Showdowns set between Bryant and Conway tonight

In the years in which the Bryant athletic teams have been in the Central Conference, a strong[more] rivalry with the teams from Conway has developed. It’s not quite the same at Bryant-Benton or Conway-Russellville but it gets pretty heated.

Tonight, four of the Bryant teams will make their last conference trip to Conway for a while. Because of realignment, Bryant will be moving to the South for, at least, the next two-year cycle. And, as is often the case, there will be plenty on the line. 

In fact, first place will be on the line in both softball and girls soccer. The two-time defending State softball champion Lady Hornets are 4-0 in the Central and so are the upstart Lady Wampus Cats.

In soccer, it’s the same way. Conway, the perennial power, is 4-0 but so are the Lady Hornets. It’s the first time in the history of the Bryant program that the girls have started league play 4-0.

For the boys too, there’s a lot on the line. In baseball, Conway is tied with Russellville for the league lead at 4-1. Bryant is a game back at 3-2 and still smarting from a 2-1 loss to Russellville on Tuesday. Tonight’s game will be a rematch of the two Class 7A State finalists with the Hornets out for a bit of payback.

On the soccer field, Bryant’s boys are hoping to stay hot. After suffering losses in their first two league matches to Catholic and Central, the two top teams in the league (along with Cabot), the Hornets have won two straight and hope to make it three against a Conway team that has struggled some this season at 1-3 in the conference.

The Wampus Cats, no doubt, are looking at tonight’s game as a chance to get back in the hunt and they’ll have some added juice recalling last season’s game in which the Hornets used a trick play that ballooned into national controversy when it hit YouTube. For more, go here.

The varsity softball and baseball games begin at 5 p.m. In soccer, the junior varsity girls game is at 4, varsity girls at 5 and the varsity boys at 7 p.m.

In addition, the Bryant track teams including record-breaker Alexis Royal will be running at Russellville this evening with the field events beginning at 3:30 p.m.