Hornets continue to roll, pound Cabot on the road
BRYANT 55, CABOT 10
CABOT — Coming into Week 8’s match against Cabot on the road, the Bryant Hornets (8-0, 5-0) had not scored less than 55 in their previous three games and starters had not taken a snap in the second half since opening day against Benton in the Salt Bowl.
On Friday, despite actually having to play the third quarter, Bryant fought through Mother Nature before thumping Cabot 55-10 to stay perfect on the season and to win its 12th straight dating back to Week 10 last year.
“We didn’t play our best in the first half and I feel like Cabot has a lot to do with that,” said Head Coach Buck James. “We played really good the second half.
We take two series out of that game and really we played good for four quarters.
“We have got to learn that we have to do what we are supposed to do, regardless of the situation. We can’t scoreboard watch or anything like that. When we do that we are pretty good. But when we get caught up in some other stuff then we don’t do very good.”
James added that his team suffered too many penalties in the road win, which is something he plans to clean up ahead of next week’s showdown with 7A runner-up North Little Rock.
Arkansas commit Catrell Wallace kept the momentum in Bryant’s favor in the first quarter, blocking backto-back punt attempts by Cabot, the second going for a safety and the first points of the game with 6:11 to go in the opening frame.
Bryant would quickly make it 10-0 in the first after junior quarterback Austin Ledbetter found receiver Tre’vun Herron for a 3-yard touchdown strike with 5:10 to go. Ledbetter would hit Hayden Schrader wide open in the end zone on the 2-point attempt for the Hornets.
Bryant continued to add on as running back Ahmad Adams rumbled 58 yards for a score with 3:44 left in the first quarter, moving the Hornets advantage to 17-0.
Far from finished, the Hornets would get the ball back with 35 seconds left in the quarter before using only one play to go 63 yards for another score as Ledbetter hit receiver Joseph Young in stride. Young would break a number of tackles on his way to pay dirt.
Bryant kicker Brock Funk made it 27-0 with 10:04 to go in the half after nailing a 25-yard field goal.
Cabot, however, would make it interesting in the first half, scoring a touchdown on 21-yard pass before tacking on a 29-yard field goal to pull within 27-10 at the break, the closest halftime score against the Hornets this season.
The Hornets allowed 127 yards of offense in the first half of play.
But Bryant would show no mercy in the second half, scoring 28 unanswered points.
Tanner Anderson contributed with two scores, one from a yard away and another from 5 yards out. Anderson actually had a third TD negated in the second half as a holding penalty erased the score.
Nonetheless, Ledbetter would find receiver Jake Meaders a play later on a 24-yard TD strike. Ledbetter stayed with the aerial assault to end his night, hitting receiver River Gregory from 24 yards away for the game’s final score.
Ledbetter would complete 14 of 27 passing attempts for 190 yards and four touchdowns, bringing his season total to 25 TDS. His near 200 yards passing also moved him over the 2,000 mark for the year.
On the ground, Adams torched Cabot for 162 yards and a TD on 16 carries, followed by Anderson’s 106 yards and two scores on 13 touches.
“They are gifted,” James said of his two-headed running back monster. “Thunder and lightning, as far as I am concerned. Ahmad is a big, strong kid that can’t be armed tackled. Tanner is fast and elusive. It gives us a great changeup for our football team.”
Ledbetter would add 29 yards rushing in the win, including a big first down in the opening half.
Receiving, Young led with five catches for 92 yards and a score, followed by Meaders’ four receptions, 44 yards and a TD. Four other Hornets would haul in at least one pass on the night.
As for Week 9, the Hornets will host North Little Rock in a rematch of the 2018 7A State Championship game which Bryant defeated the Charging Wildcats for its first title in school history.
After falling 41-21 to Catholic last week, North Little Rock overcame early struggles in Week 8 against Fort Smith Northside, winning 42-25 at home.
“Just because some things happen on the scoreboard does not mean they (NLR) are not very good,” James said. “They are a talented, hard-nosed football team that has had some bad breaks.
“It is like a snake laying there not moving — how many people want to pick it up? They are a very lethal football team capable of beating anybody. I guarantee nobody is lining up to play them every Friday night. Anybody thinks they are not going to show up with their A-game is sadly mistaken.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Bryant will also celebrate senior night prior to kickoff.