GRANITE CITY - Triad football senior quarterback Issac Ackerman is off to a great start for the 2024 football season, helping the Knights jump out to a 2-0 record, having defeated Granite City 49-13 on opening night Aug. 30, then helping to get past a very good Mt. Zion team in the home opening Sept. 6, 17-10.
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For the first two games, Ackerman is 16-of-30 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and has ran 26 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Against the Warriors in the opener, he ran seven time for 104 yards, scoring twice, and was five-of-eight passing for 131 yards and another score as Triad built a 49-0 halftime lead in going on to the win. In the home opener against the Braves, Ackerman ran 19 times for 97 yards and another touchdown, and also went 11-for-22 passing for 138 yards and a touchdown as the Knights scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter in holding a potent Mt. Zion team to 10 points in the win.
In an interview conducted after the Granite City game, Ackerman felt the Knights were ready to go, and played well on all cylinders against the Warriors.
"I felt like things were good in the game," an excited Ackerman said in the interview. "Our defense played extremely well, our offensive line, I felt like, dominated at the line of scrimmage, and I mean, everyone did their job, the coaches prepared us well, and I am excited that it ended this way."
It was the first game for Triad coming off a 6-5 season, making the IHSA Class 5A playoffs, and pulling off a monumental upset on the road over Mahomet-Seymour before losing in the second round to Joliet Catholic Academy. Ackerman is indeed looking forward to continuing his team's playoff streak in 2024.
"For sure," Ackerman said. "I'm excited. I know, I mean, we've got to take it one week at a time, but it's hard not to look forward to that sometimes."
The Knights' mindset going into the game against the Warriors was a simple one indeed, for the opening game.
"You know, it's the first week," Ackerman said, "and we didn't have any film on them. So, we really didn't know what to expect. We just come out, like, be physical, be smart, and just play our brand of football."
The Knights did exactly that, going out to a 21-0 lead after their first three possessions, never looking back in taking a 49-0 halftime lead, and coasting from there.
"Yeah, I thought we played really well," Ackerman said. "I'm really proud of our guys, the coaching staff did a really amazing job preparing us this week, and it was really fun. It was really fun."
Ackerman and his teammates knew they would be ready for the challenge of Mt. Zion, and the rest of their opponents this season, and were looking ahead to all of their upcoming challenges.
"You know, we've just have to have a good week of practice, like we did this week," Ackerman said as the Knights got ready for the Braves, "watch film, and just see how it goes from there. I'm glad football's back, I'm proud of my guys, and they are awesome."
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