The Pinkie's Official “Pulaski Academy” Page
Pulaski Academy In State Semifinals Tonight
By: Carl H | December 4th, 2009 | Category: Pulaski AcademyPulaski Academy and Head Coach Kevin Kelley have won their first two playoff games (50-39 over Helena-West Helena and 21-14 over Greenwood) and will take on Monticello at 7:30pm tonight. Pulaski is looking to defend its 2008 Arkansas State Championship behind the unorthodox coaching style of Coach Kelley.
Pulaski last faced Monticello on November 2nd, 2007 in their final regular season game that year. The Bruins pulled out a thrilling 27-26 victory behind a 19-point fourth quarter outburst. The Bruins are 9-3 on the season.
Pulaski Academy Begins Title Defense With 1st Round Victory Over Helena-West Helena Central
By: Carl H | November 14th, 2009 | Category: Pulaski AcademyHead Coach Kevin Kelley and Pulaski Academy began their defense of the Arkansas 5-A State Championship with a 50-39 victory over Helena-West Helena Central Friday night. QB Will Nicks was 31-of-62 for 385 yards and rushed for 53 more to lead the Bruins. Next up is the Quarterfinals against Greenwood on 11/20.
Check out this sweet SI article on Coach Kelley, and in case you still haven’t read it check The Pinkie’s exclusive interview with the man HERE.
Pulaski Academy Wraps Up Regular Season Tonight
By: Carl H | November 6th, 2009 | Category: Pulaski AcademyThe defending 5-A Arkansas State Champion Pulaski Academy Bruins will finish their regular season tonight at 7:00pm ET on ESPNU with a road game at Little Rock Christian. The playoffs begin next week, Friday the 13th.
Head Coach Kevin Kelley, who The Pinkie had the privilege of interviewing last season (CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW), has done something this year that surprised everyone: He punted!
Kelley, quickly gaining recognition throughout the coaching realm for his unorthodox style of never punting, finally did so in Pulaski’s October 2nd game against 5-A rival Camden-Fairview. On the Bruins fourth drive of the game, quarterback Will Nicks (who would go on to win player of the week honors) booted the ball, a sight never before seen from one of Coach Kelley’s squads. Obviously everyone was surprised and the ball rolled for a 51 yard punt for Nicks.
Kelley had this to say regarding finally punting the ball: “I’m really a contrarian thinker. When everybody thinks something is going to happen it often times doesn’t..”
His style has mostly been looked over, but there are some coaches out there who are intrigued by the whole system (and as Kelley continues to be more successful, more should jump on board). Along with LSU’s Les Miles, Texas Tech head man Mike Leach has also expressed interest in Kelley’s style of play. Leach, fresh off his sweet cameo on the awesome Friday Night Lights series, said this about Kelley’s approach: “It’s an interesting idea. Statistically, there’s definitely some validity to it.”
Leach went on to say, “I need to go talk to that guy because he’s definitely on to something. There are plenty of statistical things whereas coaches, myself included, we’re caught up in the good ol’ days to the point that there’s some changes and things that can be made to just be better and improve. Even if you don’t go for what he’s doing 100 percent, there’s definitely something I’m sure that I can learn from him.”
Pulaski won their first two games this year, before subsequently dropping their next two, but have since won five strait and sit at 7-2 on the season. Keep checking back with The Pinkie as we follow Coach Kelley and the Bruins as they attempt to win their third state title in seven years.
For a sweet article on Coach Kelley and his unorthodox style, go HERE.
Pulaski Academy Drops First Game of Season, Falls to Lake Hamilton 32-30
By: nickev | September 22nd, 2009 | Category: Pulaski AcademyThe team that never punts lost their first game of the season on Friday night to the Lake Hamilton Wolves, 32-30. They came into the game with a 2-0 record, which included a victory over state runner-up Helena-West Helena Central, 35-33, in the season opener.
With the Pulaski Academy Bruins up a touchdown in the third quarter, they failed to convert a fourth-and-13 from their own 9-yard line. Lake Hamilton took advantage of the short field to tie the game as quarterback Benson Jordan scored from three yards out.
Immediately the Bruins responded. Quarterback Wil Nicks found Garrett Lamb on a 48-yard score and then following a 56-yard interception return, Nicks ran it in from a yard out giving the Bruins a 30-18 lead with the third quarter winding down.
After a Jordan touchdown cut it to 30-24 with 9:06 to go, it looked like the Bruins would put the game away. Nicks continued his stellar play by hitting Zac Reyna with a 50-yard bomb, setting up the PA at the three-yard line. Two plays later, near the goal line, the Bruins fumbled, setting up the Wolves’ game-winning drive with 7:47 remaining.
The Wolves drove the field by running the ball and milked the clock in the process. They converted a huge fourth-and-five from the 19-yard line to continue the drive and eventually Brown connected with Dre Bennett for a 9-yard touchdown, giving Lake Hamilton the 32-20 lead with just over a minute remaining.
It was the only pass completion of the drive.
Pulaski Academy (2-1) faces Magnolia next Friday at 7:00 p.m.
The Pinkie will continue their coverage of the Pulaski Academy football program throughout the season. Last year the Bruins defeated Helena-West Helena Central 35-32 to claim the 5A State Championship. It is the second state championship that the team has won under the guidance of head coach Kevin Kelley. Kelley plays a unique style of football. The Bruins NEVER punt, often use onside kicks and rarely kick field goals or extra points. After they won the state championship last year, the Pinkie was lucky enough to talk with Kelley. Click here to read the interview.
The Pinkie Interviews Pulaski Academy Head Coach Kevin Kelley
By: nickev | December 10th, 2008 | Category: Pulaski Academy - SportsOn Saturday the Pulaski Academy Bruins, of Little Rock, defeated Helena-West Helena Central 35-32 to claim their second State Title since Head Coach Kevin Kelley took over six years ago. In those six years the Bruins have compiled a 68-13-1 record. Their story was recently aired on NFL Films Presents, not just because of their recent success, but because Pulaski Academy simply does not punt, ever. After the story aired we posted an article on the Bruins style of play. Click here to read, “Who Needs A Punter? Pulaski Doesn’t!”
I sat down with Head Coach Kevin Kelley yesterday to discuss his successes this season and his team’s unique style of play.
nickev: First off I would like to congratulate you on your second state championship. While, I wasn’t able to watch the game I kept up with it online and read about it. It seemed like a thriller. Probably a lot closer than you hoped after a stellar first half.
nickev: In your last two contests you have kicked an onside kick on the opening kickoff. Is this something you do every game or sporadically?
Coach Kelley: We do it just about every kickoff, not necessarily on the first one.
nickev: Is your philosophy with the onside kick much like not punting?
Coach Kelley: Yes, very. We think we have about a 25% chance of getting the kick. We also know that they would run the kick back to the 35 and now we give them the ball on the 47 so only a 12 yard difference with a chance to get the ball.
nickev: Spencer Keith (Pulaski’s record-setting quarterback) had an excellent first half, as did your defense. How important is it to get off to a good start in a game of this magnitude?
Coach Kelley: Very important when you play a team that plays on emotion and momentum like West Helena. We gained confidence and made them question early.
nickev: At the end of the first quarter, after another Helena-West turnover, you elected to kick a field goal to put your team up 19-0. Your reasoning for the field goal.
Coach Kelley: It put us up three scores and they don’t have a kicker so they go for two every time. 19 points meant three full touchdowns and at least one two point conversion for them to be ahead.
nickev: When you do get off to a good start, like you did Saturday, do you see teams start to imitate your style of play to get back into ballgames?
Coach Kelley: Yes, many teams do and their kids are not conditioned mentally and psychologically to do that so it plays into our hands.
[ TO READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW WITH COACH KELLEY CLICK HERE ]
Pulaski Hangs On To Win State
By: nickev | December 8th, 2008 | Category: Pulaski Academy - SportsBruins Hang on after 35-point First Half
Pulaski Academy 35, Helena-West Helena 32
Story courtesy of vype.com
Pulaski Academy scored more points in the first half Saturday night than it did in a season-opening loss at Helena-West Helena. It almost wasn’t enough as the Bruins (13-1) held off the Cougars (12-1-1) 35-32 to secure the 5A State Championship.
“If you had told me before the game, we wouldn’t score in the second half, I would have told you we were in deep trouble,” longtime PA defensive coordinator Todd Wood said.
The Bruins led 35-12 at halftime, but struggled to move the ball in the second half. PA mustered two first downs on fourth down plays in its final possession to keep the ball and run out the clock, avenging its 46-29 loss to the Cougars.
The title marks the Bruins’ second in five years under head coach Kevin Kelley.
“I couldn’t be more proud of a group of guys,” Kelley said. “(The seniors) set this goal when they were in sixth grade, believe it or not. They made “Take State in 2008” T-shirts. To work for six years to be able to do something like that is a testament of what kind of guys they are.”
From the staff at straitpinkie.com – Congratulations to the 2008 Arkansas 5A State Champs Pulaski Academy Bruins! We are working on interviewing Pulaski Head Coach Kevin Kelley tomorrow on the pinkie.
[ READ THE REST OF THE STORY ]
Pulaski Wins State Championship!!!
By: Carl H | December 6th, 2008 | Category: Pulaski Academy - Sports
The Pulaski Academy Bruins won their second 5-A State Championship in the last six seasons as they took down Helana-West Central, 35-32. They took a quick 19-6 lead and built it to 35-12 before Helana-West Central made a run. Central cut it to 35-32 but the Bruins ran out the last seven minutes of the game, including a huge 4th and 1 at the Central 45-yard line with just over a minute to play. The Bruins then were able to run out the clock as Central had no timeouts. We will have more on the Bruins incredible season later this week as Head Coach Kevin Kelley will join us at straitpinkie.com.
Congratulations Bruins..2008 Arkansas 5-A State Champions!!!
For game stats click here http://fac.hsu.edu/mitchet/livestats/aaa/2008aaa/ .
GO BRUINS!!!
Pulaski Academy Advances To State Championship
By: nickev | December 1st, 2008 | Category: Pulaski Academy - SportsWelp, the team that never punts defeated Greenwood 54-24 on Friday to advance to the State Championship. The Pulaski Bruins amassed a shool-record 747 yards of total offense against Greenwood, which ranks third all-time in the state of Arkansas. It didn’t take long for Coach Kelley to whip them out as he successfully ran an onside kick to start the game. The drive stalled on 4th down at the six yard line but the Bruins got the ball right back and scored. They led just 20-17 at the half but scored on their last five possessions to put the game away. Pulaski will face Helena-West Helena Central on Saturday at 6:30 for the State Championship. Helena-West defeated Pulaski in the first game of the season, 46-29.
Who Needs a Punter? Pulaski Doesn’t
By: nickev | November 26th, 2008 | Category: Pulaski Academy - SportsHow many times in your life have you witnessed your squad send out the punt unit instead of going for it on a manageable 4th and two? Isn’t it a lot more enjoyable to roll out the huge ones and go for it instead of always living your life with prunes and punting? You go for it on Madden or NCAA College Football. Why don’t more teams do it in real life?
One team does. That team is Pulaski Academy, one of Little Rock, Arkansas’ finest prep schools. The Pulaski Academy Bruins do not punt and the straitpinkie.com squad absolutely loves it.
“We haven’t punted any this year and we won’t punt this year.” said head coach Kevin Kelley.
When middle linebacker Andrew Newell was asked who the Bruins’ punter was, he struggled to answer. “I can not with 100-percent certainty say who our punter is or who it would be in that case.”
Does the no punt strategy work? Well, Kelley was named head coach prior to the 2003 season. The Bruins are 66-13-1 since he took the helm. They have won one 5A state championship and played in two other state finals.
What if it is 4th and 15 from their own 20-yard line? Pulaski will surely pull a kicker for the crowd and punt it away. Right?
“There is no time that we will ever hesitate trying to go for it on fourth down,” says defensive coordinator Tom Wood. “Last year we went for it on fourth and four on our own five (yard line). We didn’t make it, so on the next play they scored. But, we came back and won the ballgame. I’ve seen us go for it on 4th down and two, 4th down and 15. It doesn’t matter about clock, position on the field. We’ll do it anytime, anywhere, any place.”
Kelley equates his team’s no punt strategy squarely on numbers. He has found that if his team goes for it from inside their own five yard line and doesn’t get it, their opponent will score 92-percent of the time. If they punt it away from inside the five and their opponent gets the ball at the 30 yard line, they will score 77-percent of the time. That is only a 15-percent difference. “From everything thing I’ve seen it says do not punt. Period,” said Kelley. “I know when I go into a game, do not punt.”
“If we had been conditioned differently in the game of football,” said Kelley. “Let’s say hypothetically that nobody has ever punted the football. And we didn’t even know what a punt was. All the sudden someone came up with this thing where they dropped back and kicked the ball. Everybody would be looking and going that guy is crazy. He is only using three of his four downs. He is letting the other team have the ball. He is just giving it to them.”
This season Pulaski Academy is 11-1 and they just crushed Beebe in the State Quarterfinals. Huge ones versus Beebes…yeah that squad had no chance. On Friday the Bruins face Greenwood, the defending state champs. Greenwood defeated Pulaski in the quarters last season, 57-50.
So on Friday after you have grubbed on your Tinksgiving turkey make sure you cheer on Coach Kelley’s Pulaski Academy Bruins, as they look to avenge last season’s loss to Greenwood. We will chronicle all of the action here at straitpinkie.com.
Go Bruins!
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