The Red Devil Double

What if I told you Hall and Parkview weren’t the only Pulaski County hoops programs making noise during the late 2000s and early 2010s?

Coach Carl Phillips once told me babies in a certain city grow up with a bottle in one hand and a basketball in the other. That city he was talking about?

Jacksonville.

During the 2012–13 school year, my junior year of high school, their boys and girls basketball teams gave life to his statement. When it was all said and done, Class 5A belonged to the Red Devils and Lady Red Devils.

You might not read too deeply into high school mascots, but hear me out: the Red Devil mascot meant and still means something in Jacksonville.

It wasn’t just a nickname. It represented the way they played.

Regardless of the sport, if you were playing Jacksonville, you were going to earn everything you got. That was just the way it was. As an athlete, I embraced the challenge, but I couldn’t stand them.

When I was at Fuller Middle School, we could never beat them in football or basketball. My freshman year at Mills, they beat us in the basketball conference championship. It wasn’t until sophomore year that we finally started beating them in something.

All the Red Devils I know are cool people, but when it was time to compete, nothing was sweet. The trash talk between us was crucial, but neither of us had a problem backing it up. They were intense competitors; however, to this day, they still have my utmost respect.

The real challenge, though, came when you stepped into the Devil’s Den.

As a hooper, the Devil’s Den was one of the toughest gyms I ever played in. The atmosphere was electric. The student section was one of the most energetic in the state. If you took the ball out on their side of the court, they stood inches away from you and made sure you knew they were there. If you need a visual, think Duke’s student section inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Devil’s Den looked the part, too.

The mural of a Red Devil standing in flames with the words “Welcome to the Devil’s Den” sat right behind one of the basketball goals, reminding you that you weren’t in friendly territory.

The name “Jacksonville” struck fear into a lot of basketball teams around the state, but Mills wasn’t one of them. We made sure they knew that.

Early in conference play during the 2012–13 season, they embarrassed us at The Devil’s Den, beating us 66–42. My teammates and I still call that the Red Sock Game (IYKYK). Yet, we couldn’t wait for the rematch. We had to redeem ourselves, and that’s exactly what we did. On a chilly Tuesday night in January 2013, we handed them a 50–44 L at the Galaxy.

That was the last game they’d lose that season.

They wrapped up the conference championship and entered the state tournament peaking at the right time. Alongside them was their girls team, who had also captured a conference championship and hadn’t lost since December 2012.

Once they reached the state tournament, both teams took care of business with little trouble, setting up the biggest day in Jacksonville basketball history: a Class 5A state championship doubleheader on Friday, March 8, 2013, a day the city of Jacksonville will forever know as Red Devil Day. The boys played first, with the girls game immediately following.

On the boys’ side, Jacksonville entered the 2013 Class 5A State Championship looking to win its second boys basketball state championship in five seasons. It wouldn’t be an easy task, though. Waiting on the other side was the 2011 Class 5A State Champion Alma Airedales, who were looking to win their second title in three seasons.

From the opening tip, Jacksonville took control, building a 44–27 lead in the third quarter. Alma wasn’t going away quietly, though. With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Airedales had trimmed Jacksonville’s lead to just one point. With 20 seconds left, Jacksonville stretched the lead back out to three points, but it wasn’t over yet.

In the final seconds, Alma had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer, but the shot fell short.

The game was over.

Jacksonville held on for a 56–53 victory to capture the Class 5A State Championship.

With one title secured, the city of Jacksonville celebrated but remained in its seats at Barton Coliseum, waiting to see if the girls could make history, too. Standing in their way was Paragould, the defending state runner-up. With a bad taste in their mouth, the Lady Rams were looking for redemption.

On this night, they wouldn’t get it.

Making their first state championship appearance in school history, the Lady Red Devils shined under the bright lights. They raced out to a 14–0 first quarter lead and never looked back.

Then, in the fourth quarter, their star player and eventual MVP, Jessica Jackson, suffered an asthma attack and sat out the rest of the game. Her teammates didn’t panic though; they handled business and brought it home, defeating Paragould 54–43 to capture the first girls basketball state championship in school history.

As you’d expect, multiple Jacksonville athletes from these teams went on to compete at the collegiate level. Here are just a few:

JACKSONVILLE GIRLS • Jessica Jackson-University of Arkansas • Shakyla Hill— Grambling State University *First NCAA Division I player to record two quadruple-doubles* • Antrice McCoy — Lane College

JACKSONVILLE BOYS • Keith Nuke Charleston Jr. — Southeastern Louisiana University • Justin McCleary — Ouachita Baptist University • Sergio Berkley — University of Providence • Tedrick Wolfe — Central Baptist College / Wayland Baptist University • Kevin Laeone Richardson II — University of Arkansas (Football) • Brandon Brockman — Arkansas State University (Football)

When people talk about the great Arkansas basketball programs of the late 2000s and early 2010s, Jacksonville belongs in that conversation, too. The Red Devils and Lady Red Devils helped make this era one of the greatest Arkansas high school basketball has ever seen.