Salt Bowl called early due to incident in stands, Bryant declared winner

Photo courtesy of Mitchell Masilun via Arkansas Democrat-GazetteBryant was leading Benton 28-14 early in the second half of the annual Salt Bowl rivalry game Saturday at Little Rock when the game had to be called early. An incident in the stands of War Memorial Stadium caused panic, and the remainder of the game was cancelled with over nine minutes left of the third quarter, and Bryant was declared the winner.

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, a state high school record crowd of 38,215 witnessed senior quarterback Ren Hefley complete a 57-yard touchdown pass to give the Hornets their two-touchdown lead with over 11 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Just before 9 p.m., an incident occurred in the north end zone bleachers causing fans to run in different directions and onto the field.

Hefley’s father Ron told the newspaper some fans yelled, “Gun! Shooter! Gun!” The Little Rock Police Department reports there were no gunshots. Some spectators reportedly received minor injuries, but it wasn’t clear how many were hurt. The LRPD is handling the investigation, and War Memorial Stadium officials will review footage of the incident.

The Arkansas Activities Association’s handbook states non-conference games suspended at any time after the first half are considered complete, and the existing score becomes official.

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