Buck James vs. Bryant: Facing former coach motivates, not consumes Hornets players
Bryant junior quarterback Jordan Walker was taking it easy on the day after Memorial Day. He was enjoying some extra sleep – slumber he knew he wouldn’t get much of during summer break as he prepared to embark on rigorous early-morning offseason workouts.
Suddenly, though, his peaceful rest was disrupted by breaking news. Arkansas media outlets had begun reporting that Bryant head football coach Buck James had accepted the same job at 7A-Central foe Conway.
Bryant was in the midst of a 53-game in-state winning streak and was five-time reigning Class 7A state champions. A sixth was in sight with a core group of players returning.
But in an instant, chaos had befallen the juggernaut.
Bryant junior quarterback Jordan Walker said he was shocked when he heard that former coach Buck James had taken a job at rival Conway. (Photo by Jimmy Jones)
“[Bryant senior cornerback Bryson Adamoh) had called me, and I didn’t believe it,” Walker said. “I thought he was joking. Then I looked at the group chat, and it was blowing up with reports. I was just shocked. We all were. We were all just stunned.”
Walker said the gamut of emotions from teammates varied from shock, sadness, disappointment and anger.
“I didn’t really worry about it too much,” said Adamoh, a Division I cornerback prospect who has been sidelined since Week 3 with a leg injury. “I knew we were going to be OK and get a good coach. I wasn’t worried. I didn’t fault [James]. I think he did the right thing for him.”
Walker also took the high road.
“I definitely understand guys being upset, but at the end of the day, it was a business decision for himself and his family,” Walker said. “You really can’t be mad about that.”
Now, four months later, Bryant and Conway will meet for the 7A-Central Conference championship as both enter with perfect league marks.
“I wouldn’t say we are mad, but it does drive us to beat them with [James],” Bryant senior linebacker Sebastian Oltmans said. “We want to beat them and get some revenge. [James] would really like to beat us and prove he can have success without us. That is motivation for us.”
Conway, which has been to three consecutive state playoff semifinals, hasn't defeated Bryant since 2014 and hasn't appeared in the title game since 1993.
Whatever uncertainty initially hung over the Bryant program was eased a bit a day after the James news when Bryant announced that former defensive coordinator Quad Sanders was heading back to Bryant to become James’ replacement. Sanders left Bryant in March to fill the Jonesboro head-coaching vacancy but jumped at the chance to return to Bryant to lead the program.
“I think it gave us all some relief and confidence to have [Sanders back],” Oltmans said. “Everyone was excited.”
According to the trio, the change has been good for the team. Bryant's one loss came to Class 5A Little Rock Parkview, 28-27 in Week 3. The atmosphere is looser, and music plays at practice.
“We are family and get along more and there is just more happiness,” said Adamoh, who was a key cog on Sanders’ defense last season. “Everyone is excited. [Sanders] walks out of the tunnel with us [before games]. And he just comes with some excitement. Both are great coaches.”
Adamoh said the atmosphere isn’t the only thing that has changed for the Hornets. He contends Bryant “has cleaned up” some of its weaknesses since James left and has improved as a team.
While the Hornets haven’t lost in the league, they’ve battled some inconsistency against some of the lesser teams in the Cenrtral. They were also tested by third-place Cabot as they led only 21-17 late before pulling away 35-17.
James’ new team throttled the Panthers 52-14. Conway’s only close game was a 42-39 victory at Bentonville in the season opener.
“The way we have looked at it is the playoffs started with Round 1 at Cabot and Round 2 at North Little Rock,” Walker said. “Now, we are at Conway. We are playing our best now, getting ready.”
Adamoh said he saw a difference in practice starting Monday.
“There was a different intensity (Monday and Tuesday),” he said. “There was a different focus and energy.”
Bryant senior linebacker Sebastian Oltmans said seeing former Bryant head coach Buck James on the opposing sideline will be a big motivator. (Photo by Jimmy Jones)
The Hornets haven’t played as cleanly as they would like in the regular season. Penalties and turnovers have plagued them at times. They know they can’t afford those mistakes Friday against an opportunistic defense that has decimated opponents since giving up 39 to the Tigers.
Walker knows he will be a target as James knows his tendencies. Walker was removed from the title game against Bentonville last season after a critical turnover that gave Bentonville an early 7-0 lead.
“The one thing I’d say to [James] is I’m a different quarterback than I was then,” he said. “I have matured a lot since my sophomore year, and I process things quicker and make better decisions. I’m ready for this game.”
Adamoh said his teammates believe they’ve saved their best performance for their former coach.
“Everything we have done since Week 1 has built up to this game,” said Oltmans, who has battled a shoulder injury most of the season. “We know what we need to do to win. We know we need to play all four quarters, and we are ready for it.”
