Bryant Gets Salty in State Title Win

Bryant 27, North Little Rock 7 | 7A title game

Bryant gets salty in state title win

Article by Jeremy Peppas. Photos by Jaison Sterling

Bryant did what they needed to do and the Hornets came away with a 27-7 win on a cold Saturday night in the Class 7A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium.

In front of a crowd of 20,631, Bryant’s Latavion Scott rushed for 153 yards on 31 carries and more importantly three touchdowns as the 5-foot-10, 208-pound senior proved to an irresistible force for the Hornets as the Saline County school won its first state title ever.

Bryant finished with 293 yards of total offense in the win while North Little Rock had trouble getting anything going and had just 21 yards of total offense in the first half.

North Little Rock was held to just one first down, while Bryant ran out to a 13-0 lead on the strength of two touchdown runs by Scott, who was named the game’s most valuable player.

North Little Rock’s Brandon Thomas, the game’s MVP last season when the Charging Wildcats won the state title, rushed for 104 yards in the third quarter to get his team back into the game.

North Little Rock got on the board with a 12-yard touchdown reception by tight end and future Memphis Tiger Drew Martin, but it wasn’t enough.

Down two scores late in the fourth quarter, North Little Rock still had a chance but after the ball was knocked out of quarterback Kareame Cotton’s hands, it was scooped up and taken 78 yards to the end zone by Bryant’s Nate Wallace for the game’s final score.

Wallace was named the game’s defensive MVP, while the Brandon Burlsworth award went to North Little Rock’s Tyrese Francis, a senior defensive lineman.

The loss ended North Little Rock’s 25-game winning streak and the Cats came into the game as the No. 1 team in the state and No. 35 in the nation in the MaxPreps.com poll.

North Little Rock coach Jamie Mitchell is now 44-7 in his now complete fourth season at the school. He has one title win, and three state championship game appearances overall.