GREENBRIER -- The noise swelled from the home crowd behind the Greenbrier bench as Vaughn Seelicke jogged out to the 15-yard line.
The Pulaski Academy senior had already missed two PATs on the night and had attempted only two field goals all season. A third make, though, and Greenbrier's unbeaten season would be all but finished.
The Bruins set up on the left hash, the ball sliced off Seelicke's foot and snuck just inside the right upright.
Pulaski Academy was bound for the state championship game yet again.
Seelicke's 25-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining secured the Bruins' eighth straight state championship game appearance as Pulaski Academy eked out a 38-28 win over Greenbrier in the Class 5A semifinals at Don Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Although Greenbrier managed to keep the Bruins' offense well in check for nearly the entire second half, PA's Joe Himon still racked up four touchdowns and 366 yards from scrimmage.
There was nothing he could do, however, as Seelicke set up to ice the game.
"This game is all about trusting your teammates, trusting your coaches and putting people in the right positions," Himon said. "We've been grinding for [the state title] game since January and we've been working too hard to go to War Memorial [Stadium] just to let up."
PA (12-1) wasn't at its sharpest at any point, something Coach Anthony Lucas credited to the Panthers' effort on both sides of the ball. Yet the Bruins nearly put the mercy rule into effect by halftime -- they scored on four of their first five possessions and Greenbrier put together only one drive of more than 18 yards in the opening two quarters.
But the Panthers did find a way to score shortly before the break when Cooper Wilcox connected with Miles Miller for a 46-yard touchdown.
Wilcox, who separated his throwing shoulder last Friday in Greenbrier's win over Wynne, had posted on his Instagram page that he'd played his last game for the Panthers. Yet as the week went on, the senior improved health-wise, and he refused to miss out on a chance to get Greenbrier to the final.
"He's a competitor and he's one of the leaders on this team," Panthers Coach Randy Tribble said of Wilcox, who finished the game 18-of-40 passing while running for two scores. "He didn't throw much during the week but he threw well one day. ... We knew if he ran around and got beat on a little tonight, it would be a little hard for him."
Greenbrier (12-1) didn't relent, despite trailing by three scores. Wilcox hit Red Nixon for a 24-yard catch-and-run touchdown 45 seconds into the fourth quarter to pull within 35-21.
Then, after failing to capitalize on a successful onside kick, the Panthers picked off PA quarterback Charlie Fiser and two plays later, Wilcox had a thrilling 82-yard scramble, eluding multiple Bruin defenders on his way to the end zone.
The Bruins, having seen their lead dwindle to seven points, managed the clock well, running the ball effectively with Himon and Fiser to get into the red zone. And facing fourth-and-6 from the Greenbrier 7, Lucas said he knew it was time for Seelicke to send the Bruins to the season's final weekend once more.
"I'm just so happy for our kids," Lucas said. "Vaughn didn't have a good game tonight. ... But I always tell these guys it's about the next opportunity. We've got to let it go, get the next opportunity. And we did."