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Tritons take long road trip

FORT SCOTT, Kan. — The Iowa Central football team will make the final long bus ride of the season Saturday, traveling nearly six hours to play Fort Scott.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Frary Field.

The Tritons (5-5 overall) had their two-game win streak snapped by No. 15 Independence last weekend inside Dodger Stadium, 31-20. After falling behind 21-0, they rallied to make it a one-point game before the Pirates added 10 late points to seal the victory.

“We had a real solid week of practice,” ICCC head coach Jesse Montalto said. “We’re still looking for the kids that are 100 percent in and want to do it the right way. Those are the kids that are going to travel and going to play.

“We’ve got two more chances here for them to improve their recruiting and get more film. For the younger ones, it is a chance for them to show out and give us a glimpse of what they can do next year.”

DJ Irons completed 16 of 28 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, with Tanarious Achan hauling in both scores. Achan had five catches, as Jatoviay Hill, Terrell Carey and Rashad Witty each finished with three.

Irons is completing almost 62 percent of his passes for 1,562 yards and a 16-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio on the year. He has a quarterback rating of 181.2, which ranks second in the nation.

Achan leads the team with 46 catches for 673 yards and seven touchdowns, followed by Witty, who has 23 for 359. Carey has five touchdowns and Kurt Taylor has a team-high 682 yards on the ground.

On Friday, Iowa Central did a walkthrough at Kansas University. Montalto says it is another great chance for the program and players.

“They get to see what a Div. I school looks like,” Montalto said. “We usually do it every road game. We’ve done it at Nebraska, Kansas and Kansas State. If those coaches are on campus, it’s a chance for them to see our kids up close.”

Daquan Cross anchors the Triton defense with 65 tackles, including five for loss. Nathan Proctor and Brandt Casey each had three sacks, and as a collective unit, they have 16 turnovers.

Iowa Central is 2-4 against teams from the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference this season after going 5-3 a year ago.

They did clinch the ICCAC regular season crown with a 51-6 victory over Ellsworth, securing a spot in the featured game at the Graphic Edge Bowl on Dec. 8.

On the year, Iowa Central is 4-1 against unranked teams and 1-4 vs. ranked ones. The Tritons won last year, 43-9, with Fort Scott winning the previous four.

“This is the most talented Fort Scott team we’ve seen in a long time,” Montalto said. “They have the best receivers in their conference and the best quarterback play. They are even better on defense, which was an area they struggled in before.”

The Greyhounds (4-4) are coached by former Kansas quarterback Kale Pick, who is in his third season. They are coming off back-to-back losses to No. 6 Butler, 10-7, and 11th-rated Iowa Western, 31-10.

Sophomores Rayvon Bartlett Jr. and Carlos Davis have comibned to throw for just under 1,600 yards with seven touchdowns. John Oliver leads the ground unit with 500 yards, while Jon Jiles has a team-leading 50 receptions for 775 yards and five TDs.

On defense, the Greyhounds have picked off 11 passes and recovered four fumbles. Khyree Jackson has three interceptions to lead the way.

Fort Scott started the year 3-1 with wins over 17th-ranked Highland, Coffeyville and Independence around a loss to No. 4 Hutchinson. They are just 1-3 over the last four.

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