All-Area Basketball 2007-08
Players of the Year best of this season
MARTIN COUCH Sports editor

Boys Player of the Year Brandon Jones, Benton

The Saline County Voice's All- Area Basketball Team is a project that was started seven years ago in El Dorado.

The idea of bringing a county team back to Saline County was an easy choice.

Last year in March marked the first All-Area team. This year, we are proud to announce the best of high school basketball among Saline

County players.

BRANDON JONES

Boys Player of the Year

"Brandon had a great season and averaged 20 points per game," said Benton head coach Chris Nail. "He defended the other team's best player and rebounded well. He did everything a senior is suppose to do."

Jones led the Benton Panthers to the Class 6A state championship game this year by scoring 27 points against the Watson Chapel Wildcats in the state semifinal round at Little Rock Hall.

Jones had a career-high 36 points in a tournament game in Conway this season and was quietly the points leader on the floor for the Panthers.

Girls Player of the Year Rikki Marshall, Bauxite

"Brandon was the key to our offense and when the other teams would focus on him, he'd dish it off to a teammate," Nail said. "He is a fine person with great athleticism."

RIKKI MARSHALL

Girls Player of the Year

"Rikki is that solid foundation that kept things steady," said Bauxite head coach Joshua Harrison. "She did what it took for the program. She was selfless, and looked out for everyone's best interest. She was the only girl on my squad who had been in the program since she was in the seventh grade.

"I think Rikki struggled a lot with not winning for so many years, but she persevered through that and became a winner for our program," Harrison said. "Kids like her don't come around too often. She was very active around the campus."

Marshall scored 15.2 points per game and became the fourth all-time leading scorer in Bauxite basketball history. She finished her high school career with 1,062 points and led the Lady Miners to the AAA regional tournament, where she scored 24 points in a first-round game against Pangburn.