Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
Quite often, one will see college teams schedule an easy game for Homecoming. This gives alumni, students, boosters, etc. an opportunity to see their team demolish a sacrificial lamb, and everyone feels great about a blow-out victory. That is not the Cowboy way of doing things. That is certainly not the case this season. Granted, Homecoming was delayed a week, thanks to the uncertainty brought by Hurricane Ian. As a result, Homecoming will be against a powerful opponent that is coming to Boot Hill with an unblemished, 4-0 record.
The Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys will be facing an opponent who came to Boot Hill in 2019. In that contest, the Knights of Clearwater Academy International (CAI), matched the Cowboys, blow-for-blow until late in the game when the Cowboys' superior conditioning took a toll on the visiting Knights. The Cowboys managed to outlast the Knights in that game with a 36-28 win.
As their name suggests, CAI, is a private boarding school located in Clearwater, Fla. Students from many different countries come to the school to play sports, often with the hopes of landing college scholarships. CAI attracts many students from Montreal, Canada, as well as some students from Europe. One aspect the players at CAI do not experience is the atmosphere that can come with big crowds on Friday nights. In 2019, one CAI coach noted that they had never experienced an atmosphere quite like Boot Hill. Being a boarding school with so many international students, CAI does not play to nearly as many home fans as they are likely to see at Boot Hill.
CAI is an extremely talented football team. The Knights have a potent rushing attack, led by senior running back Ben Cottrell, who averages 7.4 yards each time he touches the ball. The Knights also average close to 270 yards per game through the air. Defensively, the Knights are very aggressive, averaging five sacks per game. The Cowboys' offensive line will have their hands full during the contest in order to provide Cowboy quarterback Jamie Hampton enough time to find open receivers or clear running lanes.
Cowboy fans could have a positive effect for the Cowboys by providing a loud atmosphere that could help to unnerve the visiting Knights.
The contest takes place at Boot Hill on Friday, Oct. 7. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. During halftime, the Homecoming Court will be recognized and the 2022 MCHS Homecoming Queen will be crowned.