Now halfway through the 2017 football season, there remains only two AAA teams in the entire Mississippi Association of Independent Schools which own a spotless record.
However, this Friday night one of those 5-0 teams will be leaving Legion Field having suffered their first loss of the season.
With this Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff, the Indianola Academy Colonels will face the visiting North Delta School Green Wave of Batesville in a District 1AAA match-up. This game also features two teams bringing identical 1-0 district records into the contest.
Entering this important district game after claiming last Friday’s 35-8 Homecoming victory over now 1-4 Kirk Academy of Grenada, the IA squad will take on a North Delta squad which is fresh off a 36-6 decision over Macon Road Baptist School of Memphis that same night.
“North Delta is good”, said IA Coach Tommy Nester, “They have a good offensive line and a big, talented quarterback. They are also a well-coached 5-0 team and I expect both teams to get after it.”
While IA picked up their 19th consecutive win last Friday night, as well as their 35th consecutive home-field victory, the Green Wave comes to Legion Field with a resume filled with lopsided decisions thus far this season.
With an offense averaging over 46 points per game and a defense which has allowed only five touchdowns to date, North Delta has also claimed victories over Lee Academy of Clarksdale and public school members Montgomery County of Kilmichael and Coldwater High School. North Delta School also ventured out of state again to defeat Rossville (Tenn.) Christian School.
Historically, North Delta still owns an 8-7 series edge over the Colonels, although IA does own a four-game win streak over the school from Batesville.
Last season IA prevailed by a 41-12 margin as the Green Wave would move on to a 3-8 season record at the time..
As for last Friday night’s Homecoming victory over Kirk Academy, the Colonels set the tone of the game early by scoring on the game’s first possession.
Requiring only five plays to find the end zone, the Colonels reached paydirt with a T.K. Bolden one-yard run. With William Barrier’s first of five PAT kicks, IA owned a 7-0 lead with less than two minutes gone in the game.
After forcing a Kirk Academy punt, the Colonels scored two plays later when running back Sebastian Harris erupted through a hole provided by his offensive line and the senior sprinted 81 yards to the end zone.
The first quarter ultimately ended with IA up 28-0 following a two yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will Davis to Randy Kimble and four-yard touchdown run by junior Wesley Lester.
The 36-yard drive setting up Lester’s touchdown run was made possible with a fumble recovery by DeDe Willis.
The Colonels scored their final touchdown of the evening midway through the second quarter when Davis and Bolden connected again on a touchdown pass, on this occasion covering five yards.
With many IA players seeing action in this contest, the Raiders’ only score in this game occurred on the second play of the fourth quarter by way of a one-yard run.
Statistically, the Colonels rushed 20 times for 174 yards against Kirk Academy with Harris’ six carries netting 120 of those yards.
Through the air, Davis completed eight of his dozen passes for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Bolden’s five catches netted 96 yards and led all receivers. Defensively, the Colonels allowed only 165 yards of total offense to the Raiders during this night’s play.
Leading that effort was John Luther Selby with one solo tackle and six assists while Alex Tannehill and James Hill added one solo tackle and five assists to the IA efforts.
Also making their presence known was Jack Dodd with six assists and Kimble with five assists.
