Two Dynasties. One City.

With the Who Run It tournament right around the corner, it’s a great time to revisit what was, in my opinion, one of the greatest eras in Arkansas high school basketball.

Fifteen years ago, two of Arkansas’s greatest basketball dynasties, located just 4.2 miles apart, began a run that may never be repeated. As the 2010-11 season began, Little Rock Parkview was chasing its first state championship of the decade. Little Rock Hall was looking to establish a dynasty after winning the 2010 Class 7A State Championship. What followed was one of the most remarkable three-year stretches Arkansas high school basketball has ever seen.

Parkview and Hall competed against each other in the new 7A/6A East Conference. Although Hall was a Class 7A school and Parkview competed in Class 6A, the Arkansas Activities Association created a blended conference system to reduce travel time for schools.

The result? Two state powers battling each other multiple times every season.

If you weren’t around for this era, you missed one of the greatest basketball rivalries Arkansas has ever seen. Every meeting felt like Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The atmosphere was electric, the gyms were packed, and the level of talent on the floor (and bench) was impeccable. I was fortunate enough to experience this rivalry firsthand. As a freshman, I spent part of the season playing basketball at Parkview before transferring to Mills, where I finished my high school career.

In the 2010-11 season, the rivalry produced an instant classic. In the Jammin’ 4 Jackets Championship, tournament host Hall edged Parkview 78-77 in a triple-overtime thriller. From there, however, the Patriots flipped the script.

A few weeks later, conference play began. In their second conference game, Parkview walked into Hall’s trap and took it over, defeating the Warriors 68-57. Nearly a month later, Hall traveled to John Barrow looking for revenge, but Parkview defended its home court with a convincing 65-46 victory. The Patriots would go on to earn a share of the conference championship. By the time the postseason arrived, the rest of Arkansas knew exactly what it was up against. Yet, nothing could be done to stop either team. On the afternoon of March 12, 2011, Parkview defeated Jacksonville to capture the Class 6A State Championship. Later that evening, Hall defeated West Memphis to win the Class 7A State Championship. Two conference rivals. Two state champions.

The following season, the script was flipped…sort of.

Parkview won the 2011 Jammin’ 4 Jackets Championship, defeating a North Little Rock team that had eliminated Hall in the semifinals. But after that loss, Hall wouldn’t lose again. The Warriors rattled off a 22-game winning streak, including 63-56 and 61-52 victories over Parkview and capturing an outright conference championship in the process.

When the dust settled, both schools were once again the last ones standing. This time, one of them was about to celebrate boys and girls state championships on the same day.

On Friday, March 9, 2012, the Parkview Lady Patriots, led by future Division I stars Erin Peoples, Roshunda Johnson, and Christyal Holloway, defeated Russellville to claim their first state championship in five years.

Two hours later, the Patriots defeated Jonesboro to repeat as the Class 6A State Champion.

Later that night, Hall defeated Fayetteville to repeat as the Class 7A State Champion.

Two conference rivals.

Two state champions.

On the same day.

Again.

By the end of the day, Parkview had become the first Little Rock school to ever win boys and girls basketball state championships in the same school year. But the rivalry wasn’t finished.

During the 2012-13 season, Hall dropped to Class 6A, meaning the Warriors and Patriots would finally compete for the same championship. Hall embraced the challenge. The Warriors completed another undefeated conference season, sweeping Parkview with 57-52 and 73-66 victories. The rivals met one final time in the Class 6A state semifinals, where Hall eliminated Parkview 59-49.

Championship weekend would produce yet another unforgettable chapter in the rivalry.

One year after Parkview celebrated championships by both its boys’ and girls’ programs, Hall had an opportunity to do the very same thing. On March 9, 2013, the Lady Warriors, led by future Rutgers star Tyler Scaife, defeated Parkview to capture the program’s first state championship in 16 years while denying the Lady Patriots a chance to repeat.

The stage was then set for the boys to make history of their own. Exactly one year after completing their three-peat, the Hall Warriors capped one of the greatest four-year runs Arkansas high school basketball has ever seen in dramatic fashion. Evan James drilled a heavily contested buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Hall a thrilling 34-33 victory over Jonesboro and secure the program’s fourth consecutive state championship.

To put the talent level during this period of the rivalry into perspective, multiple players from both schools went on to play college and professional basketball. Of course, the list is headlined by Hall great Bobby B' Portis, who went on to become an NBA Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks after starring at the University of Arkansas. Some of the others from the boys teams include:

PARKVIEW

• Emmanuel Adoyi – Southwestern Assemblies of God University

• Anton Beard – University of Arkansas

• Daryl Macon – University of Arkansas

• Aaron Ross – Texas Tech University

• Braelon Walker – Missouri Southern State University

• IJ Ready – Mississippi State University

• Jaylen Franklin – Abilene Christian University

HALL

• David Rivers – University of Nebraska

• Rickey Thomas – Lyon College

• Jobe Dillard – Columbia College

• Eric Dailey, Jr. – Henderson State University

• Myles Taylor – UT Martin

• David Berete – University of Central Arkansas/Ouachita Baptist University

• Anthony Black – Mid-America Christian University/UALR

• Gregg Easter – Baker University

• Anfernee C Floyd – Blue Mountain Christian University

Between 2010 and 2013, Parkview and Hall combined to win six boys basketball state championships. Add in the girls’ programs, and that total grows to eight basketball state championships between the two schools. They also produced numerous collegiate and professional players, including an NBA champion. Every time they stepped on the court against each other, it was a show. If you were lucky enough to witness those games, you know just how special they were.

When Parkview and Hall were at their best, Arkansas basketball was, too.

Is there another four-year stretch in Arkansas high school basketball history that can match what these two schools accomplished?