The Bryant Hornets have been on a roll since falling by one point to the Fayetteville Bulldogs to close out nonconference play. Since then, the Hornets downed a good Northside Grizzlies team 16-7 in a half of football, routed the Catholic Rockets 59-28 at War Memorial Stadium and shut out the Central Tigers 56-0 last week in Bryant.
The Hornets hit the road today, traveling to Fort Smith to take on the Southside Mavericks in 7A Central Conference play, in which Bryant is tied for first at 3-0 with the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats. Though the Mavericks are 3-3 overall, 1-2 in the Central, they have already played those Central top tier teams, falling 49-27 to NLR last week and losing to Conway 45-19.
Southside’s only other loss came against 6A powerhouse Greenwood (52-27), but the Mavs have defeated Bentonville West 44-31, a team in which the Hornets held on to win 17-10 over the Wolverines, and Cabot 30-24 in the Central action.
“A very good offensive football team capable of scoring a lot of points,” Bryant Head Coach Buck James said of the Mavs. “They throw about 65 percent of the time. They’re a scary football team, a dangerous football team for us, for sure.”
Southside averages 36.8 points per game and are led by senior quarterback Taye Gatewood. Gatewood is dangerous both through the air and on the ground as he has thrown for 1,184 yards and 14 touchdowns, vs. just two interceptions, and has run for 368 and six TDs.
For those who can’t make it to Fort Smith, listen to Fox Sports Arkansas 99.3 FM/690 AM.
Read the rest in today's The Saline Courier.