You go, girls

I got calls and texts from Strong coach Gerrald Koonce and El Dorado coach Corey Smith Wednesday night after the conclusion of the day's state tournament games. Both coaches had the same message - "Ha Ha, you were wrong."
I shouldn't have used quote marks because that's not exactly what they said but it was the general message. I'm very happy to be slightly inaccurate in my assessment of Union County girls basketball, by the way.
After calling it a down year for our area girls basketball teams - every single team from Union County that made it to state won its first round game.
El Dorado beat Jonesboro in 6A, Parkers Chapel beat Elkins in 3A and Strong and Smackover both advanced in 2A. My girls won after every single area boys team lost in the first round.
All of these teams will have difficult matchups in the quarterfinals. El Dorado meets West Memphis. Parkers Chapel takes on Valley Springs and Strong has a date with Danville. Smackover looks to have the best chance of advancing further after knocking off two-time defending champion Carlisle in the first round. The Lady Bucks play top-seeded Cedar Ridge, a team I know nothing about.
Whatever happens today and tomorrow, it has already been a surprisingly successful season for our area girls basketball teams. I have no problem with the coaches calling me up and gloating a little bit. I think it's great if they're rooting for each other.
No matter what my predictions are, I'm rooting for 'em, too.
***
The thing about the state tournaments, a little luck is involved. I'm in Searcy covering the 3A State Tournament. I've already seen Lady Luck smile a little on the Lady Trojans, who won a thrilling 37-35 heart-stopper over Elkins on Wednesday.
When I say lucky, I don't mean PC was lucky to win. They earned that victory and deserved that victory.
Tayvia Brownmiller's game-winning layup was a tad fortunate. The senior took off for the layup way too soon, had an awkward angle and managed to get the shot off the glass and in with the whole pressure of the season on her shoulders.
Elkins missed two shots, including one from point blank at the buzzer. I'm not saying that was lucky. The Lady Trojans were scrapping on defense. Savanna Langston had blocked three shots down the stretch and the Lady Elk was probably looking for her as well as the clock as she rushed to get the short bank shot up before time expired.
But, I believe PC's biggest break came on another buzzer beater. Langston misfired on a shot at the buzzer in the regional final against Prescott. That might've been the Lady Trojans' most fortunate miss.
Prescott lost in the first round to fourth-seeded Mansfield. I watched half of that game and left very impressed with Mansfield - a team blessed with size and strength in the paint and athletic slashers on the perimeter.
Mansfield's point guard elected to participate in the indoor state track meet last week instead of the regional semifinals. Mansfield lost that game and sat the girl on the bench in the third place game, losing that as well.
Mansfield shouldn't be a four seed. It would have been a horrible matchup for PC, had the Lady Trojans won the regional title.
This time of the year it's all about matchups. As tough as Elkins was, and the Lady Elks were downright feisty, I think Mansfield would've been a tougher matchup for PC.
Luckily, that matchup didn't happen in the first round.