Ledbetter matches school record as Hornets dominate another league rival
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).
For more photos of this event by Rick Nation, go here; by Kevin Nagle, go here
Late in the season in the year 2000, the Bryant Hornets were finishing off a 5-5 season on the heels of their 11-1 campaign in 1999. In a season with few highlights — the last season, in fact, that a Hornets team failed to make the playoffs — they came up with one to end their schedule, blasting the rival Benton Panther, 44-17. Senior quarterback Jeramie Wooten threw for five touchdown passes in the game to set a school record that has held ever since.
On Friday night, however, with the defending State champion Bryant Hornets celebrating Homecoming, junior quarterback Austin Ledbetter matched that touchdown pass record.
And he did it in one half.
Those strikes contributed to a 41-0 halftime lead for the Hornets over the Fort Smith Southside Mavericks. Bryant improved to 7-0 on the season with their seventh mercy-rule victory and fifth game in which the mercy rule was in effect at halftime. With the running clock in the second half, head coach Buck James and his staff worked in a whole lot of players on the way to a 55-0 victory.
By the half, Ledbetter was 16 of 20 passing for 215 yards. Jake Meaders caught two of the TD tosses, Tre’vun Herron, Joseph Young and Ahmad Adams each had one.
“We challenged our offensive line today to give us more time and let routes develop,” noted James. “We challenged them all week.”
Seniors Devin Pitts, Tanner Wilson and sophomores Will Diggins, Jason Shiflett and Brooks Edmonson did just that.
“Austin threw about as well as I’ve seen him throw this year,” he added. “I thought it was his best game as a Bryant Hornet. I thought Jake Meaders had a heck of a game. Really, all of them did. Hayden (Schrader) made a great catch, Tre’vun (Herron) did some good stuff.
“We had guys play hard,” the coach emphasized. “They did a great job. Both our running backs just — you can’t say enough about what they bring to the table.”
Ahmad Adams ran for 55 yards on just five carries. Tanner Anderson carried it just five times too and picked up 39 yards. Both scored a touchdown.
And defensively, the Hornets dominated as well. The Southside offensive line struggled to maintain a block. For the game, nine different Bryant players had tackles for losses. Southside had a net rushing total of minus-22 in the first half and, even with the reserves cycling in and out in the second half, wound up with minus-8 yards on 29 rushes (including sacks). The first half total offense for the Mavs was 21 yards.
“I thought our defensive line played their best game of the year,” James related. “Kyle Green and Austin Bailey were phenomenal.
“That means we were doing some stuff at linebacker and in the secondary for them to be able to do that,” he said. “Some plays got extended where they could do it.
Bryant forced three turnovers. Ty Jones, Tristan Sehika and Braden Robinson recovered fumbles.
And that’s a real hidden bonus for the Hornets with their mercy-rule wins. The first team has run just nine offensive plays after halftime all season. And that gives lots of the reserves playing time. In fact, to start the second half, James deployed a defense of all senior reserves for Homecoming.
There will be a lot of lettermen after this season.
“I can’t say enough about our kids,” James said after the game. “They come to work every day. They play hard on Fridays. They’re a special group of kids. I think that people that get to see them play, get to see they’re a different cut. It’s fun to coach, fun to be around and, on top of that, they’re really good kids.”
In the past, James has decried the number of players who have quit the program when they haven’t gotten to play a lot early in their high-school careers. That’s why he relished getting those seniors who have stuck around, persevered through all the hard work, into the games.
Those guys, and the other underclassmen reserves, preserved the shutout and added to the scoring. Senior Brandon Barber caught his first varsity touchdown pass. Senior linebacker Christian Motes led a charge on a fourth-down keeper by Southside quarterback Parker Wehunt that resulted in a loss that turned the ball back over to the Hornets on downs.
“I’m proud of our coaching staff,” James declared. “Those guys get our guys ready to play at a high level.”
After a strong return of the opening kickoff by Myles Aldridge, the Hornets drove 56 yards in six plays to start the scoring less than two minutes into the contest. The big play was a 34-yard gallop by Adams. Meaders caught a 3-yard pass from Ledbetter for his first TD pass.
In turn, the Mavericks were able to pick up a first down on a third-down screen pass from Wehunt to Jay Washington. But during the possession, Bailey, David Shifflet and Green each had tackles for loss. Green’s was a sack on third down, forcing a punt.
Meaders made a 17-yard return of a short punt and the Hornets only had to cover 30 yards for their next score. On a beautifully thrown pass, Ledbetter had his second TD toss as Young ran under it just behind the goal line.
Junior Brock Funk was good on six extra points but, after that second touchdown, a problem with the snap and hold undermined his try so the Hornets led 13-0.
Southside converted a third-down with a 13-yard pass from Wehunt to Kale Sheets but defensive plays by Catrell Wallace, Cameron Scarlett and others forced another punt.
And the Hornets appeared to be on their way to another score. But, on a third-and-6 at the Mavs’ 33, Ledbetter went back to pass and, trying to pump fake, had the ball slip from his grasp and Southside’s Shawn Rogers recovered at midfield.
With the great field position, the Mavs drove to the 30 where they stalled. Despite having a second-and-2, they were unable to get a first down. Scarlett dropped Washington for a loss on third down then, when Wehunt fumbled the snap, recovered and tried to roll out to pass on fourth down, Tamaurian Wilson charged up and brought him down for an 8-yard loss.
With another chance, the Hornets scored in two plays. Adams blasted for 10 then Meaders, running free down the middle, hauled in Ledbetter’s pass and scooted 52 yards and, with Funk’s extra point, it was 20-0.
Southside started its next series with another screen pass to Washington but, this time, Sehika sniffed it out and dropped the Mavs’ running back for a loss.
Moments later, Southside’s Adam Puckett was punting again from his own end zone.
Another short field resulted. But a holding penalty, that negated much of the gain on a pass to Young undermined the drive and Scarlett came on for the only time in the first half to punt.
Washington, back for the return, called a fair catch and ran up the field, presumably away from the football in hopes it would roll into the end zone for a touchback. But the ball took a funny hop and Washington touched it. The ball was on the ground and Jones fell on it.
A play later, Adams caught a swing pass and rumbled 8 yards through traffic and into the end zone. With 6:08 still to play in the first half, it was 27-0.
Bryant’s kickoff coverage and an illegal block left the Mavericks backed up to their own 9. Under pressure, Wehunt threw two incomplete passes as the Hornets forced them into another three-and-out.
Puckett punted the Hornets back to their own 44 but the Mavericks’ defensive could not hold off another touchdown drive. Schrader caught passes of 13 and 17 yards before Anderson sliced through the defense on a 16-yard touchdown run.
And, with Funk’s PAT, it was 34-0, a point shy of the mercy rule, with 3:25 left.
Again, Southside went three-and-out. Bailey had a sack to foil a third-down play.
Punted back to their own 49, the Hornets made it a mercy-rule lead with a two-play drive, both passes from Ledbetter to Herron.
Aided by a major penalty, Southside started the second half with a drive to the Bryant 32. Linebacker Koby Melton stood up Jack Clark for no gain then the middle of the d-line stopped him for nothing again on a third-and-1, setting up Motes’ tackle for a loss on fourth down.
Another major penalty undermined the first try by the Hornets’ reserves. Meaders’ swing pass to Tayvin Jones could only get 13 of the 18 yards needed for a first down.
Scarlett punted the Mavs back to their own 22 and, on the first play there, Wehunt threw to Anderson who was pounded at the 28. The ball came loose and Sehika recovered.
Two plays later, Barber hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Meaders on the last play of the third quarter.
The Mavericks completed an 11-yard pass to H-back Nathan Bogner but, after 11 yards, he was separated from the ball and Robinson claimed it for the Hornets.
After an 11-yard run by Jones, sophomore Carson Burnett threw a short pass to Aldridge who turned it into a 34-yard touchdown that, with Funk’s kick, made it 55-0 with over nine minutes left in the contest.
Southside used all of that to drive to the Bryant 32. Along the way, Gavin Burton, Brayden Godwin made strong defensive plays.
The Hornets have now out-scored their seven opponents 278-20 in the first half and 330-55 overall this season. They’ll play at Cabot next Friday night.
