Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Bruins too much for Wildcats
Pulaski Academy earns victory over Springdale Har-Ber
SPRINGDALE — Braden Bratcher’s first start as Pulaski Academy’s quarterback was a triumphant one.
The junior threw five touchdown passes — all in the first half — to lead the four-time defending Class 5A state champion Bruins to a 50-14 rout of Springdale Har-Ber on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.
Bratcher completed 22 of 31 passes for 318 yards and 5 touchdowns in the mercy-rule win.
“We knew we had to give it everything we had,” Bratcher said. “We didn’t want to let up. We had to keep driving it down their throats.”
Pulaski Academy (1-0) was playing a Class 7A opponent for the first time since 2011 (Cabot). But playing in Northwest Arkansas didn’t affect the Bruins, coach Kevin Kelley believed.
“Our coaches have done a good job of preparing our kids to play on the road,” said Kelley, whose teams have played in Texas, California, Utah, Kentucky and Tennessee, among other states, in this decade. “They said, ‘You just have to keep playing our type of football.’ “
The Bruins increased their state current longest winning streak to 27 games and have won 46 consecutive against in-state teams since 2014.
It was 8-6 Pulaski Academy with 11 minutes, 26 seconds left in the second quarter after senior running back Jeremiah McGill scored on a 1-yard touchdown run for Har-Ber.
From there, the Bruins turned the tables on the Wildcats (0-1).
Bratcher threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to senior Merritt Jones for a 15-6 lead with 10:12 left in the second quarter.
After a fourth-down stop by the Bruins defense, Pulaski Academy extended its lead to 22-6 with 7:52 remaining in the second quarter when Bratcher found a wide-open
John David White in the right corner of the end zone.
With 4:55 left in the first half, senior tight end Hudson Henry scored on a 54-yard touchdown reception, eluding three defenders, to make it 29-6.
Pulaski Academy kicker Clay James’ onside kick was recovered by sophomore Dylan Allison, then the Bruins took a 36- 6 lead with 4:40 left in the second quarter with junior Mason Kolb’s nine-yard touchdown run.
Bratcher’s fifth touchdown pass of the first half went to White, this one for 23 yards, and stretched the lead to 43-6 with 2:40 left in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Pulaski Academy sophomore Caleb Nichols hit Springdale Har- Ber junior returner Micah Seawood out of bounds at the Wildcats 34 and several Wildcats players got involved in a fight with Nichols. Wildcats junior Jay Burns was ejected from the game for his involvement in the fight.
Wood expressed his disappointment with his team’s behavior late in the first half.
“He was giving great effort and he just hit us late,” said Springdale Har- Ber Coach Chris Wood. “We just responded in the wrong way. The emotions got the best of us. That’s on us. It’s not on PA. I thought PA just handled the situation just fine.”
Kelley called his entire his team over for a meeting on Pulaski Academy’s sideline after the play.
“I said to them, ‘ Guys, I don’t care if a rocket hits you in the rear end, you walk away,’” Kelley said. “Do your job on the football. Let the refs or whoever is supposed to take care of that take care of that.”
Henry caught 8 passes for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns. Junior running back Jayden Kelley rushed for 69 yards on 10 carries for the Bruins.
Springdale Har- Ber junior Blaise Wittschen threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to classmate Hunter Wood in the fourth quarter.