DODGE CITY, Kan. - The No. 17 ranked Dodge City Community College football team dug themselves holes of 24-12 and 31-19 before a furious rally fell short on the last-play of the game in a 31-26 home loss to No. 11 Coffeyville on "Sophomore Day" at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City on Saturday, October 29th. 

DC3 has now lost two straight games and sits at 6-4 on the year and 3-3 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference while the Red Ravens improved to 6-3 and 3-2 in the KJCCC. 

Coffeyville would receive the ball to start the game and need just two-plays to go 78-yards and take a 7-0 lead just 50 seconds into the game. Dodge City would respond with a touchdown of their own when Tyler Minor would break a 54-yard rush for a touchdown but would have the extra-point attempt failed to trail 7-6. Things would then settle down as the Red Ravens would go on a 14-play, 72-yard drive that would be extended when punter Cooper Lee would see open running space on fourth and 13 and convert a first down which would then later on lead to an eight-yard Coleman Key touchdown pass. Neither team would score on the next three possessions to keep the score 14-6 at the end of the first quarter. 

Coffeyville would tack on a 25-yard field goal to go up 17-6 before AJ Walker would find paydirt from nine yards out to cut the CCC lead to 17-12 after a two-point attempt by Dodge City would be failed. It would appear as though the Conquistadors would gain momentum and be on their way to a touchdown when they would be stopped on fourth and one from the Coffeyville 28. The Red Ravens would chew up the rest of the clock and score on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Key to Malik Stanley with just nine seconds left in the half to take a 24-12 lead at intermission. 

DC3 would score the only points of the third quarter when Marquise Blair would scoop a fumble forced by Gary Johnson at the Coffeyville 42-yard line and race down the sideline for a touchdown to cut the lead 24-19 just before the end of the third quarter. The Red Ravens would regain some breathing room with an eight-play, 57-yard drive that took three minutes when Key would throw his second touchdown pass of the day to tight end Mauricio Chio and take a 31-19 lead. The Dodge City offense would stall for most of the fourth quarter before going on a seven-play, 39 yard drive that would start following a Michael Young interception at midfield and returned into Red Raven territory. 

Needing the onside kick, kicker Jordan Scarlett would deliver just what the Conqusitadors needed as Ovenson Cledanord would recover to give Dodge City a puncher's chance with 44 seconds remaining. DC3 would drive down to the Coffeyville 26 after completing a fourth-and-10 to Braxton Haley to keep the drive alive, but would see two heaves to the endzone fall to the turf.

"It was a case of too little too late today and we just didn't do enough to win" said head coach Gary Thomas in a post-game interview with Damon Post on 1550 AM the Sports Hound. "I thought we covered them well on the back end, but couldn't get the defense off the field today." "We are struggling to find answers as we close out the season, which is disappointing." 

Coffeyville outgained the Conquistadors 410-329 and held a 233-119 rushing yard advantage. Dodge City coughed up the ball five times, but would only lose one fumble and had a season high three interceptions. The Red Ravens would hold a 32:51-27:09 advantage in time of possession. 

Walker led the offensive production with 102 yards on 11 carries while Walker had 23 yards on six rushes. Caden Walters would finish 22-39 with 210 yards and one touchdown passing while Jerry Hanks had five receptions for 95 yards. Braxton Haley caught five passes for 58 yards and Trenton Hammond had five catches for 45 yards. Douglas Butts had only three catches for eight yards but would catch a three-yard tochdown pass late in the game. 

On the defensive side of things, Johnson led all players with nine total tackles (eight unassisted, two assisted) while Blair had two interceptions and 7.5 tackles. Young would add six tackles in addition to his interception. 

A bye-week will be next in store for Dodge City before closing out the season at Hutchinson at 12 p.m. on November 12th. The Blue Dragons will play at Fort Scott next week and currently sit at 4-5 overall after losing 21-18 at home to Independence on Saturday.