Brayden Discenza
The Arkansas Christian Academy Knights captured the Arkansas American Association of Christian Schools high school conference championship with a 56-12 victory over Ridgway Christian School.
The title game was played Friday, Oct. 30, at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium on the campus of Hendrix College in Conway.
The Knights finished the season 7-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The junior varsity team went undefeated. The program, in its third year, is led by head coach and athletic director Bradley Lattin with assistant Lance Goddard.
In the title game, junior Brodie Baldridge rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. He also completed a pass for 10 yards. Junior Corbin Lyman picked up 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 10 rushes and quarterback Gary Rutledge ran for 27 yards on four tries. He also completed 4 of 7 passes for 84 yards and caught the 10-yard pass from Baldridge.
Grayson Ferrell caught three passes for 60 yards. Lyman grabbed two throws for 26 yards.
Gary Rutledge (9) tries to avoid a tackler.
Jacob Cooper had a 14-yard touchdown run and Josh Marter ran for a score.
Defensively, Brayden Discenza returned an interception 53 yards for a touchdown. Brandon Yant added an interception. He also forced a fumble, which was recovered by Marter.
Yant, Lyman, Ferrell, Cooper, Martin and Hunter Bradley paced the team in tackles.
Marter led the team in tackles for the season with 72.
The 14-member roster also includes Chance Levissee, Malachi Smith, Jared Cooper, Zach Arp and Dylan Norman.
During the regular season, the Knights defeated Southwest Christian Academy, 48-0, in week one and followed up with a 42-0 win at Ridgway Christian. They beat Southwest Christian a second time, 38-0, before out-lasting Central Baptist of Memphis, 38-28. After a 54-8 win over Arkansas School for the Deaf, the Knights suffered their lone loss, 30-22 at Ridgeway Christian in Pine Bluff. They bounced back with a 35-0 win over Southwest Christian before the championship rematch with Ridgway.
Grayson Ferrell goes up for a touchdown pass.
Brodie Baldridge (5) breaks free after blocks from Dylan Norman (70) and Zach Arp (52).
Josh Marter tries to avoid a pair of Ridgway Christian defenders.
Corbin Lyman scores.
