LYNN — KIPP Academy football coach Jim Rabbitt didn’t know what to expect from his team in Thursday’s season opener against Atlantis Charter at Manning Field.
Rabbitt liked what he saw from the Panthers in the preseason, but scrimmages and live games are much different.
Needless to say, Rabbitt was very pleased when the Panthers, in their inaugural season, sent their fans home happy with a 28-0 win over Fall River’s Atlantis.
“I’m very pleased,” Rabbitt said. “We came out on fire and we were sharp. We had energy and we played with passion, and that’s all we ask of the team. We made some mistakes but that’s to be expected with the learning curve. We asked them to come out with energy and they did.”
Rabbitt was also pleased by the support the KIPP fans showed by attending the game and rooting on the Panthers. The crowd’s support made Thursday’s game an unforgettable experience for Rabbitt and his players.
“We walked out of the locker room and the second we came onto the tarp, everyone was cheering,” Rabbitt said. “These guys have never had that before. They all looked up and they were pretty pumped up about it. You can feel the excitement, not just on the team but in the community.”
Atlantis, also making its varsity football debut Thursday night, was stymied by KIPP’s alert defense. From the early goings, the KIPP defense looked stout in setting the tone.
“We told them to win this game up front, in the trenches,” Rabbitt said. “We told our front four that we’d win this game in the trenches and that’s what we did.”
Wallace Reed scored the program’s first touchdown when he returned an interception from 48 yards out to the end zone with 3:20 to play in the first quarter. Quarterback Kymani Morrison linked up with Reed on the ensuing two-point conversion to give KIPP an 8-0 lead.
KIPP threatened for more midway through the second quarter but an Atlantis interception in the red zone kept the Panthers off the board.
That changed when Morrison scored from 33 yards out on a quarterback keeper to bump KIPP’s lead to 14-0. The ensuing conversion attempt failed but the Panthers held a two-possession lead at halftime.
Another Morrison touchdown run, this time for 26 yards, led KIPP to a 22-0 advantage midway through the third quarter. KIPP then boosted the lead to 28-0 on a Tomi Oladunjoye touchdown run in the final minute of the third quarter and that’s how it ended.
Rabbitt was pleased to see him team play a complete game on both sides.
“We finished a complete game,” Rabbitt said. “We weren’t sure what we had. This was our first time on a game field. We finished all the way through. Our senior leadership was great. We put our substitutes in at the end and everyone was cheering. That team aspect was great.”
Moving forward KIPP will look to improve on avoiding penalties.
“It’s frustrating when drives stall with any penalties,” Rabbitt said. “It’s just a learning curve.”
KIPP now shifts its focus to next Thursday night’s game against Commonwealth Conference opponent Minuteman at Manning.
“We’re happy to finally be a part of the football culture in Lynn,” Rabbitt said. “It’s great.”
