tops in Hornet history
By Josh Bri ggs Special to The Saline Courier
The Bryant Hornets have been Arkansas’ powerhouse football program for a half decade. Holding the No. 1 spot in the rankings since the end of the 2018 season, the Hornets return to the gridiron in 2023 with the same identifier.
After winning its fifth straight 7A championship last fall, it may be hard to believe that a team could be better than the last year after year.
While the outcome of the season is far from being determined, one aspect of the Hornets talented squad is shaping out to be possibly the best in program history.
Bryant returns nearly 1,400 receiving yards to its wide receiving corps with three seniors leading the charge. The speedy receivers include seniors Mytorian Singleton, Shawn Rycraw and Cason Trickey and junior Karter Ratliff.
“This group as a unit can make some huge plays,” said first-year Head Coach Quad Sanders. “That’s what is good about them because it is hard to key in on one without giving up a big play to another guy.
“I am looking for consistency and leadership from this group because they have experience and have been in the fire.”
Singleton blew onto the scene with an outstanding sophomore season before leading the team and county in receptions (46) and touchdowns (8) while settling for second by just 4 yards in receiving (716). The senior averaged 15.6 yards per catch as well.
“I have to make sure everything goes smooth,” Singleton said. “I am the leader of the group now so I have to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do.”
With multiple title rings already, Singleton still believes he has more to prove coming into his final year.
Rycraw, the newcomer in the group adding nine catches for 116 yards and a TD, transferred from Central Arkansas Christian before last season and was able to get his feet wet before entering his final season.
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“I want to be better than I was last year,” Rycraw said. “We already have a great group of receivers so my job is to be able to take the top off any defense we go against and be able to spread the field out and give my QB options. I want to be that guy you can rely on.”
Rycraw, along with his receiving teammates, all agree that the confidence in Jordan Walker at quarterback is very high.
“As soon as the preseason started we have been working outside of school as a receiving corps,” Rycraw said. “Sometimes it will not even be about football, but just friends. Going out and having a good time together and building that trust and chemistry makes everything click.”
Sanders said he has great confidence as well.
“For them, this is a chance to create chemistry. Being able to have that and be
comfortable knowing Jordan is a guy that can get them the ball, there has to be some confidence there,” the Coach said. “He has guys he knows he can get the ball to and he knows they can come up with the catch.”
Coming from a talented football bloodline as the younger brother of Bryant and Ouachita Baptist University great running back Chris Rycraw, Shawn is ready for his chance to shine in the spotlight.
“It is really cool,” Rycraw said. “Every time I get to talk to him, I brag about the rings. He teaches me so much I am just grateful to have him. He has been a lot for me.”
Sanders echoed Rycraw when talking about the senior’s ability and family history.
“There has to be something there,” the Coach said. “You grow up watching your brother, who was very good, all you can think is I want to be that guy and a little better. They have the big brother and little brother mentality. More than wanting to be better than his big brother, he loves the game. We literally have to run him out of the stadium.”
Sanders added that he is looking for big things from Rycraw as well.
“Rycraw didn’t play much last year,” Sanders said. “He was new to us and kind of feeling his way. This summer he has made a lot of big plays.”
Cason Trickey played a crucial role for Bryant late in the season last year, stepping up big in the playoffs during the Hornets run to another title and has more in store for 2023 after record-
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ing 18 catches for 339 yards and six TDs.
“I am really looking for the sixth championship in a row and my fourth,” Trickey said. “I want to help my team and do better than I did last year.”
The future looks bright for Trickey off the field as well as he has his sights set on the world of therapy, allowing him to stay in the sports field long after high school.
As for his teammates, Trickey has high standards.
“This is the best receiving corps in the state,” he said. “We are getting better and better every day and the coaches really hold us accountable and never let us slack off.”
Ratliff comes in as the underclassman with a lot of talent, as well, also catching 18 passes for 253 yards and three TDs a year ago.
“Karter was a sophomore that played a lot and started some games for us last year,” Sanders said.
While the passing attack looks ready to go, Sanders stressed that throwing the football is only half the battle.
“If you can’t run it, you can’t win,” he said. “That is football on every level. You have to be able to run it to throw it. You don’t throw it to run it or you’re working backwards. The running game is going to be critical and it’s going to be hard to double team when you have to account for the run. Running is going to be a big part of the passing game, especially with Jordan being able to run it himself.”
In terms of running, the speed of the four receivers is blistering at times.
“They can all run and that’s the good part about it,” Sanders said. “But what I am proud of is those guys are hard to tackle too. They can really run and you can take the top off with any of those guys.”
Bryant kicks its season off Saturday, Aug. 26, against Benton in the Salt Bowl.
Opening kick is set for 7 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
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Bryant simply too much for Benton early
There is no bigger rivalry in Arkansas high school football than Bryant and Benton.
The storied history dates back decades and continues to roll on strong as the 2023 season approaches.
While Benton has been on the wrong end of the scoreboard more times than not the past 20 matches, the games always seem to be full of excitement.
With that said, Bryant will continue its success over the Panthers this season as it searches for a sixth straight 7A championship.
Not saying Bryant is leaps and bounds better than Benton, but there is a gap there in some ways.
Bryant has experience returning all over the field, especially in key offensive slots like quarterback, running back and all four receiver positions.
Bryant’s defense is extremely talented each year and with Head Coach Quad Sanders now at the helm – after serving as defensive coordinator the past five seasons – I expect possibly one of the best defensive approaches this season above the past several at Bryant.
But Benton is far from a slouch in
2023. With one of the state’s best running backs, a defense that can cause havoc on opposing offenses and a coaching staff that does everything it takes to win, the Panthers are looking really good.
Playmakers are scattered all over this lineup for Benton and will be fun to follow as the season progresses.
The slight downfall that will cost the Panthers against Bryant will be the youth of the restructured offensive line. That will take a game or two to really shine.
With the Salt Bowl the first game of the season, Bryant will take advantage of that, constantly rushing the quarterback and causing major problems all night.
Benton will have its work cut out for itself in the secondary with three seniors racing the sidelines for Bryant and making major plays. Not to mention James Martin in the backfield running hard and quarterback Jordan Walker posing as a severe dual-threat option.
Bryant is the top team in the state and should be for a reason.
With that said, Bryant wins this game, but I am not so sure that would be the case late in the year.
I like Big Blue to continue its reign in the Salt Bowl and will win a sixth straight title in 2023. Bryant downs Benton 38-21.
Josh Briggs
0 Drake Fowler 1 Harold Lynch 2 Elijah Hill 3 Mytorian Singleton 4 Cason Trickey 5 Matthew Ferguson 6 Caleb Tucker 7 Brenden Bennett 8 Kamauri Austin 9 Bryant Davis 10 David Paglianite 11 Collen Robinson 12 Karter Ratliff 13 Jordan Walker 14 Shawn Rycraw 15 Jeremiah Motes 17 Tristan Knox 18 William Kirby 19 Carter Sims 20 TaDayVuan Wison 21 Bryson Adamoh 22 Daniel Anderson 22 Tate Riemenschnieder 23 James Martin 23 Jacoby Green 24 Rodney Williams 24 Artenis Lewis 25 Nick Baker 25 Trey Battle 26 Chris Ocampo 26 Jayden Welch 27 Jayden Tyler 27 TJ Smith 28 Nick West 28 Ronnie Love 29 Mason Muldrow 29 Jay’lon Brewster 30 Preston Howlett 30 Emery Vinson 31 Kellen Farmer 32 Myron Thrash 32 Andrew Bradford 33 Derrick Jones 33 Zekariah Kertis-Jones 34 Sergio Staggs 34 Ryan young 35 Sean Hendrix 36 Wesley Vandeventer 36 Julius Adams 37 Javion Woods 37 Desmond Gooding 38 Matthew Glover 39 Jackson Cook 39 Evan Rodgers 40 Gavin Momon 41 Thomas Cornelius 42 Nick Miller 43 Frank Ginn 43 Patrick Sanders 44 JT Allen 45 Cohen Chalmers 46 Ryan Reynolds 47 Andre Kimble 48 Matt Nelson 49 Deveunta Moss 49 Wyatt Ferguson 50 Mason Phillips 51 Tim West 52 Sebastian Oltmans 53 Spencer Hay 54 Cole Bent 55 Raylee Johnson 56 Hunter Brown 57 Dylan Enis 58 Conlee Billingsley 59 Christian McClinton 60 Kaleb Croom 61 Buster Bailey 62 Ethan Henley 62 Chase Olive 63 Chase Trimble 64 Aiden Aldridge 65 Matt Burk 65 Caden Minton 66 Cairo Terry 67 Nichael Rucker 68 Chance Hatman 69 Connor Smith 69 Keith Hills 70 Aiden Allen 71 Dre’Shun Jordan 71 Jonathon Nees 72 Mason Patterson 72 Guy Nix 73 Ryan Horn 74 Kei’Sean Montanez 74 Kennedy Perry 75 Tate Settle 75 Mason Noel 76 Ethan Ledbetter 76 Anthoni Matthews 77 Matthew Elder 77 Jatavious Ferrell 78 Brendon Bates 78 Anthony Barkhou 79 Jordyn Canfield 80 Sebastian Perez 81 Van Thomas 81 DJ Thompson 82 Cooper Billingsley 82 Marvion Williams 83 Keenan Latin 84 Jaiden Lewis 84 Stephen Chittman 85 Bryson Hardin 86 Justen Myles 87 Marcus Mealy 88 Josh Maxwell 89 Gavin Adcox 90 Jayton Jones 91 Terrance Ellis 92 Grayson King 93 Matt Nelson 94 Byron Allen 95 Omar Sanchez 96 Nick Biskey 97 Landon Sehika 98 Caleb Brown 99 Malachi McDonald 2023 BRYANT HORNETS
