Saline County rivals Benton and Bryant will meet tonight in the Salt Bowl at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, but the lead-up to the annual rivalry has taken on a more somber tone this year.
A Bryant High School sophomore who played on the football team died Tuesday night in Benton. The cause of death was not known as of Thursday. Benton Police Lt. Kevin Russell told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette the investigation is ongoing and that it is a "sensitive situation."
Tonight’s game
BRYANT VS. BENTON
WHEN 7:30 p.m.
WHERE War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock
COACHES Bryant: Paul Calley; Benton: Scott Neathery
TICKETS $8 at box office. Children 5 and younger admitted free.
NOTEWORTHY Benton fans are asked to sit on the west side of War Memorial Stadium. Bryant fans are asked to sit on the east side.
HIGH SCHOOL COACHES
Call us
Coaches are asked to call the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with football game reports before 10:30 p.m. each Friday this fall. Call (800) 272-4650 or (501) 378-3411. We need records, score by quarters, scoring plays with first and last names, along with top rushing, passing, receiving and defensive performances. The Democrat-Gazette also will publish statistics each Friday throughout the regular season. Deadline for statistics to appear in Friday’s edition during the season is noon Wednesdays. Email statistics and news tips to jmuck@arkansasonlin…. Scores also can be tweeted using the hashtag #arpreps.
Bryant Coach Paul Calley confirmed that the student was a football player but declined to give the player's name. Calley said he talked with his team Wednesday morning about the situation.
The Bryant School District offered its condolences in a statement Wednesday.
"We are heartbroken over the death of one of our students," the statement read. "Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to family and friends, and the entire community."
The Salt Bowl Committee announced Thursday on its Twitter page there will be a moment of silence during pregame ceremonies tonight in honor of the student.
Bryant will face a Benton team that is trying to make another deep run in the Class 6A playoffs. The Panthers won the 6A-South Conference last season and advanced to the state championship game, where it lost to Pine Bluff and finished the season 12-1-1.
Junior quarterback Nate Beck takes over for the senior Cason Maertens, who tore his ACL earlier this year during a basketball practice.
Beck has impressed Benton Coach Scott Neathery during the offseason.
"We've put him through a ton of reps," Neathery said. "He's come on well. He's comfortable in the offense. I've got all the confidence in the world in him."
Bryant, which finished 9-2-1 in 2014, returns senior defensive lineman Cameron Murray, who has received scholarship offers from several schools, including Arkansas State, Arizona, Kansas and Louisiana Tech.
The Hornets lost running back Kylon Boyle and quarterback Brenden Young to graduation, but Neathery believes the Class 7A school will be fine with Murray and senior running back Savonte Turner.
"They reload," Neathery said. "That's what Bryant does every year."
Last year's game ended in a 14-14 tie, but that won't be an option this season after the Arkansas Activities Association passed a ruling last month that prohibits nonconference games from ending in a tie.
"We'll have a winner and a loser," Neathery said.
Sports on 09/04/2015