Colonels win district opener vs
Bayou
By Watson Cook
For the third straight week, the
IA Colonels used a potent rushing attack to wear down an opponent. Ashton
Knight, Michael Sykes, and Dalton Sykes each rushed for over 100 yards as the
Colonels topped Bayou Academy 48-21 Friday night in Cleveland in the district
opener for both teams.
The Colonels took the opening
kick and drove 63 yards on 11 plays. Ashton Knight put IA on the board at the
7:37 mark in the first quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run, his first of four
on the night. Wheeler Timbs added the PAT to give the Colonels a 7-0 lead.
Chandler Danna then recovered a
Colt fumble on Bayou’s third play from scrimmage and the Colonels took over at
the Colt 41. Five plays later, Knight punched it in again, this time from 10
yards out. Timbs added the PAT to put IA up 14-0 with 4:37 to play in the
quarter.
Two plays into Bayou’s next
drive, Carey Marshall picked off a Colt pass at midfield and returned it to the
Bayou 47. The Colonels needed only one play for Jonathan Holland to connect
with a wide open Hunter Vance on a 47-yard strike to extend the Colonel lead to
20-0 (missed PAT).
Much to their credit, the Colts
did not go away. After converting on a fake punt, the Colts used a reverse to
set up a 23-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Kitchings to Weber Herbison.
Herbison added the PAT to cut the Colonel lead to 20-7 with 1:30 to play in the
quarter.
The Colonels, following a Bayou
punt, started their first possession of the second quarter at their own 13.
With 7:25 to play before halftime, Michael Sykes capped a 12-play, 87-yard
drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. Will Lang added the PAT to give the
Colonels a 27-7 lead.
Bayou answered on their next
drive as Kitchings threw his second touchdown pass, this one to Davis Dalton on
a 32-yard screen pass. Herbison added the PAT to bring the Colts within 13
points of the Colonels. Fortunately for IA, that would be as close as the Colts
would get as Knight struck again on the following Colonel drive with a 10-yard
touchdown run at the 3:32 mark to cap a 7-play, 65-yard drive. Lang added the
PAT to give IA a 20-point lead, 34-14.
Dalton Sykes (pictured below, #23) put
an exclamation point on the first half after the Colonel defense forced the
third Bayou punt of the half. Sykes ended a 3-play, 68-yard drive with a 4-yard
touchdown run with just over a minute remaining in the half. Michael Sykes
added the 2-point run to give the Colonels a 42-14 cushion at halftime.
After combining for 56 points in
the first half, the Colonels and Colts managed only a touchdown apiece in the
second half. Knight provided the score for IA with a 3-yard touchdown run on
the Colonels’ first drive of the third quarter. His fourth touchdown of the
night gave the Colonels a 48-14 lead (missed PAT). The Colts put their final
points on the board in the fourth quarter on a John Thomas Davis touchdown pass
to Herbison (Herbison PAT).
The Colonels improved to 3-0
(1-0) with the win. Winona Christian comes to Indianola next Friday for a
battle of 3-0 teams. The Stars have notched wins over JZ George, Immanuel
Christian, and Kirk Academy. Kickoff from Legion Field is set for 7:00.
.
Photo by Theresa Spealman