Colonels get much-needed rest after 61-21 pounding from GCS
The Greenville Christian School Saints football team fields a talented group of players.
As mentioned in last week’s game preview, the 2020 Saints squad has several athletes who last season appeared on the rosters of multiple high schools across the Delta region.
The cancellation of fall sports activities throughout the region’s public schools led many players to transfer to Mississippi Association of Independent Schools affiliated programs, and GCS wasted little time in picking up several of these athletes, including Greenwood Division I prospect Deandre Smith.
Smith put on an impressive show as GCS’s quarterback during the Saints’ 61-21 victory over the Colonels on Friday night.
Smith’s performance and the entire game, however, were marred by rising tensions between the two sidelines late in the game.
Two things fueled the barbs traded between the two teams and their fans on Friday night.
One was that the game was rife with consistently undisciplined play by the Saints, which by game’s end had 19 penalty flags thrown against them.
The other was the decision by the GCS coaching staff to leave their powerful starting core of players in the game, in spite of the mounting lead over the Colonels late in the fourth quarter and the fact that IA was subbing its own starters.
One of those IA subs, Nolan Nichols, ended up being airlifted to Jackson’s University of Mississippi Medical Center after a vicious fourth quarter hit ended both the game and Nichols’ season.
Among that bevy of penalties levied against the Saints were six personal fouls, one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and one excessive celebration penalty.
The Colonels, who had kept the score relatively close the first two quarters, could not keep up with the high-powered offense of the Saints during the second half.
“I was proud of our kids. They competed well. They gave great effort and they never gave in,” said IA Head Coach Tommy Nester. “All we can do is bounce back this week.”
The Colonels should be turning their attention to Canton Academy for the final regular season game, but Canton announced Wednesday that the Panthers would not be able to take the field on Friday night due to COVID-19.
Canton will not be charged with a loss, but IA will pick up the win to finish the season 6-4.
In the throes of a three-game losing streak, last Friday night the 4A member Panthers dropped a 43-21 to defending 4A champion Riverfield (LA) Academy.
In last season’s meeting, IA recorded a 33-7 victory at Canton Academy. The loss added to the 2-9 record the Panthers earned during their 2019 campaign.
Historically, IA now owns a 14-2 series advantage over Canton Academy.
Despite IA’s final score in last Friday’s clash with Greenville Christian School, the contest was competitive throughout the first half of play.
Only down by a 24-21 margin with 4:04 remaining in the second quarter, the Colonels were stung by a GCS kickoff return for a touchdown.
The next score was a GCS punt return for a TD early in the third period. The big plays aided the Saints in gaining the separation they needed to take over the contest.
Meanwhile, the game was ultimately ended by the officials with just over two minutes remaining on the running clock.
As mentioned above, this early end to the game was prompted by a sequence of events which began over two minutes earlier.
With the Saints owning a 54-21 lead and members of IA’s second and third team defense on the field midway through the fourth period, the GCS coaches chose to keep their touted prospect Smith (quarterback) and other offensive starters on the field.
Smith, well-deserving of his recruitment stature, struck for a 54-yard touchdown pass two plays later.
Tempers began to rise higher on the ensuing kickoff when IA’s Leland Selby was hit late while going out of bounds, drawing another personal foul penalty for the Saints.
It was on the very next play that GCS was charged with targeting Nichols, the IA running back, in the head during a tackle, although the hit did not appear to be intentional.
With tensions reaching new levels, the officials declared the game over as an ambulance was dispatched to take Nichols off the field.
Nichols’ injury was severe enough that he was eventually airlifted to Jackson for an overnight stay. Although his season is likely over, Nichols received a positive prognosis concerning his head and neck injuries.
All of IA’s scoring was recorded in the first half of the game and quarterback Cole Farrell had a hand in all three touchdowns.
Using a pair of long play-action passes to put points on the board, Farrell’s first touchdown pass of the night covered 64 yards. It was Selby nabbing the pass and then outrunning the defenders to the end zone.
The TD cut the Saints first period lead to a 16-7 margin.
Two plays into the second quarter, Farrell then found tight end Grant Coleman behind the defense and the senior’s catch and run covered the 71 yards for the score.
The Colonels would later cut the Saints’ lead to a 24-21 margin following a Conner Roncali pass interception which gave IA the ball at the GCS 23-yard line.
Two plays later Farrell followed his line for a two-yard scoring plunge.
Wade Lang then kicked his third PAT of the game to end the Colonels’ scoring in this contest.
Offensively, the Colonels ground game was to 52 yards on 21 carries.
Ashton Powell picked up 49 of those yards during his nine carries into the line.
Through the air, Farrell completed eight of his 16 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Selby and Coleman hauled in three passes apiece to collect 91 and 73 yards respectively.
Defensively, the Colonels were paced by Powell’s two solo, five assist night of play.
Also turning in an active night with one solo and eight assists was Connor Moore.
In addition to Roncali’s pass interception, Brandon Brown also picked off a Saints pass early in the contest.
