For the Indianola Academy football team, there are multiple tasks to be accomplished this Friday night.
Included in that to-do list is snapping a two game losing streak, evening their District 2-3A record to a 2-2 mark, and providing a victory over Benton Academy to the Homecoming night being celebrated on Legion Field.
Now 2-4, 1-2 on the year, the Colonels will welcome a Raiders team to Legion Field which brings a 2-5, 0-3 record to town.
Despite their record, according to IA Head Coach Tommy Nester, “They are not a bad football team. They have some good players which we will need a good effort given to contain. Size-wise, they are comparable in size to us.”
The Raiders are also coming into this week’s contest hungry for a win as they are currently mired in a five game losing streak. This streak has occurred after the Benton Academy squad opened their 2019 season with a pair of victories.
Most recently last week, a 36-21 district loss to Central Holmes Christian School of Lexington was suffered by the Raiders.
Historically, Indianola Academy and Benton Academy have not met on a football field since the 1999 season and IA owns a 2-0 series advantage over the Raiders.
Meanwhile, in their own game last Friday night at Legion Field, the Colonels were handed a 45-13 loss by the now 5-1 Carroll Academy Rebels.
Ranked No. 3 among all 3A teams, the Rebels’ ground game ate up yardage and the clock as they built upon their 16-0 halftime lead in the second half of the game.
Finding offensive success difficult against the Carroll Academy defense, the Colonels initially reached the end zone late in the third period following a 65 yard drive.
This long drive began with a pair of back-to-back 16 yard runs by Thomas Putnam and Walker Zepponi.
Two plays later Cole Ferrell then hit Grant Coleman with a 26 yard pass completion to take the football to the Rebels’ seven yard line.
Woods Toler then did the scoring honors on the next play, and along with Spencer Roberson’s PAT kick cut the Colonels’ deficit to a 32-7 margin.
Although the Rebels would score one final time, a 34 yard TD touch pass from Ferrell to John Reece Jackson as game-time expired gave the Colonels their final points of the evening.
Offensively in this game, the Colonels ground game produced 95 yards on 20 rushes while Putnam and Ferrell combined to complete seven passes for 82 yards.
Defensively, IA was led by Grant Coleman’s strong six solo, seven assist night of play.
Also turning in a noteworthy performance was Houstin Danna (7 solos, 2 assists) while Brayden Kimble and Roberson completed their night’s play with four solos and five assists apiece.
