Just a week removed from a tough 34-28 loss against the No. 1 North Little Rock Charging Wildcats on the road, the Bryant Hornets host the No. 2 Conway Wampus Cats, according to maxpreps.com, in 7A Central Conference play for the regular-season finale tonight at Hornet Stadium in Bryant.
“They’re talented offensively,” Bryant Coach Buck James said of the Wampus Cats. “They’ve got a big, strong offensive line. They’ve got a good running back, quarterback and receivers. They don’t do anything to beat themselves. You have to beat them. They take care of the ball. They can throw it and they run it very well, too. There’s a lot of dimensions to the piece of the puzzle but we’ve got to play well and get off the field.”
The Hornets (7-2, 5-1 Central) led the Charging Wildcats 21-0 early before North Little Rock came back for victory. Conway routed the Catholic Rockets 59-14 last week and are currently on a four-game win streak as the Wampus Cats and Hornets are battling for the No. 2 Central seed and bye in the 7A State Tournament, which begins next week.
“I think it’s important for any team that’s played the schedule we’ve played,” James said of the all-important bye. “To get a week off and just rest mentally and physically. To play in this environment, this 7A Central has been a juggernaut to say the least. We’ve got to go and play as well as we can play. If we continue to do that, we’ll be OK, but if we don’t, we’ll make an early exit. It’s important our football team understands the importance of playing every quarter, every down and every half of every game. If we do that, I like our chances.”
James said the Hornets are healthy going into their game tonight vs. the Wampus Cats at Hornet Stadium in Bryant. Kickoff is 7 p.m. and will be broadcast by Fox Sports Arkansas 99.3 FM/690 AM.
Read the rest in Friday's The Saline Courier.