Mustangs blank Wolves, go to 5-0
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
BRYANT TIMES
Coming into their Central Arkansas Junior High Conference game against the Bryant Mustangs Thursday, Oct. 3, the Lake Hamilton Junior Wolves had posted more wins (three) than the Mustangs’ four previous opponents combined (two) so far this season. So, the Wolves figured to be the toughest challenge the Mustangs’ had faced.
As it turned out, however, the Mustangs treated the Wolves about the same as they had their four previous victims, rolling to a 28-0 victory in their first South Division conference game. The Mustangs’ first-team defense held Lake Hamilton to a net of minus-6 yards of total offense. Admittedly, a couple of big losses on bad punt snaps contributed to that diminutive total but leave those losses out and the total was only 38 yards.
The Mustangs forced five turnovers including two interceptions apiece by Zach Kitchens and Hunter Hatcher.
And, this time, Bryant’s second team defense preserved the shutout. The Mustangs, as a team, have only allowed 18 points in five games this season with two shutouts. In two other games, only late touchdowns when the game was out of reach spoiled the whitewash job. Bryant has out-scored the opposition 145-18.
The offense for the Mustangs benefited greatly from the work of the defense and the special teams breakdowns by the Junior Wolves. Bryant’s game-opening drive reached the Lake Hamilton 26 but a holding penalty could not be overcome and the Mustangs turned the ball over on downs at the 20.
After picking up their only two first downs of the first half (one of those by penalty), the Wolves were forced to punt. But punter Dustin Lercher had to cover a high snap and lost 19 yards.
The Mustangs took over at the 24 and went to work. Quarterback Anthony Mask, who completed 11-of-16 passes for 170 yards in the game, gunned a 10-yard completion to Zach Sanders. A play later, Mask scrambled for 12 yards to set up another completion to Sanders for the score from 5 yards out.
Mask ran in the two-point conversion.
Lake Hamilton’s next possession went nowhere and the Wolves were again forced into a punting situation. Another bad snap forced Lercher deep into his own end of the field and he was just barely able to avoid a safety. Actually, the safety would’ve been preferable to what happened. Lercher was tackled at the 1. Bryant took over and Mask sneaked in for a second TD.
A pass from Mask to Dustin Holland made the two-point conversion successful and pushed the lead to 16-0.
The Wolves, who obviously had a tougher time with the wet conditions than Bryant did, fumbled on their very next play from scrimmage and Aaron Walker recovered for the Mustangs just 35 yards away from paydirt. Four plays later, Holland made a eye-popping catch of a pass from Mask and turned it into a 13-yard touchdown play to make it 22-0.
It remained that score at the half, though it could’ve been worse. On Lake Hamilton’s first play after the Bryant score, Kitchens picked off a Josh Greenfield pass and sprinted 74 yards for an apparent touchdown. But an illegal block in the back along the way negated the score.
The second half began much like the first half had gone. Thanks to a sack for a loss of 6 by Zach Scott, the Mustangs forced another Lake Hamilton punt. Bryant took over at its own 12 and showed it didn’t need good field position to score, going the distance in eight plays despite a couple of lost-yardage plays.
The drive was highlighted by a 52-yard pass from Mask to John Isabell. Two plays later, the duo hooked up again for a 21-yard touchdown with 1:29 left in the third quarter.
The next three Lake Hamilton possessions ended in interceptions. Kitchens made his second pick on the last play of the third quarter. Hatcher’s oskies blew up the Wolves’ last two threats.
Now 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the South Division of the Central Arkansas Conference, the Mustangs faced back-to-back trips to Conway, playing White on Oct. 10, then Blue on Oct. 17.
