Broncbusters fall to Iowa Central

Fort Dodge, IA-In a game that featured plenty of offensive pyrotechnics, it was a defensive play that sealed the deal in the final minute. 

Cyncir Bowers ran for 202 yards and three touchdowns, Tyler Smith and Ty Purdy combined for three td’s through the air, and Iowa Central held on for a wild 49-45 win over Garden City Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. 

The two teams combined for 839 total yards, yet it meant very little in the final seconds. Trailing by four, the Broncbusters faced a fourth-and-5 at the Tritons’ 47. But Tyler Nelson’s wobbly pass intended for Dejuan Lacy was deflected by Jawarren Corbin, turning the ball over on downs and sealing Garden City’s ninth loss of the season. 

Lacy tallied 193 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns for the Broncbusters, which dropped to 1-9 overall. Nelson added 144 yards on the ground as Garden City rushed for 361 as a team.  

But the defense surrendered 402 total yards marking just the second time this season they yielded 400 or more. Iowa Central averaged 7.3 yards per play. 

“We still had a chance to win the game,” Head Coach, Kiyoshi Harris said. “It was right in front of us, but we didn’t finish strong.” 

Garden City looked like they were going to blow the Tritons out of the water. Michael Thomas’s 30-yard pick six followed by Gene Sledge’s six-yard touchdown run gave the Broncbusters a 35-21 lead with 4:18 to go in the first half. 

But the Broncbuster defense failed to make a stop on the Tritons’ ensuing possession as Jesse Montalto’s team marched 76 yards in seven plays. The drive was aided by a pass interference call on JayT Jackson. Two plays later, Purdy found a wide-open Jaquez Hall in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown that pulled Iowa Central to within seven, 35-28 at the break. 

“We should have put the game away right there,” Harris mentioned. “But they drive down the field and have momentum going into the locker room.”

Bowers, who twice this season earned conference player of the week honors, added the tying score early in the third period when he blasted in from five yards out. Then, after a Garden City three-and-out, Bowers capped off a seven-play, 67-yard drive with a 35-yard rushing touchdown to make it 42-35 with 7:30 left in the quarter. 

Things went from bad to worse the next time the Broncbusters had the ball. Following an offensive pass interference call on Zac Dyer, Ajai Russell stripped the ball from Nelson, and Howard Brown recovered for the Tritons. On the very next play, Anthony Hall powered in from two yards out, capping off a stretch that saw Iowa Central score 28 unanswered points in just under 10 minutes. 

“That just can’t happen, period,” Harris explained. 

Sledge’s one-yard touchdown run on the second play of the final period, and Tanner Rinker’s 45-yard field goal later in the quarter, pulled the Broncbusters to within four. But the Broncbusters fumbled away a couple of chances to take control of the game late including a fourth-down failure at the Iowa Central 46 when Nelson was stuffed by Taylor Schaefer and Joseph Shannon for no gain with 3:22 remaining.  

Lacy, who is now just 124 yards behind Hutchinson’s Waymond Jordan Jr. in the sprint for the NJCAA rushing crown, was spectacular in the losing effort. He had a pair of 50-yard touchdown runs in the opening quarter and nearly 150 yards on the ground in the first half.