Independence Pirates: From “Last Chance” to “New Beginnings”
Written by Michael Gambill
Twitter: @MichaelGambil10
Independence, Kansas, is not a thriving metropolitan city nor a collegiate sports mecca. In fact, the small city with a population hovering north of 9,000 people has had little in terms of excitement for decades. The story line for Independence changed just a few short years ago when Netflix decided to add Independence Community College to its “Last Chance U” streaming television show.
Turn the clock ahead to the fall of 2019 and all of the drama, hype and what many would call outright infamy was gone from Independence Community College and the Pirate football program. The head football coach, athletic director and college president all left in a furor of Kansas dust. What was left was a few football coaches on staff led by Kiyoshi Harris and a chance to move away from the distraction of the Pirates’ “Last Chance” to forge forward and reinvent the football program and the campus culture of Independence. The 2019 football season proved to be exactly what the Pirates were looking for- a chance for redemption.
Under the leadership of new head coach (and one of the survivors of the Josh Brown debacle) Kyoshi Harris, the Independence Pirates brought respectability back to this southeastern Kansas town. With an 8-2 record, the Pirates reversed their fortunes from the 2018 season and won the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) football title outright, albeit there was a bit of help along the way last season as well.
Riding 6-1 in conference play, Independence posted a 3-1 record at home and even more impressively were 6-1 on the road in 2019. With 426.4 yards per game on offense including 251.3 rushing and 175.1 passing yards, Independence was able to keep pace with over 38 points per game while giving up 313.7 yards and 21.5 points per game to opponents.
2019 Season Re-Cap Game by Game
8/24/ vs. Dodge City W 48-29
8/31 vs. Hutchinson L 31-21
9/14 vs. Garden City W 31-28
9/21 vs. Fort Scott W 1-0**Forfeit
10/5 vs. Butler W 49-20
10/12 vs. Iowa Western L 20-3
10/19 vs. Coffeyville W 62-23
10/26 vs. Iowa Central W 31-20
11/2 vs. Highland W 61-14
11/9 vs. Ellsworth W 50-3
In measuring the success of the Independence Pirates during the 2019 season, it should be noted that the Pirates beat perennial KJCCC and JUCO powerhouses Butler, Hutchinson, and Garden City. Kiyoshi Harris’ offensive philosophy paid large dividends by focusing on the run game and also stopping their opponents’ run game as well. The Pirates’ run game averaged 6.6. yards per carry while only allowing their opponents to 3.3 yards per run carry.
2019 proved to be a great year for the Independence Pirates as the program rebounded with a new head coach and garnered multiple post-season awards for their efforts. Head coach Kiyoshi Harris won the KJCCC Coach of the Year Award and former Indiana Hoosiers running back Morgan Ellison was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the KJCCC as well.
Ellison, a 6’2”, 235-pound, powerhouse from Reynoldsburg (OH) carried the ball last season 98 times for 648 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Other Independence standouts such as tackle Jeremy Flax and guard Johari Branch also earned first team All-Conference offensive honors while safety Juawan Treadwell also earned the same honors on the defensive side of the ball. Independence also earned the KJCCC conference football title and yet didn’t earn an invite to one of the postseason JUCO bowl games despite being ranked as high as No. 9 in the NJCAA polls.
As the Independence Pirates settle into another season on the horizon, Kiyoshi Harris brings a new sense of normalcy and consistency to the program. A top priority for Harris has been academics and as Harris moves into his second year at the Pirates’ helm, the football program seems to be in very capable hands and will no doubt continue to be a rising force to be reckoned with within the JUCO football ranks.
Sources: KJCCC.org and Taylor Eldridge, Kansas.com, 11/21/19
Photo credit: KOAM; head coach Kiyoshi Harris
I’m an Indy resident…I am certain that Jason (not Josh) Brown and Netflix was not a debacle. It put ICC on the map, which increased our chance for better recruits. JB was a bit much for the town of Indy, but I understand the players loved him. Many of the 2019 players were recruited by JB. Don’t get me wrong…I love Coach Harris. He has a wonderful command of the team. The town attends the games now; in the past, we didn’t. Love our Pirates and Coach Harris, but I will not forget JB very soon.