Special teams, along with a dominant offensive performance, helped Pulaski Academy win its second consecutive Class 5A state championship.
The Bruins finished with 579 yards and recovered four onside kicks in a 64-27 victory over rival Little Rock Christian on Saturday afternoon in front of 3,719 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Pulaski Academy (13-0) won its ninth state championship since 2003, all under Coach Kevin Kelley. The Bruins also tied for the second-most points in a state title game, matching their 64-point performance against Rivercrest in 2003 and scored more than 60 points for the fourth time in a state title game (2003, 2011, 2019, 2020).
Little Rock Christian (9-3) lost for the second consecutive season in the final after winning the title in 2018 against the Bruins.
Three of Pulaski Academy's four onside-kick recoveries led to touchdowns in the first half as the Bruins took a 43-13 lead into the break.
"All we want is a chance," Kelley said. "Overall, they're huge. For us to be able to do that to them [the Warriors] means more to me, not because it's them, but because they're a well-coached team and disciplined. They are disciplined, but we were able to do it anyway."
Little Rock Christian Coach Eric Cohu said the onside-kick recoveries hurt the Warriors.
"You can't win a big game and lose the turnover battle," Cohu said. "Giving Pulaski the ball that many times in a row really got us behind the 8-ball. You can't lose the turnover battle. You've got to field those things. It didn't go our way today."
Junior running back Joe Himon, the game's MVP, caught 6 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 16 times for 74 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Nolen Bruffett completed 15 of 21 passes for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Bruins. Junior quarterback Charlie Fiser went 13-of-17 passing for 180 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception.
For the Warriors, junior running back Jayvean Dyer-Jones had 98 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Senior wide receiver Corey Platt, who has orally committed to Tulane, was held to four receptions for 35 yards. He had a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Pulaski Academy began the game with an onside kick by junior kicker Vaughn Seelicke, and senior linebacker Futa Shinkawa recovered for the Bruins at the LR Christian 44. But senior wide receiver Jalyn Witcher fumbled at the Warriors' 14 on Pulaski Academy's first offensive series, and senior defensive back Landon Nelson recovered.
Pulaski Academy capped an 11-play, 65-yard drive with Bruffett's 9-yard touchdown pass to White, and Bruffett's two-point conversion pass to senior wide receiver Dylan Allison made it 8-0 with 7:22 left in the first quarter.
The Bruins went onside for the second time and Shinkawa recovered again, this time at the Pulaski Academy 49. Fiser connected with Himon on a 42-yard touchdown pass, and Himon's two-point conversion run made it 16-0 with 6:42 left in the first quarter.
The Warriors cut the lead to 16-6 with 4:41 left in the first quarter on Dyer-Jones' 27-yard touchdown run.
Himon scored a 4-yard touchdown at the 2:48 mark of the first quarter for a 23-6 lead.
The Warriors pulled within 23-13 with 15 seconds left in the first quarter on Platt's 1-yard scoring run.
Pulaski Academy extended its lead to 30-13 with 9:51 left in the second quarter on Fiser's 7-yard touchdown pass to Witcher.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Bruins' third onside-kick recovery of the half was made by junior Ben Smiley at his team's 47. The Bruins stretched their lead to 36-13 with 8:24 left in the second quarter on Bruffett's 23-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Cooper White.
Seelicke was successful on his fourth onside-kick attempt with White recovering at the Warriors' 44 with 8:24 left before halftime. Three plays later, Himon's 14-yard touchdown run gave the Bruins a 43-13 lead with 7:42 left in the second quarter.
"Those onside kicks were big," Himon said. "We take a segment in practice each and every day and work on those onside kicks. Getting four in one half is unbelievable."
The Bruins added three more touchdowns in the second half -- Bruffett's 54-yard pass to Witcher; Himon's 14-yard run and senior fullback Izarius Woods' 4-yard run.
Kelley said the 2020 state title is extra special because of the coronavirus pandemic, which eliminated spring football, 7-on-7 events and team camps in the offseason.
"I'll remember it for the kids dealing with the outside hardships with covid," Kelley said. "They had to battle more than any other team we've had."