Benton hoping this is the season it ends Bryant’s dominance in Salt Bowl
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
Benton head football coach Brad Harris can’t think of a better time to end his team’s long losing streak to rival Bryant than Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the annual Salt Bowl clash at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium.
The Panthers have not won the matchup between Saline County foes since 2005, but still head into the 50th match up with confidence.
“They started it back in 1974 and so thus is the 50th Salt Bowl and they are calling it The Gold Standard,” Harris said of a game that has drawn 30,000 fans. “It’s a pretty neat rivalry to be able to play 50 years in a row.”
The game, traditionally played on Saturday night, was originally scheduled for Thursday night, but then Arkansas moved its season opener in Little Rock against UAPB to Thursday in order to be televised by ESPNU.
“Initially we were going to play on Thursday night since the Hogs were scheduled to play on Saturday night,” Harris said. “We liked that because it is on Labor Day weekend and Saturday you were going to have to worry about attendance with people going out of town.
“But when the Hogs moved their game to Thursday, our administration approached them about playing on Friday night. That way all the kids could get a three-day weekend.
“…War Memorial agree to do that and we kind of like that because it gets them back in a high school routine by playing on Friday night. We are excited about getting the season kicked off and then being in a normal routine.”
Benton felt good about its chance to end the streak last season, but lost current Arkansas freshman tailback Braylen Mitchell to injury at halftime and fellow back Chris Bernard in the third quarter.
“This group of seniors have won 29 games and they have only lost a handful of games in their whole football career,” Harris said. “They lost one in junior high to Bryant as a ninth grade team, went undefeated as eighth graders. The 10th grade team got beat in the semifinal game at Greenwood in the last minute and then Little Rock Christian got us last year in the semifinal.
“Now we haven’t beat Bryant in high school football since 2005 so most of these guys haven’t been alive since we’ve won that ballgame.
“But the thing that I like about them as seniors is they have that swag where they feel like they can beat anybody. Regardless of how good a team they are playing, they go into the game believing that.
“Hopefully that can help push us over the edge. We closed the gap a little bit last year and played them close.”
Bryant missed out on a sixth straight state Class 7A state championship with a semifinal loss to Bentonville.
“In a down year, they still go 10-2 and make the semis,” Harris said. “They have been a great program.”
Benton was also 10-2 last season and lost in the semifinals as the Panthers made at least the Class 6A state playoffs for the seventh in 10 years.
“I really like our team,” Harris said. “We have got 8 guys coming back on offense. We have our quarterback in Drew Davis coming back and he threw for 3,200 yards and 42 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions last season as a sophomore.
“And then we have our top five receivers back from last year with a big nucleus with that group. We have got Maddox Davis and Elias Payne back and they are three-year starters for us. They are both smaller guys, but very quick and athletic. I would put them up against any receiver in the state.
“…We also have a tight end/H-back in Bronson Coolis and he’s a brute. He is tough to handle and very versatile.
The Panthers have three starting offensive linemen returning in Parker Glaze, Isaiah Gipson and Daniel Jordan, but they will be blocking for a trio of new backs.
Those ball carriers are senior Little Rock Southwest transfer Luther Tucker, senior Quenton Godley and sophomore TJ Williams.
“We lost two really good ones last year so we have a big question mark there,” Harris said. “We got three guys there that I think are going to get it done, but it going to be by committee. They are all very similar in style and all 175 to 185 pounds.
The defense is led by senior tackles Owen Seals and Ty Matyja and linebackers Nick Wright and
Walker Hicks, who has led the team in tackles the the last two seasons with 126 as a sophomore and 104 as a junior.
There’s also a pair of senior safeties in J. Thomas Pepper and Issac Hill and cornerback Marcus King.
“So we have got a lot of leadership in those seniors, a lot of playing experience and we just feel awfully good about our football right now,” Harris said.
Photo by John D. James
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