LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Football season will soon be underway, and state championships are the standard for Pulaski Academy football.
Up until last season, the Bruins had won four championships in a row. However, in 2023, their quest for a fifth straight win fell short in the state semifinals.
Now, it's a new year and a new division into the top classification in Arkansas football— class 7A.
Head Coach Anthony Lucas is entering his fourth season and is someone who understands the assignment.
"We're at the top of the food chain," Coach Lucas said.
However, for his players, "expectations don't change," as senior quarterback Brandon Cobb put it.
Senior lineman Peyton Adams explained how he has heard the haters on the defensive side of the ball.
"Obviously, being in 5A, 6A and winning a lot you hear 'you don't play competition - come do it in 7A'. So that's what we're planning on doing," Adams described.
Class 7A is certainly not an easy challenge with the likes of Bryant and Conway now in the way of PA, but the Bruins are using the way last year ended as motivation.
"This team right here was hurt. The juniors here, they were hurt after last year losing the semi-finals to Greenwood, "Coach Lucas said.
"Seeing the looks on their faces and knowing how it made me feel just isn't a feeling I would wish upon anybody. And I think that motivates our guys more than anything," Cobb added.
The 56-26 loss in the state semis certainly struck a chord with the Bruins. However, Coach Lucas felt it was time for some changes.
"I wanted a whole different shift in the program because the things we did last year didn't work," Coach Lucas said "So I stood up and I said this, 'we're going to change a lot of this, a lot of things."
As for what those changes will be, nothing is set in stone yet.
"We don't exactly know what yet, but [it] shows how much he cares about us and wants us to be great," Cobb described.
However, no matter the classification or the way last year ended, Lucas still has one goal for his team.
"Our goal is to get our kids ready to compete on Friday nights and to get back to War Memorial in December. That's it," Coach Lucas said.
The PA Bruins will kick off their season on Friday, August 30, 2024, in a non-conference game against Joe T. Robinson.