Garden City drops regular-season finale to Coffeyville

Garden City, KS-Sometimes numbers don't tell the whole story.  

Despite outgaining Coffeyville 441-123 and holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes, Garden City lost its regular-season finale on Saturday, 30-21. The Broncbusters closed the year at 4-6 and 3-3 in conference play, completing their first losing season in seven years.  

"Special teams were our downfall today," Head Coach, Tom Minnick said.  

How dominating was Garden City? Well, considering that the Red Ravens had just nine passing yards and nine first downs, it's an anomaly that they scored 30 points. But thanks to two major special teams' gaffs by Garden city, Coffeyville put themselves in prime position to be one of the final four teams left standing.  

The first of those mistakes came on the Broncbusters' opening drive when they marched 61 yards in 18 plays to the Coffeyville 14. But after Ty Perry's pass to Torey Morrison fell incomplete on third down, Jabin Ford blocked Angel Islas's 31-yard field goal and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. Then, early in the second quarter, Levi Flores was set to punt from his own 10 when Kameron Pearson raced in off the edge and blocked the kick. The ball eventually rolled out of the back of the end zone, giving the Red Ravens a 9-0 advantage.  

"It's rare that you dominate a football game and that's the end result," Minnick added. "That's how we feel after this one." 

Coffeyville managed just one first down and 14 total yards over the first 30 minutes; yet took a 9-0 lead into the locker room.  

Garden City finally broke through in the third quarter. After Travis Dixon converted a fourth-and-1 at the Red Raven 23, Perry found Tyejuan Taylor in the front-right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. But a few minutes later, Coffeyville answered. Jacqez Barksdale sprinted 37 yards before Jett Elad tripped him up at the 3. On the very next play, Romal Webb powered in, and Coffeyville had a 16-7 advantage with 6:20 remaining.  

The Red Ravens extended the margin on the first play of the fourth when JR Martin capped off a nine-play, 46-yard drive with a 14-yard rushing score to make it 23-7.  

"As has been the case all season, we just made way too many mistakes," Minnick said. "We kept giving them chances." 

The Broncbusters kept things close in the fourth. Gabe Friend, who replaced Perry, connected with Martiel Singelton for a 60-yard touchdown. But on Garden City's ensuing possession, Friend was picked off by Bishop Fitzgerald. Two plays later, Martin found the end zone again, this time from 23 yards out that put the Red Ravens up, 30-13.  

"We were in most of these games this year," Minnick said. "This is a game I feel like we could have won. But you can't make mistakes and keep giving teams opportunities." 

Later in the quarter, Jospeh Bakhole sacked Friend and knocked him out of the game. Perry was reinserted and engineered a 10-play, 76-yard scoring drive that was capped with the sophomore's 21-yard touchdown toss to Taylor. But the comeback attempt was short circuited on Garden City's next possession when Perry was intercepted by Fitzgerald.  

Perry was 37-of-56 for 294 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for Garden City. Dixon ran 19 times for 56 yards, and Mykel Campbell had six catches for 72.  

Martin finished 4-of-11 for nine yards and a pick for Coffeyville, which improved to 8-2 on the season.