News — Page 2 — DCHS Sports

Red Demons Put On a Show for Opening Night

September 7, 2024 By DCHS Sports

The first home football game at Memorial Stadium each September serves as the unofficial kickoff to fall in Dodge City. The Red Demon Football team did their part to make sure the home crowd had plenty to cheer on as they defeated the Woodward Boomers 40-6 on a picture perfect night at the Palace on the Plains.

The evening could not have started much better for the Red Demons as they took the opening kickoff and drove the length of the field – capping their first drive of the season with an 11 yard run by Alan Rios. On the play, Rios ran through a huge hole on the right side of the Boomer defense following a kickout block by running back Ryan Gonzalez and a wipeout block by offensive lineman Aldo Reyes. The Cruz Rios extra point put the Demons up early, 7-0.

However, Woodward would not go away easily as they proved throughout the night – putting up a fight the entire four quarters. A Red Demon turnover and some tough Mad Hatter defense kept the game at 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Demons found pay dirt again halfway through the second quarter as Alan Flores threw a perfect pass to a streaking Cooper Speer in the back of the north endzone to put the Demons up 14-0. On the very next possession, Woodward kept things interesting as they scored on a long touchdown pass to get back within one score at (14-6).

The highlight play of the night for the Red Demons came on the ensuing drive. Senior Cade Barnett took a handoff from Flores and used a combination of power, speed, and a high step to cover 63 yards and score the Demons third touchdown of the game. A two point conversion put Dodge City up 22-6 and put the momentum on the Demon sideline to stay.

A safety before halftime made it 24-6.

Before the night was over, Barnett would score again – as well as Senior Ryan Gonzalez and the Demons would win comfortably by a score of 40-6. The Mad Hatters would hold Woodward (0-2) to four first downs for the game and only 113 yards of total offense – with 53 of those coming on the long second quarter touchdown pass.

The Red Demons (1-0) will travel to Olathe East next Friday night. The Hawks defeated Olathe Northwest 13-10 in their season opener. This will be the first ever trip to Olathe for the Red Demon Football program.

Grading the Game

Atmosphere: A+ The beautiful weather and a big home crowd (and student section) made for a fun night for the home team. Friday night’s are still a big thing in Dodge City – and the Pride of Southwest Kansas, Drill Team, Cheerleaders, and fans did a great job of kicking off the season.

Football: B First games are always a little rough, and three turnovers by the Demons will give Coach O’Neil plenty to talk about this week heading into a tough matchup with Olathe East. However, there were plenty of bright spots – and the Red Demon defense looked legit. There is a lot of season left to raise that grade to an A.

Video Game: A+ DCHS is known for its’ over the top production and Friday night did not disappoint. From the pre-game football intro to Ring of Honor videos to Halftime intro and the instant replays (and graphics) after each play – Dodge City remains undefeated.

Ring of Honor: A+ The DCHS Alumni Association once again did an outstanding job of showcasing the distinguished alumni of Dodge City. This year’s inductees: Travis Goff (KU Athletic Director) and Ross Bjork (Ohio State Athletic Director) appeared via video to accept.

Halftime: A The Pride of Southwest Kansas was excellent and will only get better as they showcased the first part of their complete show. The DCHS Drill Team debuted for the first time under the direction of Nikki Salem and were impressive. The Red Demon cheer squad did not perform at half, but were also impressive as they cheered from kickoff all the way to leading the band and football team in the school song to end the night.

Overall: A Next up for the Red Demons at home is Wichita South for Homecoming on September 20th. It will be tough for the home crowd to top opening night, but I am sure they will try.

Dodge City High School Hires New Head Softball Coach

July 24, 2024 By DCHS Sports

The Dodge City High School Athletic Department has announced the hiring of Sabrina Hughbanks as the new Head Softball coach of the Lady Red Demons, pending Board of Education approval at the next scheduled meeting.

Hughbanks served as an assistant in the DCHS softball program this past spring. Previously, she was the Head Softball Coach at Ulysses High School, leading the Lady Tigers to their first Regional appearance in four years in 2023. While at Ulysses she also coached tennis. She is employed by the SKACD (613) as a Gifted Education Instructor.

A graduate of South Barber High School, Hughbanks was a state medalist in tennis and track, and was a two-time All-State 18A USSSA pitcher for KS/MO and a two-time All-State pitcher. She began her collegiate athletic career at Central Methodist University as a two-sport athlete in both Track & Field and Softball. She finished her collegiate athletic career at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. Sabrina also has a Master’s degrees from Emporia State University

Athletics have not only been a part of my life but have also shaped who I am today. Softball specifically has had a profound impact on my life in numerous ways – teaching me invaluable lessons in teamwork, communication, and collaboration, which is essential in both sports and professional settings.

It is an incredible honor to lead such a talented group of athletes and be a part of this amazing school community. I am looking forward to working hard alongside our dedicated players, supportive parents, and energetic coaching staff to continue the tradition of excellence that Dodge City High School softball has been known for. I can’t wait to get started!”
– Sabrina Hughbanks, DCHS Head Softball Coach

Coach Hughbanks is a great fit for our athletic department and softball program. She is passionate about growing the game of softball in Dodge City and will be an outstanding leader and role model for the student-athletes in our softball program. We are very pleased to introduce Sabrina Hughbanks as the 8th head coach all-time at Dodge City High School.”
– Jay Gifford, DCHS Athletic Director

The upcoming season (Spring 2025) will be the 30th season for Lady Demon Softball. Hughbanks’ grandfather Glen Piper and Great Uncle Roy Piper were both exceptional athletes that graduated from Dodge City High School and later went on to teaching and coaching careers. The 2025 season begins on March 27 at Legends Complex against WAC rival Great Bend.

2024 Red Demon Summer Camps

May 15, 2024 By DCHS Sports

Dodge City High School offer a wide range of summer sports camps. Click on the links below to find out more.

Summer Strength & Conditioning Camp
Forma español

Football Camp (Grades 7-12)	Volleyball Camp
Girls Basketball (Grades 9-12) Forma español	Girls Basketball (Grades 7-8) Forma español
Boys & Girls Basketball (Grades K-6) Forma español	Pole Vault Camp (Grades 7-12)
Tennis Camp (Grades 9-12)

Pre-Participation Physical Form
Forma español

WAC Track & Field Information

May 6, 2024 By DCHS Sports

Dodge City High School will host the 2024 WAC Track & Field Championships on Thursday, May 9, at Memorial Stadium. This year’s meet will be the 38th year for the event in the 40-year history of the Western Athletic Conference. The meet was cancelled in 2004 due to inclement weather, and 2020 due to COVID.

The Memorial Stadium track complex includes an 8-lane synthetic surface and 2,500 seats on each side of the facility for teams and spectators. The finish line is located on the northeast section of the track. Concessions will be located on the west side of the Stadium.

In 2023, Great Bend won the girl’s title for the second consecutive year and the seventh time overall. Liberal has collected 13 titles, Garden City has won seven titles, Dodge City and Hays have each won four titles.

On the boy’s side, Hays also won the title for the second consecutive year, and the tenth time overall. Liberal has won the title 19 times, while Dodge City has won four titles, including the inaugural meet championship in 1985. Garden City has won one title (2016), and Great Bend won the boys title in 2009.

Liberal holds the record for most championships (13 Girls /11 straight); (19 Boys/16 straight). Liberal also holds the record for most meet “sweeps” with 11 consecutive. Dodge City was the last school to sweep the meet (2019).

More Meet Information

Order of Events

Live Timing and Results

About the Programs

Liberal holds the record amongst WAC schools for most State Track & Field Championships, both boys and girls.

The Redskins won the State Track and Field& Field Title for 14 consecutive seasons from 1991-2004. The Lady Redskins have won the State Title 12 times and consecutive seasons from 1994-2004.

Great Bend won the Boys State Title in 1970 & 1972. The Lady Panthers have won the State Title five times, most recently in 2007.

The Hays Lady Indians won the State Title in 1989, while the boy’s program has collected six titles, including a run of four straight from 2010-2013. Garden City boys won two track titles in 1945 & 1946. No WAC school has ever won a 6A title.

Defending Champions

While the Great Bend Girls and Hays Boys enter the meet as the favorites to repeat as Team Champions, there are several individuals who are also defending their WAC Titles from 2023.

A full preview of this year’s contenders, with defending champions highlighted, can be found here.

Lady Demons Win OT Thriller!

April 24, 2024 By DCHS Sports

Lady Demons 3 Buffaloes 2 – WAC Soccer

Memorial Stadium – In an instant classic, the Lady Demon soccer team captured an overtime win in a much-anticipated WAC matchup of the top two conference teams in the standings. Jasmine Ruiz found the back of the net on a penalty kick in the first overtime to send the Lady Demons into a frenzy on the north end of the pitch at Memorial Stadium.

The scoring started quickly for the Lady Demons as Naomy Parra scored just under 10’ into the match. The lead would not last until halftime as Garden City scored on a corner kick to bring the match back even at 1-1. Things remained even until a free kick from Ruiz put the Demons up 2-1 with 10:18 remaining in the match. From that point on – the roar would not leave the crowd until the final score was decided. At the 8’ mark, Dodge City was given a red card for impeding a Garden City player’s path to the goal and the Buffaloes scored on the ensuing free kick. Dodge City would play the remainder of regulation and overtime down one player.

The final 8’ of regulation played out in a stalemate with the score tied at 2-apiece. However, it did not take the Demons long to strike in the first overtime. Ruiz was fouled in the box on a breakaway as the Garden City goalkeeper attempted to make a tackle to force a shot. As Ruiz picked herself up off the ground – the crowd anticipated the inevitable. As the ball deflected off the Buffalo goalkeeper and into the net – the Demon faithful celebrated the win.

Ruiz scored two of the three goals on the day for Dodge City. The Lady Demons improved to (7-3, 3-0-1). Next up for the Lady Demons is a trip to Great Bend on Thursday for another important WAC match. Due to impending weather – the varsity game will kickoff at 3p, followed by the JV.

The Lady Demons return home to Memorial Stadium next Tuesday against Liberal for the Backyard Battle for the Bell – presented by Sunflower Bank. All (K-12) students will be admitted free to the games.