Former Southern Arkansas Coach and Professor Passes away
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Dr. Delwin T. Ross, former Southern Arkansas athlete, coach and education professor, passed away Saturday, February 20 in Magnolia. He was 82 and born October 7, 1927 in Hope, Ark.
Ross attended and played quarterback for what was then Magnolia A&M Junior College from 1947-1949, and was also a star guard on the Mulerider basketball team during that time, being named to the junior college all-region team in 1949.
Following his graduation from A&M, Ross attended Henderson State where he was a three-sport letterman from 1949-1951 in football, basketball and baseball. He was co-captain of the Reddie football team, playing quarterback and wingback, and he won All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) honors as an outfielder on the Reddie baseball team in 1951. Ross earned six varsity letters while at Henderson State.
Ross received his B.S.E. from Henderson State in 1951, his M.S.E. from East Texas State (Commerce, Texas) College in 1954, and his Ed.D. from the University of Arkansas in 1970.
After leaving Henderson State, Ross began his coaching career as an assistant at Arkansas High School in Texarkana, coaching there one year before taking a football assistant position at De Queen. After two years, Ross became head coach of the Leopards, guiding them to a two-year mark of 21-1. He also was head basketball and baseball coach and served as principal while at De Queen.
Ross returned to Magnolia and what by then had become Southern State College in 1956 as an assistant football coach under the guidance of head coach Auburn Smith. He remained with the Mulerider football program for 11 years through the 1966 season.
One of the most versatile coaches ever at the university, Ross’ 1956 arrival began a span of 39 years of coaching and teaching at the institution, serving not only on the football staff, but also as head coach of the Mulerider baseball, basketball and swim teams.
Ross succeeded Sam Bailey as head baseball coach in the fall of 1956 and coached the team for 11 seasons through 1967. He took over from Duddy Waller as head of the Mulerider basketball team in 1957, coaching them for six years through 1963. His basketball teams advanced to two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) district tournaments. In 1969 Ross began a 16-year career as head coach of the Mulerider swim team that led through 1985 when he retired from coaching. He was named both the AIC and NAIA District swim coach of the year in 1980. One of Ross’ swim highlights was coaching his son, Wayne, who was an All-AIC swimmer from 1980-1983. Wayne was inducted into the Southern Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame this past fall.
Following his coaching career, Ross continued serving as a professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation for another 10 years, retiring from the university in 1994. He taught over a dozen different courses during his 39 years at Southern Arkansas and also served as supervisor of student teaching.
Through the SAU community swim program, Dr. Ross taught literally thousands of children and adults how to swim. He was an active volunteer for the American Cancer Society and received their Pacesetter Award on behalf of Columbia County. Ross was inducted into the Henderson State Reddies Hall of Honor in 2009.
A member of First Baptist Church, Ross served as both a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Billie (Franks); sons David and wife, Brenda, of Tulsa, Okla., and Wayne and wife, Judy; and a daughter, Sharon Ware and husband, Joe, all of Magnolia; four grandchildren, Kerri Packwood of Fayetteville, Melani Dittfurth of Melissa, Texas, Christie Malone of San Francisco, Calif., and Cindie Nokes of Magnolia; four great grandchildren; a brother, Harrison and wife, Myra, of Hope; and a sister, Helen Levering from North Carolina.
Ross is preceded in death by his parents, the late Thomas Earl and Iris, and a sister, Violet Brooks.
Visitation with the family was held Monday at Lewis Funeral Home in Magnolia. Graveside services will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery, with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Magnolia with Bro. David Watkins officiating and assisted by Bro. Richard Walters. Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church or to Southern Arkansas University.
Muleriders set to begin Spring Football Practice
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Second-year Southern Arkansas coach Bill Keopple and his staff are set to begin spring football practice Monday, with the allotted 15 practices concluding Thursday, March 18 with the annual spring blue-gold game.
The Muleriders will practice four days, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday each of the first three weeks, and Monday, Wednesday and the spring game on Thursday during the final week. Practices on each scheduled weekday are slated for 3:30 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10 a.m., except this Saturday when they will start at 9 a.m. The blue-gold game will be held at 6:00 p.m. March 18.
Southern Arkansas Football Adds another Signee
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas football Coach Bill Keopple has announced the signing of El Dorado High School senior Luke Lansdell to a national letter of intent to join the Mulerider program.
Lansdell is a 6-1, 215-pound linebacker. His father, Phillip, is the athletic director at El Dorado. Lansdell brings the total number of signees for SAU this spring to 31.
Thornton Named to Fifth All-America Team
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas defensive tackle Cedric Thornton was dealt a straight flush Tuesday in receiving his fifth consecutive 
first team selection to the final post-season team of the year with the release of the 2009 Football Gazette All-America team.
Thornton (6-5, 266, Jr., Star City, Ark.) was earlier a first team All-America pick on the Associated Press Little All-America, AFCA, D2Football.com and Daktronics teams. He also was both a Football Gazette and Daktronics first team All-Super Region 2 honoree, was a first team All-Gulf South Conference selection and will be honored this month as the Muleriders’ MVP by the Little Rock Touchdown Club.
Thornton headlined SAU’s defense this past fall with 80 tackles (49 unassisted) and led the nation with 23 tackles for 84 yards in loss, including 8.5 sacks for minus 48 yards. He also forced two fumbles, blocked two kicks and had two quarterback hurries.
SAU Football Inks 30 on Signing Day
Mabank (Texas) HS linebacker Nolan Duncan signs with Southern Arkansas (photo courtesy Kelly Yancey, The Monitor)
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Second year Southern Arkansas football Coach Bill Keopple and his staff signed 30 players to national letters-of-intent Wednesday to join the Mulerider program. The class includes one sophomore and three junior transfers, and 26 student-athletes who will be incoming freshmen this fall.
“We’re really excited about the guys we signed,” stated Keopple, “They’re all quality players that will address our needs.”
Southern Arkansas University 2010 Mulerider Football Signees
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown (School)
David Bell, QB, 6-3, 215, Baton Rouge (Live Oak HS), La.
Brysen Brown, LB, 6-0, 205, Lufkin, Texas
Chris Brown, WR, 6-0, 175, Pittsburg, Texas
Jeff Bordelon, OL, 6-3, 285, Menard (Northwestern State University), La.
Teddy Burns, RB, 5-9, 180, Pittsburg, Texas
Brandon Calhoun, WR, 6-1, 185, Monroe (Neville HS), La.
Eric Campbell, OL, 6-5, 270, Paris, Texas
DeMarte Clayton, OL, 6-4, 285, Magnolia, Ark.
Alton Dennis, WR, 6-0, 180, Greenville, Texas
Grant Dooley, WR, 6-2, 190, De Queen, Ark.
Nolen Duncan, LB, 6-2, 240, Mabank, Texas
Rodney Evans, DL, 6-0, 260, Sulphur Springs (Kilgore College), Texas
Brandon Fitzgerald, QB, 6-2, 180, Marshall, Texas
Delton Friedman, TE, 6-3, 230, Katy (Seven Lakes HS), Texas
Allen Hale, OL, 6-5, 320, Midlothian (Navarro College), Texas
Micheal Harper, OL, 6-5, 314, Marshall, Texas
Tyler Higgonbotham, LB, 5-11, 220, Sulphur Springs, Texas
Ben Jackson, OL, 6-5, 285, Texarkana (Texas HS), Texas
LeMarcus Kendricks, DB, 5-10, 165, Sulphur Springs, Texas
Colton Lee, QB, 6-4, 175, Sulphur Springs, Texas
Bryan McCleary, LB, 6-1, 240, North Little Rock, Ark.
Alex Mills, LB, 5-11, 220, Arlington (Martin HS), Texas
Dominique Mitchell, DB, 6-0, 170, Greenville, Texas
Tyler Pascale, K, 5-10, 170, Monticello, Ark.
Brandon Rashad, DL, 6-5, 250, Longview (Trinity Valley Community College), Texas
Davarus Shores, DB, 6-1, 170, Mesquite, Texas
Demario Thomas, DB, 5-10, 175, Shreveport (Captain Shreve HS), La.
Jacob Thompson, WR, 6-3, 195, Van Buren, Ark.
Cornelius Watson, DL, 6-5, 225, El Dorado, Ark.
Bobby Williams, DB, 6-0, 175, Bossier City (Airline HS), La.
Muleriders’ Thornton Makes Fourth All-America Team
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is making the 2009 post-season football honors quite a habit as the junior was named Monday to his fourth All-America squad with the 
release of D2Football.com’s All-America team.
Thornton (6-5, 266, Jr. Star City, Ark.) again was a first team selection, as he has been prior on the AP Little All-America, AFCA and Daktronics All-America teams. Thornton is the only member from an Arkansas-based school in the Gulf South Conference named to D2Football.com’s two-team squad. He joins four league members from North Alabama on the first team in defensive lineman Montrell Craft, linebacker Mike Johnson, defensive back Quinton Andrews and punter Will Batson. Delta State’s Lardester Hicks-Green was the only other conference representative honored, as a second team linebacker. Eight members from GSC schools were honorable mention selections.
Photo: Bill Nielsen
GSC Announces 2009 Fall All-Academic Teams
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Gulf South Conference has released the 2009 Fall All-Academic Teams and Academic Honor Roll, which includes 28 Southern Arkansas student-athletes, six of them named to the elite conference All-Academic Teams. A total of 78 student-athletes across the league were named All-Academic, including five three-time selections and 20 two-time members.
The GSC All-Academic Teams are nominated by the conference sports information directors (SIDs), and selected by the SIDs and faculty athletic representatives in a joint vote. Nominees must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale for their entire academic career and may not be a freshman or first-semester transfers.
Members of the GSC Academic Honor Roll must post a minimum of a cumulative 3.00 GPA and have competed during their respective season. All student-athletes, including freshmen and first-semester transfers, are eligible for the honor roll.
Highlighting Southern Arkansas’ All-Academic Team honorees is football’s Benjamin (Ben) Williams, one of five across the league to receive the accolade for the third time. Teammates Noé Cuevas and Isaac Marrufo made the team for the second time, as does Lady Mulerider cross country member Michaela Krcova. Football’s Cedrick Powell and volleyball’s Mary (Maggie) Glover round out the SAU contingent with their first selections.
Williams (6-0, 218, Sr., Texarkana, Texas) graduated Cum Laude in December with a B.S. in chemistry-science, sporting a 3.58 GPA in making the team for the third consecutive year. He was a 2009 American Chemical Society Nuclear & Radiochemistry fellowship recipient and did his coursework at San Jose State in California this past summer. Williams is now a four-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and is a member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List (4.00 GPA) and four-time member of the SAU Dean’s List (minimum 3.50 GPA). A two-year starting linebacker, Williams finished this past fall with 45 tackles, 24 unassisted, including 4.5 for 12 yards in loss, recovered one fumble and had one quarterback hurry.
The kicker for the Muleriders, Cuevas (5-9, 175, Jr., Pasadena, Texas)
is a double-major, posting a 3.28 GPA in engineering-science and math. Along with his second conference all-academic honor, he is now a three-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and is also a member of the SAU Dean’s List. A three-year starter, Cuevas led the 2009 squad in scoring with 41points, hitting 9 of 14 field goals, with a long of 40 yards, and connected on 14 of 16 point-after attempts.
Marrufo (6-0, 194, So., Princeton, Texas) had a 3.68 GPA in accounting for his second all-academic selection. He has now twice been named to the GSC honor roll and is a four-time member of the Southern Arkansas Dean’s List. A wide receiver, Marrufo finished the season with 22 receptions for 225 yards and one touchdown.
After missing the 2008 cross country season with an injury, Krcova (Jr., Trnava, Slovakia) made up for it this past fall, highlighted with 
her second selection to the all-academic team. She holds a perfect 4.00 GPA in business administration-finance through seven semesters. Krcova is a past ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI honoree, is a three-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll, and has been named to the SAU President’s List seven times. She was the leading runner on the Lady Mulerider cross country team this past fall, placing 15th at the GSC championship to earn second team all-conference laurels. Krcova had four top 15 finishes in five meets, winning one.
Powell (6-0, 193, Sr., Houston, Texas) graduated in December with a B.B.A. in business administration-organizational management, posting a 3.25 GPA. He is a four-time member of the conference honor roll and a three-time member of the SAU Dean’s List. A defensive back, he played in all 10 games this year, recording three tackles.
Glover (5-9, Jr., Waxahachie, Texas) recorded a 3.73 GPA in psychology, with a minor in sociology. She is now a three-time member of the league honor roll, is a three-time member of the SAU
President’s List, and has twice been named to the Dean’s List. On the court this fall, Glover was a second team All-GSC pick at middle blocker for the second consecutive year and was named to the Texas Woman’s All-Tournament team. She led SAU this season with a .242 hitting percentage, 77 blocks, 0.69 blocks per set and 316.5 points. Glover was second on the squad with 237 kills and 2.12 kills per set, and also had 20 service aces and 90 digs.
Mulerider football team members joining Williams, Cuevas, Marrufo and Powell on the GSC Academic Honor Roll include Lantz Castleman, a freshman undecided major with a 3.29 GPA; Zachery (Zach) Massingill, a junior with a 3.09 in business administration-general business; Ryan McCombie, a sophomore with a 3.00 in biological science; Timothy (T.J.) Mead, a sophomore with a 3.37 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Josh Proffit, a freshman with a 3.00 in athletic training; and Isaac (Sonny) Roseborough, a sophomore with a 3.18 in exercise science.
Members of the Southern Arkansas men’s cross country team making the honor roll are Colton Connelly, a sophomore with a 3.15 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Mikell (Mickey) Hammer, a freshman with a 3.47 in exercise science; Ryan Laws, a sophomore with a 3.72 in exercise science; Samuel (Todd) McAdoo, a sophomore with a 3.20 in physical education, wellness and leisure; and Kevin Perez, a senior with a 3.20 in exercise science.
Other Lady Mulerider cross country team members joining Krcova on the honor roll are Sarah Banman, a junior with a 3.91 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Sydney Erwin, a freshman with a 3.64 in physical education, wellness and leisure; Lindsay Spooner, a junior with a 3.34 in exercise science; and Lindsey Toups, a freshman with a 3.33 in physical education, wellness and leisure.
SAU volleyball team members along with Glover on the honor roll are Katy Kidwell, a sophomore with a 3.72 in chemistry-science; Kaci Matthews, a junior with a 3.64 in accounting; Kristen Maureau, a junior with a 3.32 in exercise science; Courtney Nutt, a freshman with a 3.06 in biological science; Crystal Roberts, a freshman with a 3.00 in pre-medicine; Michaela Scroggins, a junior with a 3.44 in exercise science; and Courtney Smith, a red-shirt freshman with a 3.20 in psychology.
