Photos Courtesy of Nick Dailey (@IDRSports)
Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
After crushing Fort Scott, 84-0, the No. 7 Independence Pirates football team is returning home to Shulthis Stadium this Saturday for a rivalry game with the No. 3 Garden City Broncbusters in a battle between two Top 10 nationally-ranked teams.
In last week’s outing against the Greyhounds, the Pirates lit up the scoreboard, charging out to a 23-0 lead in the first quarter and taking a 57-0 lead into the half. ICC doubled up Fort Scott in first downs 18 to 9, and the Pirates' offense rolled up 409 total yards to the Greyhounds’ 13.
Fort Scott only mustered 6 yards passing and 7 yards rushing in the entirety of the contest.
“I was proud of how our kids handled themselves,” Indy Pirates Defensive Coordinator Steve McCollom said. “We played hard, fast, and physical.”
On the offensive end, the #DreamU rushing attack again looked unstoppable, featuring four different running backs along with two quarterbacks also making big plays with their feet. Leading the charge was halfback Reginald Williams who tallied 104 yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts. Tavion Thomas, after a breakout performance in week one, was used sparingly, yet still rushed for 10.8 yards per carry and a touchdown, totaling 54 yards on 5 attempts.
Quarterback Brock Domann took off down the field four times on the day, gaining 12.3 yards per carry and a touchdown with 49 total yards on the ground.
The stymying defense along with prolific offensive production from the Pirates helped create a big lead for Indy, which in turn helped the coaches substitute more to gain experience for the entire roster.
“We executed well in all three phases against Fort Scott,” Indy Pirates Head Football Coach Jason Martin said. “We have a relatively young team, so we feel that our program is better now because so many guys got their first taste of college football.”
Indy now turns its attention to this Saturday, April 17, against Garden City, which has started the season 3-0 in three blowout victories. The Broncbusters have yet to be tested, after lopsided wins over Arkansas Baptist, Fort Scott, and Highland. Thus far, Garden City has scored 197 total points to their opponents’ 15.
“We look forward to playing in front of our home crowd,” Coach McCollom said. “The last time we played Garden City, it came down to the very end. We're excited for this opportunity.”
Last season, the Pirates edged out the Broncbusters on the road, 31-28. With home field advantage and a large contingent of Pirate fans in attendance, #DreamU looks to score another big victory over one of its biggest rivals in a game that may determine the conference's best team.
The Independence Pirates won the Jayhawk Conference Championship in 2017 and 2019. In turn, the Garden City Broncbusters won the title in 2016 and 2018, setting the stage this Saturday for a face-off with possible championship implications.
“For the last four football seasons in this conference, Garden City or Independence has won the conference championship,” Coach Martin said. “They are a well-coached team that’s playing well right now. We will have to play our best football to win and we look forward to the challenge.”
Kick-off is schedule for 7:00PM CT at Shulthis Stadium in Independence. Tickets are still available: CLICK HERE