For more photos of this event by Rick Nation, go here
Martavion Earl only ran the ball three times in Monday’s night’s game between the Bryant White Hornets seventh grade team of Bryant Middle School and the Little Rock Pinnacle View Sky Hawks. But he made the most of each opportunity. He scored on all three as the Hornets left the Sky Hawks in their wake, 36-8, to improved to 2-0 on the season.
Earl’s first carry went for a 35-yard touchdown. His second covered 54 yards to paydirt. His third went for 28 yards and a score as the Hornets built a 24-0 lead in the first half.
In the second half, Jordan Knox sailed 67 yards for a TD and Jakarrion Edgerson ran back in interception 31 yards to cap off the rout.
As a team, the Hornets amassed 227 yards on the ground on just 17 attempts.
The Sky Hawks started the game with a drive from their own 30 to the Bryant 45. But, on a fourth-and-six, their do-it-all player Scottie Hightower was stopped short of a first down by the Bryant White defense, led by Jaylon Russ.
The Hornets took over on downs and Knox scooted for 20 yards on the first play. On the next snap, Earl went the distance.
A try for two was initially negated by a holding penalty but, on the retry, quarterback Cory Nichols passed to Brown to make it 8-0.
The Sky Hawks went three-and-out and the Hornets regained possession at their own 36. Nichols scrambled for 10 yards. Land’s second TD followed. Nichols ran in the conversion and it was 16-0.
Two plays into the next Pinnacle View possession, Bryant White’s Ethan Primus recovered a fumble at the Sky Hawks’ 28. Land took it from there behind some clear-out blocking by the Hornets’ offensive line.
Nichols threw to Knox on the conversion and it was 24-0 with 8:09 still to play in the half.
The two teams traded fumbles with the Sky Hawks winding up with good field position at the 50. Behind the running of Hightower who rushed for 127 yards on 13 carries, they drove to the Hornets’ 13.
With time running out in the half, the Sky Hawks tried four passes. The second and third ones were knocked down by Gabriel Allen. He then intercepted the fourth one to end the half.
The Hornets went three-and-out to start the second half and Hightower broke a 50-yard touchdown run to get the Sky Hawks on the board. He ran in the conversion and it was 24-8.
But it didn’t stay that way long. A play later, Knox ripped through the defense and down the left sideline for his touchdown.
And on Pinnacle View’s first snap after that, Edgerson pulled down a pass and ran it back to make it 36-8.
On their final series, the Sky Hawks drove from their own 30 to the Bryant 46 where they came up just short of a first down. The Hornets took over and got some reserves in the game while running out the clock.
