BRYANT – The 7A-Central still runs through Bryant.

In one of the most anticipated games of the regular season – the first-ever meeting between the Hornets and the Pulaski Academy Bruins – Bryant prevailed 48-29.

For the first time all season, the Hornets fell behind early when Pulaski Academy scored on its first drive of the game and then forced a turnover on downs.

“At first I was a little worried,” Bryant coach Quad Sanders said. “We lost some balls, missed tasks in defense, but the way you react to adversity is what makes a man. I think these guys did a great job of growing up a little bit.”

The Hornets (6-0, 3-0 7A-Central) responded midway through the first quarter with a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Walker to receiver Jakobe Boone to cut the lead to 8-7.

Pulaski Academy (5-1, 2-1) answered directly with a 48-yard touchdown from quarterback Brandon Cobb to Mason Greathouse, but again, Bryant had an answer; Walker hit Kamauri Austin for a 34-yard score to make it 14-14.

(HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Check out the weekly scoreboard » arkansasonline.com/arpreps/)

The Bruins forced a Hornets turnover on downs on their next possession and momentarily had the momentum. The Bruins had the ball at their own 43 and were ready to go on the final drive of the half.

But Jayden Welch of Bryant had other ideas. On the next play, the senior cornerback skipped a route and intercepted quarterback Brandon Cobb's pass to give the Hornets the ball back.

“Great players do great things in big games,” Sanders said. “And that’s exactly what he did. That's great work from him, he did exactly what he was supposed to do. (This is) a game we expect from him and we hold him to that high standard.”

Walker didn't miss the opportunity, driving half the field to hit tight end Karter Ratliff for a 9-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left, giving Bryant its first lead at 21-14.

Bryant running back Myron Thrash added momentum when he broke free for a 49-yard touchdown on the first play after halftime, increasing the score to 28-14.

The two teams traded touchdowns for the remainder of the third and early fourth quarters before Bryant capitalized on two field goals from kicker Jackson Cook to take a 41-29 lead with 4:14 left.

The Bryant offense began to stress Pulaski Academy's undersized defense in the second half and ran out of time. On the other hand, senior defensive end Eli Hill totaled three sacks and a forced fumble, making him a nuisance for the Bruins' offense.

With Pulaski Academy's onside kicks still coming, Bryant running back Daniel Anderson hit a 38-yard touchdown with 2:37 left to put the game out of reach.

With the 7A-Central as deep as ever, a win over Pulaski Academy will be crucial to playoff berth. It will also, as Sanders said, have Bryant prepared when the time comes.

“It’s definitely good for you moving forward,” Sanders said. “We have a lot of good teams in this (conference). So when you face an offense like that and a coaching staff like that, it helps you prepare for (the playoffs).”