Bryant QB handling season with poise
BRYANT— Carson Burnett admitted to some nerves heading into this football season, and rightfully so.
The Bryant Hornets were coming into this season with roster turnover on both sides of the ball, and the quarterback position was right at the heart of it.
Austin Ledbetter — a twoyear starter at quarterback — highlighted the many departures from last year’s Hornets squad. And Ledbetter’s spot has been Burnett’s to fill.
Burnett’s nerves hit a point where he was shaking ahead of Bryant’s season-opener against Benton in the Salt Bowl. But the senior said all it took was one play to settle in.
“It was all downhill from there,” Burnett said.
It’s emblematic of the season Bryant has put together. From the onset, it’s seemed downhill for a Hornet team that appeared to have more potential than ever to lose its grasp on Class 7A. And Burnett has been at the heart of the team’s success.
“The quarterback role for us is a big one,” Bryant Coach Buck James said. “The [run-pass options] and all the things he has that go into checks. All we’ve told Carson is, ‘You don’t have to win the game, you just have to be able to direct it and orchestrate it,’ and he’s done a hell of a job.”
Through 10 games, the
Hornets and Burnett are on pace with their 2021 season, sitting at 9-1 ahead of tonight’s quarterfinal game against Fort Smith Northside.
Burnett has turned in 1,894 yards and 20 touchdowns through 10 games, and he’s done so with efficiency. The senior has completed 67% of his passes, and he’s averaging 16.9 yards per completion. He’s thrown six interceptions.
James said he’s been impressed by Burnett’s poise this season, and that the moment has never seemed too big for the quarterback. That’s shown in the past two games — possibly the team’s toughest stretch so far.
Burnett played mistake-free
football in the Hornets’ 24-12 win against North Little Rock while throwing for 200 yards. He also led a significant charge to come back and beat Conway on the road. Facing a 12-point deficit, Burnett and the Hornets stormed back for a 32-29 win in that game. The quarterback’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Mytorian Singleton with 21 seconds left gave Bryant the lead and eventual win.
Through it all, James said Burnett has shown himself as a leader.
“He’s not a big talker,” James said. “He’s just going to do it the right way. He’s going to work the right way, and he’s going to make it happen the right way. It’s refreshing, to be honest with you, to have a guy like that.
“He hasn’t gotten a lot of fanfare for it, either. He’s not been a highly publicized guy, by any means, but we wouldn’t be here without him.”