LITTLE ROCK — FOOTBALL Rison player still hospitalized

Justin Ross, a senior tight end/defensive end for Rison, remained in serious condition late Thursday afternoon at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, according to a hospital spokesman.

Ross suffered a head injury in a Tuesday afternoon car accident near Rison that killed teammate Logan Prescott and injured a third Wildcat, senior offensive guard/linebacker Josh Cook.

Rison Coach Clay Totty said Cook (hip fracture) hopes to be released today from Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff.

Totty said the Wildcats practiced Thursday, but won’t today in order to attend Prescott’s funeral. He also said coaches and players will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Totty said Rison won’t practice again until Monday.

• Robert Yates

Touchdown Club releases speaker list

This fall’s lineup of speakers for Little Rock Touchdown Club meetings was announced Thursday.

The speakers will be:

Mark May, ESPN football analyst, on Aug. 20

John Robinson, former coach for Southern Cal and the Los Angeles Rams, on Aug. 27

Howard Schnellenberger, former head coach at Miami, Louisville, Oklahoma and Florida Atlantic, on Sept. 4.

Matt Jones, former Arkansas quarterback and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver, on Sept. 10

John L. Smith, Arkansas’ interim head coach, on Sept. 24

Willie Roaf, Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman, on Oct. 1

Paul Finebaum, syndicated radio talk show host, on Oct. 8

Jeff Long, Arkansas athletic director, on Oct. 15

Mike Slive, SEC commissioner, on Oct. 22

Mark Henry, former All-Soutwest Conference lineman at Arkansas, on Oct. 29

Clint Conque, Central Arkansas head coach, on Nov. 5

Tom Lemming, national recruiting analyst, on Nov. 12

Gus Malzahn, Arkansas State head coach, on Nov. 19.

The first meeting will be at the Peabody Little Rock and all others at the Embassy Suites. Membership is $50 and lunch is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers.

BASKETBALL UA’s Collen given extension

Arkansas has given women’s Coach Tom Collen a three-year contract extension through 2016.

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long announced the extension Thursday. Collen, who had one year left on his contract, led the Razorbacks to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing 61-59 to then-defending national champion Texas A&M.

Arkansas finished 24-9, including a school-best 10-6 in SEC play, and Collen was named the conference coach of the year. Collen has a five year record of 93-66 at Arkansas and is 310-136 in 14 seasons with the Razorbacks, Colorado State and Louisville.

BASEBALL Junior Deputy at Cal Ripken World Series

Little Rock’s Junior Deputy All-Stars start play this weekend at the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Md., with the opening rounds lasting until Wednesday to whittle down the 16-team field.

Representing the Southwest Region, Junior Deputy faces New England at 5 p.m. Saturday. The next day, they play the Maryland state champions, followed by a game against the Pacific Northwest on Sunday.

Junior Deputy gets a bye Monday and will wrap up pool play against the Pacific Southwest on Tuesday.

The top three teams from the two pools of American teams will advance to face six teams from the international pool in the knockout round beginning Aug. 16. The U.S. championship will be held Aug. 18 at 5 p.m., followed by the international final at 7:30 p.m.

The world title game takes place at 2 p.m. on Aug. 19.

Sports, Pages 19 on 08/10/2012