Fumbled snap dooms Busters

Audio Highlights: GCCC vs. Coffeyville

Coffeyvlle, Kan (westernkansasnews.com)-At the beginning of fall practice, Matt Miller made his entire team run laps every time the quarterback and center botched a snap. That amounted to plenty of running in the late, summer heat. The first-year coach was hoping to send a message. And it worked-for the most part, until the regular-season finale. 

Coffeyville took advantage of several Buster miscues, which included a pick six and two blocked punts on their way to a 37-34, double-overtime thriller at Veteran’s Stadium Saturday night. 

“That’s not how I expected our season to end,” Miller said after the game. “I don’t think they would have stopped us.”

What Miller was referring to: The final possession of overtime where Jake Curran fumbled the snap. But Garden City had plenty of other setbacks during the course of the first 60 minutes.

Trailing 27-13, Miller reinserted Curran, after he yanked him a quarter earlier in favor of freshman Akeem Jones. And the move paid off. 

The sophomore started the comeback with an eight-yard touchdown strike to Nile Daniel, capping off a six-play, 33 yard drive that was setup by a poor punt by Drew Davis. 

On their next drive, Curran was again on target, completing 4-of-7 passes for 49 yards, including the tying score when he found Brand Snell in the end zone on a slant. Tyler Peterson’s extra point knotted the game at 27. 

“We were rolling at that point,” Miller said. “There’s no way they could have stopped us.”

And they didn’t. 

As regulation spilled into overtime, one thing was clear, the only thing that could stop the Buster offense was, well the Busters. 

On their first drive in the extra session, Curran hit Snell again, this time from nine-yards out to give Garden City their first lead since the opening quarter 34-27. 

Coffeyville drew even when Andre Allen dove in from a yard out. Toshi Hayashi’s extra point tied the game at 34. His field goal on the Red Ravens second possession would be the eventual game winner. 

Down three in the second overtime, Curran fumbled the snap from Jason Carreon and Coffeyville linebacker Taylor Ginavan recovered. 

This time no laps, just the off season. 

Garden City found themselves in a 20-3 hole following two blocked punts, one which was returned for a touchdown, and a pick six by Kentrell Reynolds. 

Jones, who played a little more than a quarter, did spark the offense early in the third. On the first play of the second half, the freshman hit Tyreek Hill on a 65-yard go route, that the sophomore hauled in at the thirty, and outraced the Coffeyville secondary to the end zone. 

However, Jones demise came just a couple of possessions later when he was intercepted inside his own 20-yard line. 

Garden City closes the year at 2-7, 2-5 in conference play. Coffeyville improved to 4-5 and 3-4 in the Jayhawk. 

Final Stats: GCCC vs. Coffeyville