By Mark Rico
Sports Editor
LITTLE ROCK — It didn’t come easy, but history rarely does.
Bryant outlasted North Little Rock 27-17 in a closer than expected victory in Saturday’s Class 7A championship game at War Memorial Stadium.
The win stamps Bryant as the first team to win three straight titles in 7A since Bentonville accomplished the feat in both 2014 and 2015.
A few years earlier, Fayetteville was able to string together a repeat in 2011 and 2012 and then went on to score back-to-back titles again in 2016 and 2017.
Bryant also became the first school to ever win three consecutive state championships in that classification their last loss coming in a regular season loss to NLR back in October 2018.
Pine Bluff was the last team to reel off three state titles in a row when they did so from 1993 to 1995.
“These guys have pulled together as a group and found a way to win 30 ballgames in a row and win three state championships.” Bryant head coach Buck James said. “My hat’s off to those kids, That’s a super job.”
Bryant (13-0), which averaged 46 points a contest through its first three playoff games, simply could not unleash its potent passing game against an NLR secondary anchored by Tavion Atkins and Marcus Stovall.
Instead, the Hornets leaned on the legs of senior tailback Tanner Anderson, who had 18 carries for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Anderson named Most Valuable Player.
The rest of Bryant’s senior class also contributed as three-year starter Austin Ledbetter finished 11-0f-16 passing for 127 yards and no interceptions, while Jamarien Bracey carried 14 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns in his final game as a Hornet.
A strong second quarter from Bryant forced the Charging Wildcats into a deep hole in their fifth consecutive state championship game appearance.
A couple of Ledbetter completions to Bracey (19 yards), Schrader (20 yards) and then to Anderson (15 yards) culminated with a 9-yard TD run by Bracey that gave the Hornets a 7-0 advantage with 7 minutes and 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
Anderson’s 7-yard TD run on the Hornets’ next possession extended Bryant’s lead to 14-0.
Then after Northwestern State commit Kareame Cotton was intercepted by Bryant’s Malachi Graham – who returned the pick 52 yards to the Charging Wildcats 10-yard line – Bracey would score from 10 yards out for the Hornets third touchdown and a 20-0 cushion.
NLR finally got on the board with an impressive eight-play drive on a 7-yard run by Fredrick O’Donald with eight seconds left in the first half.
But in a wild second half, North Little Rock managed to seize momentum as Cotton settled in and the Charging Wildcats began to make the most of their snaps.
O’Donald finished with two touchdowns on 18 carries, and his 15-yard score late in the fourth quarter pulled NLR within 20-17 with nine minutes to go.
NLR (12-2) would have a final drive stall late in the fourth quarter as Cotton’s pass intended for O’Donald on fourth-and-goal from the Bryant 8-yard line was incomplete.
From there, Bryant would take over on downs and the Charging Wildcats would not get another chance to possess the ball.
Although their three-year run will no doubt be forever cemented in the Arkansas High School football record books, the buzz has already begun about whether or not a fourth title is possible without a stellar senior class that has dominated the opposition over the past three seasons.
An undefeated junior class will test their mettle next year against strong opposition but has a great chance to supplant the current group.
North Little Rock, Cabot and Conway will again be roadblocks in Bryant’s attempt to secure a fourth consecutive 7-A title.
Yet, James still likes his chances to return to War Memorial next December.
“We got a chance to complete a four-peat.”
Faulkner County Focus Sports 