Class 5A State Championship Review: Pulaski Academy 64, LR Christian 27

Class 5A State Championship • 2020 • War Memorial Stadium PULASKI A AC CADEMY 64, LITTLE RO OCK CHRISTIAN 27

Attendance 3,719 • Sunny 58 degrees • Kickoff noon • Time 2:43

DECEMBER 12, LITTLE ROCK —

Pulaski Academy made more history with yet another state championship.

The Bruins won their ninth state championship, all under Kevin Kelley, with a 64-27 win over Little Rock Christian for the Class 5A crown in front of 3,719 at War Memorial Stadium.

The nine straight titles is the most for a head coach during the modern playoff era, which began in 1968, and is behind only legendary Wilson Matthews, who won 10 championships during an 11year span at Little Rock High and Central from 1947 to 1957.

Kelley left in May following the Bruins’ state championship season for a collegiate position as the head coach at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, on May 7.

The Bruins won their ninth championship in their usual manner, recovering four on-side kicks in the first half by Futa Shinkawa twice, and Ben Smiley, and Cooper White.

Pulaski Academy lost a fumble after recovering the first kickoff of the game, but scored after the other three for a 21point swing.

The Bruins conversely had eight firsthalf possessions compared to just four by Little Rock Christian that led to a 4313 lead at the half.

Pulaski Academy also did not punt in the game, nor all season, and converted 5-of-6 fourth-down tries in the game despite averaging 5.5 yards per fourthdown distance to go.

Kelley has developed a reputation and garnered quite a following for his approach for on-side kicks and always going for it on fourth down regardless of field position. Even famed New England State Championship Numbers 9

Championships won by Pulaski Academy, all under Kevin Kelley 0

Punts by Pulaski Academy all season 216-29-1

Record at Pulaski Academy for Kelley, who left in May, 2021, to coach at Presbyterian College in South Carolina Patriot head coach Bill Belichek knows of Kelley, and even mentioned him in a press conference in early December.

“He’s a little unconventional, and he’s had great success,” Belichek said. “I have great respect for coach Kelley and the program he runs, and some of the create things that he does. … Coach Kelley is probably the top high school coach in the country.”

Kelley reached the 200-win mark in fewer games that anybody in the state in 2019 on the way to a state championship.

In 2020, though, he even outdid himself with alternating quarterbacks with each of them passing for at least 2,000 yards.

Senior Nolen Bruffett earned the start in the championship game and threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns to finish with 2,140 yards and 24 scoring passes for the season.

Junior Charlie Fiser, who started most games, added 180 yards and two scores in the title game and finished with 2,900 yards and 41 touchdown passes.

“Me and Charlie feed off each other,” Bruffett said. “We are competing, but we’re for the betterment of the team. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the sidelines handing out water or throwing the whole game, as long as we win I’m happy.”

Pulaski Academy had a whopping 49 plays for 435 yards in the first half and finished with 579 yards and 27 first downs.

Versatile Joe Himon was the named the game’s Most Valuable Player after running for 77 yards and three touchdowns and catching six passes for 129 yards and a score.

Little Rock Christian did not commit a conventional turnover, but lost the four on-side kicks in the first half and turned the ball over three times on downs.

“You can’t win a big game and lose the turnover battle,” Little Rock Christian head coach Eric Cohu said. “The recipe for success against them is recovering the on-side kicks. We lost four of them early in the game and got behind the eight-ball, and never recovered.”

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Joe Himon ■ RB ■ Pulaski Acad

BURLSWORTH AWARD WINNERS Trace Hawkins ■ OL ■ Pulaski Acad Conner Whipple ■ OL ■ LR Christian

PULASKI ACADEMY OFFENSE QB Nolan Bruffett SR RB Joe Himon JR WR Jalyn Witcher SR SR Kel Busby FR LT Allen Thompson SO LG Max Gorman JR C Mason Schueck JR RG Trace Hawkins SR RT Trevor Duke SO SR Caleb Nichols SR WR Dylan Allison SR PK Vaughn Seelicke JR LR CHRISTIAN DEFENSE DE Tommy Wadsworth SR NM Titus Colquitt JR DE Caden Solano JR OLB Anthony Pugh SR ILB Slate Wilkerson JR ILB Gabe King SR OLB Preston Davis FR CB Landon Nelson SR CB Corey Platt SR S Luke Lee SR S Ben Ridings SO P I saiah Hankins SR LR CHRISTIAN OFFENSE QB Colin Cooper SR RB Jayvean Dyer-Jones JR WR Corey Platt SR SR Isaiah Hankins SR SR Eli Cooper JR LT Otto Graham JR LG George Garner JR C Conner Whipple SR RG Hezekiah King JR RT Nick Turner SR TE Anthony Pugh SR PK Isaiah Hankins SR PULASKI ACADEMY DEFENSE DE Zach Horsey JR NM Dale Pignio JR DE Zach Terry SR OLB Luke Witham SR ILB Futa Shinkawa SR ILB Izarius Woods SR OLB Jaylin McKinney SO CB Cameron Mercer SR CB Liam Dyck SR S Dylan Allison SR S Josiah Johnson SR P none

CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS

TEAM STATISTICS

LR CHRISTIAN PULASKI ACADEMY First Downs 16 27 Total Offense 54-305 70-579 Rushes - yards 27-140 28-121 Passes - yards 16-27-165 29-42-458 Fumbles Lost 0 1 Interceptions Thrown 0 1 Fourth Down Stopped 3 1 Penalties 8-76 11-85 Punts - Average 1-47.0 0-0 Big Plays (10+ yards) 10-180 16-412 Zero or Less Plays 14-(-8) 21-(-16) Sacks By - yards lost 1-3 0-0 3rd Down Conversions(avg to go) 4 of 9 (7.1) 7 of 13 (6.5) 4th Down Conversions(avg to go) 1 of 4 (4.0) 5 of 6 (5.5) Punt, Int, Fum Returns - yards 1-3 0-0 Average Drive Start own 41 own 41 Points Off Turnover 0 0 Possession Time 21:59 26:01