Tuckerman’ s Amare Neal with Historic Finish to High School Career. By: Brad Davis
Amare Neal and the Tuckerman Bulldogs enjoyed a story book run to end the 2025 basketball season. The Bulldogs survived one of the state’ s toughest conferences and regions to get to the state tournament where they made a run to Hot Springs and the 2A State Championship game. Neal was an integral part of the journey, putting up big numbers each game along the way.“ It was an incredible run,” Neal shared.“ The whole team just really bought in to each other and trusted each other the most at this time of the season, and that allowed us to make the type of run we did when no one expected us to even be in the tournament.”
Tuckerman would fall to back to back state champions, the East Poinsett County Warriors, but the Runner-up finish put an exclamation point on a terrific Bulldog season, and an outstanding career for Neal.“ It wasn’ t the outcome we wanted: Neal said.“ Just to go down as one of the best teams in Tuckerman history is an amazing feeling considering there have been some great teams come through and not make it as far as we did. Playing in the final’ s atmosphere was quite an experience. Just the thrill of being in that arena and the adrenaline of playing for a state title in your school’ s first ever state championship. It just an amazing rush and thrill.”
Tuckerman was no stranger to big games playing in the rugged 2A-3 and battling through the toughest region in the state. Six of the eight teams in the Regional tournament in Lake City were ranked in the top 10 in the state. Neal agreed about his team’ s tough schedule.“ Our conference and region was the toughest this year in the state, and was definitely challenging but we are such competitors at Tuckerman,” he said.“ We were up for the challenge. We built our schedule so we would be prepared for the conference and region as well as the district, regional, and state tournament.”
“ I’ m so proud of this team this year,” Neal shared.“ They were young and had big shoes to fill and exceeded their expectations and I couldn’ t be happier with this team. Coach Longino has really trusted me in these past four years and has put me in spots to shine. He’ s a great coach that has good relationships with his players on and off the court. This whole Tuckerman squad is really a family more than a team. It’ s a bittersweet feeling to know I won’ t ever play another high school game again, but at the same time we ended it almost as best you can.”
Amare has been the heart of Tuckerman hoops for four years as a starter, but his journey is a special one, as an adoption brought him from Ethiopia to Arkansas.“ My adoption is one of the biggest blessings in my life and still to this day,” Neal said.“ The adoption was a very cool process and life changing as a whole. The United States is so much different from the type of lifestyle I had in Ethiopia and being from there and being here just really keeps me humble and grateful for everything I have been blessed with. I am most thankful for my parents. Without their love and support and their hard work, I would not be the young man I am today or