7A/6 A-SOUTH

Bryant recovers, tops Benton

Benton running back Wallace Foote is tackled by Bryant defensive back Davis Nossaman (8) in the second quarter of Friday’s Salt Bowl. Video available at arkansasonline.com/videos.
Benton running back Wallace Foote is tackled by Bryant defensive back Davis Nossaman (8) in the second quarter of Friday’s Salt Bowl. Video available at arkansasonline.com/videos.

— It didn’t matter to Bryant Coach Paul Calley that his Hornets led Benton by six points at halftime of Friday night’s Salt Bowl at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

He wasn’t happy.

“We got a pretty good tongue lashing in there at halftime,” Calley said. “I don’t know if it made any difference. They said it did.”

In the end, Bryant beat arch-rival Benton 55-21 in front of 22,649, giving the Hornets (3-1, 1-0) their seventh consecutive Salt Bowl title over the Panthers (1-3, 0-1) and a key victory in the 7A/6A-South Conference

Quarterback Hayden Lessenberry threw for 271 yards and 4 touchdowns on 17 of 25 passing for the Hornets, and a fleet-footed group of receivers, led by Brushawn Hunter’s 110 yards on 6 catches, ran past Benton (1-3, 0-1).

“Just efficient,” Calley said, describing Lessenberry’s performance.

Bryant needed three plays to start pulling away in the third quarter.

Lessenberry flipped a quick throw to running back Jalen Bell in the flat and Bell raced46 yards for a touchdown and a 27-14 lead with 11:28 to go in the quarter.

Benton, which churned out 308 yards of offense, fell deeper in the hole after going three-and-out on its next possession when Bryant defensive end Tim Kelly came free to block a Panthers punt. Stoney Stevens picked up the ball and scored for a 34-14 lead with 9:58 remaining in the quarter.

Lessenberry made it a 41-14 lead on a 71-yard throw to an uncovered Hunter behind the Panthers’ defense at the 7:29 mark, capping a string of 41 unanswered points after Benton jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

Benton landed early punches with running back Wallace Foote and dual-threat quarterback Terek Beaugard.

The Panthers covered 63 yards on their opening drive in three plays in only 47 seconds, finishing with a 7-yard touchdown run by Foote, who had 189 yards and 2 scores on 26 carries.

Beaugard, who finished 8 of 17 for 69 yards, rolled left and hit a leaping Boone Cox along the back of the end zone for a 16-yard score and a 14-0lead with 7:36 left in the first quarter.

But Benton sputtered over the next two quarters, mustering 41 yards after putting up 148 in the opening 12 minutes.

“We came out with intensity in the first quarter, but then you saw the rest of the ballgame,” Benton Coach Scott Neathery said. “They took it back from us.”

EL DORADO 44, LR FAIR 6

El Dorado opened 7A/6A-South play with a victory over Little Rock Fair in a game expedited when all but 56 seconds of the second half was played with a running clock.

El Dorado (2-2) led 31-0 at the half and triggered the running-clock rule early in the third quarter when it opened a 37-0 lead.

Josh Brock rushed for 135 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown and caught a 49-yard touchdown pass. Lucas Reed completed 8 of 14 passes for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for 2 scores.

Fair (0-4) scored a touchdown with 1:24 left on a 1-yard run by Demarius Robinson.

LAKE HAMILTON 49, SHERIDAN 14

SHERIDAN - Cody Smith ran for one touchdown and caught a pass for another to help lead Lake Hamilton (3-1, 1-0) to a 7A/6A-South Conference victory over Sheridan (1-3, 0-1).

Smith also rushed for 130 yards on seven carries. He scored on a 30-yardrun in the first quarter and had a 20-yard pass reception from Clay Jessie in the third quarter. Smith also caught 4 passes for 85 yards.

Jessie completed 9 of 17 pass attempts for 177 yards.

Danyell West ran 20 yards for Lake Hamilton’s first score, followed by Smith’s touchdown run. Chris Eastburn scored back-to-back touchdowns with a 1-yard run with 1:02 left in the first quarter and a 7-yard run with 11:17 to go in the second period.

Sheridan’s touchdowns came on passes from Dylan Flores for 31 yards to Dakota Hedden and 80 yards to Adam Mote.

Flores completed 17 of 36 passes for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns.

PINE BLUFF 23, TEXARKANA 17

TEXARKANA - A couple of ill-timed mistakes cost inexperienced Texarkana a chance at defeating Pine Bluff.

The Zebras earned a victory when they forced the Razorbacks into two point producing turnovers when Texarkana held a 7-0 lead.

Pine Bluff took a 9-7 lead on a safety with 11:12 left in the third quarter when Texarkana quarterback Dylan Silvey threw the ball away in the end zone.

The play followed up a Silvey interception the Zebras cashed in for the tying touchdown late in the second quarter.

The score remained the same until the fourth quarter when Pine Bluff pulled away with two touchdowns sandwiched between a 23-yard Chandler Luther field goal.

Pine Bluff’s Walter Ashley led all rushers with 237 yards on 24 carries.

Sports, Pages 26 on 09/22/2012

Upcoming Events