Consistency pays off for Hastings
Consistency is sometimes more desired than athleticism in football.
Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley says senior Will Hastings has both.
Hastings did a little bit of everything Saturday in the Class 5A championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. He caught 14 passes for 234 yards and had an 89-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. He also kicked three extra points and a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter in the Bruins’ 38-28 victory over Wynne.
“I didn’t have the best second half, but I’m glad we won it,” Hastings said.
What the 5-10, 155-pound receiver did in the first half made his mark on the Bruins’ fourth state championship and put his stamp on the school record books.
Hastings caught 6 passes for 141 yards in the first quarter, including the 89-yarder that gave the Bruins a 14-7 lead. His 16-yard catch from Will Hefley in the third quarter put him over 200 yards for the game, and made him the first Pulaski Academy receiver — and only the second Arkansas high school player — to top 2,000 yards receiving in a season.
Hastings finished the season with 113 catches for 2,036 yards and 23 touchdowns. Hasting’s big night helped him jump former Pulaski Academy receivers Blake Miller, Carson McKnight and Brian Langford on the state’s single-season receiving yards chart. He finished trailing only Nashville’s Greg Washington, who had 2,321 yards in 1996.
“It’s amazing,” Hastings said of playing receiver in an offense that highlights the position so much. “It’s the best experience I’ve ever had.”
It was no surprise to Kelley or Hefley, who have grown to expect Hastings to be in the right place at the right time.
“I know exactly where he’s going to be,” Hefley said. “He knows where to go. I make my read, and I just start to throw it before I see him. It’s pretty calming, knowing that I have a guy like that.”
Hefley and Kelley didn’t even get nervous when Hastings was sent out to try a field goal in the fourth quarter.
At the time, Pulaski Academy’s second half wasn’t going as smoothly as the first half did. The Bruins didn’t score in the third quarter and were leading 28-14. Hastings’ 23-yard field goal — his first field goal of the season — gave the Bruins a 31-14 lead. His only other attempt was a 52-yarder last week against Batesville, but it fell short.
“I was really nervous,” Hastings said. “I’m not going to lie.”
Hastings made the kick, and for the rest of the game Wynne never had the ball with a chance to tie the game thanks to Hasting’s abilities as a receiver and a kicker.
“He’s consistent,” Kelley said. “He understands post-snap reads. Once the defense starts moving, how to run your routes. He’s a kid that can do it all.”