By Rob Patrick
The annual Hornet Bowl is tonight at 5:30 p.m., at Bryant Stadium. It pits the eighth grade teams from[more] Bryant Middle School (Bryant White) and Bethel Middle School (Bryant Blue).
It’ll be the last time the players on each team will play against each other. They’ll be teammates next year and beyond.
Bryant White won last year’s game 22-0.
Bethel comes into the game with a 4-2-1 record; Bryant Middle is 3-3. They have no common opponents so far this season. Bryant Blue will host Conway Blue on Oct. 25 to wrap up its season. Bryant White finishes up on Oct. 30, at Benton.
Following at 7 or so, the Bryant freshman team will try to keep possession of its share of the three-way tie for first place in the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference against the Little Rock Central freshmen.
Bryant, Benton and Cabot South each have one loss in league play going into the final three weeks of the season. Bryant’s lone loss was to Cabot South whose lone loss was to Benton. The Junior Panthers were edged by North Little Rock last Thursday, 15-14.
Bryant plays Benton on Tuesday, Oct. 30, in the final game of the season.
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It was quite a weekend for Bryant Hornets playing college football last weekend.
BHS head coach Paul Calley noted that:
The incomparable Chris Rycraw, the all-time leading rusher at Bryant, was named the Great American Conference Player of the Week for his work for the undefeated Ouachita Baptist Tigers. He rushed for 242 yards in 22 carries with a touchdown in a 58-7 romp at Arkansas-Monticello.
Dustin Holland had 10 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown for the unbeaten Henderson State Reddies in their 38-10 win at Harding. Bryant fans may recall that Holland, who was out of school for awhile, caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute that helped the Hornets end Little Rock Central’s long winning streak in 2004. He also provided the lone touchdown on a pass play in the Hornets’ 10-2 win over Benton in the Salt Bowl that year.
(The Battle of the Ravine between OBU and HSU in Arkadelphia should be a doozy again this year. It came down to the last play — with controversy — last year.)
Jace Denker executed a successful onside kick with 1:10 left to set up the game-winning field goal in UCA’s 27-26 win over McNeese State.
Dillon Winfrey has started the last two games for the Bears and had an interception in his first start. He had five tackles against McNeese.
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Hornets fans that can’t make the trip to Texarkana Friday night can now not only listen to the game on KARN AM 920 but watch it too thanks to Andy Martin and the tech crew for the Bryant schools. All you have to do is go on-line to HornetVision.com where the game will be streamed live with the radio broadcast.
Past games are available for viewing on the site as well, starting with the Salt Bowl.
At Homecoming last week against Sheridan, eight cameras were deployed to provide the video.
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Speaking of the Bryant-Texarkana game, those who saw that the Razorbacks lost just 23-17 to Pine Bluff on Sept. 21 then noted that they fell to Benton, 45-17, last week, may be wondering which team the Hornets will see.
Benton, no doubt, came out with a vengeance after a deeply disappointing loss to Sheridan the week before. The Panthers piled up 535 total yards on offense and running back Wallace Foote had a phenomenal night against the Razorbacks’ defense, rushing for 228 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 carries.
Though the result may not have been any different, Texarkana was without starting quarterback Dylan Silvey who was not allowed to suit up because of breaking of a school rule. He figures to be back this Friday for the Hogs’ homecoming game.
