Law rout Wichita to get to 6-1
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Dodge City, KS-One of the biggest questions facing Dodge City entering their week-seven showdown with Wichita was how they would respond after such a gut-wrenching loss in Texas the week before.
“It’s hard to say bounce back,” Law Coach Sean Ponder said before kickoff on Saturday. “We played well enough to win last week. The guys just needed to keep doing what they’ve been doing.”
Seven days later, they did just that and then some.
Rudy Johnson threw five touchdown passes, and the league’s top defense held Wichita to just 162 total yards, as the Law crushed the Force 62-39 at United Wireless Arena.
“It’s a good step in the right direction,” Ponder said. “Our offense found a nice rhythm, and our defense did what they’ve been doing all season.”
That defense held Wichita (3-4) without a first down for the first 20 minutes of the game while the offense scored on their first four possessions to break the game open 28-6.
After Luke Pray drilled a 43-yard field goal to put Wichita up 3-0, (Rudy) Johnson answered with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Venson that capped off a seven-play, 45-yard drive to take a 7-3 advantage.
Following Pray’s second field goal: a season-long 51 yarder, the Law was in the end zone again, this time courtesy of Johnson’s 24-yard scoring toss to Marquis Deadwiler, who torched Darien Anderson on a post down the middle for a 14-6 lead.
Then it was the defense’s turn to make a play.
On second-and-9 at the Law 19, Darius Moore’s snap never made it back to Wichita quarterback Jake Medlock, and Tyrell Green recovered the loose ball for Dodge City. Seven plays later, free-agent acquisition Noel Phillips powered into the end zone to push the Law lead to 21-6 with 13:34 to go until halftime.
“We just continued to make plays all night long,” Ponder explained. “That was our mindset.”
The Force’s offense continued to stumble the next time they had the ball, and Pray missed a 45-yard field goal.
Dodge City (6-1) took over and scored in less than three minutes when Johnson hit Rashad Pargo in the back-left corner of the end zone for a touchdown and a 28-6 cushion.
“That was a heck of a play by Pargo,” Ponder said of the rookie receiver’s leap over the wall. “Everyone was making plays tonight.”
But as good as Dodge City was over the first 21 minutes of the game, Ponder had to quickly remind his guys of what happened back in their week-two meeting.
Trailing 36-14 in the third quarter, Dodge City held the Force to just 52 total yards back in March and came back to win the game 42-39. Five weeks later, Wichita tried to flip the script.
Facing a third-and-3 at their own 24, Medlock lobbed a jump ball into the secondary that Clarence Anderson came down with at the Law 1. It was the type of play that was reminiscent of Pargo’s fourth-down touchdown grab at Intrust Bank Arena in their first meeting that jump started the Dodge City offense.
“Sometimes it’s one play that gets you started,” Ponder said.
That one play eventually led to Medlock’s one-yard touchdown run that cut the Law lead to 28-13.
The next time Dodge City had the ball, Johnson underthrew Daniel McKinney on a post, and the ball was intercepted by (Darien) Anderson.
“It was just a ball that should not have been thrown,” Ponder said.
That turnover fueled another Wichita scoring drive when Medlock hit Brett Soft for a 16-yard touchdown that pulled the Force to within eight 28-20 with 56 seconds to play in the second.
“We needed to regroup a bit after that sequence,” Ponder admitted. “But we did.”
Jared Wood added a field goal before the half to give the Law an 11-point lead going into the third. The game was never in doubt from there.
Green’s end zone interception early in the second half quashed any Force comeback attempt. Johnson’s touchdown pass to Venson at the end of the third quarter was the mini dagger, putting Dodge City in front 41-20.
Then the fireworks.
Following Wood’s extra point, Wichita linebacker Jason Catchings was kicked out of the game. His Head Coach Paco Martinez soon joined him, and what ensued afterwards was a three-minute jawing match between Martinez and the officials. The end result was four personal foul penalties that had the Force beginning their next drive at their own 1.
“It was a heat of the moment type deal,” Ponder said of the incident. “It happens to all of us.”
Ponder’s squad kept their cool, and finished off the Force with 21 fourth-quarter points including Trey Dudley’s electrifying 58-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Johnson added his fifth touchdown pass of the night when he hit Deadwiler on a crossing pattern before McKinney scampered in in the final seconds for a one-yard score to give the Law their second victory over Wichita in franchise history.
Johnson completed 27-of-38 passes for 257 yards, falling two shy of tying the franchise record for most in a single game. Phillips carried the ball 12 times for 23 yards and a touchdown and Brandon Venson had a season-best nine catches for 85 and two scores.
Medlock was 16-of-26 for 137 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He toted the ball eight times for 24 and two scores.
“It’s a good win going into the bye week,” Ponder said. “We are onto Kansas City.”
The Law improved to 6-1 for the first time since 2015 and won their 10th straight game at home.
Next up: Dodge City at Kansas City-Sunday, April 30-2:30 p.m. pregame; 3:05 p.m. kick on 98.1 FM; westernkansasnews.com/z98 and KSKZ mobile app
