Harrison had to make the 136-mile bus ride to Little Rock the past two seasons to face Pulaski Academy in the Class 5A playoffs
This year, it's Pulaski Academy's turn.
Pulaski Academy (9-2), the No. 2 seed from the 5A-Central Conference, will travel to 5A-West Conference champion Harrison (11-0) at 7 tonight at F.S. Garrison Stadium in a quarterfinal matchup.
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The winner will host Morrilton or Texarkana in the Class 5A semifinals Nov. 29.
"Obviously, we're excited about not having to make that bus trip," Harrison Coach Joel Wells said. "We're looking forward to the opportunity. We know the task at hand."
The Goblins have Bruins Coach Kevin Kelley's attention.
"We're going to Harrison, Arkansas," Kelley said. "They're really good. They were in my preseason top two [in Class 5A], Harrison and Little Rock Christian. We have to go up and play them. We've got our work cut out for us. But if we play our best, we've got a chance."
In the past two seasons, Pulaski Academy eliminated Harrison in the playoffs.
The Goblins led 35-26 in the second quarter of last year's game, but the Bruins recovered two onside kicks to take a 46-35 lead into halftime and went on to win 75-54 to advance to their fifth consecutive state championship game.
Pulaski Academy also knocked off Harrison 57-20 in a 2017 quarterfinal game in Little Rock.
Harrison allowed 850 yards to Pulaski Academy last season. So, not only is recovering onside kicks a factor for Wells, his defense is as well.
"We couldn't stop them," Wells said. "They [Pulaski Academy] did a great job."
Since the beginning of the 2018 season, the Goblins have won 23 of their past 24 games and went undefeated in the regular season for the second consecutive season.
Their top two offensive players are a big reason why.
Senior running back Gabe Huskey, who has orally committed to Ouachita Baptist University, leads the Goblins' offense with 1,525 yards and 29 touchdowns on 147 carries. He's rushed for 5,537 yards and 79 touchdowns since 2017.
Senior quarterback Ben Johnson is 23-1 as the Goblins' starter and has accounted for 17 touchdowns this season (10 passing, 7 rushing).
"I know they've got a lot of their guys back," Kelley said. "Last year, they were able to score some points on us and did some good things. We've got to slow them down more than we did last year."
Wells said the journey for this year's Goblins has been different than last year.
"We've had some nicks and bruises, and we've had some close games we've won through the year," Wells said. "But we're healthier than we've been all year. We've got a group of 24 seniors that will leave quite a legacy. They've won a lot of games."
For the Bruins, senior quarterback Braden Bratcher has thrived in his second year as a starter. Bratcher has completed 237 of 344 passes for 3,992 yards with 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Sophomore running back Joe Himon didn't play in last year's game in Little Rock, but he's been a weapon for the Bruins this season. Himon has 1,002 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to lead Pulaski Academy and has also returned four kickoffs for touchdowns.
The Bruins have won six consecutive games since an Oct. 4 loss at Little Rock Christian. They defeated Magnolia 63-34 in a first-round game last Friday in Little Rock.
"If we can keep playing at a high level in all three phases, we'll be pretty tough to beat," Kelley said.
Tonight's game is not for a trip to the state championship game, no matter how anticipated the matchup has been for both teams and their fans.
That's a fact that Wells has tried to tell his team all week leading up to playing the Bruins and hopes it sticks with them.
"It's just a step closer to where we want to go," Wells said. "It's a big game. But it is a quarterfinal game. Both of us wish we had a different draw.
"But that's the way the bracket goes."
Sports on 11/22/2019