Class 5A State Championship Review: Pulaski Academy 63, LR Christian 21

CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS

TEAM STATISTICS

LR CHRISTIAN PULASKI ACADEMY First Downs 12 33 Total Offense 48-201 86-766 Rushes - yards 29-88 37-253 Passes - yards 7-19-113 38-49-513 Fumbles Lost 2 0 Interceptions Thrown 2 1 Fourth Down Stopped 3 1 Penalties 6-46 6-47 Punts - Average 1-33.0 0-0 Big Plays (10+ yards) 9-181 24-537 Zero or Less Plays 18-(-62) 15-(-4) Sacks By - yards lost 0-0 3-(-40) 3rd Down Conversions(avg to go) 5 of 10 (14.2) 8 of 13 (4.8) 4th Down Conversions(avg to go) 1 of 4 (9.2) 3 of 4 (3.2) Punt, Int, Fum Returns - yards 1-87 2-25 Average Drive Start own 47 own 47 Points Off Turnover 7 22 Possession Time 18:38 29:22

Class 4A State Championship • 2019 • War Memorial Stadium PULASKI ROBINSON 56, SHILOH C CH HRISTIAN 2 28

Attendance 4,901 • Partly Cloudy 45 degrees • Kickoff 7 p.m. • Time 3:05

DECEMBER 13, LITTLE ROCK —

The Robinson Senators methodically ascended to the top of Class 4A.

They reached their crescendo with a flurry of scores in a 56-28 win over Shiloh Christian’s high-powered offense for the Class 4A championship at War Memorial Stadium.

Robinson lost in the championship game last year, 28-0, to Arkadelphia in miserable weather. The year before, the Senators lost in the semifinals. In 2016, they lost in the third round. The before that, they lost in the second round. In 2014, they fell in the opening round.

“Six years in a row, I think we’ve gotten one game further,” Robinson head coach Todd Eskola said. “Last year, one of the parents looked at me and said we’ve done better by one game so next year we’re going to win it. They were prophetic.”

The championship is the first for Robinson since 1980 when the Senators beat DeQueen, 28-6, under Bob Goodloe with Jim Eskola, Todd’s dad, serving as an assistant coach. Todd Eskola was a ball boy on that ’80 team.

“It’s overwhelming,” Eskola said. “The community, it means so much to them. They’ve wanted it for so long.”

The rise to the championship may been methodical, but losing in the manner in which they did in 2018 fueled the fire for the Senators.

“We were here last year and it didn’t go good,” Eskola said. “Our promise to our kids was that we were going to attack for four quarters. If we didn’t win, we didn’t win but we were going to attack offensively and defensively.” State Championship Numbers 2

State championships for Robinson, including 1980 when Todd Eskola was the ball boy on the team with his dad, Jim, serving as an assistant 5

Turnovers forced by Robinson, including the first lost fumble of the year by Shiloh Christian

14

Chunk plays for Robinson of at least 10 yards, accounting for 385 of its 469 yards

They also had another focus as well.

“All glory to God,” Eskola said. “We started day one with that as our mainstay. We kept what’s important, important. The kids did a good job of staying humble all year long, and played as a team and as a family.”

Shiloh Christian cruised down the field on the opening drive of the game and led on Eli Reese’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Beau Cason just 1:43 into the game.

The Saints also led, 14-7, after the quarter on Logan Raben’s 10-yard scoring run.

Buddy Gaston, who threw six touchdown passes in the game, had scoring tosses of 30 yards to Martel Nunally and 31 yards to Hunter Smith as Robinson answered to take a 20-14 lead at the half.

Robinson scored on its first two possessions of the second half on Gaston’s 5-yard scoring pass to P.J. Hall and K.J. Merriweather’s 58-yard interception return for a 35-14 lead.

“We played very efficient early,” Shiloh Christian head coach Jeff Conaway. “When we needed to respond the most, we just couldn’t get them off the field. They made big plays, and we failed to make some of the big plays. When you get down to a team like this a couple of scores, it’s hard to claw your way back in. They played great. They played very enthused. We just couldn’t get the momentum back.”

Cam Wiedeman scored on a 3-yard run for Shiloh Christian, but Robinson again responded by scoring three touchdowns in an 11-minute span.

The two teams were close in offensive yards and first downs, but Robinson coerced Shiloh Christian into five turnovers.

Most Valuable Player P.J. Hall caught three touchdown passes and intercepted a pass when Shiloh Christian was driving to possibly take a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter.

“It was intensity,” Hall said. “We just had to turn it up. After that drive, we saw what they could do. We turned it up.”

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER P.J. Hall ■ WR ■ Robinson

BURLSWORTH AWARD WINNERS Edward Curry ■ OL ■ Robinson Jacob Ragsdale ■ OL ■ Shil Christian

ROBINSON OFFENSE QB Buddy Gaston JR FB Chandler McIntosh SR RB Hunter Smith JR WR Deunte Moody SR LT E’marion Harris SO LG Eli Jackson SO C Edward Curry SR RG Jonathon Blackmon SR RT D.J. Withers JR SR Martel Nunally SR WR P.J. Hall SR PK Sal Gabriel SO SHILOH CHRISTIAN DEFENSE DE Hunter Mason SR NM Russell Norsworthy SR DT Ethan Sluyter SR OLB Walker Williams SR ILB Max Suarez SR iLB Kaden Henley SO OLB Braden Tutt JR CB Keaton Carter SR CB Drew Dudley JR S Cooper Hutchinson SO S Matt McEwin SR P Caleb Anderson SO SHILOH CHRISTIAN OFFENSE QB Eli Reece SR RB Drew Dudley JR WR Beau Cason SR SR Cam Wiedemann JR LT Sam Widmer JR LG Isaiah Harris JR C Jacob Ragsdale SR RG Sam Oekle SR RT Sawyer Duddleston SR SR Luke Hutchinson SR WR Truitt Tollett SR PK Keaton Carter SR ROBINSON DEFENSE DE Collins Coats SR DT E’marion Harris SO DT Jonathan Blackmon SR DE D.J.Withers JR OLB James Jordan JR MLB Chandler McIntosh SR OLB T.J. Towers SR CB Deunte Moddy SR CB Martel Nunally SR S P.J. Hall SR S K.J. Merriweather SR P Hunter Smith JR