Starting the season ranked 6th in class 4A, the Kokomo football team had one goal in mind: to win a state championship. But, with only six returning starters, that goal seemed lofty. Now, two weeks into the season, the Wildkats have found themselves undefeated and in the number two spot.
But, early in the first game of the season, the Kats found themselves on the losing side of the scoreboard. They were trailing Leo High School, 14-4. The team was physically and mentally exhausted. After a couple of messed up plays and injuries in the fourth quarter, the adrenaline kicked and the team came alive.
“When I broke down on defense, I feel like that made a difference,” said senior Tracy Dowling, who scored a touchdown.
Senior quarterback Reis Beard scored on the last play of the game and had the second most tackles.
The Kats finished the comeback, beating Leo 16-14. The football team also earned a victory last week against last year’s class 5A state runner-up, Whiteland. The Kats dominated the Warriors, winning 27-13.
“We really got after our offensive line,” said head coach Austin Colby. “They had to get better and show improvement. Our coaching staff made it a point of emphasis to get that done and they responded really well to the expectations and came out and dominated Whiteland.”
But Colby’s goals for the season aren’t just focused on the game.
“Our biggest goal for this season is to develop a bunch of young men who have played football for a long time but might not have had the most success while playing or our side of the game and turn them into valuable productive student athletes here at Kokomo High School,” Colby said. “We want to give everyone on the football team a sense of purpose and a feeling of pride about something they are involved in.”
For Colby though, some of the best moments come before practice ever starts. It’s where the bonds are formed and the team becomes a family.
“We have an hour before practice that everyone spends in the locker room and jokes around and it is where the brotherhood is formed,” he said. “Each year we come in as a bunch of individuals who are playing on the same team and we leave as brothers. The mentality of playing for your brother next to you is what makes our team overachieve each year.”
The Kats take on the Logansport Berries in their first North Central Conference matchup tonight at Walter Cross Field. Game time is 7pm.
