BRYANT ENDS NHS GRIZZLIES’ SEASON IN 7A SEMIFINALS

In the first half of Friday’s 7A semifinal, Northside’s defense forced Bryant to punt the ball five times. The Grizzlies also held the Hornets’ standout tailback, Latavion Scott, in check, and Northside didn’t turn the ball over. But the Hornets threw for 150 yards in the first half, including two touchdowns. Bryant then went to its running game in the second half and produced two more TDs, as the Hornets went on to a 28-7 win, ending the Grizzlies’ season. “Bryant’s a heck of a football team,” Northside coach Mike Falleur said. “Our kids battled their tails off. Defensively, we played really well. ... Offensively, we had a hard time blocking their defensive line and that’s what it comes down to.” Bryant (10-2), the state’s No. 2 ranked team, will advance to face No. 1 North Little Rock in next week’s 7A championship game. NLR defeated Bentonville West in the other semifinal Friday. Northside, playing in its first semifinal since 2005, ends the season at 8-5. Trailing at halftime 14-0, the Grizzlies got the huge break they needed when they forced Scott to fumble early in the third quarter. Northside linebacker Anthony Travis picked up the loose ball and raced untouched from 38 yards out, and Henry Hernandez’s PAT cut the Hornet lead in half, 14-7. On the next series, the Hornets advanced into Northside territory and faced a fourth-and-1 at the Grizzly 41. Bryant went for it, and Scott lined up in the wildcat formation. Scott took the snap and found space around right end; then turned on the jets down the sideline to complete a 59-yard TD. Grayson Scoles tacked on the PAT as the Hornets regained momentum with a 21-7 advantage. Late in the third quarter, Bryant got the ball at its own 15 after forcing the Grizzlies to punt. The Hornets proceeded to put together a 14-play, 85-yard drive. Once again, Scott got the touchdown lining up in the wildcat, this time taking it in from 2 yards out and Scoles’ PAT capped the scoring with 9:08 left. The Hornets forced another punt on the ensuing series and got the ball back with 7:07 left. They proceeded to run out the rest of the clock, utilizing 12 plays, all on the ground. In the second half, Bryant kept the ball for 18:02. The Hornets also out-gained the Grizzlies in that span, 259-23. “We had a good plan defensively (in the first half), we put pressure on them and we did, we got great field position and we just had a hard time blocking those guys up front and we didn’t make the plays on offense,” Falleur said. “That’s what you’ve got to do when you play a team like that.” Bryant broke a scoreless tie early in the second quarter when quarterback Austin Ledbetter threw a deep sideline route to sophomore receiver Hayden Schrader near the 20. Schrader was able to keep his feet in bounds the rest of the way to complete a 37-yard TD. Scoles tacked on the PAT for a 7-0 Hornet lead three minutes into the second quarter. After Bryant’s defense forced a three-and-out on the next series, the Grizzlies punted the ball back to the Hornets, who took over at their own 20. Ledbetter was able to conduct another TD drive in eight plays. Two plays after finding Schrader for 31 yards down to the Grizzly 14 on a third-and-long, and one play after being sacked by Travis back to the 25, Ledbetter struck again. He dumped it off to Scott, who broke several tacklers and weaved his way into the end zone to complete the touchdown. Scoles’ kick made it 14-0, Hornets, with 4:21 left in the first half. Scott, after being held to 28 yards in the first half, went for 134 yards in the second half. Also, on a carry late in the game, he became Bryant’s all-time leading rusher. Bryant’s defense held Northside to 110 total yards for the game, all but 23 on the ground. The Hornets also allowed just two pass completions in 12 attempts and forced Northside to punt nine times, with sophomore Dagon Moore averaging 37.8 yards per kick. Senior tailback Eli Bolton had 29 yards on six carries. Also in his final game as a Grizzly, quarterback Derrick Wise rushed for 24 yards and passed for 23 more. The Grizzlies will say goodbye to 27 seniors, who were part of three straight trips to the 7A quarterfinals as well as three straight wins against city rival Southside. “They’re always going to be a part of this program in taking us this far and they’re a great group of kids and we’re going to miss them,” Falleur said. “They made a great statement with our football program. ... When we started this six years ago (with Falleur taking over prior to the 2013 season), Northside needed to be relevant on the state level again and I think we’re there.”

BRYANT ENDS NHS GRIZZLIES’ SEASON IN 7A SEMIFINALS

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 11/24/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Fort Smith Northside High School Athletics