Pioneers keep it together

Batesville tailback Phillip Archuleta (9) led the Pioneers by Greenbrier last week, rushing 29 times for 191 yards and 1 touchdown.
Batesville tailback Phillip Archuleta (9) led the Pioneers by Greenbrier last week, rushing 29 times for 191 yards and 1 touchdown.

— Pulaski Academy is known for, among other things, onside kicks, not punting and not returning punts.

That’s not the most important part of the story, Batesville Coach Dave King said.

It’s the scoreboard.

“Everybody always talks about the unorthodox things,” King said. “The thing is they’ve got a good football team.”

A year removed from a Class 4A state championship, Pulaski Academy (10-2) will try to take another step toward the Class 5A crown in a semifinal playoff game against Batesville (9-3) on Friday night at Joe B. Hatcher Stadium in Little Rock.

The winner will face the Camden Fairview-Wynne winner for the state championship Nov. 30 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

King led the Pioneers to the Class AAAA state championship in 2003 and to last year’s Class 5A final. Batesville, No. 4 in Class 5A, reached the semifinals for the fifth time in the past decade by beating previously unbeaten Greenbrier 38-21 last week on the road.

King credited his senior class for holding the season together after the program was stung by the loss of four high-profile transfers in the offseason and having a 17-game conference winning streak snapped by Wynne (40-27) on Oct. 12.

Batesville carries a fivegame winning streak into the semifinals.

“Our seniors have won 32 games the last three years,” King said. “I told our underclassmen Saturday morning that if they have the same attitude and character of those guys, they’ll be good things in store down the road for us the next couple of years.”

One senior who won’t be playing Friday night, King said, is wide receiver/defensive back Athan Dockery, who is out for the season after breaking his ankle against Greenbrier.

King said Dockery is the team’s fastest player and a “big-play guy.” Without Dockery, the Pioneers may try to lean even more heavily on its offensive and defensive lines, which are the team’s strength.

“Physical play is our forte,” King said. “I’m and old baseball guy, and we still try to play old-fashioned hard ball.”

Batesville was led last week by tailback Phillip Archuleta, a 142-pound senior who rushed 29 times for 191 yards and 1 touchdown.

Batesville also limited Greenbrier to 56 yards rushing.

“What impresses me is how hard their kids play,” Pulaski Academy Coach Kevin Kelley said. “Play goes away from them and they’re all flying to the ball, sort of like what I think our defense does. Their offensive and defensive lines, they’re dominant. They’re just really, really good.”

Pulaski Academy recorded its ninth consecutive victory by beating White Hall 77-35 last week. The Bruins, No. 2 in Class 5A, also scored 62 points in a first-round playoff victory.

Pulaski Academy averages 547.9 total yards per game — 466.8 passing — and allows 232.1 per game.

Senior wide receiver L.J. Wallace and senior quarterback Lawson Vassar are approaching career or state single-season records in what will be their final game at home.

“The bottom line is they’ve got a pretty dang good football team,” King said.

Sports, Pages 27 on 11/22/2012

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