Photos Courtesy of Nick Dailey (@IDRSports)
Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
The stage is set for a historic Montgomery County classic.
The Independence Pirates improved to a perfect 7-0, crushing the Conquistadors of Dodge City in a mostly one-sided contest last Saturday. After a close first quarter, Indy dominated Dodge in a 47-17 blowout win. The victory creates a possible showdown between undefeated Montgomery County teams, as the Pirates host Coffeyville to cap off Neewollah celebrations on October 31. The Red Ravens must defeat Garden City this weekend to remain undefeated, while the Pirates have a bye week.
"I'm excited about the direction of our team," Indy Head Football Coach Jason Martin said. "We were able to have a lot of players gain some experience (against Dodge) that we will benefit from in the future. This bye week allows us time to rest up and get ready."
On Saturday, the Conquistadors struggled to slow down the Pirates' offense, as Indy rolled up 554 total offensive yards. The ICC attack was very balanced, with 263 yards through the air and 291 yards on the ground.
The Pirates utilized multiple running backs who each had big games. Tytrayon Lewis had a game-best 112 total yards and two touchdowns on seven rushes. Trailing him were Rakendrick Baker with two touchdowns on 88 yards and Patrick Bowen with another touchdown on 82 yards.
Quarterback Tyriq Starks led the air assault with 246 passing yards, going 12 of 18 with two touchdowns. Starks shared the ball with a bevy of receivers, with Malik Mullins leading the way with 87 yards and a touchdown. Other standouts were receivers Tavis Maloy and Willie Brantley who both had three grabs for 55 and 54 yards, respectively.
On the defensive side, the Indy D-Block kept Dodge out of scoring range for most of the day. James Djonkam and Tra Thomas led the charge with eight tackles each. Behind them were Isaiah Major (seven tackles) and Kywon McCray (four). The D-Block combined for one sack and eight tackles for a loss, keeping the Conquistadors on their heels all day.
The Pirates now boast a 6-0 Jayhawk Conference record and will enjoy a bye week while preparing for their cross-county rival Coffeyville. The Red Ravens currently sit at 5-0, having only played conference games this season, and trail only ICC in the standings, with every other conference team having at least two losses.
Last season's game, which occurred this past May, ended with Indy edging out Coffeyville, 19-16, on the road in a dramatic, closely-contested game that came down to the wire. This season's match-up could determine the clear-cut No. 1 team in the Jayhawk Conference and possibly the nation.
"Coffeyville has a great team this year," Coach Martin said. "It's exciting times for Montgomery County."
Kick-off is scheduled for October 31 at 1:00PM CT on Emmot Field at Shulthis Stadium. The game will also be steamed online live here: https://www.kjcccsports.net/iccpirates/