Law done in in final seconds vs. Texas
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Allen, TX-During their 5-0 start, Dodge City lived dangerously, winning three times on the final play of the game.
On Saturday, that gambler’s mentality finally came back to bite Sean Ponder’s team.
Chris Dixon threw three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Joe Adams with nine seconds to play as Texas handed Dodge City their first loss of the season 49-42 at the Allen Events Center.
“These guys can’t put their heads down,” Dodge City Coach Sean Ponder said. “They fought so hard. It just came down to a guy making a great play.”
That guy, Dixon, looked sharp from the get go, completing his first five passes. He finished the night 15-of-20, for 123 yards.
“He (Dixon) played really well; give them credit,” Ponder said. “But at the end of the day, we put ourselves in position to win. They just made a play at the end.”
The only eye sore on Saturday was Dodge City’s opening possession: an eight-play drive that netted no points after Jared Wood missed a 38-yard field goal.
Texas immediately responded, marching 45 yards in seven plays and scored when Dixon scampered across the goal line from a yard out to make it 7-0.
From there it was a track meet.
Dodge City took advantage of a touchback and a personal foul against Texas (4-0) on their next series when Rudy Johnson hit Brandon Venson for a 12-yard touchdown to tie it at 7.
“Rudy made plays,” Ponder said. “He didn’t turn the ball over, and he threw it extremely well.”
His counterpart Dixon showed off his arm on the next drive, completing a 14-yard bullet to Michael Dyer before finding Clinton Solomon in the back-right corner of the end zone for a 14-7 advantage with 1:10 to play in the first.
“This was a matchup of two, good football teams,” Ponder said. “Those are the breaks sometimes.”
Dodge City finally got the break they were looking for early in the second. After Johnson hit Daniel McKinney for a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the score, Gary Henderson tripped up the Revolution’s ensuing drive. The stalwart defensive lineman sacked Dixon on third-and-13 at the Law 14. Instead of trotting out the field-goal team, Texas Coach Victor Mann rolled the dice and went for it. Unfortunately the decision backfired when Dixon’s fourth-down heave sailed out of the back of the end zone.
It was the little opening Dodge City (5-1) needed.
From there, the Law took their first lead of the night, punctuating a methodical eight-play, 28-yard drive that featured four penalties with Johnson’s second touchdown pass of the game: a four-yard, side-arm toss to Kamalie Matthews that put the Law in front 21-14 with 3:14 to go in the half.
“That was a heck of a catch by Kamalie,” Ponder said. “He caught the ball, and they were trying to take his legs out. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Texas eventually tied the score on Dyer’s one-yard rumble to pay dirt, before the Law added Wood’s 19-yard field goal in the final seconds of half to take a 24-21 lead into the locker room.
“We did what we wanted to do,” Ponder said. “We had the lead, on the road, in their (Texas’s) building. You can’t ask for more than that.”
The lead changed hands seven times over the final 30 minutes of the game, the first of those happened on the Revolution’s first offensive series of the third quarter.
Texas completed a third-and-12 at the Law 21 when Dixon sprinted for 14 yards to the 7. Two plays later, the 36-year old quarterback made the play of the game, rolling right and dropping his arm down three quarters before firing a laser to Brett Reece, who slipped in front of Trey Dudley in the right corner of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown that put the Revolution on top 28-24.
“I’ve known Chris for years,” Ponder said. “He is very capable. There’s a reason he’s accomplished so much during his career.”
Texas had a chance to create some separation in the third when Dodge City failed to convert a fourth-and-13 at the Revolution 24. But Texas handed the Law a gift when Tyrell Green thwarted the Revolution’s next march into Dodge City territory by intercepting Dixon’s pass in the end zone.
“We knew we needed to create a takeaway,” Ponder said. “That was a fantastic play by Green.”
That pick led to Dodge City’s longest scoring drive of the season: 13-plays, 45 yards and was finished off with Willie Jackson’s two-yard rushing touchdown that put the Law on top 30-28 (Wood missed the extra point off of the left upright) with 10:34 to go.
Texas punched right back.
Dyer’s electrifying 51-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the ensuing boot gave the Revolution a 35-30 edge.
“Our special teams has played well all year, but there we made a mistake,” Ponder said. “It cost us.”
Law receiver Hi-C Scott did his best to answer the bell. His 35-yard kickoff return put Dodge City in prime position at the Texas 17. Three plays later, Jackson found the end zone for his second touchdown of the game. The Law missed the two-point try, but led 36-35 with 8:18 to play.
The teams exchanged body blows from there with Dixon added his second rushing score of the night to put Texas on top before Johnson found McKinney in the left corner of the end zone to put the Law up 42-41 with 1:04 left.
“I wish we could have run more time off of the clock,” Ponder said of that final score. “But it didn’t work out that way.”
With one timeout and starting at their own 17, Dixon went to the air, first hitting Solomon for 12 yards and Adams for 13. After a five-yard procedure penalty pushed them back, the stage was set for one of the most controversial finishes of the season.
On first-and-goal at the Dodge City 13, Dixon dropped back to pass. As he scanned the field, he located Adams, who was open in the middle of the end zone. The line-drive throw appeared to bounce off of Adams’ chest before ricocheting off the ground back into his lap. But the officials signaled touchdown, giving Texas the lead for good.
“It is what it is,” Ponder said. “There’s nothing we can do it about it now. But Dixon made a great play.”
After Texas added the two-point conversion, the Law had one last chance to force overtime. But Johnson’s miracle heave was knocked away at the goal line, preserving the Revolution’s unblemished record.
“We played well enough to win the game,” Ponder said. “We didn’t make mistakes. Our one miscue was when we didn’t score on our first drive. But other than that, everything else was solid.”
Johnson bounced back from this three-interception performance vs. Salina by throwing for 192 yards and four touchdowns. He added eight carries for 30 yards while the newly-acquired Jackson carried the ball 14 times for 41 yards and two touchdowns. McKinney added five catches for 65 and two scores.
Dixon led the Revolution in rushing, toting the ball 10 times for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Adams reeled in four balls for 51 yards and a score.
Next up: Dodge City vs. Wichita-Saturday, April 15-6:30 p.m. pregame; 7:05 p.m. kick on 98.1 FM; westernkansasnews.com/z98 and KSKZ mobile app
