INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done as the No. 10 nationally-ranked Dodge City Community College football team battled back from 23-7 and 32-31 to take a 37-32 victory over Independence Community College at Emmot Field on homecoming night for the Pirates. 

The Conquistadors are now 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while ICC is 1-3 on the year and 0-3 in the KJCCC. 

After opening the game with a good kickoff return compounded with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Independence, the Conquistadors would turn the ball over on downs near midfield as the Pirates would only need four plays to drive 56 yards for a touchdown and an early 6-0 lead after the extra point went off the left upright. DC3 would again get the ball down to the Indpendence 46-yard line before quarterback Caden Walters would throw a jump ball on what was thought to be a free-play after ICC appeared to be offsides, but no penalty was called and a Pirate Interception would give Independence the ball at their own nine yard line. ICC would add to their lead to make the score 13-0 before the Conquistadors would go on an 11-play 75 yard drive that would eat up 4:09 in clock to make the score 13-7 with 13:18 left in the first half. 

After trading possessions, the DC3 special teams would have a miscue as a bad snap would force Alex Becker to go down to one knee where he would be called down and give ICC the short field. The Conq defense would rise to the occasion and hold the Pirates to only three points on a 29-yard field goal before a 3-and-out for the DC3 offense. Following an offensive pass interference on Independence, Pirate quarterback Jonathon Banks would hit receiver Calvin Jackson on a deep ball for 81 yards and a touchdown to put Dodge City in a 23-7 hole. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman tailback Rodney Murphy find a seam down the far sideline and go 85 yards to the house for a touchdown and make the score 23-14 to flip the momentum in the Conqs favor. 

Marquise Blair would then intercept Banks on the second play of the Independence drive to give the Conqs the short field, which they would make efficient use of by chewing up 2:57 of clock and score a touchdown when Murphy would score his second touchdown of the game from yard out just 28 seconds before halftime. 

After forcing a punt to start the third quarter, Conquistador returner Andre Brown would nearly break the return open and eventually going down at the Independence 25 yard line. The very next play would see Tyler Minor scamper 25 yards to the endzone and give the Conqs a 28-21 lead. Defenses would step up for the rest of the third quarter, with a Sebastian Mejia 22-yard field goal the only other points of the period. 

Heading into the fourth quarter, Banks would regive the Pirates the lead after a 7-play 72 yard drive that would have a failed two-point conversion to make the game 31-29. The next drive would see Walters intercepted at his own 39-yard line which would lead to an Independence 23-yard field goal with 7:22 left in the game and a 32-31 lead. Another three-and-out would leave the Conqusitadors needing a big play when Blair would step up again and force a fumble that would be recovered by Quandreko Statham at the Independence 35-yard line. Four plays would be all that Dodge City would need as AJ Walker would find a hole for a 20-yard touchdown run to put the Conqs up 37-32 after a failed two-point conversion. With Independence needing a touchdown, the Dodge City defense would allow an initial first down before holding the Pirates on a fourth-and-seven to take over at the ICC 46. One first down was all that the Conqs needed, as Dodge City would then take three kneels to end the game and come away with the win. 

Walters would have a limited stat line, finishing 13-24 for 94 yards and held without a touchdown for the second straight game. Walker led the Conquistadors with 69 yards on 13 carries including one touchdown while Minor had 55 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Murphy would only get four carries, but added a touchdown in addition to his kick return for a touchdown. 

The receiving corps was led by Austin Watkins who had 45 yards on three catches while Braxton Haley made five receptions for 27 yards. Defensively, sophomore Gary Johnson had 15 total tackles and was all over the field while Blair had a monster game with 14 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble with both turnovers leading to DC3 touchdowns. 

A banged-up Conquistador team will return home to take on the Reivers of Iowa Western next Saturday, October 8th at 1 p.m. from Memorial Stadium. IWCC had a bye-week this week, and were defeated at home 49-7 in their last home game against Coffeyville Community College.