Arkansas Class 6A high school football team previews: Pulaski Academy moving up in class, aiming for same success

By Kyle Sutherland | Photo by Jimmy Jones  

SBLive is previewing the Arkansas high school football teams from the three largest classifications. Today, we feature the Pulaski Academy Bruins from the 6A-West Conference.

PULASKI ACADEMY BRUINS

HEAD COACH

Anthony Lucas, second season, 13-1 record

2021` AT A GLANCE

Overall Record: 13-1

Conference Record: 6-0, First In 5A Central

Playoffs: Def. Harrison 36-21; Def. Magnolia 56-25; Def. Greenbrier 38-28; Def. White Hall 51-19 for the 5A state championship

KEY DEPARTURES

QB Charlie Fiser, all-state, SMU signee

RB Joe Himon, Gatorade Player of the Year, Landers Award, all-state, Northwestern signee

WR Charlie Barker

DL Dale Pignio

LB Mason Schueck, Arkansas signee

DB Josh Cady, all-state

K Vaughn Seelicke, Tufts University signee

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Junior QB Kel Busby - Busby got some snaps last season backing up Fiser.

Junior RB Kenny Jordan - Jordan was effective backing up Himon last season and has already received Division I offers.

Senior WR Jaylin McKinney - Possibly the top receiver in the 2023 class, McKinney was excellent last season snagging 74 passes for 1,379 yards and 15 touchdowns after playing mostly on defense as a sophomore.

Junior WR John Mark Charette - Charette had been praised by the Bruin coaching staff prior to his sophomore season and lived up to expectations with a 1,000-yard season, which was second on the team, with 10 touchdowns.

Senior WR Will Hawkins - Hawkins had to vie for time in a crowded wideout room but still managed to compile over 400 receiving yards.

Senior OL Allen Thomason - Thomason is a two-time all-state performer and the team’s top offensive lineman on a front that will be the best the Bruins have had in some time.

Senior OL Trevor Duke - Duke earned a starting role last season and can play multiple positions along the front.

Senior OL Shannon McDaniel - McDaniel, who has also shown plenty of athleticism on the basketball court, is one of three key returners in the offensive trenches whose ceiling continues to get higher.

Senior DE Romelo Bell - The Bruins lost a few major parts along the defensive line, but do return a three-year star starter in Bell, who compiled seven tackles for loss as a junior.

Senior LB Hunt Harrison - With the departure of Arkansas signee Mason Schueck, Harrison is expected to step into a bigger role after compiling 52 tackles last season.

Junior DB Patton Whicker - Whicker proved to the coaching staff that he could be a key contributor in the secondary prior to last season and showed it on game days tying for third on the team with three interceptions.

Senior DB Jett Smith - Smith combines solid ability with great intelligence to get the job done at free safety. His role will be increased even more. Coaches have raved about his ability to lead the back end of the defense.

OUTLOOK

Pulaski Academy did not skip a beat transitioning from the Kevin Kelley Era to longtime assistant and former University of Arkansas great Anthony Lucas winning the program’s third-straight state championship and seventh in the past eight seasons.

After setting the bar in Class 5A, the Bruins will move up to the 6A-West and have not lost to an in-state opponent since Week 5 of the 2019 season. Along with arch-rival and yearly state title contender Little Rock Christian, the Bruins will also be in the same league as juggernaut Greenwood and 2020 6A runner-up Lake Hamilton.

The Bruins have become known for playing out-of-state competition, something they began in 2012, and that will continue in 2022 as they travel to Madison-Ridgeland Academy, a Mississippi private school power they thrashed 63-39 on their home turf last season.

PA once again put up video game-type numbers averaging an incredible 54 points per game, but could experience some growing pains early on having to replace Division I signees Charlie Fiser and 2021 Landers Award winner Joe Himon.

Junior Kel Busby is looking make his own legacy in a long line of great Bruin quarterbacks, and with most of his offensive line returning that should make that much easier along with having arguably the best receiver in the 2023 class, Jaylin McKinney, at his disposal, along with Kenny Jordan joining him in the backfield and John Mark Charette as a perfect complement to McKinney.

In addition to the great depth of the skill positions, the offensive line will be one of the strongpoints of the team with three returning starters including college prospect Allen Thomason.

Defensively, the Bruins do lose reliable linebacker and Arkansas preferred walk-on Mason Schueck, along with defensive back Josh Cady who tied for the most interceptions in the state, with Romelo Bell and Hunt Harrison back but Lucas expects his front seven to be solid once again through questions do remain in the secondary.

On special teams, the Bruins also must replace Vaughn Seelicke who was 9-for-9 kicking field goals the past two seasons and very reliable booting onside kicks.

COACH SAID

“We are looking forward to moving up to [Class] 6A. Of course, there is pressure, but I feel like we are now the underdogs because of the move. I understand that teams are going to give us their best and our kids are looking forward to the challenges ahead. We will prepare just like we've done every year and we will be ready to play.”

-Anthony Lucas