Freshman Hornets overwhelm Hot Springs from the get-go
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By Rob Patrick
HOT SPRINGS — Here’s how much the Bryant Hornets freshman team had their counterparts at Hot Springs overmatched at Tommy Holt Field on Thursday night:
Before the second quarter was half over, Hot Springs had yet to make a first down, had accumulated a net offense of 3 yards and the Hornets had amassed a 30-0 lead that held up for the final score as Bryant head coach Kenny Horn got just about everybody in the game. The Bryant second team had taken over before the half.[more]
The win improved the Junior Hornets to 2-0 on the season. They’ve outscored a pair of Garland County teams (Hot Springs this week and Lake Hamilton last week) by a whopping 67-6. They make their first appearance at Bryant Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 16, against Russellville East.
Madre London and Bryce Denker each ran for touchdowns, Wesley Akers threw for two plus a pair of two-point conversions and Davis Nossaman kicked a pair of extra points in the Bryant rout.
In the end, Bryant had more points (30) than offensive snaps (28).
The onslaught began on the opening possession of the game. London slashed for 14 yards then Akers threw his only incomplete pass of the game which was tipped or it might’ve found Austin May, the intended receiver, who was open on a deep post.
Unfazed, Akers swung a pass to fullback Colton Burton for 17 yards then London laced his way 26 yards through the Hot Springs defense. After a face mask penalty was tacked on, the Hornets were just 6 yards from paydirt. London finished off the drive on the next play and when Akers passed to May for the conversion, it was 8-0 before the game was even two minutes old.
Hot Springs’ first possession managed a yard as Jordan Jones and Grayson Giles made stops at the line of scrimmage.
The Trojans punted the Hornets back to their own 43 but it took just four plays to get to the end zone again. The final 40 yards was covered by Akers’ 40-yard strike to Giles down the right sideline.
Akers threw to Austin Miller for the conversion at it was 16-0 with 2:16 left in the first period.
And the Hornets added on before the quarter was over.
On second down for the Trojans, quarterback Marquis Poindexter swung a pass to Chris Poindexter only to have him swarmed under and separated from the ball. James Gibson recovered for the Hornets at the Hot Springs 15.
Bryant’s lone turnover ensued. Akers couldn’t latch onto the ball after an errant snap and the Trojans’ Justin Seymour recovered.
On Hot Springs’ first play from the 20, however, Denker crashed in and stole the ball from Poindexter and rumbled to the 10. And, having set up the score, Denker did the honors on the next play, taking the handoff and dashing into the end zone with just three seconds left to play in the quarter.
Nossaman kicked it to 23-0.
A delay penalty, one of eight flags the Trojans drew, undercut the subsequent possession and Bailey White came on to punt. Giles fielded the kick at his own 44 and glided 35 yards on the return to the Hot Springs 21.
On the first play from there, Akers lofted a perfectly thrown pass down the left sideline that Luke Howard cradled in at the goal line for the touchdown with 5:03 left in the half. Nossaman’s extra point set what proved to be the final score and finished the night for many of the Bryant starters.
Hot Springs finally managed a first down when, on a second and 9 from their own 26, the Trojans’ Phillip Childs took a pitch and sprinted 49 yards to the Bryant 25.
It proved to be as close as the Trojans would get to scoring. A motion penalty then a procedure penalty backed them up to the 35. Brian Reed and Chase Tucker foiled a first-down run from there. A reverse on second down was sniffed out by Jake Johnson and stopped for a yard. A third-down play was blown up by Denker and Jimmy McCann so, with a minute left in the half at the Bryant 33, Hot Springs punted the Hornets back to the 7.
To start the second half, the Trojans went three and out. In turn, Bryant picked up a first down on a 7-yard run by Aaron Leonard with a face mask penalty tacked on.
The drive reached midfield but stalled and Hot Springs took over on downs. The Trojans picked up one first down but, after reaching the Bryant 32, went backwards again. They gave up the ball on downs at the Bryant 35 with 1:06 left in the third quarter.
Dakota Besancon completed a 24-yard pass to C.J. Rainey then found Collin Harrison for 10 as Bryant drove to the Hot Springs 25. But they could get no closer. They turned the ball over on downs again at the 30 with 5:00 left to play.
Hot Springs used all of that time to drive to the Bryant 25.
BRYANT 30, HOT SPRINGS 0
Freshman football
Score by quarters
BRYANT 23 7 0 0 — 30
Hot Springs 0 0 0 0 — 0
Scoring summary
First quarter
BRYANT — London 6 run (May pass from Akers), 6:25
BRYANT — Giles 40 pass from Akers (Miller pass from Akers), 2:16
BRYANT — Denker 10 run (Nossaman kick), 0:03
Second quarter
BRYANT — Howard 21 pass from Akers (Nossaman kick), 5:03
Team stats
Bryant HS
First downs 10 4
Rushes-yds 15-95 26-117
Passing 8-13-0 4-7-0
Passing yds. 114 10
Punts-avg. 0-00 4-27.8
Fumbles-lost 1-1 5-2
Penalties-yds 1-5 8-40
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing: BRYANT, London 5-60, Leonard 7-32, Denker 1-10, Besancon 1-(-2), Akers 1-(-5); HOT SPRINGS, M.Poindexter 14-61, Childs 3-55, Holmes 3-4, C.Poindexter 4-2, McGowan 1-(-2), Jones 1-(-3).
Passing (C-A-I-Y): BRYANT, Akers 4-5-0-81, Besancon 4-8-0-33; HOT SPRINGS, M.Poindexter 4-7-0-10.
Receiving: BRYANT, Giles 2-43, Rainey 2-24, Howard 1-21, Burton 1-17, Harrison 1-10, Leonard 1-(-1); HOT SPRINGS, C.Poindexter 2-2, Jones 1-4, Holmes 1-4.
