2 more Zebras sign letters of intent
Two more Pine Bluff High School seniors signed national letters of intent Friday morning, bringing the year’s total to eight class of 2024 Zebras signed to play college sports.
Perrea Little signed with Centenary College in Shreveport for football. Ronnie Smith will remain in-state to play baseball at Philander Smith University in Little Rock.
PBHS football coach Micheal Williams said Little was great to coach.
“Perrea brought consistency,” Williams said. “One thing about Perrea, when we put him in there, we didn’t have to worry about him doing the things that the coach tell him to do. He did exactly what Coach told him to do, and that’s what showed up on the film for Centenary. They saw, like, dude can play. He gonna hit hard, and he’s going to do exactly what he’s coached.”
This year was Little’s lone year with the Zebras after transferring from Watson Chapel. He helped Pine Bluff win the 5A-Central Conference championship and reach the state semifinals.
Centenary reinstated football last year. The original incarnation of the program was disbanded in 1941 during World War II. The Gents played an exhibition season last year in their return to the sport, posting an 8-1 record that included two games against Arkansas schools: a win against Lyon College and a loss to Arkansas Baptist.
The program will begin competition in the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference this fall, which will include Lyon. Centenary will begin the season with a non-conference contest against Hendrix College.
Little will play cornerback for the Gents, and he said he feels prepared to play college football.
“It’s going to be something new, definitely,” Little said. “But they told me the defense is kind of set up like ours was, so I can do what I been doing.”
While Little transferred to PBHS as a senior, Smith played baseball for the Zebras for all four years of high school.
Although the baseball team didn’t have the same success as the football team, Smith said playing for Pine Bluff was nonetheless a great experience.
“The best experience of my life, man, playing with all my brothers,” he said. “Memories, everything. Just building a bond with the guys, stuff like that, it’s just a one-time experience. You’ll never get that again.”
Philander Smith plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Panthers struggled this season, going 2-32. They had a better year last season, going 14-22 and reaching the GCAC tournament semifinals.
PBHS baseball Coach Ryan Stinson said Smith should bring consistency, leadership and work ethic to the Panthers.
“Ronnie was a good player, and then this year, he brought experience, leadership, working hard,” Stinson said. “Ronnie has a lot of untapped potential. He just needs to get in on that next level and start to work hard, and then we’ll see that potential fully develop on the college level.”
Smith is the only PBHS athlete to sign for baseball with the other seven signing for football. Williams said it’s awesome to send this many student-athletes to college.
“We actually had 14 kids that had multiple offers,” Williams said. “Even like today, we had a kid decide to go on an academic scholarship instead of an athletic scholarship. So it’s always great to get kids the opportunity to go to college for free, or even just get an opportunity to go to college to play the sport that they love.”