Hornets jump on Grizzlies
FORT SMITH — Bryant shifted into cruise control after building a three-touchdown lead in the first 17 minutes on Friday, not that it really mattered.
The Hornets’ defense never really allowed Fort Smith Northside to get too close.
Northside scored a big-play touchdown late, but Bryant was too much for Northside, opening 7A-Central play with a 31-12 victory Friday at Mayo-Thompson Stadium.
“Anytime you open a conference with a road win, that is huge,” Bryant Coach Buck James said. “Northside has a great tradition and plays great football. They came to our place last year and beat us. This is a special win for us”
Latavion Scott rushed for 179 yards while quarterback Ren Hefley tossed three touchdown passes, including two to Brandon Murray, to pace the offense for the Hornets (4-0, 1-0).
Bryant’s defense limited the Grizzlies (1-3, 0-1) to 184 yards, sacking quarterback Derrick Wise five times and forcing a fumble on a keeper.
“I thought the defense played great tonight,” James said. “We gave up a couple of big plays and there were times we did not get off the field on third down. That was really it. [Wise] is a great athlete and we knew that going in.”
The Hornets offense lost its momentum early in the second half, but Bryant got a field goal and touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
“I thought we played really well offensively in the first half,” James said. “We probably got caught up trying to run the clock in the second half and shorten the game. We don’t care how we do it, as long as the job gets done.”
Bryant rushed for 205 yards.
“Our offensive line pushed them around and wore them down,” James said. “We’ve been doing that all year. Our line is the strength of our football team.”
Bryant capitalized on three scoring opportunities on its first five possessions, and the two nonscoring possessions both ended inside the Northside 20, one of which was a missed 26-yard field goal.
The first Hornets drive was 52 yards in 5 plays, ending with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Hefley to Randy Thomas.
Bryant made it 14-0 early in the second quarter when Helfey hit a wide-open Murray in the middle of the field for a 45-yard touchdown pass with 10:43 to play in the half.
NO. 5 PULASKI ACADEMY 61, LITTLE ROCK FAIR 14
Layne Hatcher threw four touchdown passes as Pulaski Academy (4-0, 1-0 5A-Central) routed Little Rock Fair (04, 0-1).
Pulaski Academy led 42-0 at the end of the first quarter and 49-0 at halftime.
Hatcher threw scoring passes to Brett Lynch, John David White, E.J. Anderson and Hudson Henry in the Bruins’ 42-point first quarter.
Luke Jones, Ford Aguilar and Zac White each had a rushing touchdown in the first half.
Kalik Brazle had a rushing touchdown for the War Eagles in the second half.