On a wet soggy afternoon that turned into evening, the Coffeyville Community College Red Raven football team defeated #20 Iowa Western Reivers 41-20 to even their season's overall record to 2-2.
Initially the football game was scheduled to kickoff at 1:00 pm, however, heavy rain and lightning over Council Bluffs Iowa pushed the start time back until 6:00 pm. The extra five hours of wait time must have really struck a nerve with the Red Ravens. Once the weather cleared, the Red Ravens came out of the locker room, felt their way through the first quarter and then in a three minute span to start the second quarter, decisively took the game and the win. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter until the twelve minute mark of the second quarter, the Red Ravens went from trailing 0-3 to leading the game 28-7.
The flurry of scoring for the Red Ravens was started by freshmen Antwan Barksdale, from Topeka Kansas, with an 8 yard scoring run with 30 seconds left in the first quarter. The extra point by Red Raven kicker Cooper Lee was good and Coffeyville moved into the lead 7-3.
After a quick three and out for Iowa Western, Coffeyville got the ball back by punt in advantageous field position at the Iowa Western 46 yard line. Coffeyville's first play was to hand the ball off to sophomore Maracelus Ware, from St Petersburg Florida, who took the ball and scampered 46 yards for the touchdown. Cooper Lee's extra point was good, and Coffeyville was up 14-3 on Iowa Western.
Iowa Western took the ensuing kickoff and started their drive at their own 21 yard line. Two plays into the drive, Red Raven sophomore linebacker Vernon Dasher, from Baxley Georgia, forced a Reivers fumble that was recovered by another Coffeyville sophomore linebacker, Trayon Hayes from Wichita Kansas, at the Iowa Western 16 yard line. One play later the Red Ravens scored on a Coleman Key, sophomore from Broken Arrow Oklahoma, pass to Isaiah Mcintyre, freshmen from Tampa Florida, for 16 yards and the touchdown. This extended the Red Raven lead to 21-3.
After the kick off, Iowa Western started their next drive at their own 28 yard line. On their very first play, Iowa Western fumbled the ball which was scooped up by Red Raven linebacker Dasher who took it 11 yards to the house for the score. At this point, the Red Ravens have scored 4 touchdowns in less than 3:30 of game time. Coffeyville leads 28-3 at the 12:30 mark of the second quarter.
To cap off the wild second quarter, Red Raven freshmen defensive back Darreon Jackson, from Wichita Kansas, picked of an Iowa Western pass with only 29 seconds remaining in the first half and returned it 44 yards for the touchdown. Coffeyville went into halftime with a 35-3 lead over Iowa Western.
In the second half, Coffeyville's running back Barksdale added a 1 yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter to extend the Red Raven lead to 41-3.
From that point on Coffeyville allowed Iowa Western to score 17 garbage time points, but in the end, secured the win with a 41-20 victory.
As a team the Red Raven offense was somewhat balanced, rushing for 148 yards and passing for 161 yards.
The win moves Coffeyville's overall record to 2-2.
Coffeyville will play their first game at home in a month when they take on Fort Scott Community College on Saturday, October 1st at 7:00 pm at Veterans Memorial Stadium.