Photos by Kevin Nagle
Ahmad Adams (33) finishes off one of his three touchdown runs. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
The Bryant White Hornets seventh grade team of Bryant Middle School ran just 15 plays on offense Tuesday night, while their opponents, the Pulaski Heights Panthers, snapped it 27 times.
Yet, the Hornets won.
Both teams moved the ball. It just took the Panthers more plays, more time to get down the field and just when it looked like they were headed for a score, they suffered a turnover.
Meanwhile, it took no time at all for the Hornets to find the end zone. In fact, Bryant White scored on four of its first six plays, rolling up a 30-0 lead before Pulaski Heights managed to get on the board.
Bryant White’s Cameron Scarlett (5) pressures Pulaski Heights quarterback Nakiyah Davis (9). (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Five of those six Bryant White plays were runs by brawny Ahmad Adams. He scored on three of those as he rushed for 158 yards. His TD runs were 19, 70 and 50 yards. By that last jaunt, the Panthers wanted little of him.
The result was a 30-6 win that also included a 34-yard touchdown pass from Derrick Rose to Arlon Jenkins.
The Hornets are set to wrap up their season on Monday, Oct. 27, at home against Malvern.
Here’s how it went Tuesday. Pulaski Heights got the first possession and behind quarterback Nakiyah Davis drove to the Hornets’ 23. On first down, Davis looked to throw only to have Brayden Lester pluck the ball out of the air and return to the Panthers’ 37.
Though a penalty moved them back to the 47, it only took the Hornets two plays to score. Adams blasted for 13 yards then Rose and Jenkins hooked up for the touchdown. Jenkins then scored the two-point conversion on a run off a reverse.
In turn, Pulaski Heights started to grind out the yardage, picking up a pair of frist downs behind the running of Davis and Yusuf Muhammad. They reached the Bryant White 41 when Davis looked to throw again. But this time, Peyton Dillon made the interception and returned it to the Panthers’ 25.
Arlon Jenkins (14) hauls in a pass that he turned into a touchdown over Pulaski Heights’ Jack Meyer (48) and Nakiyah Davis. (Photo by Kevin Nagle)
Adams and the offensive line took it from there. He crashed for 6 yards then barreled for 19 to make it 14-0. He added a run for the two-point conversion at it was 16-0 at the half.
The Hornets got the first possession of the second half and it didn’t take lone. Adams took a handoff from Rose and set sail on his 70-yard touchdown jaunt.
A try for two failed but it was 22-0.
Muhammad streaked for 18 yards on his team’s next play but, after Davis scampered for 8 more, Lester dumped the quarterback for a loss. On third down, Davis swung a pass to William Hout but it only picked up 4 yards as Rose came up and made a solid open-field tackle at the 50.
Down by three scores, the Panthers went for it on a fourth-and-8 but Davis’ throw overshot his receiver Donald Ghostone and the Hornets took over on downs.
On his last action of the game, Adams lashed through the Pulaski Heights’ defense on his 50-yard bolt. Rose ran in the conversion and it was 30-0.
Muhammad countered with a 70-yard run as the Hornets started to filter in reserves. A try for two, however, was foiled by defensive end Cameron Scarlett.
With Jacob Shelby and Jenkins taking turns running the ball, the Hornets ate up the rest of the clock to close out the win.
BRYANT WHITE 30, PULASKI HEIGHTS 6
Seventh grade
Score by halves
Pulaski Heights 0 6 — 6
Bryant White 16 14 — 30
Scoring summary
First half
BRYANT WHITE — Jenkins 34 pass from Rose (Jenkins run)
BRYANT WHITE — Adams 19 run (Adams run)
Second half
BRYANT WHITE — Adams 70 run (run failed)
BRYANT WHITE — Adams 50 run (Rose run)
PULASKI HEIGHTS — Muhammad 70 run (run failed)
Team stats
Hornets Panthers
First downs 7 7
Rushes-yds 14-207 17-150
Passing 1-1-0 3-10-2
Passing yds 34 21
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yds 2-20 1-5
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: BRYANT WHITE, Adams 5-158, Jenkins 3-26, Shelby 6-23; PULASKI HEIGHTS, Muhammad 8-100, Davis 9-50.
Passing (C-A-I-Y): BRYANT WHITE, Rose 1-1-0-34; PULASKI HEIGHTS, Davis 9-10-2-21.
Receiving: BRYANT WHITE, Jenkins 1-34; PULASKI HEIGHTS, Hout 2-14, Kostopulos 1-7.
