The Kirk Academy Raiders and the Indianola Academy Colonels are in the middle of history making seasons. For one team, it is good history and the other it is not so good.
Colin Boone’s Raiders are currently 6-0, the best start since 1996, while the Colonels are in unchartered territory, winless for the first time in history.
Despite the disparaging records, Boone knows his team will get its best effort from Indianola Academy.
“We know how good the Indianola program has been in the past,” Boone said. “They are coached by a Hall of Fame coach in Tommy Nester and they are a program that you can’t take for granted no matter what their record is this season. We have to go into the game with the mindset that we are going to have to play hard and good to beat them. It’s a program that is used to winning and plays with a lot of pride. We feel like we will face a team that will be prepared to play us. They are not far off from winning a few games.”
Nester, who is in his 18th season at Indianola Academy, says effort hasn’t been a problem for his team. They have dealt with injuries and have struggled offensively with being consistent.
“Our guys have played hard – it’s just been a tough year with not many numbers (23) and dealing with some injuries,” Nester said. “We haven’t been as consistent with our play on either side of the football.”
Nester, who has coached in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools for 29 years, knows his team will have their hands full with the Raiders.
“Kirk is solid on both sides of the football,” he said. “Coach Boone and his staff have done an excellent job of getting them to where they are today. We are going to have our hands full with them.”
Senior Lawson Zepponi (6-foot-2, 190) leads the Colonels at quarterback. Junior Slaton Helms (6-foot, 230) doubles as a center and a nose guard. Seniors Howie Judson and Walker Perkins are the tandem running backs, who double as a defensive back and linebacker on defense, respectively.
Weston Farmer and Loftin Gary are the seniors on the offensive line. On defense, Farmer plays defensive end, while Gary doubles as a linebacker. Juniors Slaton Helms and Samuel Patterson also play on both the offensive and defensive lines for Indianola Academy.
Kirk is coming off a hard-fought 36-33 win at Carroll Academy last Friday night. The contest was probably the most physical contest of the season with the Raiders losing offensive and defensive linemen Hayden Baker and Riley Reed to injuries that will keep them out of the game tonight.
“We are a banged up football team after the Carroll Academy football game,” Boone said. “It’s going to force us to play some guys without some meaningful snaps on the offensive and defensive lines. We are going to make sure we are prepared to play and will have some new faces out there this week that didn’t play last week. It’s going to be a challenge.”
Sophomores Andy Redwine and Ryan Wei are expected to draw starts on both sides of the football for Kirk Academy. Jay Havens is also scheduled to play some meaningful snaps up front, according to Boone.
Offensively, the Raiders are led by junior Noah Jackson, who has accounted for eight touchdowns rushing, four receiving and one interception for a touchdown. Senior quarterback Carter Hathcock is 53-of-85 for 885 yards, nine touchdowns and only one interception. As a runner, he has 50 rushes for 283 yards and four touchdowns.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday in Indianola.
