PA ready to restake title claim
It’s been three years since Pulaski Academy has played in a state championship game, and that’s too long for Kevin Kelley.
The absence between state championship games is the longest in Kelley’s 11year tenure as the Bruins coach, but it comes to an end tonight when Pulaski Academy (12-1) faces Wynne (12-1) at 6:30 in the Class 5A title game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
The Bruins are going for their fourth state title. Their previous championship came in 2011, when they defeated Malvern 63-28, but Pulaski Academy lost to Batesville in the semifinals two years ago and to Morrilton in the second round of the playoffs last season.
“It’s always exciting,” said Kelley, who also led Pulaski Academy to state titles in 2003 and 2008. “What’s good as a senior is knowing when your last game is going to be. You go into the playoffs and you lose, it’s doom and gloom. It’s good to know when your last game is going to be. You put a little more emotion into it.”
Pulaski Academy will be led by senior quarterback Will Hefley, 6-4, 200 pounds, who has passed for 4,374 yards and 58 touchdowns this season.
“I’ve been so proud of Will,” Kelley said. “Our offense is pretty complex in what we ask him to do. He’s
got a lot on his plate. It takes a while to learn.
“He was so persistent and really aggressive in attacking his weaknesses as a quarterback. He’s overcome all of those and put together a great season”
Hefley said he has looked forward to playing in the state championship game since the Bruins’ loss to Morrilton last year.
“To come all this way to being 12-1 with a shot at a state championship, that’s incredible,” said Hefley, who is orally committed to Tulsa.
Pulaski Academy has won 12 consecutive games since a 48-42 loss at Highland Park in Dallas on Sept. 5.
The Bruins won the 5A-Central title and have defeated Blytheville (49-21), Camden Fairview (44-6) and Batesville (42-25) on their way to the championship game.
Other than Hefley, Kelley said Pulaski Academy doesn’t have a superstar such as former Bruins tight end Hunter Henry, now at the University of Arkansas.
“We’ve been really strong across the board,” Kelley said. “We have a bunch of guys who are doing their job. They know their role. They’re performing well. They’re practicing well.
“I’ve been really impressed with the fact that it’s been a selfless group and everybody’s had to pull together to accomplish something.”
Pulaski Academy faces a Wynne team that has averaged 44 points per game this season.
The Yellowjackets are led by senior quarterback Ross Trail, who has passed for more than 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns and is orally committed to Cincinnati.
“Their quarterback is like ours,” Kelley said. “He can throw the football around. He can move around the pocket. He’s a winner.
“That’s going to be a tough task for our defense, but it’s supposed to be. It’s a championship game.”
The matchup features two of the top offenses in Class 5A.
Pulaski Academy is averaging 51.2 points and 512.3 yards a game, Wynne is averaging 44 points and 460 yards. Pulaski Academy relies more on the pass, throwing for an average of 386 yards a game. Wynne’s offense is the picture of balance, averaging 230 yard passing and 230 yard rushing.
“PA is going to get their points,” said Wynne Coach Chris Hill, whose team scored on five of its six possessions last week in a 35-25 semifinal victory over Wynne. “They’re going to score. We have to be efficient on offense.”
Kelley also knows his team will have to be on top of its game.
“We have to score more points than they do,” Kelley said. “I don’t know how it’s going to happen. It may be our defense. It may be our offense. It may be our kickoff team. One of those three needs to step up and make that happen.”