Sports

South Arkansas shines in GAC awards

Published

7 months ago

November 22, 2024

RUSSELLVILLE – On Thursday, the Great American Conference announced the 2024 all-conference teams, year-end superlative awards and academic honor roll . The coaches voted Southern Arkansas quarterback Judd Barton the Offensive Player of the Year, Ouachita Baptist safety Josiah Johnson the Defensive Player of the Year and Tiger offensive lineman Isaiah Simpson the Freshman of the Year. Ouachita’s Todd Knight won Coach of the Year.

Additionally, a total of 15 student-athletes also received the Elite Scholar Athlete award, presented by Conway Regional Health System, in Ouachita Baptist’s Riley Harms, Melvin Kumwenda and Eli Livingston; Henderson State’s Daymon Burns and Ryan Vollmer, Southern Arkansas’ Bennett Castleberry and Cole Williams, Southern Nazarene’s Kendall Robertson and Brock Singleton, Arkansas Tech’s Damien Jordan, Arkansas-Monticello’s Ndubuisi Nwankwo, Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Beck Moss, Oklahoma Baptist’s Vinson Miller, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Asa Robertson and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Isaac Foster. All 15 have maintained perfect 4.00 grade-point averages.

In his first year as the Mulerider starting quarterback, Barton threw for 2,350 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ran for 577 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 2,927 yards of total offense and 30 touchdowns responsible for led the conference. Johnson intercepted two passes, forced a fumble, blocked a kick and recorded 3.0 tackles-for-loss. Simpson stepped into the left guard position and helped the Tigers rank third in rushing offense and second in fewest sacks allowed. Knight claimed his seventh Coach of the Year accolade after leading the Tigers to a 10-1 record and their sixth NCAA Division II playoff appearance.

Harding led the GAC with 10 First-Team All-GAC selections. Fullback Blake Delacruz, running back Braden Jay and right tackle Jake Dugger represented the offense. Delacruz ran for 605 yards and scored 14 total touchdowns. Jay led the GAC with 900 rushing yards, 1,284 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. He averaged 17.4 yards per touch and scored a touchdown once every 4.35 touches. Dugger anchored an offensive line that averaged more than 421 rush yards per game, 85 yards per game more than any Division I or Division II school.

The Bisons’ top-ranked defense placed six on the First Team. They lead the nation in total defense, scoring defense, first downs allowed and defensive pass efficiency. Clark Griffin led the team in tackles, Gage Price paced in sacks and tackles-for-loss and Ty Dugger intercepted four passes and returned two for touchdowns. Cayden Pierce ranked second on the team in stops, Dre Hall registered 4.5 sacks, cornerback Jeremiah Jordan anchored a defensive backfield that led the nation in passing yards allowed and Kendale Allen averaged 24.5 yards per kick return.

In addition to Johnson, five Tigers earned First Team honors. Connor Flannigan made the First Team at both wide receiver and return specialist. He caught 37 passes for 413 yards and two touchdowns. His 19.1 yards per punt return average ranks fifth in Division II. Left tackle Dylan Horton placed on the team alongside linebacker Jax Miller, defensive tackle Rovell Carter and punter Tom Weston. Miller’s 88 tackles rank fourth in the GAC. He added 8.5 tackles for loss. Carter’s 12.0 tackles for loss placed fourth in the league while his 5.5 sacks ranked fifth. Weston led the GAC and ranked 12th nationally in punting average.

Led by Barton, five from the potent Mulerider offense garnered First-Team honors. Running backs Kadyn Roach and Jariq Scales made the First Team as well as center Thomas Bowman and left guard Colton Grier. Jariq Scales ranked second to Jay in all-purpose yards with 1,258 yards and 12 total touchdowns. Roach added 951 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns. The offense ranked seventh in the country and fifth in scoring. On the defensive side, defensive end Dawson Scott and cornerback Melvin Smith, Jr. made the First Team. Scott’s 10.5 sacks led the GAC and ranked fourth in the country. Smith, Jr. ranked second with five interceptions.

Four from Henderson State – left tackle Brandon Bishop, tight end Cayden Davis, wide receiver Timieone Jackson and linebacker Gary Lewis – earned First-Team accolades. Davis caught 22 passes for 430 yards and six touchdowns. His 19.6 yards per catch and six receiving touchdowns pace the GAC. Jackson’s 55 receptions lead the conference while his 466 yards rank fifth. Lewis amassed 13.5 tackles for loss in just eight games.

Arkansas Tech wide receiver Joryian Chase and East Central kicker Brandon Perez filled out the First Team. Chase ranked second in the conference in receptions. His 515 receiving yards rank third. Perez made all 29 of his kicks – 10-for-10 on field goals, with a long of 54, and 19-for-19 on extra points.

The GAC Academic Honor Roll featured a total of 198 student-athletes to have achieved a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50, or higher, combined with at least one year of one-year of full-time college residency.

Sports

Hogs Are Omaha Bound After Victory Over Tennessee

Published

19 hours ago

June 9, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The OmaHogs are back!

Arkansas (48-13) is headed back to Omaha for the 12th time in program history after an 11-4 victory over Tennessee (46-19) in game two of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional.

The Hogs jumped to an early lead in the top of the third inning after a two-run blast from Charles Davalan (2-for-2, 2 RBI) got the offense started. The Volunteers, however, quickly responded by putting one across in the bottom half of the inning.

Cam Kozeal scored on a wild pitch and Logan Maxwell (3-for-5, 4 RBI) swatted his first career grand slam in the fourth to open the floodgates for the Razorbacks, who pushed their lead to 7-1. It was all the Hogs would need.

Cole Gibler entered in relief in the bottom of the fourth after Gage Wood started and tossed 3.1 innings of one-run ball. Gibler, the true freshman, cruised through 2.2 innings of work, striking out four and sitting down 8-of-10 batters faced on 45 pitches to earn his third win of the season.

The Razorback offense continued to add to their lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three more runs thanks to Kuhio Aloy’s RBI single and a pair of bases-loaded walks. Brent Iredale (1-for-4, HR, RBI) landed the final punch, belting a solo shot in the top of the ninth inning.

Aidan Jimenez (1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 SO), Parker Coil (1.0 IP, 2 SO) and Christian Foutch (1.0 IP, 2 R, 3 SO) closed out the 11-4 win to send Arkansas back to the College for the eighth time in the Dave Van Horn era.

The Razorbacks finished the season with a 37-4 record inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium. The wins and .902 win percentage are both single-season program records.

Sports

Hogs Punch Ticket To Super Regionals

Published

1 week ago

June 2, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas (46-13) secured its spot in the NCAA Super Regionals with a dominant 8-3 win over Creighton (43-16) Sunday night at Baum-Walker Stadium. With the victory, the Hogs set a program record with their 35th home win of the season and will host next weekend’s super regional against either Tennessee or Wake Forest.

The appearance marks Arkansas’ 11th super regional in program history and sixth time hosting, including four since 2018. With top seeds Vanderbilt and Texas eliminated, No. 3 Arkansas is now the highest remaining seed in the tournament.

Pitching stole the spotlight as Gage Wood and Gabe Gaeckle combined for 20 strikeouts. Wood struck out a career-high 13 over six innings, while Gaeckle fanned seven in three scoreless innings to close it out.

The Razorback bats backed up the pitching with four home runs. Logan Maxwell launched two—including a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the fifth—while Justin Thomas Jr. hit a three-run blast and Ryder Helfrick added a solo homer. Charles Davalan capped the scoring with an RBI triple in the sixth.

Creighton’s only offense came via a three-run homer in the fourth, but Arkansas never relinquished its lead.

Maxwell led the offense with a three-RBI night and raised his season average to .346. Helfrick, who hit his third homer in two days, was named MVP of the Fayetteville Regional.

Sports

Hogs set to host Fayetteville regional

Published

2 weeks ago

May 27, 2025

Staff Reports

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas has earned its 36th NCAA Tournament berth and will host the Fayetteville Regional as the No. 3 national seed.

The Razorbacks (43-13) will play No. 4 seed North Dakota State (20-31) in the opening game at 2 p.m. Friday, May 30, at Baum-Walker Stadium, airing on ESPN+. The regional also features No. 2 seed Kansas (43-15) and No. 3 seed Creighton (41-14), who will face off at 7 p.m.

Arkansas is hosting a regional for the 12th time in program history and the seventh time in the last eight full seasons. Should they advance, the Hogs would maintain home-field advantage through the super regional round, which they would host for the sixth time overall.

The Razorbacks boast a 32-4 record at Baum-Walker this season, just two wins shy of tying the single-season home record of 34.

The winner of the Fayetteville Regional will meet the winner of the Knoxville Regional, where No. 14 seed Tennessee hosts Wake Forest, Cincinnati, and Miami (OH), in the super regionals from June 6-9.

A record 13 SEC teams qualified for this year’s tournament: Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and Vanderbilt. That breaks the previous record of 11 SEC teams, set last year. Eight SEC schools, including Arkansas, are hosting regionals.

Fayetteville Regional Schedule:

Friday, May 30
Game 1 – Arkansas vs. NDSU – 2 p.m.
Game 2 – Kansas vs. Creighton – 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 31
Game 3 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 2 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 8 p.m.

Sunday, June 1
Game 5 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser – 2 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – 8 p.m.

Monday, June 2 (If Necessary)
Game 7 – Time TBD

Sports

SouthArk Announces New Men’s Basketball Coach

Published

3 weeks ago

May 22, 2025

Staff Reports

EL DORADO — South Arkansas College has named Eric Collins of Augusta, Maine, as the next head coach of its men’s basketball team. Collins, a U.S. Army veteran and experienced coach, will become the third head coach in the program’s history, succeeding Cam Robinson, who held the position for three seasons.

Collins currently serves as the associate head coach at the University of Maine-Augusta, a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). He brings more than five years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels in the Northeast.

A Maine native, Collins describes his coaching philosophy as rooted in four pillars: passion, leadership, culture, and accountability.

“I coach to build men—not just players,” Collins said. “My mission is to lead through relationships, set a shared standard of excellence, and create a culture where young men grow—as athletes, students, and people. My family and I are pumped to become part of the SouthArk and El Dorado communities.”

SouthArk Athletic Director Jenny Sanders expressed excitement over Collins’ hiring, noting his energy and commitment to student development.

“Coach Eric Collins brings immense passion and excitement to the campus and to the basketball court,” Sanders said. “I am excited to see the lasting impact he will have on the young men he coaches, on our campus, and within our community.”

Collins, along with his wife Brandi and their children, will officially relocate to El Dorado ahead of his full-time start date on July 1. In the meantime, he is actively recruiting to fill out the Star Force roster for the upcoming season.

Sports

Legendary Arkansas Coach Passes Away Saturday

Published

1 month ago

May 4, 2025

Staff Reports

Harold Horton

FAYETTEVILLE – Harold Horton, a revered figure in Arkansas football history, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86. His family confirmed his passing through social media.

Born in DeWitt, Arkansas, Horton played as a defensive back for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks from 1959 to 1961 under legendary coach Frank Broyles. During his playing career, the Razorbacks secured or shared the Southwest Conference (SWC) championship each season and won the 1960 Gator Bowl.

After a brief stint coaching high school football, Horton returned to the University of Arkansas in 1968 as an assistant coach. Over the next 13 years, he served under Broyles and later Lou Holtz, helping to shape some of the Razorbacks’ most formidable defensive units.

In 1982, Horton became head coach at the University of Central Arkansas, where he compiled a remarkable 74–12–5 record over eight seasons. Under his leadership, UCA won back-to-back NAIA Division I national championships in 1984 and 1985 and captured seven consecutive Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference titles from 1983 to 1989.

University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Head Coach Nathan Brown paid tribute to Horton, stating, “Prayers for the Coach Harold Horton family today. Coach Horton was one of the great coaches in UCA Football history. Him and his staffs brought championships and pride to the Bear program. Thanks for always supporting and rooting for me and the Bears over the years.”

Following his coaching career, Horton returned to the University of Arkansas in 1990 to work in football operations. He later served as president of the Razorback Foundation from 2001 to 2012, playing a key role in fundraising and athletic development initiatives. His devotion to the Razorbacks spanned nearly four decades.

Horton’s legacy lives on through his family, including his son, Tim Horton, a former Razorbacks wide receiver who went on to a successful college coaching career of his own.