Sports group honors 7 state quarterbacks
Seven high school football quarterbacks in Arkansas have been named winners of the inaugural Benjamin Anderson Leadership Awards by the MidSouth Sports and Education Group.
A ceremony in the winners’ honor is scheduled for 5 p.m. April 27 at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, an exact location at which is to be named. The awards recognize a quarterback from each classification in the state. Each winner is selected based on athletic and academic accomplishments and is “exemplary of Anderson’s dedication, passion and leadership,” according to a news release.
Anderson led UAPB to the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, lettered four years with the Golden Lions (2011-2014) and set UAPB passing records of 9,478 yards and 62 touchdowns for his career. He played professional football in Japan for six years, winning the X-League award in 2017.
Anderson died in a tubing accident on Lake Ouachita last June at age 30.
The winners include:
■ Wyatt Buchanan of Izard County (8-man)
■ Luke King of Hazen (2A)
■ Brandon Scott of Charleston (3A)
■ Cedric Simmons of Malvern (4A)
■ Achilles Ringo of Mills University Studies (5A)
■ Kel Busby of Pulaski Academy (6A)
■ and Jordan Wales of Bryant (7A)
“The impact these young men have on their respective communities pushes their peers to be leaders both on the field and in the classroom,” Dr. Marcus A. Chanay, principal managing partner, president and CEO of MidSouth Sports and Education Group, said in a news release. “We are honored to award each of them with this prestigious award as a reminder to continue their journey of excellence.”