DODGE CITY, Kan. - After giving up a touchdown on the opening series of the game, the Dodge City Community College football team took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter and pulled away late for a 24-14 win over Ellsworth Community College on Saturday, September 17th at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City. 

DC3 is now 3-1 on the year while the Panthers fall to 1-3.

After receiving the opening kickoff to start the game, Ellsworth drove down the field on a five play-76 yard drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Paris Chambers to Jamarius Way to take a 7-0 lead. Dodge City would respond with a three-play 69 yard play with a 72 yard touchdown from freshman Caden Walters to Dennis Johnson to tie the game at seven. 

Both defenses would shine for almost the entire rest of the half before the Conquistadors would go on a 13-play 97 yard drive that ate up 5:01 in clock that would end when Walters would call his own number from two yards out for a rushing touchdown to give DC3 a 14-7 halftime lead. 

Dodge City would add a 21-yard field goal from Sebastian Mejia towards the end of the third quarter to extend their lead to 17-7 before Way would catch his second touchdown pass of the day with 25 seconds left in the third to cut the lead to 17-14. With Ellsworth driving down the field in the fourth quarter, Chambers would have a third-down pass intercepted by Ovenson Cledanord who would take it to the house for a 40-yard return for a touchdown and to give the Conqs some breathing room. 

The Panthers would get two more chances to close the gap, but would turn the ball over on downs and have their last drive ended by a Quandreko Statham interception to seal the game. 

The Conquistadors would pick off Chambers five times in the game whlie also forcing three fumbles. DC3 outgained the Panthers 309-286 in the game and scored the only points off turnovers in the game. Time of possession was nearly equal as Ellsworth held a 30:14-29:46 advantage with both teams completing only four third-down conversions.

Walters finished 12-28 on the day, throwing for 240 yards and one touchdown while also rushing seven yards and scoring the only other Conquistador offensive touchdown. Three running backs split the carries led by AJ Walker who had 31 yards on eight carries. Johnson finished with 107 receiving yards on two catches while Austin Watkins had 75 yards on five receptions. 

Defensively, Marquise Blair led the team with 11 total tackles and three tackles for loss while Gary Johnson had eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Statham finished with two interceptions on the day to go along with eight tackles while Kereon Merrell and Michael Young each had one interception. 

A return to conference play awaits the Conquistadors, who will travel to El Dorado, Kansas to take on Butler Community College next Saturday night at 7 p.m. The No. two-ranked Grizzlies lost for the first time this year by a score of 49-7 at Iowa Western on Saturday.