Scott City looks to wrap up district title at Concordia

Scott City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–With their 12th consecutive playoff birth clinched, the Scott City Beavers are looking for one more thing. While they are the lone undefeated team, and have the maximum district points, the Beavers are not quite district champions. Tonight in their regular season finale, Scott City will make their first long bus ride of the year to take on the Concordia Panthers in a 7 pm kickoff at Harold M. Clark Stadium.

Scott City comes in to week nine with an 8-0 record and a 2-0 district record, following a 28-0 win at Goodland last Friday night to claim their sixth GWAC title in eight years. The Beavers scored on two of their first three possessions to lead 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-0 at the break. Despite only getting one score in the second half, the defense would step up, denying Goodland a score on their lone second half trip into the red zone. Scott City would finish with 506 yards of offense, with 414 coming on the ground. Jarret Jurgens had a career-high 190 yards and two scores, and rattled off an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The win gave the Beavers their 27th straight district win, going back to week nine of the 2008 season. So far this year, Wyatt Hayes leads the ground attack with 901 yards and 14 touchdowns. Scott City averages 376 yards per game, with 292 coming on the ground. Defensively, the Beavers surrendered 181 yards against Goodland, and allow an average of eight points and 148 yards of offense per game.

Concordia dropped to 4-4 on the year after a 32-14 loss at Colby last Friday night. The Panthers fell behind 13-0 after the opening quarter and 20-0 at the break. They scored on the first play of the second half to pull to within 20-8, and got to within 26-14 early in the fourth quarter, before the Eagles put the game away with a fourth quarter touchdown. Concordia finished with 297 yards of offense, with 213 coming on the ground. They gave up 451 yards of offense, with 347 coming on the ground. Leading the ground attack this year is senior Rope Dorman, who has 692 yards with seven touchdowns. He has been hampered by an injury that has kept him out of the lineup for a good portion of the second half of the year. He had 41 rushing yards last week, before being carried off the field with an injury. Senior Billy Bechrd has 514 rushing yards and seven touchdowns for an offense that averages 287 yards per game, with 195 on the ground, and 21 points a contest. Defensively, they’ve given up 283 yards a game and 19 points per game.

Last season in their first-ever meeting, Scott City won 42-0. It was scoreless after the first quarter and the Beavers led 21-0 at the break. Both teams will be in the same district for the next two seasons, and will meet in Concordia on week eight next year. Scott City is 9-1 all-time against the NCKL.

As for the district scenarios, Scott City has assured themselves a playoff spot. With a win, they will host a regional playoff game next Friday. If Concordia were to knock off Scott City and Goodland defeat Colby, then Concordia would be the district champion and Scott City would travel to Holcomb for the regional round of the playoffs. If Colby defeats Goodland, than the Eagles will be the second seed, and if Colby and Concordia both win, then it will come down to points, and that would give Scott City the district championship with them being so far ahead, and most likely Colby the second place spot, based on points. A Scott City win and a Goodland win by 10 or more points would give the Cowboys the final district spot. Going into Friday’s games, Scott City is 2-0, +42 in points, Colby 1-1, -3, Concordia 1-1, -17, and Goodland is 0-2, -22.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm, with a 6:3o pregame on Mix 94.5, online at westernkansasnews.com/mix94, on the TuneIn app, and also on the free Mix 94.5 app.