HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Benton, Bryant back in Salt Bowl

Bryant quarterback Brandan Warner (left) tries to evade a Benton defender during last year’s Salt Bowl. Warner, who led the Hornets to a 42-28 victory in the game, returns this season with the hopes of leading Bryant to its ninth consecutive victory in the series Friday night.
Bryant quarterback Brandan Warner (left) tries to evade a Benton defender during last year’s Salt Bowl. Warner, who led the Hornets to a 42-28 victory in the game, returns this season with the hopes of leading Bryant to its ninth consecutive victory in the series Friday night.

One of the most highly anticipated high school football games in central Arkansas is back in Week 1.

Saline County rivals Benton and Bryant, which were both members of the 7A/6A-South the past two seasons, are in separate conferences again, which has led to the Salt Bowl returning to the opening week of the season.

15th annual Salt Bowl

WHAT Benton vs. Bryant

WHEN 7:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock

ADVANCE TICKET OUTLETS Big Red Valero stores in central Arkansas

ADVANCE TICKETS $10, includes a commemorative T-shirt

TICKETS AT THE GAME $8 (children younger than 5 admitted free)

OVERALL SERIES RECORD Benton leads 24-16-1

SALT BOWL RECORD Bryant leads 11-2-1

LAST YEAR

ATTENDANCE SINCE 2006 2006 (22,146); 2007 (est. 23,000); 2008 (est. 3,000); 2009 (26,316*); 2010 (20,206); 2011 (23,587); 2012 (22,649); 2013 (24,108)

NOTE Bryant is the home team this year. Its fans are asked to enter and sit on the west side.

  • Arkansas high school record

The 15th annual Salt Bowl is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

The game has drawn more than 20,000 fans the past five seasons, including a state-record 26,316 in 2009. Last year's game drew 24,108.

Bryant has owned the series in recent years, winning the past eight meetings. The Hornets, who won last year's game 42-28, are 11-2-1 since the game added the Salt Bowl title in 2000.

Hornets Coach Paul Calley said consistency in the program has been the key for Bryant.

"Our kids expect to win football games," he said. "Even though we may be playing teams that are better than us, they expect to win. They'll play anybody anywhere."

Playing at War Memorial Stadium is always an important event, Benton Coach Scott Neathery said.

"It's a special time for these young men," Neathery said. "Not many high school kids get to play in an atmosphere like the Salt Bowl. We say it every year, but it's something you don't need to take for granted because it's a special deal for these guys to play in a game like this."

Bryant moved this season to the 7A-Central, where it will play Conway and Greenwood, among others. It's a situation Calley is looking forward to.

"The conference we're going into will be tough every week," Calley said. "There's no week off. It's a challenge for me, personally. It's a challenge for our coaches.

"With no week off, you're working 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. You don't get it off your mind. You wake up in the middle of the night and think about what you need to do to win a football game."

Benton is coming off its first winning season since 2005, when it last won the Salt Bowl. Former Lincoln coach Brad Harris is in his first year as the Panthers' defensive coordinator, which was a coup for Neathery.

"It's huge for us," Neathery said. "He adds something to us. He's going to add the X's and O's being in charge of the defense, but he's also going to be somebody I can bounce some things off of as well and help the whole program.

"Boy, I feel fortunate to be able to get Brad."

Bryant went 7-4 last season, losing to North Little Rock in the Class 7A quarterfinals. Calley said staying healthy will be important for the Hornets as they move to the 7A-Central.

"Our top 11 on both sides of the ball and on special teams are solid, but if we have injuries it's hard to find depth like some of the other schools like Bentonville and North Little Rock," Calley said. "We just don't have it. Staying healthy is the key for us, and not turning the football over."

Benton, ranked No. 6 in Class 6A by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, hopes to win more than one playoff game this season. The Panthers have won at least one playoff game the past two years, but no more.

"We're always going to shoot for winning a conference championship and a state championship," Neathery said. "The last four years, we've improved every year. So if we can improve this year, the next hurdle is getting over that one playoff win.

"We want to be playing on Thanksgiving. That's the next step for our program."

Sports on 09/04/2014

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