STEENS — Something is brewing on the football field at Immanuel Christian.
Fueled by a new-found “tough” mind-set and confidence, Immanuel Christian defeated Houlka 14-13 last week for the first 11-man victory in school history.
The Rams hope to ride the momentum from that historic win at 7 p.m. Friday when they travel to play Heidelberg Academy.
“It starts with the coaches,” Immanuel Christian second-year coach Shawn Gates said. “Our coaches have done a really good job this year with the arrival of (former Columbus High coach) Bubba Davis and Aaron Lee. Daniel Merchant is doing a really good job with the defense, and my father, Greg Gates, is helping out with the quarterback position and is being a motivational coach. He has helped step the program up to where we need to be.
“The players got a taste for that win, and that is what they know now and that is what they want.”
The victory helped Immanuel Christian (3-4) move one win from matching its most in a season since 2006, when it went 4-6 and last advanced to the playoffs. (The year was incorrect in a story that appeared Sunday in The Dispatch.)
Four years ago, the Rams still were playing eight-man football. Four times from 2000-09, they advanced to the Christian Football Association. (In 2001, it was known as the Southeastern Christian Conference.)
This year, though, Gates and the Rams are focused on backing up their first 11-man victory with another one in the playoffs. A victory in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A playoffs would be the program”s first postseason win since it defeated Faith on Nov. 6, 1998, in the first round of the SCC playoffs.
In its fourth season competing as an 11-man program, Immanuel Christian has seen the size of its roster slip from 23 to 16. But Gates said his program, which lost to Hebron Christian 38-20 on Sept. 21, 2001, in its first 11-man game, hasn”t stopped working hard in practice or lost sight of its goals to get to the playoffs.
Gates hasn”t shied away from talking about what the Rams can do if they take care of business against District 3 rivals Hebron Christian and Central Holmes Christian. Immanuel Christian lost to Winona Christian 28-0 in its district opener Sept. 17.
Juniors Michael Tate and Norris Harris each have more than 700 rushing yards, while junior quarterback Ross Moore has matured to lead the offense.
Harris, a transfer from Caledonia High, said he knew the Rams were going to have a successful season.
“We work hard every day in practice,” Harris said. “We are dedicated to the team. No one lollygags around. We are here to play for each other.”
With James Wriley, Josh Davidson, Tate, Josh Dantzler, Dustin White, Zack Kimbrell, and Wesley Lake leading the defense, the Rams are a win from .500 mark.
Wriley and Davidson combined to make the stop on a two-point conversion attempt by Houlka in the third quarter to help secure the victory.
“Our mind-set is different,” Moore said. “We don”t mess around during practice. We get done what we need to get done and we stayed focused during the games.
“Last year, if we would have gotten down by a couple of points, we would have given up. This year, we fight the whole game. A lot more people believe in it.”
Gates said the Houlka game came down to which team wanted it more. He said the team”s mantra — “What are we? Tough” — has focused the team through injuries and losses early in the season.
“The pieces are coming together to have a successful season,” Gates said. “They want (the playoffs) bad. They know we have a good chance to go this year.
“The progress we have made comes from working hard, doing what we should do in practice, and being tough, and that”s what we are: Tough.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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