Hannibal Football Pirates Host Kirksville Tigers as Season Develops

The 4-1 Hannibal Pirates welcome the Kirksville Tigers to Porter Stadium Friday night with the goal of continuing to develop offensively and defensively, but also with a goal of getting back on the “W” side of this series ledger.

Porter Stadium will be loud Friday night when the Pirates clash against the Tigers

The Pirates have dominated Kirksville for more than a generation, winning twenty-seven straight against the Tigers, until last year. In 2024, in Kirksville, in a back-and-forth, scrappy struggle, The Tigers beat Hannibal 16-15. A district rematch was thwarted however when Mexico defeated Kirksville in double overtime 21-14.

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Kirksville comes into the game against Hannibal at 3-2 on the season, and on a two game winning streak against other district opponents. The Tigers have some talent and size, starting with Kansas State. commit, senior Bennet Fraser on the offensive and defensive line. Fraser however is arguably not the best player on this team. Sophomore LB/TE Blake Nesbitt already has offers from Mizzou, Houston and Purdue. The Tigers will want to run the ball at the Pirates with senior running back Logan Martin and junior quarterback Joel Feeney. The Pirate defense is always game, and seems to wear opponents down as the game progresses.

The Pirates’ Winning Streak against Kirksville was Broken in 2024

On offense Hannibal will need to account for Nesbitt, but the Tiger defense will have to be agile as the Pirates options seem to be growing as Darrion Washington looks to build on a solid performance against Mexico last week. The Hoskins brothers are always eager to deliver physicality upon opponents, and Wyeth Dorsey continues to lead and manage the offense. Another physical game awaits. A Kirksville win goes a long way for their momentum. A Pirate win solidifies their hold on the district. Hear all of it Friday night starting at 6:30 p.m. with the pre-game on 97.9 KICK-FM.