Still The Best

Motes, Bryant D secure Hornets 5th straight 7A title

LITTLE ROCK – Four years and a day to when the Bryant Hornets won their first 7A state championship, they did it again under the lights of War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock – for the fifth straight time.

Friday was magical for the boys in blue as the Hornets overcame early adversity to capture the crown, taking down the Bentonville Tigers 36-7.

“Last year I stood here and said ‘you can’t win five if you don’t win four’ and I kind of said that tongue and cheek, but doggone if we didn’t do it again,” said Head Coach Buck James. “This is an amazing group of guys. Our coaching staff did an unbelievable job and our kids played their guts out.

“Five in a row is mindboggling. It is something these young men will remember forever. I know I will remember it forever. I don’t know how my career will end, but it can’t get any better than this right now.”

James, in his 35th year of coaching, was all smiles after the big win.

Despite the final score, Bryant (12-0) began rough on their first series as a high backward pass from sophomore Jordan Walker found the turf and eventually the belly of Bentonville’s Logan

Roberson for the fumble recovery and touchdown.

The Tigers would lead 7-0 with 9:28 to go in the first quarter.

After the early fireworks, both defenses went to work and kept the one-possession score intact through the entire first quarter.

But Bryant would not take long to get its offense going as backup quarterback Gideon Motes found Mytorian Singleton for a 4-yard pitch pass and touchdown with 10:44 to go in the half. Singleton would use a second and third effort to find the goal line. The score would be tied at 7-7, but not for long.

Motes replaced Walker in the first quarter and remained the feature gunslinger for the rest of the game, finishing 13 for 22 for 197 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He also rushed eight times for 67 yards.

Motes, who was the preseason favorite to win the starting job, battled injuries all season and came in with only 35 pass attempts on the season.

On Friday, the junior took home the most valuable player award.

“It is alway a dream (to be MVP), but I wasn’t expecting it, honestly,” Motes said. “I alway try not to get too ahead of myself. I kept telling myself to just breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe.”

James said he was happy to see what his young quarterback was able to accomplish.

“First of all, I want to say we couldn’t have gotten here without Jordan Walker,” James said. “Gideon has battled injuries and was our starting quarterback coming out of summer. We have two really good quarterbacks. I have said it all along and nobody believed me.

“We have a great quarterback controversy coming up. It’s like having two great centers or secondary players. That’s what you have to have. You have to have great football players to win championships.”

James added that nothing changed with the game plan despite the quarterback switch.

“We were going to just take him out for a couple series and Gideon got in there and played well,” James said. “He was hot and made good decisions and he ran the ball well. That’s what we have been looking for out of him.

On Bentonville’s ensuing drive, quarterback Carter Nye misjudged a pass and found the hands of Hornets standout Malachi Graham. The senior would return the pick 77 yards for a touchdown and the 14-7 lead with 8:35 to go in the second.

“Big-time players make big time plays in big-time games,” James said. “He turned the tide of the game for us. It was a differencemaker. I think he is one of the best defensive players in the state of Arkansas.”

With barely a minute left in the half, Bryant began from its own 4-yard line and proceeded to march 96 yards in six plays as Motes hit an open Singleton for the 26-yard score. Bryant would lead 21-7 with 4 seconds left in the half.

The second half was all Bryant as the Hornets kept Bentonville off the board the entire time.

Bryant’s offense would add two more touchdowns, including a 25-yard TD pass and catch from Motes to Karter Ratliff with 2:39 left in the third. Bryant would lead 28-7 at that point.

The Hornets, looking for insurance, would get more Motes magic as he found Chris Gannaway out of the backfield for the 36-yard score. Jordan Knox would add two more with a converted 2-point try making it 36-7 Hornets.

Bryant’s defense held Bentonville (11-2) to zero offensive points after the Tigers averaged north of 40 per game all season.

The accomplishment had defensive coordinator Quad Sanders extremely excited following the game.

“All week we talked about limiting the big plays and being ready for the trick plays,” Sanders said. “These guys are unbelievable. They would see what Bentonville was trying to do and relay the message to me and then I could put them in something the were comfortable with.”

Sanders, who was hired by James out of the University of Arkansas Monticello, said he is happy where he is.

“There is something to be said about being humble,” Sanders said. “We are going to celebrate all night and probably all week, but on Monday we get back to work. We are already working on what we need to do to take it to the next level.

“I am happy to be a part of it and I am happy where I am. If I go somewhere else, it is going to take a whole lot. A whole lot.”

Bryant returned 10 defensive starters from last year’s state championship team.

“We didn’t play very good defense in the title game last year and these guys had a chip on their shoulder this time,” James said. “They wanted to come out here and be one of the best defenses in the state and I think they are one of the best defenses of all time. Modern era for sure.”

James added that Friday’s performance was his team’s best defensive showing of the year.

“To be able to hold them to that is a huge feat,” he added.

Traylon Russ led the Hornets mighty defense with 10 tackles, followed by Bryson Adamoh with six. Miguel Graham and Malachi Graham followed with six and five tackles, respectively.

On offense, junior standout running back James Martin trucked his way to 104 yards on the ground, rushing 19 times. Gannaway followed with 76 yards on 13 touches.

Singleton would finish his night with seven catches for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“He did the same thing here last year with two big catches on the final drive and one for a touchdown,” James said. “We had a little struggle right here at the end of the season, but overcame that. He should be considered one of the best players on the field.”

The Hornets win completed the third true undefeated seasons in the past four years and moved their winning streak to 53 against in-state opponents.

Friday also marked the 209th straight week Bryant has been the No. 1 ranked team in Arkansas.