Answering a formidable challenge, the Indianola Academy Colonels delivered an impressive 42-14 victory over Greenville St. Joseph High School last Friday night on Legion Field.
However, the stage is now set for The Game.
And again it will be the AAA’s No.1 ranked Starkville Academy versus the No. 2 ranked Colonels.
However, there is so much more to the story concerning this game to be played at Starkville Academy; a scenario which holds the promise that a high intensity 7 p.m. contest will occur between this pair of 2-0 teams.
While IA is taking the field against a defending state champion for the second consecutive week, this week’s football game also offers the Colonels the opportunity to avenge a festering sore.
The last time these two teams met the Volunteers escaped with a hard-fought 21-14 overtime loss in last November’s title game.
However, it will require more than just the pursuit of revenge in order for the Colonels to ease the pain of that bitter loss.
With 14 starters, including nine on defense, back this season the Volunteers appear well-poised to make a serious run at defending their AAA title earned last season.
“Starkville Academy has another outstanding team”, said IA Head Coach Tommy Nester. “They have most of their defense back and offensively they have four good players playing the running back position. They have a new quarterback, but he is good.”
“I expect to see another good team effort out of our kids this week”, noted Coach Nester, “I believe the kids are going to play hard.”
Thus far, Starkville Academy is living up to their 2018 expectations as their own spotless record includes last week’s 25-0 win over public school 1A member French Camp Academy. Two weeks ago the Volunteers opened their new season with a come-from-behind 21-20 win over AAAA member Lamar School of Meridian.
Historically, although IA defeated the Volunteers in their regular season matchup this time last season, Starkville Academy still owns a 6-2 edge in the series.
Meanwhile, last Friday night on Legion Field the Colonels earned their 28 point victory over the defending AA state champion and now 1-1 Fighting Irish of St. Joseph High School.
“It was a good team effort against St. Joe”, observed Coach Nester, “We missed some blocking assignments early on but the kids made corrections and we started to move the ball. Defensively, it took a lot of team effort to corral that group of athletes they had.”
Increasing their home field win streak to 41 games – a string of victories dating back to September 21, 2012 – the Colonels progressively owned the game on both sides of the football.
While the IA offensive line helped generate six touchdowns, the IA defense largely throttled the vaunted Greenville St. Joseph High offensive attack.
Faced with daunting task of slowing down a St. Joe offense featuring a pair of Division 1 running back prospects, the Colonels’ disciplined, swarming defense got the job done.
While the Fighting Irish did accumulate 165 yards rushing in the game, 113 of those yards came on touchdown runs of 46 and 67 yards by St. Joe’s spectacular Dillon Johnson.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the IA offense pounded away and wore down the St. Joe defense.
While executing three drives consisting of eight plays or more and which covered 60 yards or more in the game, the Colonels would initially take a 21-6 lead to the dressing room at halftime.
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Colonels began their scoring early in the second period when a 29 yard run by Stefon Smith was followed one play later by a 26 yard TD run by Wesley Lester.
Spencer Roberson then drilled the first of his six PAT kicks and IA owned a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff Woods Toler recovered a St. Joe fumble to give IA another quick possession.
Beginning from the Irish 39 yard line, quarterback Will Davis later hit wide receiver Randy Kimble with a 17 yard scoring pass to give IA a 14-0 lead midway through the second period.
However, St. Joe answered less than two minutes later when Johnson showed his skills on a 46 yard TD run.
Answering with their own score, the IA offense engineered an eight play, 60 yard drive which ended with DeDe Willis crashing over from six yards out in the closing seconds of the first half.
The Colonels expanded their 21-6 first half lead on the second possession of the third quarter with Lester ending a long drive by rambling through tacklers en route to a 10 yard touchdown run.
Scoring again on the first play of the fourth quarter, IA moved their lead to a 35-6 margin when Davis and wide receiver Thomas Putnam collaborated on a 54 yard touchdown pass.
IA’s final score of the night occurred in the fourth period when Toler followed crushing blocks and sprinted 21 yards for the score.
Defensively on the night, the Colonels’ resistance was led by Lester as his work at linebacker generated five solo tackles and one assist.
While Smith’s work at linebacker registered three solo tackles and five assists, Ashton Powell was close behind with his two solo, six assist night of play.
Additional defensive leaders include Toler (2 solos, 5 assists) and Josh Hill (7 assists).
Picking off an Irish pass apiece in this game were Eli Lipsey and Randy Kimble while Clint Jones and James Hill fell on St. Joe fumbles.
Offensively, the Colonels accumulated 289 yards during 44 rushes into the St. Joe line. Lester’s 85 yards on 15 carries led a pack of six Colonels who rushed for positive yards this night.
Through the air, Davis completed four of his 12 passes for 84 yards. Kimble and Putnam pulled in two passes apiece which picked up a total of 22 and 62 yards respectively.
