Photos Courtesy of Nick Dailey (@IDRSports)
Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
Last Saturday, an explosive offense carried Indy Football to a dominant 68-10 victory over Highland. ICC controlled the game from start to finish, rolling up 790 total offensive yards and 36 first downs, more than quadrupling their opponents’ offensive production.
“We were able to capture the momentum early and hold on to it the entire game,” Indy Pirates Head Coach Jason Martin said. “You need attention to detail like that for four quarters to be a championship team.”
Against the Scotties, the Pirates struck first on a three-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive lineman Christopher Welch. Five minutes later, running back Reginald Williams ignited the offense on a one-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Brock Domann then completed the first quarter with two more scores on a 27-yard run and a subsequent 10-yard pass, helping ICC to an early 26-0 lead.
The offensive onslaught continued largely behind the legs of running back Pat Bowen, who rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Bowen averaged 19.5 yards per touch and was awarded NJCAA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
“Pat Bowen did a great job when we put the ball in his hands, which led to some explosive touchdowns,” Indy Offensive Coordinator Alex “Bear” Farah said. “It was great to fix the mistakes we made the week before and get back on track in the Highland win.”
At the quarterback position, Domann finished the game 12 of 18 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Backup Tyriq Starks went 8 of 12 for 148 yards and one touchdown.
“They operated the offense really well,” Coach Farah said. “It was the best game all year at the quarterback position for us.”
The #DreamU Pirates now ready themselves to host the No. 1 team in the country, as the Hutchinson Blue Dragons visit Shulthis Stadium this Sunday at 7:00PM CT.
Four teams currently hover amid the top of the standings in the Jayhawk Conference, including both Indy and Hutch. The Blue Dragons currently hold the top spot and boast a perfect 3-0 record in conference (4-0 overall), while the Pirates are 3-1 in conference and overall.
A win over Hutch would create a tie for top position and put Indy right back in the title picture.
“We will have to play our best game of the season against Hutch,” Coach Martin said. “They are a talented team with a lot of momentum. It will take four quarters of complementary football and mental toughness to win this football game.”
Statistically, both teams rank at the top of the conference in both offense and defense. In offensive yards per game, Indy ranks first with 518.3, while Hutch ranks second at 408.8. In defensive yards per game, Indy also ranks first holding opponents to 212.5, while Hutch ranks second holding their adversaries to 219.5. Hutch ranks first in scoring defense, restricting teams to 8.8 points per game, while Indy has held foes to 12.0.
With both teams performing at an elite level on both sides of the ball and vying for conference supremacy, Sunday night’s showdown is set to be one of the most important games of the season.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s the No. 1 team in the nation or a winless team,” Coach Farah said. “Our mindset is to keep the focus on us and perfect what we do.”