Can they make it three wins in a row?
The answer to that question will be answered tonight on Legion Field when the Indianola Academy Colonels football team takes on Lee Academy of Clarksdale.
With kickoff set for 7 p.m., the now 2-3 Colonels will battle the 3-2 Colts of Lee Academy in the final non-conference game of the season.
The Colonels picked up their second win of the season last Friday night in Yazoo City where they defeated Manchester Academy (0-4) by a 40-13 margin.
Meanwhile, that same night, Lee Academy handed Carroll Academy (3-2) a 40-6 pummeling.
Per IA Head Coach Tommy Nester, Lee Academy, “as always, plays a very physical brand of football and they have a good tailback we will have to contain. It will be another challenge for us.”
With only one common opponent played thus far this season, both IA and Lee Academy defeated West Memphis Christian School by near-identical scores.
IA earned a 35-14 decision over the Arkansas school while the Colts prevailed by a 37-16 margin over the Black Knights.
Meanwhile, tonight’s battle with Lee Academy also continues IA’s longest-running series. This upcoming contest marks the 55th time these two football programs will compete against each other.
Lee Academy owns a 28-26 series advantage over IA. Last year’s game resulted in a 49-7 loss to the Colts, who currently own a three-game win streak over the Colonels.
That 2024 victory over IA also helped Lee Academy to amass a 4-6 record while on their way to a second-round loss in the playoffs.
In last week’s win over Manchester Academy, the Colonels used big plays on offense and defense to help accumulate their point total.
The scoring began on IA’s first drive of the game and ended when quarterback Patrick Davis connected with Graham Howard on a 20-yard scoring pass.
Opportunity quickly came IA’s way again after BJ Thomas recovered a Mavericks’ fumble on the Manchester Academy 14-yard line.
Davis completed the short drive with a 1-yard scoring plunge and the sophomore followed with the second of his four successful PAT kicks.
However, the Mavericks responded with their first touchdown of the season moments later. Following their 35-yard scoring pass, the first period ended with IA nursing a 14-6 lead.
That narrow deficit would be as close as the Mavericks would get to the Colonels in this game. For the Colonels would reel off three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter to effectively put the game away.
For by the time halftime arrived, IA was up by a 34-6 margin.
The Colonels began their second period scoring spree with running back Ty Killebrew doing the honors.
The junior found a hole on the right side of the line of scrimmage and then raced 95 yards down the IA sideline for the touchdown.
Almost midway through the second quarter, the Colonels struck again with a big play.
On this occasion, Davis and wide receiver Levi Williamson collaborated on a 67-yard touchdown pass play.
The Colonels would then once again take advantage of a Mavericks miscue after Guy Robinson fell on another Manchester Academy fumble on their own 4-yard line.
Two plays later Killebrew scored from two yards out to give the Colonels their halftime lead.
IA’s final score of the night occurred when Graham Howard picked off a Mavericks pass and sprinted 30 yards to the end zone.
Offensively in this game, Killebrew finished his night’s play having rushed 13 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile Davis had a hand in three of IA’s touchdowns in this game from his quarterback position.
In addition to completing four of his five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, the sophomore rushed six times for 66 yards and a touchdown.
While Williamson’s two pass receptions yielded 67 yards and a touchdown,
Graham Howard scored one of his two touchdowns this night on offense as his two catches netted a total of 31 yards.
Defensively, Carson Miller paced the IA defense with 11 tackles while four of his teammates completed the night with seven tackles apiece.
Howard added a pick-six touchdown to his seven tackles earned while Blayne Fleming, Matthew Gary, and Robinson also recorded their seven tackles, each while on defense.
