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SALT LAKE CITY — In a clash of defending state champions Friday night, East High managed to defeat Arkansas' Pulaski Academy 37-23 to snap what was a 28-game winning streak for the Bruins.
The Leopards defense feasted on a run-and-gun Pulaski offense, managing six interceptions and a safety, proving they're more than just a high scoring offense.
"I've got tough kids," East head coach Brandon Matich said. "This isn't a David and Goliath situation. Our kids are good players and this is a tough program, and we believed we could win."
Pulaski, renowned nationwide for the unique philosophies of its coach, Kevin Kelley, known as "the coach who never punts," came into the game ranked fourth in the state of Arkansas and boasting an offense that had just thrown for almost 400 yards in its first game. Perhaps most intriguing about this Bruins team is the fact that they rarely punt, almost always go for two on PATs and perform onside kicks after every score. Facing such a difficult task, Matich said he was happy to be done playing Pulaski.
"I'm so glad it's over," Matich said. "It is so exhausting. Looking forward to this game all week long, the onside kicks, the trick plays, the wacky formations; it's their identity and they're really good at it, and they're really very well coached, but it's stressful. I don't want to do that again."
East got out to a quick lead after an interception by junior defensive back Saia Hamilton stopped a driving Pulaski offense. The Leopards proceeded to execute a punishing drive that ended with a touchdown on a quarterback keeper from senior Ben Ford.
Pulaski would respond with a touchdown and two-point conversion on the ensuing drive, but things got difficult for the Bruins from there. East's Charlie Vincent broke off a 43-yard touchdown run, and the Leopards would never trail again.
East senior running back Jaylen Warren was once again the workhorse for the Leopards offensively as he has been so far this season. Coming into the game averaging 213 yards rushing, Warren had touchdown runs of 94 and 33 yards. Matich said his offensive line was the difference, and Kelley concurred.
"Honestly, I've been coaching 25 years now, and we've played in California and Florida and everywhere, and that's the best offensive and defensive lines I've ever played," Kelley said. "They were the quickest, most athletic, and strongest, and in football, it starts there."
No stranger to success, Kelley's Bruins have won a handful of state champions and been featured on ESPN's fivethirtyeight.com; a compliment from Kelley is high praise.
"This is quite a win for my program," Matich said. "I'm proud of these guys. I've got good kids."
Notes:
While Jaylen Warren was stellar, senior athlete Tyler Eteuati was everywhere for the Leopards and likely the player of the game, recording three interceptions and a receiving touchdown.
"Throughout the week we practiced hard," Eteuati said. "Our coach kept telling us to keep our eyes on the receivers, not on the quarterback. Our d-line held it down in the trenches and took a lot of pressure off of us as defensive backs."
Senior defensive end Jordan Lolohea was a monster for the Leopards, recording multiple sacks and bringing constant pressure all night long.
"It's not just me, it's my whole d-line," Lolohea said. "My interior guys take up the blocks and make it easy."
Currently the 10th-ranked recruit in the state, Lolohea said he's currently talking to Utah, Washington, Washington State and BYU. His recruitment is still open for the time being, and he likely won't start making decisions about his future until after the season ends.
The defending state champions in 4A, East next travels to Concord, California to face storied De La Salle High, the 21st-ranked team in the nation and fourth-ranked team in the state of California. De La Salle is the alma mater of storied NFL athletes past and present, including Maurice Jones-Drew, Amani Toomer, T.J. Ward and D.J. Williams. Stephen Lindsey is a student at the University of Utah currently working as an intern with KSL.com in Salt Lake City. Contact him at th3sl3@gmail.com or interact via his twitter handle, @th3sl3
