A new Indianola Academy football season is set to begin.
With a successful football jamboree appearance under their belt, the Colonels will now open their 2020 season this Friday at 7 p.m.
Hitting the road to Bayou Academy in Cleveland, the Colonels will take on a Colts squad which is looking to rebound from the 1-9 record accumulated last season.
“Bayou is big up front with some big backs and will come right at you,” said IA Head Coach Tommy Nester. “They also have a big and good wide receiver we will have to account for. Just like the rest of our schedule, they will be tough. We will have to play well this and every Friday night.”
Members of District 1-5A, the Colts will face a 3A member Colonels squad which is intent on being the sixth consecutive Indianola Academy team to be playing in November for a state championship.
Last season, the Colonels overcame an early-season 2-4 record by claiming seven consecutive victories to reach the 3A state championship game. Once there, they fell to a talented Greenville St. Joseph High School team.
In last year’s season-opening meeting with Bayou Academy, IA prevailed against the Colts by a 21-14 margin. The victory extended the Colonels winning streak over the Cleveland school to 13 games, 10 of which were earned within the last nine seasons.
Upon entering this 31st football game between these two schools, IA owns a 24-5-1 series edge. The last time IA lost a game to Bayou Academy was during the 2001 season.
Meanwhile, last Friday evening the Colonels participated in some pre-season action by way of a jamboree hosted by North Delta School in Batesville.
“I thought the kids played well,” Coach Nester noted. “We tackled well and executed our offense well.”
The Colonels’ initial outing against Marshall Academy of Holly Springs resulted in a 12-6 decision over the Patriots.
Later returning to the field, the IA squad flexed its muscle by posting an 18-0 blanking of the Colts from Lee Academy in Clarksdale.
