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By DAVID WOLMAN
Traveler Sports Editor
sports@arkcity.net

Arkansas City senior Jordan Fields said, while shooting free throws during Monday's practice, that all that he was thinking about was last season's first-round playoff loss to Winfield.

Fields has thought about that for the past 11 months.

He remembered how close the game was, the electric atmosphere inside Winfield High School. How it was perhaps Ark City's best played-game in the second half of the season. How it had rallied from a 10-point deficit to set up a chance to send the game into overtime.

But nothing stung more than when the final buzzer had sounded, and the heartbreak that followed.

"When Colt Loehrs shot that (potential game-tying) three-pointer, I thought it was going," Fields said. "But it was short. It was a heartbreaker, especially losing to Winfield."

Final score: Winfield 46, Ark City 43.

Almost a year later, the Bulldogs will look to avenge their playoff loss to Winfield. Tonight's make-up game against the Vikings, originally scheduled for Dec. 11, is the first of two games against Winfield in the next week. Ark City will host the Vikings next Tuesday.

And nothing is going to keep Fields, who coincidentally has been battling the flu over the last few days, from missing tonight's game.

"You could cut my arm off and I would still play," Fields said. "It's a big game."

While Fields played in last season's playoff game against Winfield, many new faces will get their first taste of the rivalry tonight.

Fields is the lone returner this season for Ark City with valuable experience, while Winfield has five new starters.

The Bulldogs (6-6) enter tonight's game losers of two straight -- the latter being a 47-40 loss to Maize last Friday.

While coach Ben Proctor has seen flashes of brilliance on offense lately, he needs his team to dramatically cut down on the number of turnovers.

"I counted 22 turnovers against Maize," he said. "That's 22 possessions where we're not getting a shot. Against good basketball teams like we're playing, we just can't afford to have 22 wasted possessions."

Winfield enters tonight winners of two out its last three games -- the latest a 65-41 loss at Goddard on Friday.

The Vikings are led by a balanced attack. Junior Kevin Meyer (9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds), and seniors Kyle Watson (7.5 points) and Jeb Taylor (6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds) lead the Vikings' attack.

"They're as a hard-working team as you're going to find," Proctor said.

Winfield's 3-10 record is a little deceiving, especially with its recent stretch of play.

"They're playing a lot better than earlier in the year," Proctor said. "They're a team, on any given night, that can compete with any team in the league...Coach Rob Fields is an excellent coach and he'll have them ready."

Both teams are entering the final month of the season. While Proctor insists on taking things one game at a time, hosting a first-round playoff game is a long-term goal the team has.

"That's a good goal," he said. "We just need to put a complete game together."

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Ark City at Winfield. 7:30 p.m. 95.9 FM KSOK.
Winfield players to watch:
Kevin Meyer, jr., 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds
Kyle Watson, sr., 7.5 points, 2.3 assists
Jeb Taylor, sr., 6.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists