Busters Settle for #4 in Jayhawk Conference With High Scoring Loss to Coffeyville-Audio

Garden City, KS (www.westernkansasnews.com) – It was another high scoring affair last Saturday night at Memorial Stadium in Garden City, as the Garden City Community College Football team had to settle for 4th place in the conference with their 54-47 loss to Coffeyville. Both teams had already clinched a play-off spot, but this was for the 3rd place position and the opportunity to stay away from #2 Butler in the first round. However, 6 turnovers in the game did not bode well for the Busters with 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles with four of those mistakes coming in the first half. Garden City did jump out to a 30-27 halftime lead based on a 35 and 3 yard touchdown runs by quarterback Nick Marshall and a 2 yard score from Jamal Tyler and an 82 yard touchdown pass to Rod Coleman, plus a blocked extra point return for 85 yards by Kitray Solomon and the 2 points led to the three point difference at intermission. The Coffeyvill Red Ravens had scored on an 80 yard kick-off return by Andre Allen and three touchdown passes to Dominique Reed that made the score 30-27 Busters.

In the 2nd half the Busters continued to make mistakes with interceptions, a punt and turned it over on downs, and the Red Ravens were on fire in just about every phase of the game, scoring on four of their first five possessions jumping out to a 54-30 lead. The Busters would come roaring back late in the 4th quarter scoring three times in the last 5 minutes of the game and added a 2 point conversion plus missed on another and kicked a 31 yard field goal from Carlos Chavez. The Busters still had a shot at an overtime game inside of the minute to play, but time ran out, leaving the Busters in 4th place with the 54-47 loss. Now Garden City must travel to El Dorado on Sunday November 4th, to face the #2 Butler Grizzlies for the second time on the season, losing to them back on October 6th 84-13. Busters Head Coach Jeff Tatum comments on how his team played and looking forward to the play-off match-up with the Grizzlies.