October 3 in Bryant athletic history: 2009

It’s all Hornets, 52-20, over Van Buren

EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).

By Rob Patrick

VAN BUREN — There’s certainly a lot more work to do but the parallels between the 1999 Bryant Hornets and the 2009 Bryant Hornets are beginning to accumulate.

For only the second time since complete results have been recorded, starting in 1971, the Hornets have started the season 5-0.

The only other time was 1999 when the Hornets went unbeaten through the 10-game regular-season schedule and added a playoff win to make it 11-0 before Fort Smith Northside ended the unbeaten streak in the second round.

The 2009 team notched that fifth win on Friday, Oct. 2, by becoming the first team since 1999 to have eclipsed the 50-point level in a 52-20 thumping of the Van Buren Pointers. The ’99 Hornets scored 55 on Pine Bluff and, in 1964, a Bryant team put up 59 against Magnet Cove.[more]

Bryant started with a 31-point barrage in the opening quarter. As best as can be determined, that’s a school record for points in a quarter.

It was the fourth blowout in the five games and it was a dominant performance in every facet of the game.

The Hornets built a 52-7 lead using special teams not only to score but to combine with the defense to set up short fields for the offense to work with much of the night.

Van Buren came into the game with a 1-2-1 overall mark but with some momentum after having edged Little Rock Central 28-24 in its 7A-Central Conference opener. They’d scored 36 points in a tie with Alma, 28 in a lopsided loss to Northside and 38 in a similarly one-sided loss to Rogers. Of their 130 points scored this season only 22 were scored in the fourth quarter (presumably against reserves) but, against Bryant’s defense, the Pointers were held to 7 before scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter after the Hornets had pulled all of their starters.

The fourth-ranked Hornets came into the game as favorites and they quickly gave Van Buren’s upset hopes a good dashing. On the opening kickoff, the Pointers’ kicker Roberto Rodriguez sent a bouncer down field, no doubt to avoid deep returner Tanner Tolbert who ran back a kickoff against Sheridan. But Logan Garland picked it up and scooted up the left sideline into the clear and took it to the house on a 79-yard return.

After Ryan Cox sacked Van Buren quarterback Tyler Spoon, the ball was ripped away from Spoon on a second-down scramble. Bryant linebacker Hunter Mayall recovered at the Pointers 35.

Senior running back Chris Rycraw, who came into the game with 653 yards rushing in four games, drew the usual attention from the defense, though he still picked up 80 yards on just 13 attempts. That focus, however, set up the rest of the Bryant offense. Senior quarterback Jimi Easterling took advantage initially with a fake to Rycraw and a bootleg down the left side for 24 yards to the 5. On the next play, Rycraw scored and Jace Denker who would hit all seven of his extra points plus a 42-yard field goal, added the PAT and it was 14-0 with 9:18 still to play in the first quarter.

At Bryant in 2008, Van Buren’s option running attack hadn’t hurt the Hornets much. The Pointers were, however, able to pass the ball effectively. This time, the Hornets shut down the pass as Spoon connected on just 2 of 9 throws for 15 yards. The option, on the other hand, went well for the Pointers for the most part. Certainly during their first quarter scoring drive of 77 yards on four plays. A 54-yard sprint by Kevin Neal off an option pitch from Spoon set up the score.

A play later, Neal picked up half of the 22 yards to paydirt. From the 11, Spoon threw a fade to Jacob Thompson for the touchdown in the right rear corner of the end zone. Jeremy Martin added the extra point and it looked like the Pointers might give the Hornets a game.

But, on a mirror-image kickoff, Garland again fielded the ball at his 15 and sprinted up the sideline on a 50-yard return to the Van Buren 35.

This time, Easterling went to work through the air to take advantage of the focus on Rycraw. He was very accurate. On his way to an 11-for-14 night that accounted for 194 yards, he completed his first six passes in succession and wound up with three TD strikes.

Easterling tossed an 11-yard pass to Garland who turned it into a touchdown. The play was set up by a 16-yard throw to Parish coupled with short runs by Rycraw and James Jones.

Leading 21-7, the Hornets soon had the ball again. Trey Sowell, the Hornets leading tackler for the season who was playing despite being sidelined during the week by illness, and Ronnie Maxwell met at the fork in the road, knifing through to drop Spoon for a loss on second down. After an incomplete pass, the Pointers punted to midfield.

A penalty negated most of a 15-yard run by Rycraw moments later but, on a second-and-15 from the Bryant 45 — the first time the Hornets had run an offensive play from their own side of the 50 — Easterling and Parish hooked up for 20-yard gain. On the next play, Easterling hit Parish over the middle and the receiver turned it into a 35-yard touchdown play.

So, with 3:35 still left in the first quarter, Bryant had a 28-7 lead.

And they weren’t done. After forcing a punt following 9-yard sack by Blake Heil, the Hornets drove from their own 47 to the 31 behind passes of 16 and 6 yards from Easterling to Parish.

But the drive stalled there. That’s when Denker came through with a strong kick for the field goal from 42 yards out with 1:01 left in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the Easterling-Parish connection struck again, this time on a fade route into the back left corner of the end zone. Easterling dropped it in perfectly and Parish hauled it in as the lead grew to 38-7.

That wound up being the halftime score as Van Buren was held without a first down over its last two possessions of the half.

The second half started the same way. After a Rodriguez punt, the Hornets drove from their own 32 to paydirt. This time, much of the damage came on the ground. Easterling converted an early third-down with a 17-yard connection with Garland.

Fullback Marcus Harris bashed 11 yards then Rycraw carried on four straight plays, starting with a 12-yard run then capping it off with a determined 15-yard slash to make it 45-7.

And, on the ensuing kickoff, the ball was fumbled. Austin Dunahoo scooped up the loose ball and returned to the 12. A play later, Jones scored from there. The lead became 52-7 with the clock rolling inside the four-minute mark in the third quarter.

With the Hornets trying to get everyone in, Van Buren put together a pair of touchdown drives. The first came on a 95-yard march on six plays. Using the option, Spoon dashed 35 yards on a keeper. A play later, fullback Connor Joyce sprinted 36 yards up the gut. Eventually, he scored from the 4.

Blake Davidson completed a 22-yard pass to Sawyer Nichols for the Hornets as they reached the Pointers’ 45 before stalling out. Bryant turned the ball over on downs and, though it took 10 plays, the Pointers marched for a final touchdown. Joyce again did the honors from the 3 with 2:14 left to play.

The Hornets recovered an onside kick and proceeded to run out the clock behind Tyler Freshour who capped things off with a nice 17-yard burst.

Defensively, Sammille Watson led with six tackles including five unassisted. Brennan Bullock and Holden Chavis each got in on five stops.

Bryant returns home on Friday, Oct. 9, for Mass Band Night against the Russellville Cyclones. The Hornets hope to avenge last year’s gut-wrenching 14-13 loss to the Cylcones.

BRYANT 52, VAN BUREN 20

Score by quarters

BRYANT 31 7 14 0 — 52

Van Buren 7 0 0 13 — 20

Scoring summary

First quarter

BRYANT — Garland 79 kickoff return (Denker kick), 11:48

BRYANT — Rycraw 5 run (Denker kick), 9:18

VAN BUREN — Thompson 11 pass from Spoon (Martin kick), 8:05

BRYANT — Garland 11 pass from Easterling (Denker kick), 6:17

BRYANT — Parish 35 pass from Easterling (Denker kick), 3:35

BRYANT — Denker 42 field goal, 1:01

Second quarter

BRYANT — Parish 17 pass from Easterling (Denker kick), 5:17

Third quarter

BRYANT — Rycraw 15 run (Denker kick), 7:47

BRYANT — Jones 12 run (Denker kick), 4:12

Fourth quarter

VAN BUREN — Joyce 4 run (Martin kick), 11:18

VAN BUREN — Joyce 3 run (kick failed), 2:14

Team stats

BRYANT Van Buren

First downs 18 13

Rushes-yards 35-164 36-256

Passing 12-17-0 2-9-0

Passing yards 216 15

Punts-avg. 0-00.0 5-34.6

Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-2

Penalties-yards 6-48 5-35

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing: BRYANT, Rycraw 13-80, Jones 5-27, Freshour 2-20, Powell 8-17, Easterling 2-14, Harris 1-11, Arnold 1-3, Reed 2-2, Pritchett 1-(-10); VAN BUREN, Neal 7-95, Spoon 11-67, Joyce 9-55, Jenkins 9-39.

Passing (C-A-I-Y): BRYANT, Easterling 11-14-0-194, Davidson 1-2-0-22, Rycraw 0-1-0-0; VAN BUREN, Spoon 2-9-0-15.

Receiving: BRYANT, Parish 6-110, Garland 5-74, Nichols 1-22; VAN BUREN, Thompson 1-11, Snapp 1-4.