Hornets defeat Grizzlies, 42-7

FORT SMITH — Topranked Bryant looked the part of a dominant football team Friday night in its 7A-Central opener against Fort Smith Northside.

Thanks to an impressive first-half display of football on both sides of the ball, the Hornets easily defeated the Grizzlies 42-7 Friday night at Mayo-Thompson Stadium.

“I think this team plays hard and physical,” Bryant coach Buck James said. “They are not flashy and do not try to draw attention to themselves. They have a blue-collar type of mentality.”

Nothing typifies the blue-collar mentality more than the Hornet defense. The varsity only played a half but held Northside to just 15 total yards, including minus-2 rushing and just one first down, which was a 14-yard pass on their first play from scrimmage early in the first quarter. The Bryant defense was bigger, stronger, faster and more physical than Northside.

“We have a lot of confidence in our defense and that is a luxury,” James said. “Our defense was not fooled by anything Northside was trying to do. Our defense has played great all year long and does not always get the credit they deserve. It’s a solid defense.

Bryant led 42-0 at halftime thanks to the defense and the offense that racked up 383 yards of total offense. Quarterback Austin Ledbetter paced the offense with 288 passing yards and four touchdown tosses as well as a 29-yard touchdown run for good measure. Ledbetter threw to six different receivers in the half.

It was Northside that had the early break of the game when Bryant fell short on a fourth down at its 36. After the first down pass moved the Grizzlies to the Hornet 22, the Bryant defense forced 8 yards in losses and a fourth-down pass was incomplete to end the Northside threat.

“It was like we had a defender there to make the play every time,” James said. “The kids studied the film, studied (Northside’s) tendencies and read their keys. It is a testament to what our defensive coaches teach and how well the kids respond to their coaching.”

From there, the Hornets dominated the rest of the first half, scoring on six of its next seven possessions.

After getting the ball back, Joseph Young turned a short Ledbetter pass into a 68-yard play to the Grizzly 2. Three plays later, Ledbetter hit Hayden Schrader for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 6:57 left in the first period for a 7-0 Bryant lead.

Two big pass plays got Bryant on the board late in the first quarter. Ledbetter hit Jake Meadors for 34 yards, then on the next play hit Young for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds left in the opener quarter for a 14-0 advantage.

“I don’t think (Young) had caught a ball (in a varsity game) until tonight,” James said. He had a big night. Jake Meadors played like we expect Jake Meadors to play. We were able to run the ball better as the game went on, though it may not have looked like it.”

The Hornets then blew the game open with a 28-point second quarter. Ledbetter threw touchdown passes to Meadors (30 yards) and Schrader (21 yards) and also ran for a 29-yard score on a keeper. Reserve running back Preston Garrett added a 2-yard touchdown run with 8 seconds left in the first half to give Bryant the 42-0 lead.

Northside’s lone score came with 7:58 left in the fourth quarter on a 93-yard run by Tyheen Prosise.

FOUR DOWNS

• The Hornets now have won 4 straight games over the Grizzlies. Northside had won the first 6 of the series.

• In all four Bryant wins, the Hornets have forced a second-half running clock in all four games. Bryant has outscored its opponents 164-34 this season.

• The defending 7A state champion Hornets now have an 8-game winning streak, its longest since starting the 1999 season with 11 straight wins before losing to the eventual state champion Northside in the Class AAAAA Quarterfinals.

• Next week: Northside hosts Little Rock Central while Bryant hosts Little Rock Catholic.