One football team will earn its’ first victory of the young season this Friday night on Legion Field.
For at 7 p.m. that day, the Indianola Academy Colonels and the Delta Streets Academy Lions from Greenwood will settle the matter.
Both squads enter the game with a 0-2 record and according to IA Head Coach Tommy Nester “They have some nice athletes and we are going to have to execute better to beat them.”
Last Friday night in Clarksdale, the Colonels dropped a 35-7 decision to the Colts of Lee Academy.
Meanwhile, the Lions also come into this non-district contest winless after absorbing a 40-6 loss to Washington School of Greenville.
The Greenwood school opened their 2022 campaign three weeks ago with a 41-0 drubbing at the hands of Clinton Christian Academy.
This Friday’s contest is historically only the second meeting between these two football programs.
Last year, the Colonels earned a 48-7 victory; a loss that the Lions would no doubt like to avenge.
In IA’s recent road loss to Lee Academy, the game was scoreless until almost midway through the second period when the wheels came off for the Colonels.
Using big plays through the air and ground, the Colts struck quickly to take a 14-0 lead.
The IA offense answered, however, and the response began withrunning back Conner Roncali taking the snap out of the wildcat formation.
Attacking quickly, the senior spun his way through the first level of the Colts’ defense and then raced to what would be a 65 yard touchdown run.
Unfortunately, this would be the only score of the night for the Colonels as a 21-7 halftime deficit mushroomed into the 35-7 final score.
Offensively in this game, Roncali’s 213 yards on 22 rushing attempts accounted for nearly all of IA’s 235 total yards earned on the ground.
Through the air, quarterback Lawson Zepponi completed seven of his 14 attempts for 58 yards.
E.J. Hall’s three receptions for 20 yards and Roncali’s two catches for 21 yards led the receiving corps’ efforts.
Defensively, Abel Williamson’s four solo tackles and two assistnight of play led the IA resistance.
Also active and close behind with two solos and seven assists was Hayes Fleming.
Additionally, Beck Beckham and Parker Lovett recorded one solo tackle and five assists apiece.
