FORT SCOTT, Kan. - Jumping out to a 21-0 lead, the No. 20 ranked Dodge City Community College football team found a way to pull out a 45-35 win over Fort Scott at Frary Field on Saturday, October 15th.
With the win, the Conquistadors move to 6-2 on the year and assure themselves of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 1984-85 seasons and move to 3-1 in the Kansas Jayhawk Comunity College Conference. The Greyhounds fell to 3-4 and 1-3 in conference play with the loss.
After opening the game with a five-play, 48-yard drive capped off by a 30-yard touchdown pass to
Douglas Butts, the Dodge City defense would force a second Fort Scott punt.
AJ Walker would make the score 14-0 midway through the first, and a 48-yard pick six by
Kereon Merrell would allow the Conqs to jump out to a 21-0 lead. FSCC would finally get on the board with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter on a 38-yard touchdown scamper by running back Johnnie Hankins and and then cut the lead to 21-14 early in the second uarter on a 13-yard quarterback keeper by Nathan Rourke.
On the ensuing kickoff, Butts would find a seam and take the kick back 98 yards to paydirt to give the Conqs some breathing room again by making the game a two-score game. With the Conqs driving right before halftime, a
Caden Walters interception would lead to Fort Scott scoring a touchdown with 2:17 before haltime and getting the ball to start the second half.
A three-and-out by the Conq defense along with a 23-yard punt return by
Andre Brown allowed Dodge City to take advantage of the short field and punch in a touchdown on a six-play, 30-yard drive with a four-yard
Rodney Murphy touchdown run making the score 35-21. DC3 and Fort Scott would trade touchdowns to end the third quarter to give DC3 a 42-28 lead heading into the fourth.
Sebastian Mejia would add a 26-yard field goal with 5:34 left in the game before Fort Scott would score on a quick, three-play, 70 yard drive in only 47 seconds with a 29-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 45-35, but could not recover a squibbed onside-kick. DC3 would have a drive-stall out, but pin the Greyhounds deep in their own territory at their own two-yard line. Fort Scott would drive the ball to midfield before
Michael Young would force a fumble that would be recovered by the Conqs that would allow them to run out the clock.
"We made some mistakes and adjusted in the second half and put together a good team effort" said head coach
Gary Thomas in a post-game interview. "Today was a big big deal with a lot of pressure and i'm proud of the way that the guys responded."
Dodge City was outgained by Fort Scott 392-360 in total yards but held a 166-127 advantage in rushing yards. FSCC held a 4-2 turnover advantage over DC3, and was 9-of-17 on third downs. The Conquistadors held a commanding 36:30-23:30 advantage in time of possession.
Walters would finish 16-29 through the air for 194 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 35 yards on the ground.
Tyler Minor led the ground game with 51 yards on 11 rushes while Walker had 49 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Murphy would add the other rushing touchdown, finishing with 41 yards. The receiving corps was led by Butts with 78 yards on five catches while
Austin Watkins had four catches for 45 yards.
Defensively,
Marquise Blair had eight total tackles and one sack to move up the career charts to fourth all-time in career tackles and career sacks while also breaking up one pass.
Takota Anderson, who was forced into a starting role following some injuries in practice this week, had six tackles as did
Ovenson Cledanord. Merrell, who came up with the big interception for touchdown in the first quarter, had four solo tackles.
Homecoming awaits the Conquistadors, who will play the likely new No. 1 team in the country in Garden City Community College. The Broncbusters won 27-17 over Iowa Western today coupled with a loss by current No. 1 Northwest Mississippi Community College will likely propel GCCC to the top spot heading into next week's 6 p.m. kickoff from Memorial Stadium.
