Winona Christian School and Kirk Academy have played each other 17 times over the history of the two schools.
Friday night’s game has a new twist to the contest centering around the coaching matchup between Ashley Kuhn of Winona Christian and Justin Purvis of Kirk. Kuhn is in his third season at the school – second as head coach. Purvis came over from Grenada High School after serving as an assistant for six seasons – four of which were under Kuhn, who retired three years ago after 12 years at GHS.
Now, the two coaches will be on opposite sidelines as the two schools – separated by 25 miles –fight for valuable power points in the race for a spot in either the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class AA, Division 1 or Division 2 Playoffs. The Top 4 power point averages will compete in the Division 1 Playoffs, while seeds 5-12, will play for the Division 2 championship.
Both coaches have tremendous respect for each other.
“I think Justin has done a really good at Kirk,” Kuhn said. “He was on my staff at Grenada as offensive line coach and then he took over as our offensive coordinator. They do a lot of the same things that we did at Grenada, which is no surprise.”
Purvis said that he is grateful for the opportunity that Kuhn gave him at Grenada High School, but the focus will be on the game, not the sidelines.
“I enjoyed my time coaching with Ashley at Grenada – we talk most every week and are good friends,” Purvis said. “But the focus will be more on the game than the coaches on the sideline.”
The Raiders (3-3) are led by senior running back Gage Vance, who leads the Raiders with 107 rushes for 870 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with one touchdown reception. Classmate and quarterback Linton Carson is 35-of-63 for 501 yards and eight touchdowns, while running for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
“Vance is a guy that you have to contain because he can run,” Kuhn said. “The quarterback seems to be playing with confidence. He is getting better every week and is a threat to run the ball.”
Defensively, seniors Hayes Horan and Hayden Baker have led the way. Sophomore linebacker Jett Lewis has been solid.
Winona Christian is 5-2 on the season, following last week’s 42-6 win over Carroll Academy. The Stars are led by senior running back Will Irwin, who has rushed 130 times for 896 yards and scored 16 touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Zack Bledsoe has shown consistent improvement under center. Through seven games, he is 45-of-73 for 729 yards and 10 touchdowns. His leading receiver is Johnny Greene, who has 21 receptions and four touchdowns.
“Winona Christian is a solid football team and the second-best team we have played this season,” Purvis concluded. “They have a solid running back and a young quarterback that has gotten better. Their top receiver is a big-play threat and will be the fastest player on the field.”
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Grenada
