Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
BRYANT, NLR return to a familiar setting.
The championship game of the state’s largest classification will come down to Bryant and North Little Rock for a third consecutive year.
The 7A-Central Conference rivals Bryant and North Little Rock face each other at 12:10 p.m. today at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium for the Class 7A state championship.
Bryant (12-0) is attempting to win the state title for a third consecutive time, something which hasn’t been done since Pulaski Academy earned four Class 5A championships in a row from 2014-17.
North Little Rock (11-1) is playing in its fifth title game in a row since 2016.
Bryant has won a statebest 29 games in a row dating to October 2018 when it lost at North Little Rock in the regular season. The Hornets earned their second consecutive 7A-Central Conference championship this season, going 6-0 in the league.
Since the Arkansas Activities Association expanded to six classes in 2006, no team in Class 7A has won three consecutive state championships. That feat is something Bryant Coach Buck James and the Hornets’ senior class were aware of as they prepared to face their longtime rivals.
“It’s a special group,” James said. “It’s a chance for them to put their mark on history. They’ve done some phenomenal things for our program and our community.”
Bryant has won the past four meetings against North Little Rock, including a 58-21 rout of the Charging Wildcats on Oct. 30. The Hornets finished with 829 yards offensively, and senior quarterback Austin Ledbetter passed for 542 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Ledbetter, who has signed to play baseball at the University of Arkansas, has passed for 2,926 yards and 42 touchdowns this season.
“The quarterback is really good,” North Little Rock Coach J.R. Eldridge said. “He does a great job of really being able to distribute the football to their playmakers. He has a good command of that offense.”
Senior wide receiver Hayden Schrader, who caught four touchdown passes in Bryant’s 56-14 rout of Conway in the Class 7A semifinals, leads the Hornets with 1,424 yards and 20 touchdowns.
James has faced North Little Rock eight times in his tenure at Bryant. However, he isn’t going to take the Charging Wildcats lightly despite the Hornets’ success against them as of late.
“I’ve told our guys that you’re not just going to show up and they give you a trophy,” James said. “You’re going to have to work and earn it.”
The loss to Bryant was North Little Rock’s only setback of the season. Since then, the Charging Wildcats have won four consecutive games. Eldridge said the Charging Wildcats have to play a complete game and avoid turnovers today.
“We have to be a four-quarter football team,” Eldridge said. “Our second half against them the last time wasn’t very good. We have to make the most of our opportunities against them. We have to make the plays we’re able to make.”
Senior quarterback Kareame Cotton has led North Little Rock offensively, and James said he will present a challenge to the Hornets’ defense.
“He’s a phenomenal quarterback,” James said. “He’s done a great job.”
Eldridge is in his first season at North Little Rock. He’s coaching in his third state championship game, having led Arkadelphia to back-toback Class 4A state titles in 2017 and 2018.
North Little Rock is looking to win its first state title since 2017 when it defeated Bentonville under former coach Jamie Mitchell. Eldridge, who started his position at the school in April but wasn’t able to see his players until June because of the coronavirus pandemic, said winning a championship would be important for the Charging Wildcats.
“It would be a huge accomplishment for our players and our coaches,” Eldridge said. “First of all, we didn’t know if we would play. At the last minute, we were told we could play.
“It’s been a crazy year. But it would be a big sense of accomplishment if we win.”