Shipp’s 83-yard return helps Bryant roll past Cabot
Bryant 40, Cabot 10
BRYANT — Malik Shipp returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown, Judah Summers scored twice on short runs and Bryant answered an early deficit with 40 consecutive points in a 40-10 homecoming victory over Cabot on Friday.
Shipp’s return with 8:44 left in the second quarter extended a 6-3 lead to 12-3. He collected the punt on a bounce, accelerated along the sideline behind his blockers and cut inside to finish the return. Bryant added two more touchdowns before halftime and held Cabot without another score until the game’s final play.
Cabot opened the scoring on Griffin Fox’s 34-yard field goal with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter. Cannon Moore had taken repeated direct snaps during the drive, which also benefited from a Bryant facemask penalty. The Hornets stopped the Panthers short on third down, forcing the field-goal attempt.
Terriun Jones returned the ensuing short kickoff into Cabot territory, giving Bryant a short field. Kyler Shelby kept the drive moving with his legs, including an 18-yard scramble to the 3. Brandon Johnson eventually scored on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. The extra point missed, leaving Bryant ahead 6-3.
Jacquez Suggs sacked Cabot quarterback Tyce Fletcher on third down during the next scoring sequence, forcing the punt Shipp returned for six. Bryant missed another extra point, but its offense soon extended the advantage. Shelby found Crews Thomason for a third-down conversion across midfield, then connected with Chase Slater for 24 yards to the 1. Shelby scored on the next play with 4:09 left in the half, making it 19-3 after the kick.
Chris Bonds helped force another punt with an 11-yard sack. Bryant capitalized again, with Summers finishing the possession on a 2-yard keeper with 11 seconds remaining before halftime. The Hornets took a 26-3 lead into the break.
In the third quarter, Shelby converted third-and-15 with a 16-yard run. A roughing-the-passer penalty later erased a Cabot interception and kept the drive alive. Summers entered and scored from the 1 with 5:46 remaining in the quarter, pushing the lead to 33-3 after the extra point.
Aaron Austin intercepted a fourth-quarter pass to give Bryant another possession. Shelby then completed a pass to Evan Hicks, and Jayden Hill supplied the Hornets’ final touchdown with 6:11 left. Cabot’s Bryce Moore scored on a 4-yard run as time expired, and the successful extra point completed the scoring. Bryant improved to 4-4; Cabot fell to 3-5.
Scoring summary
First quarter
2:27 — Cabot: Griffin Fox 34-yard field goal. Cabot 3-0.
0:30 — Bryant: Brandon Johnson 2-yard run (kick failed). Bryant 6-3.
Second quarter
8:44 — Bryant: Malik Shipp 83-yard punt return (kick failed). Bryant 12-3.
4:09 — Bryant: Kyler Shelby 1-yard run (kick good). Bryant 19-3.
0:11 — Bryant: Judah Summers 2-yard run (kick good). Bryant 26-3.
Third quarter
5:46 — Bryant: Judah Summers 1-yard run (kick good). Bryant 33-3.
Fourth quarter
6:11 — Bryant: Jayden Hill touchdown (kick good). Bryant 40-3.
0:00 — Cabot: Bryce Moore 4-yard run (kick good). Bryant 40-10.
Players who stood out
Malik Shipp, Bryant — An 83-yard punt-return touchdown extended the lead to 12-3 in the second quarter.
Judah Summers, Bryant — Two rushing touchdowns, from 2 and 1 yards.
Kyler Shelby, Bryant — A 1-yard touchdown run; an 18-yard scramble on the first touchdown drive; a 16-yard conversion on third-and-15 in the third quarter.
Chris Bonds, Bryant — An 11-yard second-quarter sack helped force the punt preceding Bryant’s final first-half touchdown.
Aaron Austin, Bryant — Fourth-quarter interception set up the Hornets’ final touchdown possession.
Jacquez Suggs, Bryant — A third-down sack forced the punt that Shipp returned for a touchdown.
Griffin Fox, Cabot — Made a 34-yard field goal for the game’s first points.
Bryce Moore, Cabot — Scored on a 4-yard run on the final play.