How the top 10 fared
No. 1 Bryant 56,
No. 7 LR Catholic 7
No. 2 Greenwood 52, El Dorado 24
No. 3 Bentonville 41, Van Buren 21
No. 4 North Little Rock 17,
No. 5 Conway 7
Little Rock Christian 63,
No. 6 Pulaski Academy 61
No. 8 Little Rock Central 42,
Fort Smith Northside 35
No. 9 Cabot 12, Fort Smith Southside 0
No. 10 Harrison 49, Clarksville 3
BRYANT 56, LITTLE ROCK CATHOLIC 7
BRYANT – Still unbeaten, still untested and still the “1.”
Bryant, the state’s topranked team, broke open a tight game with a second-quarter scoring barrage in beating Little Rock Catholic 56-7 in 7A-Central action Friday night at Hornet Stadium.
Bryant (5-0, 2-0) led 42-7 at halftime, applying the Arkansas Activities Association’s sportsmanship rule for the fifth consecutive week. Bryant led 14-7 after one quarter before quickly building another huge halftime advantage behind the running of senior tailback Ahmad Adams and the passing of junior quarterback Austin Ledbetter.
Ledbetter directed the Hornets on four consecutive touchdown drives, a flurry punctuated by a 28-yard pass to junior wide receiver Hayden Schrader with 1:42 remaining in the second quarter. Bryant covered 56 yards in five plays to take its 42-7 halftime lead. The three previous touchdown drives covered 67 yards (four plays), 64 yards (three plays) and 60 yards (three plays).
Sandwiched around two 30-yard touchdown runs by Adams was a 30-yard touchdown run by junior tailback Tanner Anderson. The Hornets finished with a 418-50 advantage in total yardage in the first half.
Ledbetter completed 15 of 21 passes for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns. Adams ran 10 times for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. Anderson finished with 90 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns (1 and 30 yards) on 10 carries. Junior wide receiver Joseph Young caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Ledbetter on Bryant’s opening possession.
The Hornets have outscored their opponents 18920 in the first half this fall.
“I didn’t think we were clean early,” said Bryant Coach Buck James, who has led the Hornets to nine consecutive victories, including last year’s Class 7A final. “Both offensively and defensively, we were a little sluggish. A lot of that goes to what Catholic did. I think Catholic’s got a good football team. I think they’re a playoff-caliber team – extremely well-coached. I thought they did some things tonight that were really, really good and don’t show on the scoreboard.”
Catholic (3-2, 1-1) scored on the final play of the first quarter when junior safety Jackson Daniel, on a tipped throw from Ledbetter, returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown. Trailing 14-7, Catholic was in position to tie the score after Bryant’s next possession ended when Adams was stopped for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-2 run from the Hornets’ 44.
Catholic reached the 22, but the threat ended on the second of senior interior lineman Austin Bailey’s three first-half sacks with 8:20 remaining in the second quarter.
Bryant then scored four touchdowns in less than seven minutes.
“They’re a very good football team,” Rockets Coach John Fogleman said.