A check of their opponent's last result let the Pulaski Academy Bruins know they might be in for something different.
The grind of the first quarter confirmed their analysis, but with a few adjustments, the Bruins were able to pull away for a 53-29 quarterfinal victory over the Magnolia Panthers in the Class 5A playoffs at Hatcher Stadium in Little Rock on Friday night.
Pulaski Academy will host Wynne -- 28-0 quarterfinal winners over Texarkana -- in the semifinal round next Friday.
Magnolia advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 76-55 second-round victory over Greenbrier on Nov. 20, while Pulaski Academy (11-0) defeated Farmington 51-21 to advance.
Magnolia's point total last week drew Pulaski Academy's attention, Bruins Coach Kevin Kelley said. So did a 29-yard touchdown run by Magnolia sophomore running back Garrion Curry that tied the score at 8-8 with 4:33 left in the first quarter.
"They've scored a lot of points against some very good teams in the playoffs," Kelley said. "We knew we had our work cut out for us on defense. I knew they were going to put up a fight."
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Pulaski Academy had started the scoring with a flea-flicker pitch from junior running back Joe Himon to junior quarterback Charlie Fiser, who threw back to Himon for a 24-yard touchdown in the game's first minute.
"I knew our kids would compete, but we knew we'd have to play a perfect game to beat them," Magnolia Coach Mark King said.
Pulaski Academy has won eight state championships, including the Class 5A championship last season and six others since 2011. Magnolia (8-3) has won four, its last in 1974.
"PA is a measuring stick of 5A football, and that's where we want to get this program," said King, in his second season at Magnolia.
Fiser threw two first-half touchdown passes to senior receiver Cooper White, and Himon ran 20-yards for a second-quarter touchdown. With junior Vaughn Seelicke's 35-yard field goal on the final play, the Bruins led 33-15 at halftime.
A 15-yard touchdown pass from Fiser to senior receiver Dylan Allison, and a 2-yard run by senior running back Caleb Nichols gave Pulaski Academy a 46-15 lead midway through the third quarter.
Fiser, who split possessions at quarterback with senior Nolen Bruffett as they have throughout the season, completed 11 of 15 passes for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"They feed off each other, because they are awesome individuals," Kelley said. "They help each other. They correct each other. One of them always has a better game than the other, but it's a different kid each time."
Three turnovers contributed to Magnolia's struggle, despite 293 rushing yards, a total led by Curry's 92 on 16 carries.
"You can't give them extra possessions," King said.
Magnolia sophomore quarterback Dalen Blanchard scored on a 2-yard run to momentarily halt Pulaski Academy's onslaught with 4:14 left in the third quarter, but on the next play from scrimmage, Himon took a pitch 80 yards to give the Bruins a 53-22 lead.
Himon carried 13 times for 215 yards.
"Joe's an outstanding ballplayer," Kelley said. "Our guys are buying into it. It took us a while to figure out, but they know now, if he's 30 yards down the field, if you go make one extra block, he could go 80."
