The gauntlet to open the 2025 football season continued for the Dodge City football team as they were at home for the first time this season after playing Texas against the currently ranked #3 Tyler Apaches in the season opener and then playing against #4 Garden City last week in a game that was played over two days. 
 
This time the Conquistadors welcomed #2 Iowa Western to town, a team that has been in the NJCAA Division I National Championship game for the past four years, and while the Conqs challenged the Reivers, they ultimately fell 31-7. 
 
The Conqs' defense came up with several big plays throughout the day, including a fourth-down stop on the opening drive in Dodge City territory. On offense for the first time on the day, the Conqs would have the first turnover of the day with a fumble and Iowa Western gained a short field, but the defense was stout, holding the Reivers to a 32-yard field goal, making it 3-0 with 8:51 remaining in the first quarter. Conqs' defense would have another fourth down stop of the Reivers in Dodge City territory in the first quarter and trailed just 3-0 entering the second stanza. The third drive of the game for the Conqs spanned from the end of the first into the second quarter and went 81 yards over eight plays, including a 24-yard run by Derick Shanks Jr., and the drive was capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Clark to Santana Fleming. The score gave the Conqs the 7-3 advantage. 
 
Conqs' defense came up big again on the next Iowa Western drive as the Reivers' second play saw Careion Franklin force a fumble and recover it after a big pass play, and Tavarez Edwards ended the next Iowa Western drive with an interception on the one-yard line. While the Conqs' offense struggled to get going again late in the first half, the Reivers would regain the lead with a touchdown pass, making it 10-7 with just over a minute left in the first half. 
 
Trailing just 10-7 out of halftime, the Conqs looked to make a push, but an interception set up Iowa Western, and two big pass plays led the Reivers to the endzone and a 17-7 lead. Iowa Western would tack on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to push their lead out and hand the Conqs a 31-7 loss. 
 
Shanks Jr. paced the Conqs' offense in the loss as he ran the ball 23 times for 120 yards, while Joshua Taylor added 54 yards on eight carries. Fleming caught three passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. 
 
Defensively, Tristen Graham was a monster on the defensive line as he recorded 13 tackles with a sack and three tackles for loss. Amarius Perdue added six tackles, while Jamari Mosley had five tackles. Edwards added five tackles and an interception. 
 
The season rolls along next Saturday, September 27th, as the Conqs will host Highland for a 1:00 pm kickoff. Dodge City Community College will be celebrating the college's 90th anniversary and have some special things happening at the game, including the game ball being delivered by a helicopter from the college's flight program based out of Arizona.