Photos Courtesy of Nick Dailey (@IDRSports)

Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann

The Independence Pirates continued their pursuit of perfection Saturday, stunning the Hutchinson Blue Dragons, 33-28. A late second-half rally lifted the Pirates to victory after falling behind in the first half and trailing 21-7 at halftime. Still behind 28-26 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Indy quarterback Tyriq Starks threw a strike to receiver Deontay Wilson, who subsequently broke tackles and eluded multiple defenders on a heroic 53-yard touchdown dash. 

"What a game to be a part of," said Indy Head Football Coach Jason Martin. "Our coaching staff did a wonderful job preparing for the week." 

The Blue Dragons shot ahead early in the contest, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter. During that early offensive onslaught by Hutch, the Indy offense also found the end zone once, following a short punt by the Blue Dragons that set the Pirates up near midfield. ICC quarterback RJ Walker threw a completion to Wilson and then a 30-yard touchdown pass to Malik Mullins on a two-play, 19-second drive that quickly covered 57 yards and kept the Pirates in contention. 

However, aside from that lone scoring drive, the Indy offense struggled to gain momentum moving the ball for most of the first half. A scoreless second quarter by both teams kept Hutch in the driver seat, as the Pirates' coaching staff looked to make some halftime adjustments. 

Among these key adjustments was a quarterback substitution in the third quarter to Starks, who made plays both on the ground and through the air. A five-play, 60-yard drive in which Starks connected with Wilson in the third period cut the lead to 21-14. 

The Hutch offense responded with a touchdown of their own, once again making it a two-score game. Ultimately, it would be their final scoring drive of the day, as the Indy defense clamped down and paved the way for a shocking rally. 

ICC kicker Brandon Gielow hit 28-yard and 22-yard fields goals in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to help narrow the lead. In what became a common occurrence in the second half, Starks found Wilson on another touchdown pass that helped set the table for the final sequence. 

The Pirates defense held late in the fourth, forcing a Blue Dragons punt, which landed the Indy offense on their own 24-yard line with :49 seconds remaining in what seemed like a nearly impossible situation. Starks methodically led the offense near midfield with his legs and arm, before finding Wilson on the game-winning play that silenced the crowd in Hutchinson, Kansas. 

"We still have a lot of room for improvement and opportunities to get better," Coach Martin said following the dramatic win. 

Top defensive performers were James Djonkam who notched nine tackles, Jeffrey M'ba with eight, and Isaiah Major and Malachi Bailey who both had six. The Pirates defense continued their streak of creating take-aways, as Djonkam also forced a fumble. Cervontes White and Wallace Melton both recorded interceptions as well. 

Indy now turns its attention to Dodge City. The Pirates look to improve to 7-0 when they host the Conquistadors this Saturday. "We are looking forward to playing Dodge City and then getting a bye week, before we start the second half of the season," Coach Martin said. 

Kick-off is scheduled for 5:00PM CT on Emmot Field at Shulthis Stadium. The livestream can be viewed here: https://www.kjcccsports.net/ICCPirates/