FOOTBALL
Bayless, Merritt to play in all-star game
A pair of Arkansas State University wide receivers have been selected to play in a postseason all-star game.
Seniors Omar Bayless and Kirk Merritt are set to participate in the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which showcases some of the nation's top players who are eligible for the NFL Draft.
The game is scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Ex-NFL coaches Hue Jackson and Marvin Lewis will serve as the head coaches for the two teams.
A year after Merritt finished as ASU's leading receiver, Bayless assumed that role this season and totaled the most receiving yards of any player in the country by the end of the regular season.
Bayless, who was named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, finished with 1,473 yards and 16 touchdowns (second-most nationally) on 84 receptions (ninth-most nationally). He broke both the ASU and Sun Belt single-season records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Merritt finished as the Sun Belt's fourth-leading receiver with 763 yards. He was second in the league behind Bayless with 11 receiving touchdowns, and he had 64 receptions.
-- Trenton Daeschner
All-Arkansas Preps nominations accepted
Nominations are being accepted for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps football team.
Nominations should include the player's class, position, height, weight, 40-yard dash time and the following statistics for each position:
QUARTERBACKS Passing yards, attempts, completions, touchdowns, interceptions.
RUNNING BACKS Rushing yards, attempts, touchdowns, yards per carry, yards per game.
WIDE RECEIVERS Receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS Tackles, sacks, interceptions, pass breakups, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, touchdowns.
SPECIAL TEAMS Kickoff returns, return yardage, touchdowns; punt returns, return yardage, touchdowns; field goals made, field goals attempted, longest field goal; extra points made, extra points attempted; longest punt.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN Sacks allowed, blocking grades.
There will be a first team, a second team and an underclassman team. Offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, underclassman of the year and coach of the year also will be selected.
Coaches are asked to nominate no more than three players from their own team and no more than three players from their respective conference.
Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 3. High school coaches with teams still in the postseason may send in nominations, and the Democrat-Gazette will ask coaches to update their statistics when the season is over. Email nominations to [email protected].
Coaches are also asked to send mug shots of nominees for possible publication.
The All-Arkansas Preps football team will be released Jan. 12.
-- Jeremy Muck
SOCCER
Harding's Ramos named All-American
Harding University senior midfielder Christian Ramos became the first men's player in school history to receive All-America honors when he was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association's first team Wednesday.
Ramos scored a career-high 17 goals, including four game-winning goals, in 17 games. He was 7 of 7 on penalty kicks and finished his career with 34 goals and nine assists.
Ramos earned All-Great American Conference honors in each of his four years at Harding. He was the 2018 GAC Player of the Year and received three All-Central Region honors.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 12/12/2019