Sheridan (Arkansas) guard has career night following his mother’s death

SHERIDAN, ARKANSAS – When the small, rural Arkansas towns of Sheridan and White Hall meet in any sport, it’s a big deal. The two communities sit 20 miles apart connected by HWY 270 in southeast Arkansas. 

So, when the two rivals met Friday night at Sheridan, the Yellowjackets’ sparkling new arena was packed. Many of the eyes were on White Hall junior Jai’Chaunn Hayes, a hghly recruited forward.

This night, however, belonged to diminutive Sheridan guard Noah Romine. The 5-foot-8 dynamo scored a career-high 32 points, including 21 in the first quarter, to fuel a 66-45 win.

The game was particularly emotional for Romine, who attended his mother’s funeral Monday. Kristin DeHart was on her way back to Sheridan from Texas on Jan. 1 when she was involved in a fatal traffic accident.

Sheridan head coach Joe Scott first heard about the accident when Romine informed him he wouldn’t be at practice the next day.

“We’ve talked about it and the counselors at school are guiding him,” Scott said. “I don’t think the grieving process has kicked in yet. He has a good set of teammates around him and his brother is on our ninth-grade team. His dad and stepmom have also been there for hm. Everyone around him is there, pitching in and helping.”

Romine played Tuesday night in a 59-52 road loss to Hot Springs Lakeside, but Friday night’s big game was his first home game since the tragic accident..

“The crowd was great,” Scott said. “When the game was in hand with about 10 seconds left, I took him out so he could get an ovation. Seeing 75 percent of the arena standing up and clapping was awesome, and the student-section had been good all night, and then they picked him up on their shoulders.”

Romine, who scored 23 points against Pine Bluff in December, fed off the amped-up crowd early on his way to a big night.

“When you play a rivalry game like that, anything can happen,” Scott said. “It was a really good crowd and great environment. He played good from the beginning. He was phenomenal all night.”

Romine leads the Yellowjackets (12-6, 2-4 5A-South) in points (14) and assists (4) per game.

“I’ve told people if he was 6-foot-3, everybody in the state would know, but he’s 5-8,” Scott said. “He’s a baller; he can really play.”

And he not only leads on the court but off it and is part of the reason so many of his teammates have rallied around him during this difficult time.

“[The team] loves him,” Scott said. “He is a really good kid and he has lot of swag and confidence abuout him on and off the court. They like that."

Scott has experienced some memorable moments in his career but seeing a grieving Romine grinning ear to ear while being carried off by his peers will stick with him for a long time.

“That is really neat, just really special,” Scott said.