Conqs end season with two-point loss

DODGE CITY, Kan. — Dodge City Community College football coach Ricky Coon stood on the turf at Memorial Stadium following Saturday’s 38-36 loss to Fort Scott with many mixed emotions. 

The Conqs failed to win a game this fall, going 0-10, the first winless season since 2012 when the Conqs went 0-9. Dodge City led at some point in many of their games this season, including the first two games at Independence and home against Garden City, the Conqs led late in the first half or at halftime. The last two games, Dodge City lost by three to Highland in double-OT and then losing by two on Saturday afternoon to close the season.

Coon, the first-year head coach for Dodge City set the motto of this season as “Brick-by-Brick”, as he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy season basically starting the program from scratch after just a handful of returners from last year’s team returned to fall camp. The Conqs had many injuries this season and on Saturday afternoon they played with just one starting offensive linemen that started back in week one at Independence. Dodge City faced a lot of adversity this season and the players and coaching staff hopes that learning from multiple situations this season will carry over to next August when the Conqs next hit the gridiron. 

Dodge City got on the scoreboard at the 11:51 mark in the second quarter following a 1-yard run from Abraham Alce, tying the game at 7 apiece. Fort Scott then grabbed two more scores before the break to lead 21-7 at halftime. 

The Conqs came out fighting in the second half, as Jace Orndorff found DaQuan Bailey-Brown for a 59-yard strike on the first play from scrimmage in the second half to pull the Conqs within a score at 21-14. The Greyhounds answered with a score of their own, but then it was Alce again that found the end zone from a yard out to pull the Conqs within a touchdown again at 28-21 with 6:35 to go in the third quarter. The Greyhounds would get one more score on a field goal to take a 31-21 lead into the final quarter of play.

The Fort Scott offense would go three-and-out and would be forced to punt early in the fourth, but a bad snap on the punt would be kicked out of the back of the end zone for a safety and a free kick to the Conqs, trailing 31-23. The ensuing possession for the Conqs would go for a score, as Orndorff found Terrance Johnson for a 29-yard score. Coach Coon kept his offense on the field to try and tie the game up on the 2-point conversion, but that would fail. Dodge City was within two, 31-29 with 11:57 to go. After another Greyhound score, Dodge City had an answer as this time Orndorff found Bailey-Brown for a 69-yard touchdown pass to get the Conqs within 38-36 with 2:46 to go. 

After a strong defensive showing by Dodge City on the ensuing Greyhound possession, the Conqs offense had a chance to pull out a game winning drive with just over a minute remaining. The Conqs would pick up one first down, but on fourth down in their own territory, Dodge City failed to convert and that would end the game with a two-point Greyhound win.