Bryant took advantage of Benton mistakes to win the Salt Bowl for the eight consecutive year, with 42-28 victory Friday night in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.
The Hornets scored after a fumbled kickoff return, on an interception return and after another fumble recovery to build a 35-7 lead in the first half, then held off a comeback attempt by the Panthers.
“I’m proud we got the win. It was hard-fought in the second half, it should have been over in the first. We let them hang around,” Bryant Coach Paul Calley said. “They played their guts out in the second half and got back in it. I’ll take the victory. It’s never pretty in a game like this.”
Benton finished with four lost fumbles and two interceptions in a game in which the official attendance was 24,108, up from 22,649, but less than the 2009 attendance of 26,316, which set the Arkansas high school record.
Bryant took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards, capped by a 20-yard pass from Brandan Warner to Brushawn Hunter for a 7-0 lead, after Alex Denker connected on the first of his five consecutive extra points with 9:19 left in the first quarter.
The Hornets’ second score came after Davis Nossaman recovered a Ryan Rodriguez fumble on the kickoff return at the Panthers’ 42. Six plays later, Brendan Young scored from the 2 for a 14-0 lead with 6:03 left in the first quarter.
On the fourth play of the next Panthers possession, Jake Johnson intercepted a Tarek Beaugard pass and returned it 40 yards to the end zone for a 21-0 lead with 5:03 left in the first quarter.
Benton’s first score came on a 14-play, 63-yard drive capped by a 2-yard run by Beaugard with 11:24 left in the first half to cut the lead to 21-7 after Grant Hinze kicked the extra point.
The Hornets came right back, covering 64 yards in four plays to go ahead 28-7 when Warner hit a wide-open Devonte Howard on a roll out to the right with 10:01 left in the second quarter.
Bryant’s next score was set up when Connor Chapdelaine recovered a Panthers fumble on the Hornets’ 49. Three plays later, Warner connected on a slant with Hunter for a 38-yard catch and run to putthe Hornets ahead 35-7 with 7:34 left in the first half.
On their next possession, the Panthers covered 80 yards in seven plays in just over one minute, ending with a 20-yard scoring pass from Beaugard to Colten Nix with 6:28 left in the first half to make it 35-14 after Hinze’s extra point.
The Panthers’ defense kept Bryant from adding to its lead in the final six minutes of the first half, stiffening and forcing the Hornets to turn the ball over on downs when Bryant reached the Panthers’ 5 and 7 .
Benton then pulled within 35-21 late in the third quarter after a 67-yard, nine-play drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Beaugard to J.V. Davis with 51 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Hornets’ lone score of the second half came on a 6-yard run by Devonte Howard with 7:48 left in the game.
EL DORADO 44, LR FAIR 6
EL DORADO - Jaqualoyn Willisrushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to lead El Dorado (1-3, 1-0 7A/6A-South) over Fair (1-3, 0-1).
El Dorado’s Clayton Waldrum completed 8 of 16 passes for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns and Ty Owens had four receptions for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns. Trent Harter kicked field goals of 38, 18 and 25 yards for El Dorado.
Fair scored on Dangelo Veasy’s 25-yard run with 1:15 left in the game.
LAKE HAMILTON 51, SHERIDAN 14
PEARCY -Nathan Sawrie ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more as Lake Hamilton (3-1, 1-0 7A/6A-South) raced out to a 37-0 halftime lead over Sheridan (1-3, 0-1).
Sawrie’s two touchdown runs and another by Chris Eastburn helped give Lake Hamilton a 24-0 lead after the first quarter.
PINE BLUFF 28, TEXARKANA 13
PINE BLUFF - Sophomore tailback Romar Reades ran 8 times for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Pine Bluff (2-1-1, 1-0 7A/6A-South) over Texarkana (1-2, 0-1).
Sophomore quarterback Ladarius Skelton had touchdown passes of 28 and 43 yards to Tyler Bell.
Texarkana’s DeAndre Scott completed 14 of 26 passes for 208 yards and 1 touchdown and ran for 46 yards.
Sports, Pages 26 on 09/28/2013