BJHS survive Wolves, make it 5-0
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
BRYANT TIMES
PEARCY — It’s almost like the Bryant Junior High Mustangs’ corps of receivers take turns making the big plays. The four starters — Todd Bryan, Josh Rice, Travis Wood and Ritchie Wood — are all capable of turning short passes into big gains and long passes into even bigger things.
Bryan caught six passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns in Bryant’s season opening win against Sylvan Hills;
Travis Wood grabbed three for 118 yards in a win over Vilonia;
And Ritchie Wood hauled in six for 108 yards and a score in the Mustangs’ victory over previously unbeaten Morrilton.
On Thursday, Sept. 27, at Lake Hamilton, it looked like it would be Rice’s turn as he continued a season-long knack for beating opposition defenders on the deep fade routes. Rice, who was averaging a whopping 23 yards a catch coming into the game, didn’t get his 100 yards but his four receptions for 70 yards all seemed to come at opportune moments as the Mustangs improved to 5-0 on the season with a well-earned 23-6 victory over the Junior Wolves.
It was the first South Division game for the two Central Arkansas Conference rivals. This week, Bryant hosts South Division favorite Conway Blue.
Bryan Griffith, the master of ceremonies for the Bryant offense, completed 10 of 17 passes for 120 yards in the game. Though he didn’t add to his total of 12 touchdown passes, he rushed for one and executed the option with Bryan for two more. Unofficially, Griffith is completing 61 percent of his passes thus far this season.
Bryan caught three passes for 21 yards and rushed four times for 37 yards while accounting for 17 of the Mustangs’ points with those two TD’s, a pair of extra points and a 23-yard field goal.
Still, the Lake Hamilton defense proved to be a challenge for the Mustangs, more so than head coach Scott Neathery expected. “Lake Hamilton came out and did a great job,” he said. “To tell you the truth, on tape I wasn’t real impressed with them but they came out tonight and did a great job against us.”
Bryant’s defense, led by defensive end Kevin Carr, proved even more stingy, holding Lake Hamilton’s big-play tailback Chris McAlpine to just nine yards in 11 rushing attempts. Bryant forced three turnovers and allowed the Junior Wolves only 82 yards of total offense and wouldn’t have had that much if not for a second-half lift from substitute quarterback Alex Fotioo.
Still, the Mustangs weren’t comfortable until late in the game.
“I was proud of the way our boys overcame adversity, came back and never let them get us down,” Neathery said. “When (Lake Hamilton) scored the first possession of the second half, I was real worried about the momentum swinging their way, but we came back down and scored. I was pleased with that.”
Bryant led 10-0 at the half. Lake Hamilton covered Bryant’s onside kick to start the third quarter at its own 43. With Fotioo in the game for the first time, the Junior Wolves drove for a score.
Fotioo’s 11-yard run — Lake Hamilton’s longest of the night — converted a third-and-8 early in the drive. The Wolves reached the Bryant 28 when Carr chased down Fotioo for a loss of a yard. On second down, a Fotioo pass fell incomplete but the Mustangs were flagged for roughing the passer. Though the call was hotly disputed, Lake Hamilton gained a first down at the Bryant 14. Two plays later, Fotioo found Scotty Smith, who played quarterback in the first half, in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
A run by McAlpine on a two-point try was stopped cold, but Bryant’s lead was suddenly just 10-6.
On the ensuing kickoff, however, Bryan nearly answered right back, breaking into the clear up the center of the field. But Lake Hamilton kicker Jesus Anaya saved the touchdown at midfield.
After Griffith was stopped for no gain on first down, Rice came through with catches of 10 and 25 yards to get the Mustangs into scoring position. A shuffle pass to Bryan was stopped just short of the goal line. Griffith eventually scored on a sneak to make it 16-6. A try for two failed with :17 left in the third quarter.
Lake Hamilton didn’t make another first down.
Fotioo did, however, pick off a pass — his second interception of the game — off a flea flicker in which Anthony Mask, who started the play at wide receiver, wound up throwing. But, a play later, with Fotioo wearing a pair of Mustangs, a fumble occurred and Corey Caldwell recovered for Bryant at the Wolves 22.
Four plays later, Bryan took an option pitch from Griffith and scored around left end to put the game away. Bryan’s extra point set the final score with 2:50 left.
For good measure, the Mustangs’ Brandon Butler intercepted a Fotioo pass on the Junior Wolves’ first play after the kickoff.
Bryant had taken the lead on the first possession of the game. Travis Wood made a splendid catch on a fade route that went for 18 yards on the first play of the game. Bryan added a sliding catch on a 15-yard pass, moments later, then broke a 20-yard run off the option. He eventually scored from the 7.
McAlpine’s longest run of the game was his first one, a 5-yard gain. Lake Hamilton made one first down and punted back to Bryant. But Fotioo’s first interception got the ball back for the Wolves. With the help of a face-mask penalty, the Wolves drove from the Bryant 22 to the 10. Smith tried to throw into the left flat from there and Bryant’s Hunter Nugent flashed for the interception and headed up the sideline. Only McAlpine had a chance to stop a 97-yard return. He had the angle and saved the TD at the Lake Hamilton 45.
The Mustangs eventually gave the ball up on downs but, in turn, so did the Wolves who reached the Bryant 42 before, on a fourth-and-7, Griffith dragged down Smith short of the marker with 2:50 left in the half.
The Mustangs’ two-minute drill produced, most effectively, when Griffith and Rice made connections on a 31-yard pass down the sideline. A play later, Griffith ran the ball to the 9. With time running out, the Mustangs stalled at the 5, but Bryan came on and boomed his 23-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the half.
