Marion alum leads Osceola to State Title

Osceola Seminoles declared 3A cochampions after all

games cancelled

ralphhardin@gmail.com Vernon Wilson, who played basketball for Coach Melvin Brown and the Marion Patriots in the early 1990s and graduated from MHS in 1995, recently led the Osceola Seminoles to the Class 3A State Championship.

“I also was a volunteer assistant Coach in 2007 for Coach Irving Clay at Marion,” said Wilson. “We finished 20-7 overall, with a No. 1 state ranking in 3A.”

Osceola defeated Mayflower 51-44 and Rivercrest defeated Dumas 84-63, setting up a Championship Game showdown between the two schools. However, mirroring the ill-fated 5A State Championship game between the West Memphis Blue Devils and the Jacksonville Titans, the game was called off the night before it was to take place when the Arkansas Activities Association suspended all games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, the AAA extended that suspension through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, declaring Osceola and Rivercrest 2020 co-champions in the 3A Division.

Added Wilson, “Special thanks to all my family and friends that supported us this year.”

Submitted photo