Lucas primed for Pulaski Academy’s trip to Bryant for clash of gridiron titans
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
Arkansas powerhouse football programs Pulaski Academy and Bryant have seen each other plenty on the gridiron the past decade-plus, but those have just been preseason scrimmages
But this Friday night’s 7 p.m. meeting between the visiting Bruins (5-0, 2-0) and Hornets (5-0, 2-0) is for real as both are now in the Class 7A-Central conference and tied atop the standings with Conway.
“This is really exciting,” Pulaski Academy head coach Anthony Lucas said. “I told our kids that this game is one of the bigger ones – if not the biggest one – of the year.
“Just like when we moved into Class 6A, Greenwood was the team to beat. Now in 7A, it’s Bryant. Even though they didn’t win it last year, they have been the dominant team in 7A for the last decade.
“We know we have to do as a football team to compete. We have scrimmaged Bryant the last 12 or 13 years since I have so we do have an idea of how thy are a good, physical football team and we are locking forward to the challenge.”
Bryant had won the previous five Class 7A state championships before falling to Bentonville in last year’s semifinals and finishing 10-2 under head coach Quad Sanders.
Pulaski Academy, which has moved up in classification from Class 5A to Class 7A in the past three years, has won a state championship in eight of the last nine seasons and 11 overall, including its first in Class 3A in 2003.
Defensive coordinator Quad Sanders took over as head coach last year when Buck James left for Conway and after Sanders had accepted the vacant Jonesboro head coaching post.
“When Coach (Buck) James left a couple of years ago and I know Quad was heading to Jonesboro, I said he would be perfect to take over at Bryant,” Lucas said. “He has a great defensive mind and his kids always play hard.
“I have a lot of respect for him and when he got the job, I was so happy for him and proud of him. He hasn’t really changed things a whole lot – they are still talented and they still play so hard.
“They are loaded again and have a lot talent made I have so much respect for their program. They are just like us – an ideal program and what they do, they do well.”
Pulaski Academy is also loaded again, as evidenced by it outscoring its first two foes 110-14 , including a 47-0 blanking of North Little Rock on Sep. 27 nd a 63-14 win over Little Rock Central last Friday.
“Our effort has been flawless,” Lucas said. “Our defense under Coach (Madison) Taylor, our defensive coordinator, has done a tremendous job and they are playing hard. Our kids have done an excellent job and, especially these last few games, we are really executing our game plan and what we do well.”
The offense is keyed by quarterback Brandon Cobb, who threw for 4,300 yards and 39 touchdowns last season and is already up to 1,815 yards and 24 scores this year and also rushed for 384 yard and four more TDs.
“In his second year as a starter, Brandon has really come a long way since before he started a game here,” Lucas said. “I am just so proud of the way he and the offense have been executing.
“Now there still is a lot more room for improvement and I think we will get there. But overall, the kids are playing well.”
One of the staples of Pulaski Academy’s program under former head coach Kevin Kelley and Lucas has been on-side kicks.
“We already have recovered seven on-side kicks in five games,” Lucas said. “We know that is just like the defense getting a turnover in that it gives us another opportunity to score.
“If we can get two defensive turnovers or on-side kicks and score off at least one of them, that gives us an opportunity. All those things ties together.
“I tell you this. Going against a team like this, we have to be disciplined on everything we do. We have got to execute in every aspect of the game – special teams, offense and defense.
“I understand they are going to pop a big play or a couple of big plays, but we have to know how to keep our composure and just play the next play.”
• • •
Lucas, who caught the game-winning pass from Clint Stoerner in a win over Tennessee in 1999, was in Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday night when the Razorbacks beat the No. 4 Vols 19-14.
It was the first time Arkansas (4-2, 2-1) had taken down a top 5 team since the aforementioned win in 1999 and a big victory for head coach Sam Pittman’s program that went just 4-8 with one SEC win in 2023.
“I was there in person and just what a great effort by our defense,” Lucas said. “They played outstanding and the offense did just enough to win the ballgame.”
It was the first time two top-five SEC teams lost on the road on the same day with No. 1 Alabama losing at Vanderbilt one week after beating previous No. 1 Georgia.
“ I am so proud and so happy for Coach Pittman to get the team up after a loss to Oklahoma State and beat Auburn and then to get back up again after a tough loss to (Texas) A&M and beat a great team like Tennessee.”
…To have those kids ready to go against Tennessee, the number four team in the country was great for our program. It was big and hopefully our kids will build off of this and hopefully won’t be like Alabama and have a letdown.”
Photo by John D. James
« Previous
Next »