CLASS 5A
PULASKI ACADEMY 57, ALMA 21
The Alma Airedales made it a game for the first 10 minutes.
After that, the Pulaski Academy Bruins turned it into the sort of first-round playoff result they expect, in this case a 57-21 victory over Alma to start its run in the Class 5A playoffs at Little Rock's Hatcher Stadium on Friday night.
Pulaski Academy's first two possessions were similar to those in many of its previous early round playoff games. They featured touchdown runs of 6 yards by junior running back Jayden Kelley and 2 yards by sophomore Izarius Woods that gave Pulaski Academy a 14-0 lead with 5:14 left in the first quarter.
On the kickoff after Woods' touchdown, Alma recovered Pulaski Academy's onside kick attempt at its 49 and immediately scored on a 49-yard pass from junior quarterback Landon Blair to junior receiver Marquis Peter to pull within 14-7.
"We had a little momentum," Alma Coach Doug Loughridge said. "I felt it then, and I felt it before the game, but there were one or two or three opportunities that we didn't seize the moment on, and against that team, you can't do that."
Junior quarterback Braden Bratcher completed 22 of 27 passes for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns and scored on a 23-yard run to lead Pulaski Academy (10-1). Kelley rushed 7 times for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"Braden is a heck of a quarterback," Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said. "Sometimes he likes to run a little more than I want, but he's got that capacity. He's getting better and better each week. We know what we're going to get on defense. We know what we're going to get at receiver. The better he plays, the better chance we have to do something."
Pulaski Academy senior tight end Hudson Henry caught 6 passes for 105 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Bruins responded to Alma's first score with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Bratcher to Henry, touchdowns on runs of 18 yards by Woods, 50 yards by Kelley, the run by Bratcher, and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Bratcher to senior receiver John David White to take a 50-7 lead late in the second quarter.
Alma (5-6) recovered a fumble at the Pulaski Academy 15 with 1:40 left before halftime, and a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Blair put it within 50-14.
The Bruins scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass from senior defensive end Garrett Pritchard to senior guard Chase McCarver late in the third quarter, and the Airedales completed the scoring midway through the fourth quarter on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Blair to junior receiver Ben Henley.
"They're just so efficient," Loughridge said. "They throw and catch so well, and their defense just swarms to the ball so well. They're the class of 5A right now, and they just show us the level we have to get to."
Pulaski Academy advanced to a second-round home game against Little Rock McClellan, a 24-14 first-round winner over Valley View. Kelley said he looked forward to the matchup.
"Playing McClellan is always a great game," Kelley said. "Coach [Maurice] Moody does a great job with those guys. We'll have to come up with a great game plan. From a fans point of view, it's a great game, and it's an exciting game for both schools."
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Sports on 11/10/2018