This battle of champions went to the home team.
The Pulaski Academy Bruins followed two quarterbacks, senior wide receiver Jalyn Witcher, and junior running back Joe Himon to a 48-35 victory over the Joe T. Robinson Senators in the season-opener at Joe B. Hatcher Stadium in Little Rock on Friday night.
Both teams returned from championship seasons. PA's title came with a 63-21 victory over Little Rock Christian in the Class 5A final. Robinson won the 4A championship with a 56-28 victory over Shiloh Christian.
Witcher caught 14 passes for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns. Himon carried 21 times for 205 yards and 1 touchdown. In the first game of what Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said will likely be a three-game quarterback tryout, senior Nolen Bruffett and junior Charlie Fiser alternated series throughout.
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"We didn't have seven-on-seven, no spring practice, so we'll have to figure it out in these early games," Kelley said. "I thought they both did some good things tonight."
Bruffett completed 13 of 26 passes for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns and Fiser 13 of 23 for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.
"I'm happy with the result, but we made too many mistakes," Kelley said. "It's the first game, and we're usually a little bit sharper than that, but that's my fault."
The Bruins started the scoring with an 81-yard touchdown pass from Bruffett to senior receiver Cooper White with 10:24 left in the first quarter.
A 60-yard pass from Fiser to Witcher gave Pulaski Academy a 14-0 lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter.
Robinson responded with a four-play, 50-yard drive to pull within 14-7 in the final minute of the first quarter on senior Buddy Gaston's 9-yard touchdown pass to senior Michael Reed.
After it stopped the Bruins on downs at the Pulaski Academy 24, Robinson drove 76 yards on eight plays, the final a 38-yard touchdown pass from Gaston to senior Ivan Thomas that tied the score 14-14 with 4:08 left in the second quarter.
The Bruins followed with a 46-yard touchdown pass from Bruffett to Witcher to lead 20-14 with 1:27 left before halftime.
The Senators found time for nine plays in the final minute and scored to take a 21-20 halftime lead on Gaston's 4-yard touchdown pass to senior Donovan Young with two seconds left in the first half.
"Our kids did a great job of battling and overcoming, but we made too many mistakes," Robinson Coach Todd Eskola said.
Robinson opened the second half with a six-play, 51-yard drive completed by Gaston's 13-yard keeper to take a 28-20 lead.
Pulaski Academy answered on its next possession with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Fiser to Witcher that tied the scored at 28-28 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.
Six minutes later, a 36-yard touchdown pass from Bruffett to Witcher gave the Bruins a 34-28 lead.
Their lead was 42-28 after Himon's 2-yard run with 6:59 left in the game, and 48-28 with Fiser's 16-yard touchdown pass to Witcher with 5:03 remaining.
Gaston's 10-yard touchdown pass to Thomas completed the scoring.
Gaston completed 20 of 39 passes for 282 yards and 4 touchdowns.
"That kid [Gaston] is tougher than nails," Kelley said. "We hammered the kid, but he kept getting up and doing good things. That's a character thing because that kid sacrificed himself for the team."
