LITTLE ROCK — No halftime adjustments were necessary.
Pulaski Academy scored on the first play from scrimmage en route to a 48-14 victory over Allen, Texas, in the championship game of the sixth annual Shootout of the South 7-on-7 passing tournament Saturday afternoon at the Mighty Bluebird Complex in west Little Rock.
The host Bruins led 32-0 at halftime of the 26-minute title game and coasted in the second half as Coach Kevin Kelley cleared his bench.
Pulaski Academy, which finished the 24-team tournament 9-1, captured its third tournament championship this season, following the Air Raid on June 5 at Harding University in Searcy and the Summer Showdown five days later at Pulaski Robinson.
Pulaski Academy and Bryant were declared cochampions of the weathershortened Summer Showdown.
“I was proud of our guys,” said Kelley, whose team is 20-1 in tournament games this summer “They were on a mission. I’ve said that we’ve never even made the finals of our tournament. If we’re going to make the finals, you might as well win the thing and they went out and executed early.”
In a near-flawless first half, Pulaski Academy scored on its first four possessions.
Junior Jack Snider threw a 40-yard touchdown pass - the length of the field - to senior wide receiver Garrett Lamb on the first play of the game.
After stopping Allen on downs, junior Fredi Knighten threw a 9-yard touchdown to Lamb with 10:15 remaining in the first half.
Lamb was named the tournament’s outstanding receiver.
The lead grew to 16-0 less than two minutes later when freshman linebacker Tyler Colquitt, a projectedstarter this fall, made a diving interception (worth two points) on Allen’s second possession.
Sophomore Lawson Vassar followed with a 9-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Greyson Skokos with 5:35 remaining in the first half.
Allen’s third possession ended with three consecutive incompletions, all tipped away by defenders.
The Bruins then took a 30-0 lead on a 23-yard touchdown from Snider to junior wide receiver Ben Fortson with 3:03 left in the first half.
Allen’s final possession of the first half ended on an interception by junior Skylar Bussell.
“You always feel good with a 32-0 lead at halftime in 7-on-7,” Kelley said.
Pulaski Academy advanced to the title game with a 36-30victory over Shiloh Christian in a battle of private school superpowers.
The Bruins were nursing a 34-30 lead when senior cornerback Dylan Little, named the tournament’s outstanding defender, intercepted a Kiehl Frazier pass with a little more than two minutes left to play to seal the victory.
Earlier in bracket play, Pulaski Academy beat Fayetteville 29-28 when sophomore cornerback Campbell Skokos intercepted a Brandon Allen pass at thegoal line with a little more than two minutes remaining.
“The defense responded,” Kelley said. “Dylan Little is good. He just makes plays all the time.”
Nashville beat Watson Chapel 27-14 to claim one of the two consolation bracket titles.
Nashville senior Cole Moore won the Top Gun Award as the tournament’s outstanding quarterback.
Stigler, Okla., beat Hot Springs Lakeside 16-14 to win the other consolation bracket.
Saturday’s results
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET FINAL Pulaski Academy 48, Allen, Texas, 14 SEMIFINALS Pulaski Academy 36, Shiloh Christian 30 Allen, Texas, 33, Lake Hamilton 23 QUARTERFINALS Shiloh Christian 37, Conway 21 Pulaski Academy 41, Rogers Heritage 21 Allen, Texas, 28, Fayetteville 22 Lake Hamilton 44, El Dorado 37
CONSOLATION BRACKETS FINAL Nashville 27, Watson Chapel 14SEMIFINALS Watson Chapel 28, CAC 21 Nashville 28, Oklahoma City Heritage Hall 21 QUARTERFINALS CAC 30, LR Parkview 7 Watson Chapel 37, Magnolia 14 Oklahoma City Heritage Hall 25, Warren 16 Nashville 37, Greenbrier 28 FINAL Stigler, Okla., 16, HS Lakeside 14 SEMIFINALS Stigler, Okla., 28, Pineville (La.) Cenla Christian 16 HS Lakeside 33, Dumas 30 QUARTERFINALS Pineville (La.) Cenla Christian 47, LR Hall 28 Stigler, Okla., 16, Russellville 14 HS Lakeside 35, Afton, Okla., 28 Dumas 32, Fountain Lake 14
Sports, Pages 33 on 06/20/2010