Junior Hornets score on first six possession on the way to 40-16 romp
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
In a game that had been all Bryant for a quarter and a half, the Little Rock Hall Junior Warriors had managed to drive to the Bryant 41. On a second-and-8, Hall’s Anthony Galloway was stopped cold on a running play up the middle. The Hornets defense even tore the ball loose. But Hall’s other running back Albert Gates scooped it up and raced around end for the ultimate busted-play touchdown.
And when quarterback Malik Shelton passed to Laron Scott for the two-point conversion, Hall was within 21-8 and had appeared to capture the momentum.
It didn’t last long, though.[more]
On the ensuing kickoff, Hayden Daniel retreated to the 19-yard line to field the ball, sprinted back up the middle and laced his way, using cutbacks and impressive field vision, all the way to an answering touchdown covering 81 yards.
Poof went the Warriors’ momentum.
The Hornets improved to 2-0 on the season with a 40-16 win over the Warriors.
It marked the fifth season in a row that the Bryant freshman team has produced a 40-point game.
Daniel wound up scoring three times, as did running back Jalen Bell during the romp. Bryant built a 40-8 lead with head coach Kenny Horn began substituting liberally. Hall added a cosmetic touchdown in the final two minutes of the contest on a 40-yard run by Shelton, adding another two-point conversion pass to set the final score.
Bryant actually scored on all five of its first-half possessions then added another on its first possession of the second half.
To open the game, the Hornets dashed 65 yards in five plays, four of them for double-digit yardage. A 21-yard pass from Hayden Lessenberry to Aronn Bell got the march started. Jalen Bell slashed for 11 yards then Lessenberry kept for 20. On the next play, Jalen Bell sprinted 13 yards for the TD.
Josh Lowery’s extra point made it 7-0.
Unable to manage a first down, Hall punted but a bad snap led to a bad kick and Bryant’s Dakota Johnson returned to the Warriors’ 38.
On the first play from there, Lessenberry found Daniel wide open down the right sideline for a touchdown that, with Lowery’s extra point made it 14-0.
Shelton got free for a 21-yard run on Hall’s subsequent possession. A play later, a personal foul on a late hit out of bounds cost the Hornets 15 yards as the Warriors reached Bryant territory for the first time. But linebacker Ian Shuttleworth and end Tim Kelly stuffed a run by Anthony Galloway on first down. On second, Logan Milks, Chris Stringer and Shuttleworth dropped Shelton for a loss.
A third-down pass from Shelton to Chris McGraw was good for first-down yardage but the Hornets’ secondary knocked the ball loose and Hunter berry recovered at the 24.
A play later, Lessenberry and Daniel hooked up again for a 48-yard completion. Jalen Bell crashed 22 yards setting up his 9-yard TD tote.Lowery made it 21-0 with 7:20 still to play in the first half.
Hall got on the board moments later only to have Daniel answer in short order.
The Warriors appeared to have an answering drive underway as they picked up a first down and reached the Bryant 41. But, on third-and-3, Jared Koon and Brock Huckaby stopped Galloway for a loss of a yard.
Hall went for it on fourth down only to have Daniel Richards sack Shelton for a 19-yard loss.
Bryant took over with Zach Cambron taking over at quarterback. His first snap was a pass that he completed nicely to Devon Sears for 29 yards to the 10.
A play later, Cambron found Daniel in the left back corner of the end zone for another score with 1:07 left in the first half. Lowery added the PAT to make it 34-8.
To start the second half, the Warriors got great field position with a nice kickoff return by Gates but after Galloway picked up 5 yards to the Bryant 49, Kelly dropped Shelton for a loss at midfield then joined Milks and Shuttleworth to stop Galloway for no gain.
Hall decided to go for it on fourth down and Stoney Stevens came up from cornerback to pop Shelton for a loss and Bryant took over on downs.
The Hornets’ final scoring drive covered 49 yards. Bell’s runs of 9 and 7 yards got the march started. Lessenberry completed a 5-yard pass to Marcus Wilson the scrambled for 13 yards to the Hall 15. Lessenberry kept for 11 then Jalen Bell scored from the 4 to make it 40-8.
With reserves flowing in from the sideline for Bryant, Hall’s starters were able to drive from their own 30 to the 49. A second-down play there was stopped for a loss by Berry. On third down, Shelton and Gates collided in the backfield as the Hornets defense descended, trying to tackle both. Shelton somehow escaped and scrambled for 15 yards and a first down.
Hall eventually reached the Bryant 35 but Shelton’s pass from there was picked off by Aronn Bell.
Behind the running of Austin Powell, Patrick Murray and Huckaby, the Hornets rolled to the Hall 11. But, after a penalty, Powell’s pass was picked off by Hall’s Andre Shelby who returned to the 43.
Austin Wadley crashed through and dropped Gates for a 5-yard loss on first down. On second, Shelton’s pass was intercepted again by Aronn Bell, who returned from the 50 to the Hall 32 only to fumble. The Warriors recovered and proceeded to march 70 yards for its second score. The Warriors had to convert two third downs along the way.
Bryant then ate up the final 1:16 to complete the victory.
The Hornets play their first road game on Thursday, Sept. 17, against Conway White in their final non-division game.White proved to be the stronger of the two Conway teams this year by opening the season with a 35-7 beat-down of Conway Blue.
JUNIOR HORNETS 40, JUNIOR WARRIORS 16
Score by quarters
LR Hall 0 8 0 8 — 16
BRYANT 14 20 6 0 — 40
Scoring summary
First quarter
BRYANT — J.Bell 13 run (Lowery kick), 5:52
BRYANT — Daniel 38 pass from Lessenberry (Lowery kick), 2:43
Second quarter
BRYANT — J.Bell 9 run (Lowery kick), 7:26
LR HALL — Gates 41 run (Scott pass from Shelton), 4:57
BRYANT — Daniel 81 kickoff return (run failed), 4:40
BRYANT — Daniel 10 pass from Cambron (Lowery kick), 1:07
Third quarter
BRYANT — J.Bell 4 run (kick failed), 2:38
Fourth quarter
LR HALL — Shelton 40 run (Handy pass from Shelton), 1:16
Team stats
LR Hall BRYANT
First downs 11 14
Rushes-yards 36-189 17-166
Passing 1-4-2 6-8-1
Passing yards 16 151
Punts-avg. 1-8.0 0-00.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 1-5 4-30
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: BRYANT, J.Bell 9-72, Lessenberry 3-44, Murray 3-30, Huckaby 1-11, Powell 1-9; LR HALL, Shelton 13-91, Gates 14-82, Galloway 9-16.
Passing (C-A-I-Y): BRYANT, Lessenberry 4-4-0-112, Cambron 2-3-0-39, Powell 0-1-1-0; LR HALL, Shelton 1-4-2-16.
Receiving: BRYANT, Daniel 3-97, Sears 1-29, A.Bell 1-21, Wilson 1-5; LR HALL, McGraw 1-16.
