Salt Bowl XXV
Seventy-five years ago, the first Bryant High School football team stepped onto the field to play its first game against Magnet Cove in 1949. At that time there was one baseball field in Bryant, located in what is now Ashley Park. Bryant football started in the outfield of that field. No yard markers, no goal posts—just grass.
They’d bought their uniforms from a defunct semi-pro team in Malvern. It was a matter of one-size-fits-all. It wasn’t unusual for players to have to cinch up the pants and wear the belt buckle on their hips. They were blue with white numbers, even though the school colors then were black and orange. Members of the original team remember playing away games under tough circumstances in rodeo arenas and gravel pits with no facemasks or mouth guards.
The first coach was Leonard Rollins, an all-AIC basketball player at Henderson State, who brought the playbook from Duke Well, Henderson’s head football coach. To say the team was inexperienced would be a gross understatement. At most, some of the players had played “sandlot football”. The team was also grossly undersized, with the two heaviest players weighing in at only 180 pounds. Most of the time the team didn’t even have enough boys at practice to hold a scrimmage.
They didn’t score a single touchdown until their sixth game. Donald Zuber threw a pass to Johnny Farchman for the score. The players would joke, “We had those Amity Lions right where we wanted them, but then the clock ran out and we lost the game 51-6.”
There were 22 lettermen that first year, and now only four of them remain: Johnny Farchman, Richard Hoffman, Floy Ray, and Jimmy Vandergrift. The team called themselves the “Bryant 49er’s” and are proud of it! The first Bryant Hornet football team struggled to get the opportunity to play football for their school, and together they accomplished something great through hard work and sacrifice.
I had the honor of first meeting John Farchman in 2009. Since then, we have grown a friendship that I treasure. He has taught me what it means to have true Hornet pride. What started as a team sporting used uniforms, with no field, little support and a no-win season, has grown into one of the state’s leading football programs and competes in the highest profile high school game in Arkansas, the Salt Bowl, which now celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
Congratulations to the 1949 team. If it weren’t for your desire and determination,
the Salt Bowl wouldn’t exist. Your town. Your life. Your magazine.
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BENTON
Freddie Rhinehart was undoubtably a fixture in the Benton community; everyone seemed to know his name. He was perhaps best known for his love of Benton Panthers sports. In fact, he was often referred to as their “No. 1 fan,” and even had a shirt saying so. Sadly, there will be a void on the sidelines this season, as Benton’s own superfan passed away on February 18, 2024, at the age of 73.
He was often described as the man with a “warm smile and child-like innocence.” He was always at the games simply because he loved football and loved the kids. His love for Benton sports was evident in every game he attended. His enthusiasm and spirit uplifted everyone around him.
During the football season, his Thursdays and Fridays were always blocked out
so he could cheer on the junior high and high school teams. Freddie once told me, “Going to games keeps me going and gives me something to look forward to.” The Benton Panther team gives an award at the end of each football season named the Freddie Rhinehart Award for the players who are loyal, dependable, and put the
team first.
Benton Superintendent Kim Anderson said that Rhinehart is the first name that comes to mind when you think of Benton Athletics. “He was one of the first people I met when I moved to Benton. He bled maroon and gray. Benton will not be the same without him. Freddie will never be forgotten.”
The entire Benton community mourned the loss of a true treasure in Freddie Rhinehart. He left his mark on the school, the city, and even me. I was honored to call him a friend and always enjoyed my times talking with him when we crossed paths in downtown Benton.
Personally, I can’t imagine football games without Freddie, but I can promise his memory will always live on! And of course, I’m not the only one who feels that way. “Friday nights will not be the same without Freddie on the sidelines or at the games;
he will be missed by our football family,” said Benton Panther football Head
Coach Brad Harris.
Freddie was more than just a fan, he truly embodied what the Salt Bowl is all about: positive energy for our community! As we celebrate the 50th match-up between the Bryant Hornets and Benton Panthers, let’s do it the ”Rhinehart Way” as he represented the “Gold Standard” of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Your town.
Your life. Your magazine.
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