State Sports Briefs

FOOTBALL

Broyles, Bryant, Dicus in Sugar Bowl class

Three coaches with ties to the state of Arkansas -- Frank Broyles, Bear Bryant and Johnny Majors -- and former Razorbacks wide receiver Chuck Dicus are among 16 inductees into the inaugural Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame class announced Monday.

Broyles experienced the Sugar Bowl from nearly every angle imaginable. He played in the 1944 Sugar Bowl for Georgia Tech, coached the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to the game four times -- going 2-2 -- in 1962-1963 and 1969-1970, served as the ABC broadcaster for several Sugar Bowls in the 1970s and '80s, and was the Razorbacks' athletic director for the 1980 Sugar Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl is the fourth bowl game to induct Broyles into its hall of fame, along with the Orange, Cotton and Gator bowls.

Bryant, a Fordyce native, coached in nine Sugar Bowls, first with Kentucky and then eight more times with Alabama, including victories over Arkansas in 1962 and 1980 to win national championships.

Dicus, an All-American for the Razorbacks, combined for 19 receptions for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns playing in the 1969 and 1970 Sugar Bowls against Georgia and Ole Miss.

Broyles and Majors -- an assistant coach for Broyles at Arkansas from 1964-1967 -- are the only members in the inaugural class to play and coach in the Sugar Bowl. Majors played and coached in the game for his alma mater Tennessee -- going 2-0 as the Vols' coach -- and also won the national championship after his Pittsburgh team beat Georgia 27-3 in the 1977 Sugar Bowl.

The other 12 members of the first Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame class are Sammy Baugh, Raymond Brown, Tony Dorsett, Bo Jackson, Archie Manning, Dan Marino, Davey O'Brien, Major Ogilvie, Pepper Rogers, Claude "Monk" Simons, Gene Stallings and Herschel Walker.

-- Matt Jones

VOLLEYBALL

UCA's Anderson receives conference honor

The University of Central Arkansas' Samantha Anderson was named the Southland Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year on Monday.

Anderson, a two-time Southland all-academic selection, earned her second conference accolade after being named the player of the year in November. Anderson, an elementary education major who holds a 3.90 grade-point average, was the only player to finish in the league's top 10 for hitting percentage (third, .331) and kills per set (sixth, 3.35).

Ouachita Baptist's Prescott resigns

Danny Prescott, who has served as Ouachita Baptist University's head coach for 14 seasons, announced his resignation effective Dec. 31.

Prescott led OBU to 208 victories and compiled an overall 58.5 percent winning record since the Tigers joined the NCAA Division II Great American Conference in 2011. Prescott was named the 2016 GAC Volleyball Coach of the Year after leading his team to a share of the regular-season conference championship with a 23-7 record (12-4 GAC).

-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services

Sports on 12/12/2017

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