Pulaski Academy (11-1) rolls over LR McClellan
Pulaski Academy used a 29-point second quarter to pull away from Little Rock McClellan in a 58-8 rout Friday night at Joe B. Hatcher Stadium in Little Rock.
The Bruins (11-1), the 5A-Central Conference’s No. 1 seed, will host 5A-East champion Harrison (12-0) in a semifinal game Friday.
Pulaski Academy outgained McClellan 471-137 and forced two turnovers to earn its ninth consecutive victory in what was a rematch of last year’s Class 5A state championship game won by the Bruins 37-36.
Friday’s outcome was one Bruins Coach Kevin Kelley wasn’t expecting.
“I’m glad we didn’t have to sweat this one out,” Kelley said. “They’re just good. Their defense does a good job against us. They’ve been phenomenal against us over the years.
“But to be able to do this will give us a lot of momentum going into next week.”
Junior quarterback Braden Bratcher completed 20 of 29 passes for 331 yards and 5 touchdowns and to go with 1 interception to lead the Bruins. He also had a 58-yard touchdown run.
Senior wide receiver John David White finished with 8 receptions for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hudson Henry, who has orally committed to the University of Arkansas, had 3 receptions for 55 yards and 1 touchdown.
Pulaski Academy led 37-8 at halftime, scoring 29 consecutive points after an 8-8 first-quarter tie.
McClellan (10-2) has been one of the few teams in Class 5A that has been able to be competitive with Pulaski Academy since its state championship run started in 2014. But on Friday night, the Crimson Lions were no match for the Bruins.
“We can’t turn the football over,” McClellan Coach Maurice Moody said. “We gave up too many plays in the passing game. We didn’t play McClellan-style football. My hat’s off to them. Best of luck to them the rest of the way.”
The Bruins took an 8-0 lead with 9:43 left in the first quarter on junior running back Jayden Kelley’s 29-yard run and Bratcher’s two-point conversion pass to Henry.
McClellan tied the game at 8-8 with 3:48 left in the first quarter on sophomore Josiah Johnson’s 1-yard run. Senior Derrick Lloyd ran in the twopoint conversion.
Then, the Bruins’ offense took over.
With 10:53 left in the second quarter, Bratcher found a wide-open White for a 61yard touchdown to make it 14-8.
White caught his second touchdown pass of the half from Bratcher, this one a 42-yarder, and junior Mason Kolb’s two-point conversion run extended the Bruins’ lead to 22-8 with 4:53 left in the second quarter.
Kolb then recovered an onside-kick attempt from Pulaski Academy’s Clay James. Five plays later, Bratcher threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kolb down the right sideline for a 29-8 lead with 2:58 left in the half.
Kelley said Kolb’s onside-kick recovery was important for the Bruins, who are 115-3 when they recover at least one attempt, according to the coach.
“As soon as we got that, our kids are programmed to know we were going to win,” Kelley said.
Bratcher’s 58-yard touchdown run and Kolb’s twopoint conversion run made it 37-8 with 56 seconds left in the half.
Bratcher added second-half touchdown passes of 7 yards to Henry and 24 yards to White.
The Crimson Lions, the No. 2 seed from the 5A-South Conference, were led by senior Xavion Morgan, who rushed for 55 yards on 14 carries.