They are finding ways to win football games.
Scoring twice within the final 10 minutes of last Friday night’s game, the now 5-4 Indianola Academy squad claimed a 26-14 come-from-behind victory over now 4-5 Greenville Christian School.
In earning this hard-fought, third consecutive victory, the Colonels used a bend-but-don’t-break defense and two late-game touchdowns by Woods Toler; one from each side of the line of scrimmage.
With IA down by a 14-13 margin almost a third of the way through the fourth quarter, Toler would pick off a Saints pass which was hurried by the rushing pressure of Houstin Danna.
Toler would then take the interception the opposite direction 75 yards for the game-clinching, go-ahead win. Toler would also add a rushing touchdown moments later to give the Colonels their final lead of the game.
“We played hard all four quarters of the game against a good football team,” noted IA Head Coach Tommy Nester. “Our defense kept us in the game and the kids kept battling. It was a good win.”
Now turning their focus to this Friday night, the Colonels will wrap up their regular season schedule with an important trip to Canton Academy.
With seeding for the November 1 opening game of the 3A playoffs to be possibly affected by this week’s 7 p.m. contest, the Colonels will take the field against a Canton Academy squad, which owns a 2-7 record.
The 4A member Panthers’ pair of victories have been earned over East Rankin Academy and Winston Academy of Louisville.
Historically, it has been 10 years since IA and Canton Academy last met on a football field.
In last Friday’s win over 3A member Greenville Christian School, the Colonels scored on their first possession of the game when Ashton Powell followed a 49 yard run from scrimmage with a one yard touchdown run.
Spencer Roberson then kicked the first of his two successful PAT attempts to give IA a 7-0 lead.
Although the Saints knotted the game at seven apiece with 5:17 left in the first half of play, a John Luther Selby pass interception late in the second quarter gave the Colonels possession at the GCS 15 yard line.
Four plays later Leland Selby turned a last second option pitch from quarterback Thomas Putnam into a three yard scoring run.
However, the Colonels’ 13-7 halftime lead disappeared early in the third period following an IA turnover and a Saints seven yard scoring run five plays later.
This 14-13 GCS lead stood until those final 10 minutes of the game.
Following Toler’s interception return for a touchdown, the running back scored again just over three minutes later.
Completing a three-play, 47-yard drive, Toler skirted the left side of the IA offensive line and raced 25 yards untouched into the end zone.
With 6:17 remaining to play, the IA defense stood firm in denying the end zone to the Saints as the game moved to its final conclusion.
Offensively, the Colonels only ran 31 plays in this game and 23 of those efforts generated 124 yards of rushing.
Leading this part of the offense was Powell, whose nine carries picked up 84 yards.
Through the air, Putnam’s three completions netted 30 yards and Grant Coleman’s catch covered 15 yards.
Toler and Leland Selby also gathered in one pass apiece which contributed 10 and five yards respectively.
Defensively, the Colonels were strong against the GCS run game. The Saints were only able to accumulate 71 yards on their 32 rushes into the line.
However, after filling the air with 45 passes, the Saints completed 24 of those attempts for another 217 yards of offense.
Pacing IA’s resistance in this game was Brandon Kimble with eight solo tackles, four assists, and a sack.
Also turning in a very productive night was Walker Zepponi with seven solos and five assists.
Rounding out the defensive leaders were Spencer Roberson (7 solos, 1 assist), Brayden Brown (6 solos, 4 assists), and Grant Coleman (four solos, nine assists, sack).
