Box Score

The Dodge City football team has ranked up plenty of accomplishments this season putting the program back on the map and earning national recognition the accomplishments continued in the regular season finale with a 41-26 win on the road against Independence. 

The win moves the Conquistadors to 7-3 on the season and gives them their longest winning streak since 2016 as the Conqs have won four straight games. The win also gives the Conqs a 5-1 record in KJCCC play which is the most conference wins in a single season since 2015. The victory was also the first over the Pirates of Independence since 2016. 

The Conqs put together a potential scoring drive early looking to take the initial lead, but Independence would block a field goal try, and then later in the first quarter the Pirates took advantage of a short field off a Conq turnover and scored a touchdown. The Conqs would respond and split the uprights on a 25-yard field goal by Angel Dominguez making it 7-3 and then shortly into the second quarter would get a safety on a sack by Kavion Majors to make it a 7-5 contest. The lead would flip to the Conqs for the first time on the day when Bryce Conover connected with Javon Campbell on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 12:03 left in the first half to make it 12-7. Independence answered and snatched the lead back with 3:23 left in the first half after scoring a touchdown but failing on a two-point conversion to make it 13-12. A Trey Simmons interception got the ball back late in the first half for the Conqs with good field position and they took advantage as Conover hit Kerya Powell for a 12-yard touchdown just before halftime giving the Conqs a 19-13 lead at intermission. 

After a stalemate of a third-quarter, there would be plenty of action in the fourth as the Pirates would find the endzone to grab a 20-19 lead but that lasted only seconds as Edward Wilson took the kickoff back 88 yards to put the Conqs back in front at 27-20 with 8:49 remaining. The Pirates drew within a point on another touchdown but were unable to get the extra point, so the Conqs continued to lead that lead then grew on a 29-yard touchdown run by Conover with 5:30 minutes left making it 33-26. Independence was in desperation mode late through a pass across the field that Jaden Kelly snatched and returned 31 yards for a pick-six and the Conqs secured the 41-26 road win. 

Offensively the Conqs posted 333 total yards as Conover was 17-38 for 203 yards and two touchdowns connecting with eight different pass catchers on the day led by Curtis Rearden III who caught three passes for 57 yards. Stone Wilson carried the ball 26 times for 78 yards. 

Defensively the Conqs made several plays as Malkolm Wright finished with six tackles, while Kenyan Hunter added five tackles. Tyrence Crutcher had three tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception, while Kelly had the pick-six and four tackles. Dallas Robinson recorded four tackles with an interception, while Simmons who leads the KJCCC in PBU's had two more and an interception. Majors recorded the safety and had a pair of sacks.

The Conqs now await an opportunity to play in a bowl game to continue their season as they sit at 7-3 and ranked #9 in NJCAA rankings. The bowl announcements will not happen until the week of Thanksgiving following all NJCAA teams wrapping up their regular/postseason action.