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18 Northwest Arkansas Basketball Sunday, November 4, 2018 C L A S S 6 A S PRINGDALE — The biggest adjustment Sara Bersh- ers said she had to make upon her arrival to Fort Smith Northside last season wasn't about the transition to a new coach and a new style of play. It was about the number of players who were in the gym- nasium during a Lady Bears' practice session. "We now have 15 girls in practice, where at Lake Hamilton we had 10," Bershers said. "Those extra five players really help when you're scrimmaging and going through drills and stuff. "With every school, there's always going to be something different. Thankfully, I've played for enough coaches and the transition was easier than some might have expected. Coach (Rickey) Smith does a great job, and I like what he does." Bershers made the transition with ease and became the leader on a Lady Bears team that finished 26-4 and finished in a three-way tie with North Little Rock and Conway for the 7A-Central Conference regular-season title. She averaged a team-high 13.8 points per game for a team that had two freshmen — her younger sister Tracey and Jersey Wolfenbarger — play a considerable amount of minutes. Because of Northside's youth, Smith admitted the ex- pectations he had for the elder Bershers were so much more and she was held to a higher standard than others. Although she was listed as a 6-foot forward, she played multiple positions and even brought the ball down the floor like a guard when asked. "In all my years of coaching, I'm not sure I've had a better person," Smith said. "No matter what the situation, Bershers makes transition to Northside an easy one Moving forward HENRY APPLE NWA DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE "No matter what the situation, the only response I would get from her was either 'yes sir' or 'no sir.' Whatever I asked her to do, she did it. I'm very blessed and lucky to coach a kid like that." — Fort Smith Northside girls coach (Rickey) Smith SARA BERSHERS SCHOOL Fort Smith Northside CLASS Senior HEIGHT 6-0 POSITION Forward NOTABLE Moved to Northside for her junior season after play- ing her sophomore year at Lake Hamilton. … Earned all-state honors after she averaged a team-high 13.8 points per game for a Lady Bears team that fin- ished 26-4 and tied with North Little Rock and Conway for the 7A-Central Conference title. … Has a younger sister, Tracey, who was one of two Lady Bears to play considerable time last season. … Verbally committed to Texas-Rio Grande Valley. See BERSHERS, Page 21 NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. WAMPLER