Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
Wichita, KS – "These are exciting times," said Jason Martin, Independence Pirates Head Football Coach, as he addressed KJCCC Media Day on Friday afternoon.
Indy was projected with a No. 3 ranking in the preseason KJCCC poll, behind Garden City (No. 2) and Hutchinson (No. 1).
On the horizon for the Fall 2022 season is a scheduling alliance with the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC), a significant amount of turnover on the roster and coaching staff, and the new use of instant replay.
The scheduling alliance has Independence slated to play three Iowa teams in Iowa Central (Away, Aug. 27), Iowa Western (Home, Oct. 1), and Ellsworth (Home, Oct. 22). The match-up against Iowa Central will also serve as the season opener.
The Pirates' conference opener will be played on the road against rival Coffeyville on September 10.
Instant replay will be a unique new part of the Kansas-Iowa football alliance, as the conferences will be the first in the country outside of NCAA Division 1 to use replay at the college level. The rules for sideline and endzone review will follow those outlined in the NCAA rulebook for instant replays.
Looking forward to the season, Coach Martin and his staff are tasked with finding the next generation of Pirates who can take the field and become significant contributors.
"I always say that there's three teams. You have your spring team, your summer team, and your fall team," said Coach Martin. "We're about to evaluate our summer team which has a lot of athletes and talent. But we're looking for individuals who can play as team players."
During the COVID era, in which student-athletes were afforded a third year of JUCO playing eligibility, many teams featured experience and depth never before seen. Now, as teams transition out of that era, a large amount of turnover is expected on the field for most schools, including ICC.
"We have 12 guys returning who lettered," Martin said. "Two of them played a significant amount on offense in (running back) Rakendrick Baker and (offensive lineman) Ta'Chawn Brooks. Anchoring us on the defensive side of the ball will be (linebacker) Xavier Morrow and (defensive end) Will Whitson. On special teams, we have our kicker Wilson Yee back, who I'm very excited about."
Aside from that, a lot of starting positions are yet to be decided. With many players from last season having graduated and moved on to four-year schools, there will be a lot of playing time left up for grabs as the Pirates enter fall camp.
On the coaching staff, there will also be a mixture of familiar faces and newcomers.
Defensive Coordinator Steve McCollom returns to lead the D-Block, which has been crucial to the team's success the past couple seasons. Kurt Landgren, who enters his fourth season with the team, has been promoted to Offensive Coordinator. Chandler Dahlke also returns as Special Teams Coordinator.
New names on the coaching staff include Jeremy Patterson who will be assisting Coach Keith Donerson with the defensive line. David Woods will assist with linebackers. Eric Kurtz will assist in the secondary.
As the fall semester quickly approaches, forging a new identity and chemistry with a blend of new players and coaches will be essential to the Pirates' success.
"There's a lot of question marks and we're excited about it," Martin commented. "Our coaching staff has a big job in front of us. We'll need to identify the guys we want on the field to play."