Hendrix’s revival not lost on Winn

Dayton Winn will play his final high school football game at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. He is scheduled to play his first collegiate game only about 2 miles east.

Winn, who will play for the West in tonight’s Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game at Estes Stadium, is part of the incoming freshman class at Hendrix College in Conway, which will field its first team since 1960 this fall.

“It’s nice to start up history again,” Winn said.

Winn, 5-10, 160 pounds, authored a stellar high school career at Class 4A Pea Ridge, earning Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Northwest Arkansas honors at tailback after rushing 241 times for 2,184 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall.

Winn rushed for more than 100 yards in 11 games, including 311 against Farmington, and also caught 8 passes for 212 yards and3 touchdowns and returned 8 punts for 159 yards.

Winn said he wasn’t heavily recruited. He said he had a chance to walk on at Arkansas Tech before deciding to attend Hendrix, which, as an NCAA Division III school, isn’t allowed to award athletic scholarships.

Winn said he became intrigued with Hendrix after attending a camp last year at UCA, adding Hendrix coaches remained in contact with him during the 2012 season.

“They really liked him and stayed with him, stayed with him, stayed with him,” said Pea Ridge Coach Tony Travis, who is also head coach of the West. “He had a chance to go to a couple of other places,but he liked Hendrix. He came down and visited and really liked the place.”

Winn said he might major in mathematics at Hendrix, an independent private college noted for strong academics. Winn said he scored 24 on the ACT and had a 3.77 grade point average at Pea Ridge.

Winn said he hopes to be the first person in his immediate family to earn a college degree.

“That would be an outstanding goal for him to set,” Travis said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll get there, too.”

Winn played cornerback as well as running back at Pea Ridge and will play cornerback in tonight’s game.

“They said that I would be a better fit at cornerback down here, for a chance at winning,” Winn said, referring to the All-Star coaches. “I’m not disappointed that I’m not playing running back.”

But Winn said he will play running back at Hendrix. At least one of his future college teammates, quarterback Seth Peters of Greenbrier, will also play for the West tonight.

Dayton Winn glance

HIGH SCHOOL Pea Ridge POSITION Cornerback ALL-STAR TEAM West HT-WT 5-10, 160 pounds NOTEWORTHY Member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Northwest Arkansas team after rushing 241 times for 2,184 yards and 21 touchdowns, catching 8 passes for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns and returning 8 punts for 159 yards last fall. ... Helped the Class 4A Blackhawks finish 10-2. ... Scored 24 on the ACT and had a 3.77 grade point average. ... Will play running back at NCAA Division III Hendrix College in Conway, which is fielding its first team since 1960 this fall.

AHSCA All-star football WHEN 7 p.m. today WHERE Estes Stadium, University of Central Arkansas in Conway LAST YEAR West 42, East 38 SERIES East leads 31-25-1 TICKETS $6

Sports, Pages 20 on 06/21/2013

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