Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hornets look to spread wings against Texas power
Bryant has played in the past two Class 7A state championships and competes annually against Saline County rival Benton in the Salt Bowl.
However, the Hornets have never had a game against a high-profile out-of-state opponent — until tonight.
Bryant (2-0) will host Trinity Christian (3-1) from Cedar Hill, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, at 7 p.m. at Hornet Stadium in Bryant.
Trinity Christian features senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders who is also Trinity Christian’s offensive coordinator.
About 1,300 fans will be allowed in Hornet Stadium tonight because of Arkansas Department of Health regulations with covid-19. Bryant’s home stands will be able to seat 800 while the visiting stands will have 400 fans. The school sold 100 tickets in the north end zone, which were sold out in 10 minutes Wednesday night at Big Red Store in Bryant. Players, cheerleaders, dance team members and band members were able to purchase two tickets apiece for their families.
Bryant Coach Buck James is used to coaching his team in big games since he took over as the Hornets’ leader in 2016. While a state championship or a conference title is not on the line tonight, there is state pride that can be earned for the Hornets against Trinity Christian.
“It’s exciting for high school football in Arkansas,” James said. “Our kids have come out this week with a sense of urgency. Our kids are excited about the opportunity.
“It’s a big deal for Bryant. This is what the guys before them and our current players have worked for. Our kids have raised the level of competitiveness and the level of expectations here.”
The Hornets enter tonight’s game with the state’s longest current winning streak at 19 games. They’re 2-0 this season after commanding victories over Benton 48-7 and Marion 57-17, and are led by quarterback Austin Ledbetter and wide receivers Hayden Schrader and Joseph Young.
The Trinity Christian-Bryant matchup came together because of covid-19 and scheduling issues.
Being the two-time defending Class 7A state champions, Bryant had trouble trying to find a third nonconference game. James said with Bryant becoming not only a state power, but also a team that is beginning to be known nationally, finding an out-ofstate team to play was what he and Athletic Director Mike Lee decided to do.
The Hornets fielded calls from teams in Texas, Georgia and Washington, D.C., but went with Trinity Christian. The game was scheduled in April, several weeks after covid-19 forced the shut down of athletic programs in Arkansas and Texas.
“If teams won’t play us in Arkansas, we’ll play teams out of state,” James said.
Trinity Christian Coach Andre Hart said he had no problem with going on the road and playing Bryant.
“We’ll go play anyone anywhere, anytime,” Hart said.
Since Trinity Christian is a private school, it was able to start its season on time in Texas. Texas high schools at the Class 5A and 6A level are not scheduled to start their regular season schedule until next week.
Hart said Bryant is the first Arkansas school Trinity Christian has played.
“They’re a championship-caliber team,” Hart said. “They’re coached up well. Their running backs and wide receivers are good. The quarterback is good. They’re going to pose some problems for us.”
James said he and the Hornets are looking forward to the opportunity to face a nationally known program such as Trinity Christian, which won the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division II state championship a year ago.
“We’re playing a really good team,” James said. “Some of those guys will go to college and be NFL guys. Our kids want to compete. We think this game will make us a better team.”