CLASS 7A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

BRYANT 42, FAYETTEVILLE 38

DECEMBER 4, LITTLE ROCK — The Bryant Hornets needed all 48 minutes for No. 4.

Bryant rallied from its first deficit to cap its fourth straight state championship with a 42-38 win over Fayetteville at War Memorial Stadium in the Class 7A championship game.

Bryant finished 12-1 with the only loss at Longview, Texas, 24-21, and improved its winning streak against Arkansas opponents to 41 straight.

The four straight state title ties Barton as the longest streak in the modern playoff era, which began in 1968.

“I’m blessed,” Bryant head coach Buck James said. “Four in a row is unbelievable. That’s an almost impossible feat.”

Unlike the last two years when Bryant was dominant and undefeated, the Hornets had to rally during the regular season to beat Conway to win the 7A-Central conference and earn the top seed in the playoffs in addition to beating North Little Rock in the semifinals and then Fayetteville for the championship.

“They put 48 minutes on the clock for a reason,” James said. “Our kids played for 48 minutes. Our kids have always found a way to win.”

Fayetteville, which won the 7A-West for its first outright conference championship since 1963, took its first lead of the game at 38-35 with 4:07 left when Bladen Fike ran two yards for a touchdown and then hit Isaiah Sategna for the two-point pass to complete a 6-play, 66-yard drive.

“The kids played hard like they have all year,” Fayetteville head coach Casey Dick said. “They never gave up and showed a lot of fight. We could have quit four or five times in the game. I thought we played a great game and came up a little bit short. We came back all the way in the fourth quarter and got the lead with three minutes left. They made a couple of plays on the last drive and did a phenomenal job.”

Senior quarterback Carson Burnett, who was fifth on the depth chart a year ago, calmly guided the Hornets to the game-winning touchdown.

He completed a 32-yard pass to Mytorian Singleton to Fayetteville’s 41 on a fourth-and-three situation and two plays later hit Singleton again for a 36-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 left.

Burnett was 12-of-20 passing for 197 yards.

Bryant’s defense forced a fumble on Fayetteville’s ensuing drive that was recovered by Will Diggins, normally an offensive lineman but used in special situations on defense.

Fike threw for 473 yards and four touchdowns, completing 21-of-46 passes, with Sategna catching eight passes for 168 yards.

Bryant’s defense, though, intercepted three passes at opportune times.

Drake Fowler intercepted the first one and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 4:29 left in the first quarter on the first play after Chris Gannaway scored on a 16-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

Jonah Brewster intercepted the next one in the second quarter in the end zone on a third-and-goal pass from the 5 to squelch a scoring opportunity and maintain Bryant’s 14-13 lead.

Miquel Graham made the third interception at the 3 on a third-and-seven situation from the 16 to turn Fayetteville away again and maintain Bryant’s 14-13 lead with 55 seconds left before the half.

Bryant’s defense also forced two fumbles. In addition to Diggins, Fowler recovered a Fayetteville fumble at the 3 on a first-and-goal opportunity on Fayetteville’s first drive of the second half. The stop again maintained Bryant’s 14-13 lead, and the Hornets scored on two plays with Gannaway reeling off an 84-yard run followed by a 12-yard touchdown run by James Martin.

Bryant’s special teams also provided a score with Malachi Graham returning a blocked field goal by Traylon Ross 68 yards for a touchdown for a 28-16 lead with 4:07 left in the third quarter.

Malachi Graham was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. In addition to his return of the field goal for a touchdown, he forced a fumble, had five tackles, guarded Sategna, and punted seven times for an average of 49 yards with a long of 60 yards that was downed at the 1 to end the third quarter.