Bryant looking for 3-peat against familiar 7A foes

Bryant quarterback Austin Ledbetter throws a pass during a game against Conway on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Bryant.

— The Class 7A state football champions will come from Central Arkansas for the fourth straight season.

Will it be a third straight title for powerhouse Bryant as it looks to run its winning streak to 30 straight? Or will fellow 7A-Central members Conway, Cabot or 2017 title holder North Little Rock pull off an upset?

The finalists will be determined Friday night when Bryant (11-0) hosts Conway (7-3) and Cabot (7-2) visits North Little Rock (8-1).

Bryant quarterback and Arkansas baseball signee Austin Ledbetter (6-1, 202 pounds) feels like all four semifinalists are worthy contenders.

“The four teams that are left in it are all really good,” Ledbetter said. “They can run it, they can pass it, have good defenses. Just four really good football teams with four really good head coaches. It is going to be a good couple of weeks.”

In quarterfinal games last Friday, Bryant downed Springdale Har-Ber 48-22, Conway topped Little Rock Central 49-20, North Little Rock whipped Little Rock Catholic 34-7 and Cabot rallied to upset previously unbeaten Bentonville 38-35.

“That just shows how much everybody has improved through this really strange season with covid and never knowing if you were going to play the next week or not,” Ledbetter said.

Bryant goes into Friday’s games as a prohibitive favorite having easily downed the other three in its last three regular season games. The Hornets beat Cabot 42-14, North Little Rock 58-21 and Conway 70-33.

North Little Rock, which beat Cabot 48-31 on Nov. 6, is looking for its fifth title game appearance in as many years.

North Little Rock is led on offense by senior quarterback Kareame Cotton (6-3, 200) and has a promising sophomore linebacker in Deontae’ Young (6-3, 250), and a productive junior in linebacker/safety Davian Vayson (6-1, 195).

Cabot senior quarterback Tyler Gee is a UCA signee who has thrown for 30 touchdowns and almost 3,000 yards. Conway senior quarterback Ben Weese, Tulane wide receiver commit Bryce Bohannon (5-10,175) and defensive tackle Levern Floyd headline the Wampus Cats’ stars.

“You never know what is going to happen each Friday night and we will have to play our best to be able to win it again,” Ledbetter said. “All of the teams have some great football players. We don’t take anything for granted.

“Really it is new to Bryant because we didn’t win our first state championship until 2018. It is not a common thing for Bryant to win 10 or 11 games and a state championship along with that. So we want to keep it going.”

With the exception of a 44-40 home win over Texas power Trinity Christian, Bryant has won all of its regular season games by at least 28 points and six of them by 40 points or more.

The Hornets have put up 70 points twice and have downed Rogers Heritage (34-7) and Springdale Har-Ber (48-22) so far in the playoffs.

They have done so with a community solidly behind them.

“The Bryant community will always back you up,” Ledbetter said. “We have alums from 20 to 30 years ago that come to every single one of our games. It means a lot to them for us to have this much success.”

Ledbetter, who has thrown for 5,622 yards and 72 touchdowns in his high school career while completing 61.2% (323 of 524) of his passes, will once again have his secret weapon in attendance.

That’s Austin Thibeau, a 9-year-old with autism who has become close with Ledbetter.

“One of the teachers from his elementary school came to me during my junior year after one of the games and said he wanted to meet me,” Ledbetter said. “The first thing I saw was a big old smile on his face and I knew he was special.

“He came up and gave me a big old hug and told me I was the best football player ever and ask me me if I wanted to be his best buddy. I told him for sure that I would be his best buddy.

“He has come to every single one of my games since and I have been to a few of his games."

Ledbetter realizes he can be a role model and plays with an autism sticker on his helmet.

“It is great to have kids like that look up to you and it means a lot to me,” Ledbetter said. “I used to be that kid back in elementary and middle schools that looked up to the high school kids. For him to show me that much attention, I just want to give it back to him.”