5A-West runner-up Harrison. Hall is averaging 15.3 points through three games in the Class 5A state tournament, including a 22-point effort in a 75-59 victory over Maumelle in Friday's quarterfinals. In three games, Garland has averaged 14.0 points, finishing with 18 points in the Patriots' 74-51 rout of Sylvan Hills in Saturday's semifinals. Both Hall and Garland are part of the Razorbacks' Class of 2017 that also includes El Dorado forward Daniel Gafford, who plays in Friday's Class 6A state championship game against Jonesboro. "These are the classic Arkansas-type of players," Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said. "They get up and down the floor. They're exciting to watch. They're both explosive athletes. It's going to be a good matchup." Flanigan, though, is focused on the matchup of the two teams, not just Hall and Garland. "We're just going to go out there and play," said Flanigan, who has won six state championships at Parkview. In the teams' first meeting, Mills led Parkview 33-28 at halftime in the 5A-Central title game Feb. 24 in Maumelle, but the Patriots forced overtime as freshman guard Moses Moody hit a three-pointer with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Moody then hit two free throws with 4.8 seconds to play in overtime and the Patriots handed the Comets their second loss of the season. Two games at Bank of the Ozarks Arena (seating capacity 6,000) have sold out -- the 2015 Class 7A boys final between Bentonville and North Little Rock and the 2016 Class 7A boys final between Bentonville and Cabot, the latter drawing more than 6,500. Both games featured Malik Monk, who starred for Bentonville before heading to the University of Kentucky. Monk's Bentonville teams lost to North Little Rock, with eventual Florida guard KeVaughn Allen, and then to Cabot. Lance Taylor, the Arkansas Activities Association's executive director, said Hot Springs fire marshal Ed Davis along with Hot Springs police and Bank of the Ozarks Arena staff recommended to him to have games such as Mills-Parkview be played earlier in the day. "It's easier to get the big crowds in early. It filters back out," Taylor said. "It was their recommendation for us to do that. That way, everybody can get in for every game. Fans can watch their own schools play. We're going to make sure that everybody's able to get into the game they want to see." Flanigan wasn't concerned with the game time his school received. "We'll take whatever they give us," Flanigan said. "We'll make the best of it." The first Mills-Parkview game drew more than 2,200 fans to Maumelle High School's gymnasium. Today, a capacity crowd of 6,000 is expected at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. The Patriots look to win their second consecutive state championship, but first in Class 5A. However, the Comets are attempting to win their second title and first since 2004. "When you get to the tournament, you're battle-tested," Cooper said. "They've seen everything. Now it's just a matter of going out and play the way you've been playing all year."

Little Rock School District Athletics

PATRIOTS-COMETS REMATCH FOR ALL THE CLASS 5A

Photo Credit: Parkview High School Athletics