PINE BLUFF -- Watson Chapel won roughly the first 15 minutes of the 5A-Central opener against Pulaski Academy. The final 33 belonged, emphatically, to the defending state champion.
Junior tailback Joe Himon ran 7 times for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns and turned a trick play into another long score, while senior wide receiver Cooper White had four touchdown receptions in Pulaski Academy's 59-24 victory Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.
Pulaski Academy (4-0. 1-0 5A-Central) scored the game's final 45 points after trailing 24-14 with 9:22 remaining in the first half.
Junior kicker Vaughn Seelicke gave the Bruins the lead for good, 25-24, on a 33-yard field goal with 2:33 remaining in the first half.
"I knew Watson Chapel was going to be really good," Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said after his program's 13th consecutive victory. "They've been historically really, really good. It was a good wake-up call for our guys because we have been way, way better on defense. Tonight, the defense was a little bit flat. We turned it over a couple of times and look up and we're losing."
The Bruins amassed 710 total yards.
Junior quarterback Charlie Fiser completed 21 of 32 passes for 268 yards and 3 first-half touchdowns to White (7, 41 and 36 yards). The 36-yard pass came with 22 seconds remaining in the second quarter and gave the Bruins a 31-24 halftime lead.
Himon ran 71 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, then 89 yards for a touchdown and a 52-24 lead on the final play of the third quarter. Himon also scored Pulaski Academy's first touchdown in the second half on a hook-and-lateral. Senior quarterback Nolen Bruffett completed a short pass in the flat to White, who lateraled to Himon near the Pulaski Academy 20. Himon completed the 91-yard scoring play for a 39-24 lead with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter.
"I thought we needed a spark," Kelley said of the trick play.
Bruffett followed with a 50-yard touchdown pass to White with 2:10 remaining in the third, and 48-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Dylan Allison to open the fourth quarter.
Watson Chapel (2-1, 0-1) was led by sophomore quarterback Jabrae Shaw, who completed 7 of 18 passes for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns (30 and 3 yards) to junior wide receiver Jordan Jackson. Shaw also ran 2 yards for a touchdown.
The Wildcats finished with 212 yards.