Indianola trumps ND junior high 36-22

By Will Dickins
The North Delta Junior High football team fell to Indianola Thursday night 36-22.
The game was a one score game in the fourth quarter until one fluke play gave Indianola a touchdown.
The goal was to keep it close and be in the game when the fourth quarter came around.  That was accomplished, but the ball did not roll North Delta’s way.
The first half saw North Delta score one touchdown.  It came in the first quarter on a read option from Ryan Gibson.
The run was for 27 yards, and the two-point conversion was thrown from Gibson to Drake Barton in the back of the end zone to bring them to eight.  A quick three scores by the Colonels made it 22-8 at the end of the half.
North Delta came out and played keep away in the third quarter with a 16 play drive, taking 5:49 off the clock. The drive ended with another Gibson touchdown run after he and Jimmy Manues ran the ball for multiple short to medium runs.
A two-point conversion came on another corner route to Barton in back of the end zone. The Green Wave defense struggled for most of the game and could not stop Indianola again as they scored, giving them a 28-16 lead.
The fourth quarter started with a bang. Gibson found an open Barton for a 51-yard pass play to the Indianola eight.
On fourth and eight, with the game on the line, Gibson found Barton once again on a short fade.
North Delta failed to get the two-point conversion leading the score 28-22.
All they needed was a defensive stop to have another chance.
It was second down with eight yards to go when Indianola handed the ball off and Barton met the runner in the backfield for a six-yard loss.
That brought up a long third down with 14 yards to get the first down.  Indianola handed off again and that time a group of Green Wave defenders were there to make the hit.  One of them got a helmet to the football causing a fumble.
In a slow-motion moment, the ball rolled on the ground. No one saw the ball until an Indianola player saw it and scooped it up.
He then ran approximately 38 yards to the end zone for the touchdown. North Delta had made the stop, but the ball did not bounce their way.
Gibson ended the day with a team leading effort. He had 214 rushing yards.  They now play Lee Academy out of Arkansas next Thursday at home.