Coach on familiar stomping grounds

Pine Bluff High School boys’ basketball coach Billy Dixon is quite familiar with the University of Central Arkansas’ Farris Center.

Dixon once called that building home when he played for the Bears in college. He also played his final high school basketball game in that building when he represented Dumas in the all-star game.

The veteran coach returns to both the Farris Center and the all-star stage Saturday to serve as the head coach of the West All-Stars in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star boys’ basketball game, which tips off at 1 p.m.

Dixon said being selected as an all-star head coach is a big honor.

“When I look back at the history of the all-star game and look at the coaches that have had an opportunity to participate, there’s a lot of other great coaches out there who have not had the opportunity to be a part of this,” Dixon said. “It’s one of those rings of honor that I think most, all head coaches would like to have the experience and the opportunity to do it, so it means a lot.”

Dixon was selected as one of the head coaches after leading Pine Bluff to a second straight Class 5A state championship this past season.

During his high school playing days, he won a Class 3A state championship with Dumas, then went on to win the overall state championship tournament, which the AAA no longer holds. He then played in the all-star game at the Farris Center, knowing he was getting ready to play many more games in that building as a UCA player.

Dixon said he made a lot of memories at the Farris Center.

“My best friends, lifelong best friends happened right there when I got there and played basketball,” Dixon said. “A lot of those guys to this very day, we stay in contact with each other. … I’ll probably have about five or six guys that played college basketball with me that will actually be there, has called me and said, ‘Hey Coach, I’m coming. I gotta see this, want to be a part of it.’ So, that’s a good thing.”

Dixon said he was featured in the sport sections of both the Arkansas Democrat and Gazette, which were still separate newspapers at the time, and he recently showed those articles to one of his players, signifying how much the opportunity to be part of this game means.

This time, he will get to share the moment with one of his players. Randy Emerson Jr. was selected to play in this game, giving him one last chance to play for Dixon before leaving Pine Bluff. Emerson signed to play basketball at O.U.R Prep Academy last month.

Dixon said having Emerson there with him is another great honor.

“See, you get an opportunity to do this because of your players,” Dixon said. “It’s really not about what you’ve done. It’s about what your players have done. That representation comes and it goes, and it’s not just for me. Randy and me will not only represent Pine Bluff High. We’ll also represent the 5A South Conference, also have an opportunity to be represented as 5A state champions. So, all of that is big for us. Really, really excited. Happy for Randy and just happy to have that opportunity.”

The East All-Stars will be coached by Marked Tree head coach Barbara Wilburn-Covington, who led the Indians to the Class 1A championship this season.

Dixon said it will be yet another honor to face Wilburn-Covington, who he said deserves the opportunity to be an all-star head coach.

“She represents female coaches as getting a chance to participate on a high level where it’s just not seen on a frequent basis,” Dixon said. “To be a coach of boys and to have the level of success she’s had, she has to be commended for that. So, you look at that again as an honor. Just another opportunity to be a part of history as it’s being made and something that’s a memorable moment.”

Pine Bluff’s Braylin Morden will be Dixon’s team manager for the all-star game. His assistant coaches will be Cody Vaught from Ozark Catholic, Brad Stamps from Fayetteville and Trent Loyd from Pea Ridge.

The girls’ all-star game will follow the boys’ game, though there are no southeast Arkansas representatives in that game. Saturday night, a collection of southeast Arkansans, including four Pine Bluff and four White Hall players, will compete in the all-star football game across the street at Estes Stadium. The football game will kick off at 6 p.m.