Eight different communities will have a stake in a class 2A high school football showdown as ninth ranked Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove entertains fifth ranked IKM/Manilla. The football programs at Odebolt-Arthur and Battle-Creek-Ida Grove merged prior to this season and the school districts will begin a whole grade sharing agreement next year.
Coach Larry Allen has led the transition and says early on everyone was apprehensive. He says now everyone had gotten more comfortable with the decision and you can’t tell if a kid is from Odebolt-Arthur or Battle Creek-Ida Grove.
It is also the first year of a whole grade sharing agreement between the Irwin-Kirkman-Manilla and Manning school districts and Allen says both teams are proof that arrangements like these can work. He says there are a lot of hurdles along the way and things you have to overcome and don’t know how to handle them until you face them. Allen says as long as everyone keeps in mind the goal of having a successful football team and school, then things will go pretty well.
Both teams are 4-0 but Allen says IKM/Manning will have the edge when it comes to big game experience. He says his team is entering uncharted territory, but it gives them something to rally around.
A pair of unbeatens collide in eight-man action as second rated Armstrong-Ringsted visits third rated North Sentral Kossuth. Fans won’t have to travel far to see these rivals meet.
Armstrong-Ringsted coach Robert Zotz says they are playing in Swea City, only eight miles away. The Mustangs feature an explosive offense and a defense that according to Zotz is often overlooked. He says they’ve scored 28 points a game in the first quarter, and also have a solid defense.
North Sentral Kossuth coach Troy Adams says the Eagles will need to contend with Armstrong-Ringsted’s speed. He says one of their goals is to limit big plays and make good tackles. Adams says this will be a good mid-season test for his team.
Adams says they are tested every week in the district, and this game gives them a good test to see what they need to work on to get ready to go deep into the playoffs. Both teams are 4-0.