Grid Hornets receive honors
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).
The Bryant High School football program held its annual post-season awards event on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at First Southern Baptist Church of Bryant. The record-setting passing combo of Scott Peeler and Zach Cardinal, it was announced, have received All-State honors.
Head coach Paul Calley, who led the team to a 6-5-1 season including just the second State Playoff victory in school history (20-7 at Camden Fairview), announced that junior receiver Richie Wood, who also set three school records this season, along with junior safety Brian Griffith, the team’s top tackler, senior defensive lineman Jesse Nordman and senior offensive linemen John Dunaway and Brett Tracy received all-conference honors. Junior offensive lineman David Hollis and senior defensive players Ronnie Spivey and Josh McClellan were named honorable mention all-conference.
In addition, team awards, voted on by the members of the team, were handed out. Dunaway was voted the team’s top offensive lineman; Peeler, the team’s top offensive back; Wood, the team’s top receiver; and Cardinal was voted the offensive most valuable player award.
Defensively, Nordman was voted the top defensive lineman and McClellan the top linebacker. Todd Bryan, a junior cornerback, was voted top defensive back; and Griffith was named the defensive MVP.
Junior kicker Travis Cockerham was voted the special teams MVP and senior running back David Lister received the Mr. Hustle award.
To cap the evening, the Mr. Hornet Award, given to the team’s best leader on the field and in the classroom, was awarded to two players, Tracy and senior running back Bo Lee.
Teacher Debbie Norris, who rekindled the school’s Spirit Club, was given the team’s 12th Man Award.
Records set in 2003 included the overall state record for receptions per game by Cardinal with an average of 8.08.
Class AAAAA records were set by Cardinal for most receiving yards in a career (2,554), most receptions in a career (171), most receptions in a season (97), most receptions in a game (16), and most touchdowns receiving in a game (4). Peeler set Class AAAAA marks for most completions in a game (38) and most attempts in a game (55).
All of those were school records too, of course. Other school standards set by Cardinal included, most yards in a season (1,180), most touchdowns in a season (13), most touchdowns in a career (22), most 100-yard receiving games (11) and most touchdowns in a game (4). Peeler set school marks for most 300-plus passing games (4), most attempts in a season (411), most completions in a season (246), most passing yards in a season (3,013), most touchdown passes in a season (29) and most total offense in a game (489).
In addition, school marks were set by Wood in most receiving yards in a game (196), most touchdowns in a season (13, tying Cardinal) and most touchdowns in a career (17, later eclipsed by Cardinal. Todd Bryan, who set school marks in field goals in a season as a sophomore, claimed the career field goal record (23 of 31).
