Conqs Stun Tritons, Beat Ranked Opponent for First Time Since ’16

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Conquistadors running back Jalen Smith found the end zone with under six minutes left in the fourth quarter to cap a run of 14 unanswered points for Dodge City as they fought past Iowa Central 34-30 at Memorial Stadium.

This was the fourth matchup against a ranked opponent for the Conquistadors this season but they were unable to capitalize in the previous three, with close losses to Iowa Western and Snow as well as a lopsided defeat to Hutchinson. As a matter of fact, it had been seven years since Dodge City had last beaten a ranked opponent which came all the way back in September of 2016 when the knocked off #12 Butler 7-3.

Iowa Central had been ranked in the top-10 each week coming into the weekend, but had fallen from #3 to #9 after getting dominated by Butler last weekend. The Tritons had won three straight against the Conqs in the series but, as it has all season, Dodge City proved early that they are a different team this season.

The Conqs came out of the locker room with firing. It started on the opening kickoff when Bobby Arnold set the offense up with great field position with a 55-yard return. It took only one play for Dodge City to take advantage with quarterback Trey Jefferson connecting with Javon Campbell deep down the sideline for a 38-yard touchdown to put the Conqs on the board after only 18 seconds.

Dodge City’s defense forced a punt shortly afterwards to get the ball back in Jefferson’s hands. Four plays into the ensuing drive he went deep again, this time connecting with his former Murray State teammate Curtis Rearden for 55 yards to find the end zone again to make it 13-0 just over five minutes into the contest.

Iowa Central was completely shut out in the first quarter but looked like a completely different team in the second. It started early in the frame when Tritons quarterback Justin Silverstein found star receiver Mario Sanders across the middle and he proceeded to take it all the way into the end zone for a 36-yard score which put Iowa Central on the board and cut the deficit to seven.

The Conqs offense continued to make big plays though as Jefferson threw his third touchdown of the first half after another long kickoff return, this time by Edward Wilson. Jefferson found Kam Thomas for a 32-yard touchdown on the third play of the drive set up by Wilson to pad the Dodge City lead and make it 20-6.

The Tritons managed to cover 71 yards in seven plays on the following drive and elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal at the Dodge City 4-yard line. Silverstein found Sanders again for another touchdown to make it a 20-13 game with under seven minutes to go in the half. 

The wheels fell off for the Conqs offense at this point though as Jefferson fumbled on back-to-back drives, gifting the Tritons possession inside the red zone each time. Iowa Central got seven points off of those two turnovers with Sanders catching his third touchdown of the first half after the first fumble but Dodge City’s defense kept it from being a complete disaster as they forced a turnover on downs following the second one. 

With the game tied at 20 late in the second quarter, Iowa Central got one last drive going and they managed to move inside the Dodge City 15-yard line and get the lead for the first time on a Kongolo Mwenemkamba 29-yard field goal with under 30 seconds to play in the half. 

With a 23-20 lead and the ball to start the second half, it looked like the Tritons might put it away in the second half. Despite having a field goal attempt blocked on their opening drive of the half, an 11-yard punt by Dodge City set up Iowa Central in prime field position which they capitalized on, extending their lead to 30-20 on a Ja’Vontae Williams 11-yard touchdown reception.

The Conqs got back on the board for the first time in the second half on a drive where Jalen Smith did most of the heavy lifting, rushing for 44 yards on the drive. Jefferson capped it off with his fourth passing touchdown as he connected with Rearden, who made a spectacular one-handed catch, from 11 yards out to make it 30-27 entering the fourth quarter.

The final frame started out slowly for both offenses but it looked like the Tritons would extend their lead after they drove to the Dodge City 5-yard line but Mwenemkamba missed a 22-yard field goal that would have extended the lead to six with under 13 minutes to play.

Both teams exchanged punts on their next two drives, giving Dodge City the ball down by three, deep in their own territory with 7:43 to go in the contest. Jefferson regained his form on the drive, connecting with Rearden for 36 yards and Kerya Powell for 32 yards to set up 1st-and-goal at the Tritons 2-yard line. Smith capped off a tremendous second half by finding the end zone to give the Conqs their first lead of the second half as they went in front 34-30 with 5:17 left.

The Tritons managed to get to midfield on their next drive but it came to a screeching halt as Silverstein threw four straight incompletions to give Dodge City the ball back with a chance to ice the game which they did as Smith ran picked up one first down and Iowa Central jumped offsides to give the Conqs another which let them kneel it out and win 34-30.

Jefferson finished the game with 309 yards passing and 4 touchdowns, he did lose three fumbles though. Smith had a terrific game as well, rushing for 179 yards, 159 of which came in the second half to go with the game-winning touchdown.

The win moves Dodge City to 5-3 on the season as they continue their best season in more than a half decade. This is the first time that the Conqs have reached the five win mark since their 7-4 season under Gary Thomas in 2016. It was their first win against a ranked opponent since that 2016 season and the first time they had done it at Memorial Stadium since their 40-34 win over #11 Hutchinson in September of 2013.

Iowa Central has now lost back-to-back games as they drop to 5-3 on the year and will likely drop out of the top-10 for the first time all season in next week’s poll.

Dodge City has a bye week next week before taking on Butler on Nov. 4. That game will be broadcast live on Z98 at 1 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 12:30.