Dodge Rolls Past Liberal 70-34
(Liberal, KS) The Dodge City High School football team put up 69 in a shutout win over Liberal in 2015. This year the Red Demons did one point better Friday night scoring 70 in wrapping up the regular season 70-34 on a record breaking night for quarterback Dawson Williams.
The junior rushed for 351 yards and surpassed the single game school rushing record set in 2011 by Parker Davis who rushed for 326 against Wichita Southeast. Williams also rushed for five touchdowns, his last of the night coming in the final 53 seconds to give him 24 for the season and place him within striking distance of the 26 rushing touchdowns a record set by Darrell McCullough in 1970.
Game Highlights
Liberal grabbed their first and only lead of the night with a quick four play, 65 yard drive off the opening kickoff capped off with a four yard rushing score from fullback Cesar Burciaga making it 7-0 Redskins.
After the kickoff Dodge returned the favor scoring the first time they touched the ball on running back Tylor Garcia’s 80 score down the right sideline. It was the longest play from scrimmage on the year for the Red Demons surpassing a 75 yard touchdown run Dawson Williams had in Great Bend.
The score started off a string of 56 consecutive points scored by Dodge City before Liberal would find the end zone again. Coupled with the Demons longest play from scrimmage this year, Dodge also had their longest play when Samuel Unruh returned the second half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Mark Adams had the last kickoff return for a touchdown in last year’s loss at Wichita Heights.
Burciaga finished the night with three rushing scores for Liberal on 19 carries for 125 yards and freshman Syris Dunlap who did not play in the second half had 14 carries for 107 yards. Quarterback Jesse Alvarado went 0-2 passing and did not attempt a single pass in the second half even though the Redskins were down big at the time. All 310 yards Liberal amassed were on the ground.
Dodge City had 555 yards of total offense on the night. Tylor Garcia added his fifth 100+ yard rushing night of the year, it was his best performance rushing 9 times for 156 yards and two scores. His two touchdown game matched what he did at Hays just a couple of weeks earlier.
Sam Mead came in during the second half at quarterback and led a scoring drive where he had a rushing touchdown. His 54 yard strike to wide receiver Juan Gomez brought the Demons all the way to the Liberal one. The following play gave Dodge City their largest lead of the night a 56-7.
Dodge had two second half turnovers including a interception return of Williams off a dropped pass from Daniel Martinez that was strip away at the Demon two from the returner Ty Johnson as he tried to score on a 67 yard pick. The loose ball then rolled into the end zone where Alex Yanez pushed away Garcia from the ball for the Liberal touchdown. That score made it 56-26 Dodge City.
The Demons closed out the game scoring two of the last three touchdowns including Williams last two rushing scores of the night for 55 and 61 yards.
Dodge City Head Coach Dave Foster Post-game Comments
Dodge City ends the regular season at (5-3, 2-2 in the WAC), while Liberal will end at (4-4, 1-3 WAC). The Demons will open up the newly formatted 6A playoffs on Friday night with road game at (5-3) Washburn Rural. The winner will take on the winner of the Wichita Southeast-Manhattan game the following Friday night.
If there is a silver lining in opening up the playoffs on the road, Washburn Rural is only 1-3 at home this year, but a perfect 4-0 on the road.
