By Rob Patrick

It’s amazing really.

Dale Jones is planning to be back at work late this week or early next.

The 38-year-old is a physical education coach at Collegeville Elementary School and the offensive coordinator for the Bryant Hornets football team. Originally from Cincinnati, he moved to Hot Springs when he was in seventh grade and attended school at Cutter-Morning Star. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, he coached nine years at Mayflower High School before coming to Bryant in 2006. He’s the father of two, Ashlyn, 9, and Braden, 5.

And less than two weeks ago — on Tuesday, Jan. 19 — he was undergoing 11 hours of surgery to remove a tumor behind his right ear that was pressed against his brain stem and growing further into his brain.

Let us recall how, last fall, the Bryant Stadium surface was in such a condition that, more often than not, the bands couldn’t march, the dance teams couldn’t perform, the JV and B team games, seventh and eighth grade games had to be moved or cancelled. And when the freshman and high school varsity teams played, it was a quagmire that just continued to deteriorate.

A move began to replace the natural grass and mud with an artificial surface, something one school after another in the Hornets’ conference and classification has already done.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK— Pulaski Technical College recorded a 13.8 percent increase in enrollment for the spring 2010 semester over this time last year, marking a record number of students for the state’s largest two-year college.

Pulaski Tech had 11,163 students enrolled in college-credit classes as of Tuesday, Jan. 26, the 11th day of class for the spring semester. All enrollment numbers are preliminary as of the end of the 11th day of classes, the official day on which reports are based, and subject to further verification before submission to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Editor’s note: This is a regular feature profiling senior athletes at Bryant High School.

NAME: Jonathan Roberts

DATE OF BIRTH: Nov. 21, 1991

PARENTS: David Roberts and Michelle Roberts

SIBLINGS: None.

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math

FAVORITE SPARE TIME ACTIVITY: Work out

FAVORITE FOOD: Steak.

FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST OR GROUP: Rap

From the Bryant Athletic Association:

Registration on Saturday, Jan. 30 canceleddue to the inclement weather, registration for Saturday, Jan. 30th is cancelled.

To accommodate the large registration that was expected, the BAA has re-scheduled registration as indicated below.

The Bryant Blue Hornets eighth grade basketball team of Bethel Middle School were upset at home by the Hot Springs Lakeside Rams on Thursday night, 35-24.

In a B game, however, the Hornets prevailed 27-17.

Inclement weather has resulted in the cancellation of classes on Friday, Jan. 29.

The Bryant High School basketball games scheduled for the Hornets Nest tonight against Little Rock Central have been postponed until Tuesday, Feb. 2. 

By Rob Patrick

PEARCY — The play didn’t unfold quite like it was planned. There was just a tiny window for Bryant freshman Aaron Bell to get the pass in to Leon Neale. He tried it and placed it perfectly. But Neale still had to make a great catch with a defender inhibiting his vision. He was about six feet down the right baseline and he had to stop his momentum toward the outside, pivot and square up without traveling or taking a dribble, and shoot a jumper with just the right touch.

And he did it.

By Rob Patrick

PEARCY — The Lake Hamilton Lady Wolves freshman basketball team depends a lot for offense on center Korey Bullard. Close to 6-feet tall, she’s tough for a lot of freshmen teams to handle and usually gives her team an advantage in the post.

But, on Thursday night, the Bryant Lady Hornets’ duo in the post, Lauren Buck and Whitney Meyer, nearly matched Bullard’s scoring and tripled her rebound total to help their team capture a 40-22 win in a gym that has been troublesome for past Bryant teams to escape successfully.

But this is no ordinary Bryant team, of course.

Editor’s note: This is a regular feature profiling senior athletes at Bryant High School.

NAME: Dontay Renuard

DATE OF BIRTH: Jan. 12, 1992

PARENTS: Tracy and Charles Underwood

SIBLINGS: I’m an only child

FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: Math

FAVORITE SPARE TIME ACTIVITY: Play video games or hang out with friends

FAVORITE FOOD: Chinese.

FAVORITE MUSIC ARTIST OR GROUP: I don’t really have a favorite. I just listen to anything.