BRYANT, Ark. – The Newton Rams traveled over nine hours to Bryant, Ark. in the team’s annual out-of-state matchup. But it was not for a victory, as the Rams fell to the defending Arkansas state champion Bryant Hornets in a 31-14 defeat.
Coming into the game, the Rams were coming off of a tough defeat against Douglas County. But in order to get back into the win column, they faced a Bryant Hornets team that’s not lost a game since 2023.
The Hornets were every bit as advertised as they were able to contain the running back trio of Kevin Hartsfield, Kaden Hambright and Darius “Hercules” White.
Despite an increased emphasis on the aerial attack, the Hornets defense was strong enough to hold the Rams to just 14 points.
On the other hand, the Hornets offense was efficient, as running back Kollin Robinson shined with two offensive scores.
Game Action
Going into the contest, the Rams faced an uphill battle against the best team in Arkansas. It showed early, as Newton went three-and-out on the opening drive of the game.
That set up the Hornets to strike for the first score of the night on a pass from Kyler Shelby to Appalachian state commit Kamauri Austin for the 7-0 lead.
The Rams were able to drive downfield on the next possession, setting up a field goal attempt by Sam Velasquez. But Velasquez’s attempt was blocked, giving the Hornets some additional momentum.
Both teams continued to trade possessions going into the second quarter, until it was Bryant who once again got on the board with a Grayson King field goal.
The Hornets continued to be efficient on defense, stalling any Rams momentum. But the tables turned on Bryant when a high snap on a punt gave the Rams first and goal on the two-yard line.
The botched snap set up a rushing touchdown from White that put Newton on the board for the first time of the night.
This, however, was the wake up call the Hornets needed to generate even more momentum.
Standout running back Robinson brought home another score to give the Hornets a two-possession lead.
On the next drive, Benson’s third-down pass was picked off by TaDaVuan Wilson. On the next play, it was Wilson once again who took it all the way to the house to give the Hornets a 24-7 lead to close out the half.
The Hornets added on in the third quarter with a pass from Shelby to Caleb Tucker to go up 31-7.
It was all Bryant from that point on, with the exception of a 78-yard pass from quarterback Deron Benson to Derrick Miller to give the Rams a second score.
Ultimately, the Hornets improved to 2-0, while the Rams will fall to 2-2.
The Rams will be back in action in two weeks when they face Archer at home. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Sharp Stadium.
