BENTON — Though they forced a winner-take-all final after battling back out of the loser’s bracket, the Bryant 10-year-old All-Stars couldn’t manage a second victory over the host Benton team on Monday night. Benton prevailed 8-3.

Both teams advance to the State tourney which will be at Lake Village starting July 10. Regionals will be at Abbeville, La., beginning July 30.

Bryant had forced the finale with a 19-0 romp over Benton earlier in the evening. The team had opened the tournament with a 19-0 win over Hot Springs Village on Friday, setting up a second-round match with Benton on Saturday that Benton won 10-0. Bryant came back on Sunday to eliminate Hot Springs Village 21-0, setting up the return engagement with Benton on Monday.

Bryant’s 10-year-olds, coached by Jerry East, include Logan Allen, Drew Brown, Zach Chambers, Austin Despain, Jake East, Kade Endl, Dylan Hurt, Austin Kelly, Hayden Knowles, Samuel McFarland, Garrett Misenheimer, Aaron Orender and Diego Vargas.

The 8-year-old All-Stars of Bryant and Benton squared off in the finals of the district tournament Tuesday night. Benton jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the first and wound up winning the championship, 10-3.

Both teams will play in the State tourney in Sherwood beginning July 10.Bryant had beaten Benton in the winner’s bracket final but Benton came back out of the loser’s bracket and won a rematch 6-1 to force the winner-take-all championship tonight.

Bryant’s 8-year-olds, coached by Michael Catton with assistance from Madison McEntire and Phillip Dupree, include Logan Catton, Logan Chambers, Jake Cowell, Tristan Day, Cade Dupree, Logan Grant, Cobe Greiner, Sawyer Holt, Ryan Lessenberry, Nathan McFarland, Will McEntire and Garett Nguyen.

Dining in the Bryant area offers more choices than ever and the Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce will help celebrate and showcase that variety with the annual Taste of Bryant. In the past, the event has drawn as many as 700 people.

The event also includes a silent auction for adults and a special drawing of prizes for children. The room will be decorated to a theme and the kids area will offer an art area with paper on the floor and crayons, markers and chalk to draw on the paper.

Taste of Bryant will be held on July 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Bryant High School South cafeteria.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 if purchased at the door. Tickets are $5 for children ages 7-12. Those 6 and under are free.

"This is one of the most family friendly and fun things we do," said Chamber director Rae Ann Fields. "The idea is to come when you want, eat what you want and leave when you want."

Restaurants that have not registered to participate, or businesses that would like to donate an item for the silent auction can call the Chamber at 847-4702.

HOT SPRINGS — As 7-year-olds playing in a tournament of teams with 8-year-olds, the Bryant All-Stars went 3-2 to finish as the fourth-place team in District tournament play June 27-28. That record included two out of three wins against 7-year-old teams plus a win and a loss to 8-year-olds.

Bryant opened with a 9-2 win over Pine Bluff Seabrook’s 7’s, then dismissed the Hot Springs 7’s, 14-1, before running into the Bryant 8’s. They played with them for a while before absorbing a 12-1 loss.

The Bryant 7’s battled back to eliminate Pine Bluff Seabrook’s 8’s, 15-4, before being ousted themselves by the Benton 7’s, a team they beat in a tournament leading up to the District. This time, however, Benton prevailed 13-8.

By the way, Benton’s 7’s lost to Benton’s 8’s in the losers bracket finals to gain a rematch with the Bryant 8’s in the championship round. On Monday, Benton avenged its earlier loss to Bryant with a 6-1 win. The two teams were set to battle for the championship on Tuesday.

Bryant’s 7 year olds, coached by Mike Meaders with assistance from Blake Knight and Bill Drennan, include Cade Drennan, Kelub Freeman, Will Graves, Hayden Hilson, Rhett James, Tyler Jordan, Braden Knight, Tyler LaRue, Brayden Lester, Jake Meadors, Riley Morales, and Shane Small.

This was the first year for an 8-and-under District tournament which, with all teams automatically qualified for State, served as a tune-up. State will commence July 10 at Sherwood with Regionals in Lake Village beginning July 30.

BENTON — The Bryant Black Sox Junior American Legion team made it five wins and a tie in their last seven games as they concluded the regular season with a 12-1 romp in five innings over the Benton A team on Monday, June 29.

They’ll enter play in the District Tournament in Sheridan on Friday with a 14-8-1 overall record. Their first game in the eight-team tourney will be Hope at noon.

In other first round games, Little Rock Continental Express will take on Hot Springs Lakeside at 2:30 p.m., with Magnolia facing Pine Bluff Kell at 5, and Sheridan meeting Hot Springs Village at 7:30.The tournament will produce two entries in the Junior Legion State tournament along with Sheridan, the host team. The State tourney commences July 10.

Bryant's Aaron Davidson's second official professional start didn't go as well as he might've liked.

On Monday, June 29, Davidson, pitching for the Rookie League Arizona Giants, faced the Arizona Athletics for the second time. In two innings, he surrendered six earned runs on six hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Davidson avoided taking the loss, however, when the Giants rallied for a 10-9 win. In Davidson's first start, the Giants were leading the A's when he came out of the game but the A's came back to claim a victory.

If the rotation stays the same, the right-hander should get his next start against the Mariners on Monday, July 5. 

The Arizona Rookie League plays a half season schedule after an extended spring training. 

By Rob Patrick

MAUMELLE — Between a hotly contested league doubleheader at Texarkana on Saturday and a trip to Tennessee to face the toughest competition they've seen this season, the Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team headed up the road to take on the Maumelle AA squad on Monday night.

Sound like a prime opportunity for a letdown?

That's what Bryant manager Craig Harrison felt happened despite the fact that his team managed a 5-3 win to improve to 20-2 on the season.

"It's not effort," he asserted, "it's focus. We haven't had a night like this since the first week of the season. You look back over the years and every year there's been a game during the middle of the season where we just think we can walk out here and we're going to win. They look at the other guys taking infield or whatever and they say, 'Well, we're going to win.'

"That's why I get a little more intense maybe than when we're playing a really good team," he added. "Just because, you just know that one pitch and our 20-2 record is no good anymore.

"But we battled and we made enough plays to win. We're past this. Now let's go and try to win a tournament in Tennessee."

Ashley Petz, a 2009 Bryant High School graduate, has signed an NCAA Division I Letter of Intent to run track at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. At Bryant, Petz was an integral member of the Lady Hornet track team, competing primarily as a sprinter and jumper.

A four-year lettermen, she was named All-Conference and All-State multiple times. She helped the Lady Hornets win two 7A Central Conference Championships and was a part of one State Runner-up team.

“We are thrilled that Ashley is going to be a part of the UALR track & field program," said UALR head coach Milton Williams. "We plan to look at her primarily in the long jump, but with her speed she will also help us on the sprint relays."

“I am extremely happy for Ashley to get this opportunity to compete in college," said Bryant coach Danny Westbrook. "She has worked so hard to make herself the athlete she has become. She was an outstanding leader for us here at Bryant and with her work ethic I think she will be extremely successful in her college career.”

By Madison McEntire

HOT SPRINGS — On Sunday, the 8-year-old Bryant All-Stars defeated the 8-year-old Benton All-Stars 9-2 in the winner's bracket finals to advance to the championship game of the District tournament.

Bryant scored three in the top of the first and then added a run in the third and two more in the fourth. In the fifth, Garett Nguyen broke open the game with a bases-loaded, three-run double.

Benton posted a win in the loser's bracket and advanced to a rematch on Monday night.

Bryant struck first in the second when Will McEntire led off with a single and eventually came around to score with two outs on a single by Logan Catton.

Benton tied the score with a run in the third and then broke open a well-played defensive game in the fourth when its first three batters opened the inning with singles to load the bases and then the fourth batter drove them all home with a grand slam over the right field fence. The next batter followed with another roundtripper over the right field wall to make the score 6-1.

Benton then held Bryant scoreless over the final two innings, forcing a winner-take-all game on Tuesday night at 6:30.

The Bryant 8-year-olds, coached by Michael Catton, include Logan Catton, Logan Chambers, Jake Cowell, Tristan Day, Cade Dupree, Logan Grant, Cobe Greiner, Sawyer Holt, Ryan Lessenberry, Nathan McFarland, Will McEntire and Garett Nguyen.

HOT SPRINGS — The Bryant 11-year-old All-Stars completed a sweep of their games in District Tournament play with a pair of victories over Hot Springs to capture the championship.Bryant won the winners bracket final on Saturday, June 27, 10-0, and, after Hot Springs came back out of the losers bracket, Bryant captured the championship with a 7-2 win on Sunday.

The Bryant 11-year-olds, coached by Bryon Glenn assisted by Johnny Alliston and Scott Yant, include Connor Alliston, Bailey Bowers, Luke Brantley, Chase Brooks, Zach Byars, Jordan Gentry, Caleb McElyea, Liam Miller, Connor Riley, Connor Tatum, Matthew Vangilder and Hunter Winkles.

The team will begin play in the State tournament in Cabot on July 10. Regionals will be in Jonesboro July 30.