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The stands were packed despite the frigid October air and the fans were ready to see a battle between two teams fighting for the district championship and pride. It could only be the hatchet game.
Dodge City and Garden City went into Friday night’s slugfest with 2-0 district records, with the winner claiming their right to a home playoff game next week in round one.
The game started out as a slobberknocker between the two squads, trading blows, but never breaking.
Early Demon miscues cost Dodge early on, with a combination of false start penalties and mistimed snaps. An early DCHS punt gave Garden field position around midfield and after an unfortunate fumble by Buffalo quarterback Jake Curran actually advanced the ball forward ten yards, Garden City punched it in from one-yard out to give the home team a 6-0 lead.
Dodge City would drive back down the field on the next drive and challenge the Buffalo defense, but stalled inside of the ten-yard line, settling for a field goal to reduce the deficit to 6-3.
Once again, after a Garden City stop, Dodge drove down the length of the field but could not punch it in the endzone, notching another field goal to tie the game at six right before halftime.
As the teams came back onto the field for the second half, it was more of the same story for both sides, which saw stalled drives and stagnant offenses.
The Demons pulled ahead on a 43-yard field goal, prompting the Dodge faithful to rise up and cheer loudly for their team.
The score would remain 9-6 until deep into the fourth quarter.
Faced with 80 yards and only four minutes to tie the game, Curran tossed up a deep pass to midfield. The ball was tipped up by a Dodge defender and caromed into the hands of a Garden receiver, who took the ball into Demon territory.
The Buffaloes would tie the game up with a field goal with just under a minute left and that would be the score going into overtime.
During Garden’s first overtime possession, a missed interception opportunity from Isaiah Bradshaw on third down allowed the Buffs to kick a field goal to go ahead 12-9.
Dodge City would tie it up on their possession, never really challenging the end zone.
In the second overtime, the Demons missed on three plays and once again kicked a clutch field goal to pull ahead 15-12.
However, facing third and goal from the three, Garden City’s Zach Lamb busted through the Demon defensive line and plunged across the goal line, sending the Garden City team and fans into an eruption of cheers.
That touchdown sealed the game and the hatchet for Garden, 18-15.
For coach Dave Foster, his team played hard and shouldn’t hang their head with the bigger picture still in view.
“We didn’t want to lose this game tonight, we’re disappointed we didn’t bring the hatchet back to our community, but in reality, we are still in the playoffs,” Foster said. “I don’t doubt my team didn’t leave it on the field tonight, but we will see how things shake up in the playoff field and we will wake up and gear up for next week.”
The Demons fall to 2-1 in the district and 5-4 overall and will hit the road next week to face Manhattan.
The stands were packed despite the frigid October air and the fans were ready to see a battle between two teams fighting for the district championship and pride. It could only be the hatchet game.
Dodge City and Garden City went into Friday night’s slugfest with 2-0 district records, with the winner claiming their right to a home playoff game next week in round one.
The game started out as a slobberknocker between the two squads, trading blows, but never breaking.
Early Demon miscues cost Dodge early on, with a combination of false start penalties and mistimed snaps. An early DCHS punt gave Garden field position around midfield and after an unfortunate fumble by Buffalo quarterback Jake Curran actually advanced the ball forward ten yards, Garden City punched it in from one-yard out to give the home team a 6-0 lead.
Dodge City would drive back down the field on the next drive and challenge the Buffalo defense, but stalled inside of the ten-yard line, settling for a field goal to reduce the deficit to 6-3.
Once again, after a Garden City stop, Dodge drove down the length of the field but could not punch it in the endzone, notching another field goal to tie the game at six right before halftime.
As the teams came back onto the field for the second half, it was more of the same story for both sides, which saw stalled drives and stagnant offenses.
The Demons pulled ahead on a 43-yard field goal, prompting the Dodge faithful to rise up and cheer loudly for their team.
The score would remain 9-6 until deep into the fourth quarter.
Faced with 80 yards and only four minutes to tie the game, Curran tossed up a deep pass to midfield. The ball was tipped up by a Dodge defender and caromed into the hands of a Garden receiver, who took the ball into Demon territory.
The Buffaloes would tie the game up with a field goal with just under a minute left and that would be the score going into overtime.
During Garden’s first overtime possession, a missed interception opportunity from Isaiah Bradshaw on third down allowed the Buffs to kick a field goal to go ahead 12-9.
Dodge City would tie it up on their possession, never really challenging the end zone.
In the second overtime, the Demons missed on three plays and once again kicked a clutch field goal to pull ahead 15-12.
However, facing third and goal from the three, Garden City’s Zach Lamb busted through the Demon defensive line and plunged across the goal line, sending the Garden City team and fans into an eruption of cheers.
That touchdown sealed the game and the hatchet for Garden, 18-15.
For coach Dave Foster, his team played hard and shouldn’t hang their head with the bigger picture still in view.
“We didn’t want to lose this game tonight, we’re disappointed we didn’t bring the hatchet back to our community, but in reality, we are still in the playoffs,” Foster said. “I don’t doubt my team didn’t leave it on the field tonight, but we will see how things shake up in the playoff field and we will wake up and gear up for next week.”
The Demons fall to 2-1 in the district and 5-4 overall and will hit the road next week to face Manhattan.
