Photo Courtesy of Tim Verghese @TimVerghese
Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
The Independence Pirates decimated the Fort Scott Greyhounds, 63-2, in an emphatic victory to kick off the Jayhawk Conference Playoffs. The Pirates entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Jayhawk Conference tournament and, with the win, moved up to a No. 5 NJCAA national ranking.
Indy jumped on Fort Scott early, as the defense forced a three-and-out to begin the game. The Pirates' offense then methodically drove the ball on a sustained 12-play, 85-yard drive to strike first and set the tone for the entire day.
"Great team victory on Sunday," Indy Pirates Head Football Coach Jason Martin said. "The crowd provided energy that got us going in the first half. I hope we have this big of a turnout with more energy this coming weekend."
The ICC offense proved to be incredibly balanced, rolling up 674 total yards, distributed evenly with 350 yards passing and 324 yards rushing. Starting quarterback Tyriq Starks led the air assault, going 17-of-23 for 270 yards and three touchdowns.
His top target for the day was Willie Brantley who had five catches for 78 yards. Wide receiver Jordan Le'Det had a game-best 52-yard reception which he took to the house for a touchdown. Other top receivers were Jaikobee Gamble and Geivonnii Williams who each had 40 yards on four and two catches, respectively.
A total of 13 targets caught passes in the game for the Pirates, further showcasing the balance of the offense. Other receiving touchdowns were scored by Almount Smith, Nate Damron, and James Djonkam.
In the ground game, Tytrayon Lewis led all rushers with 111 yards and one touchdown on only four carries, averaging a whopping 27.8 yards per touch. Starks gained 78 yards with his feet on 12 carries. Other top rushers were Patrick Bowen who had a touchdown on 53 yards, and Jared Martino who had two touchdowns on 35 yards.
On the other side of the ball, the Indy D-Block shut out the Fort Scott offense for four-straight quarters, as the Greyhounds' lone two points came off a defensive safety. Fort Scott struggled to get the ball moving and only mustered 129 yards of total offense for the day.
The D-Block also notched three take-aways, as Carlin Vigers snagged an interception while Kuma Scanlan and Wallace Melton both recovered fumbles. The overmatched Greyhounds were constantly swarmed by the Pirates, taking 13 tackles for a loss.
Indy defensive leaders were Amipeleasi Fifita who had a game-high eight tackles. Other standouts included three players who each five tackles including Xavier Morrow, Tra Thomas, and Malachi Bailey. Morrow also had a forced fumble.
The victory sets up a semi-final showdown with the Hutchinson Blue Dragons. The Pirates defeated Hutch on the road earlier this season in a thriller that came down to the final seconds.
"Hutch is the best two-loss team in the nation," Coach Martin said. "We have to bring our 'A' game for at least 60 minutes."
Game time is set for this Sunday, November 14, at 1:00PM CT on Emmot Field at Shulthis Stadium. The winner will play in the Jayhawk Conference Championship game against the winner of Garden City and Butler. Sunday's game between the Pirates and Blue Dragons will be live-streamed online here: https://www.kjcccsports.net/iccpirates/