Phil Hicks

SAN ANTONIO — After leading Arp High School to the Class 2A state track championship title, Shannon Arrington will be honored on Monday by his alma mater, Stephen F. Austin State University.

Arrington is one of nine SFA alumni to be honored at the 30th annual Outstanding Coaches Luncheon, sponsored by the SFA Alumni Association. The luncheon is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. in the El Mirador/LaCondesa Room of the Hilton Palacio Del Rio.

Arrington is the recipient of the 2008 Joe Richardson Track Award.

Arrington has been at Arp since 1997 and served as elementary principal from 2001-05. His teaching and coaching career began in Elkhart.

He graduated from SFA in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology and in 2001 with a master’s degree in education.

Arrington was named the Tyler Courier-Times—Telegraph “East Texas Coach of the Year” for the 2008 season and in 2004 he was honored by Fox High School Sports Extra with a “Coach Who Makes a Difference” award.

Other 2008 recipients include: 1992 graduate Lydell Wilson of Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated (Ted Jefferies Football Award); 1980 graduate Steve Lunsford of Harlingen (Alumni Association Volleyball Award); 2001 and 2006 graduate Brian Nichols of Laneville (John O. Stephens Basketball Award); 1988 and 1990 graduate Ruth Wright of Huntington and 1993 and 1995 graduate Patrick Danesi of Galveston O’Connell (Alumni Association Softball Award); 1999 graduate Lonnie Henry of New Boston and 1995 graduate Shawn Mixon of Jasper (Joe Gallagher Baseball Award); and 1980 and 1982 graduate Farshid Niroumand of Nacogdoches (Alumni Association Soccer Award).

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Arp Represented In Basketball

Arp basketball standout Corey Walker will play for the South in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game on Monday. Walker is a 5-8 point guard.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s University.

Mike Murphy of Pflugerville is coaching the South.

Other members of the South are 6-3 forward TJ Johnson of Hendrickson, 6-4 guard Brock Kimball of Ingleside (Texas A&M-Kingsville signee), 5-8 point guard Gene Edwards of Corpus Christi West Oso, 5-7 point guard Abel Galliguez of Stafford Dulles (John Brown University), 6-2 guard Brandon Irwin of Thorndale, 6-6 forward Julian Boyd of San Antonio Taft, 6-8 guard Steven Stolle of Falls City, 6-11 forward James Blasczyk of Friendswood (TCU), 6-8 forward Corbin Ray of Katy Taylor (Texas Tech), 6-7 forward Terry Bembry of Fort Bend Bush (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, IUPUI), and 6-2 guard Daniel Marsh of Hardin.

James C. Mays II of Dallas South Oak Cliff is coaching the North.

Members of the North are 6-7 forward Cory Dixon of Argyle (Northwestern State), 6-0 point guard/guard Anthony Hill of Plano East (Colgate), 6-6 guard PJ Colley of North Crowley (Texas A&M-Commerce), 6-2 point guard/guard Jayton Buxkemper of Ballinger, 6-0 point guard/guard Cameron Wade Swarb of White Deer (Cameron University), 6-2 forward Nathan McPherson of Ponder, 6-1 guard Tim Meadows of Crowley (Prairie View A&M), 6-4 forward Darren Houliston of Euless Trinity (Trinidad State JC of Colorado), 6-5 center Scott Straley of The Colony (Austin College), 6-3 guard/forward Adam Bailey of Forsan, 6-6 forward Chase Spruiell of Princeton, and 6-0 guard D’Andre Williams of Amarillo Palo Duro (Odessa College).

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All-Star Gridders

East Texans will be represented in the THSCA All-Star Football game with six on the North and four on the South.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Alamo Dome.

Jacksonville standout offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio and prolific wide receiver Houston Tuminello of Gilmer are two of the stars.

Villavisencio (6-5, 305) has signed to play for Texas A&M, while Tuminello (6-1, 170) heads east to Louisiana Tech.

Others on the North team are wide receiver Desmond Brigham of Caddo Mills (North Texas), linebacker Kennard Henderson of Pleasant Grove (Harding), inside linebacker James Ervin of Nacogdoches and defensive tackle Blake Bledsoe of Longview (Texas A&M).

Tyler Junior College signee Cory Brown, a 6-6 240-pound offensive lineman from Grand Prairie, is playing for the North.

Coaching the North is Darren Allan of Odessa Permian.

East Texans on the South include tailback/linebacker Bryce Beal of Tatum (Houston), wide receiver Willie Carter of Crockett (Tulsa), offensive tackle Terry McDaniel of New Diana (Texas Tech) and center R.J. Mauldin of Jefferson (Kilgore College).

Coaching the South is Don Byrd of San Antonio Alamo Heights.

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And …

Dr. Charles Breithaupt, University Interscholastic League athletic director, is scheduled to meet with the Texas sports writers at 1:30 p.m. Monday, while on Tuesday college football coaches — Texas A&M’s Mike Sherman, Baylor’s Art Briles, SMU’s June Jones, Houston’s Kevin Sumlin, Rice’s David Bailiff and Texas’ Mack Brown — have confirmed meeting with the sports writers as well. … I guess Mike Leach of Texas Tech is not showing up … again.

Phil Hicks
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