Mark Shelton
Dodge City Globe
The Dodge City Red Demons came out firing Friday night, looking poised for a statement win in Western Athletic Conference play. But after an inspired first half, the momentum shifted dramatically as Hays stormed back to hand the Red Demons a 42–19 loss.
Dodge City played one of its most energized halves of the season, scoring three second-quarter touchdowns to take a 19–14 lead into halftime. The Red Demons showcased both explosiveness and grit through the opening 24 minutes, capitalizing on turnovers and attacking effectively through the air and on the ground.
After forcing Hays turnovers on its first two possessions, Dodge City had early opportunities to strike but couldn’t capitalize, punting twice. Hays broke through first when Holden Lind ripped off a 58-yard run, setting up a short touchdown by quarterback Zane Viegra for a 7–0 lead late in the first quarter. The Red Demons answered with purpose.
A 15-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play drive to even the score at 7–7. Moments later, Dodge City took the lead on a 48-yard touchdown pass — its longest completion of the year — to make it 13–7. Although the extra point missed, the home crowd roared as momentum swung Dodge City’s way.
Hays briefly regained the lead on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Viegra to Jarek Purdy, but the Red Demons struck right back. After taking over near midfield following a turnover on downs, Dodge City needed just two plays to find the end zone again, surging ahead 19–14 after a missed two-point try. Unfortunately, that would be their final score of the night.
Hays took control early in the third quarter. After forcing a punt, Lind sparked the Indians with a 29-yard burst, and Viegra capped the drive with his second rushing touchdown to put Hays ahead 21–19 — a lead they would never surrender.
From there, the Indians dominated on both sides of the ball. Their defense forced three straight stops while the offense scored on all four second-half possessions. Viegra connected with Purdy again for a 45-yard strike late in the third quarter, and Braxton Basgall added a five-yard score to extend the lead to 35–19. Lind sealed the win with a 55-yard touchdown run, finishing with a staggering 304 rushing yards on 30 carries.
Dodge City quarterback Ty Scheck turned in one of his best performances of the season, completing 16 of 28 passes (57%) for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also added 57 rushing yards on 13 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt. Elliott Williams and Kordell Howard each hauled in long touchdown receptions.
Head Coach Glen O’Neil praised his team’s early effort but acknowledged the second-half collapse.
“A tale of two halves,” O’Neil said. “The first half we forced two turnovers and competed with a very good Hays team. The second half, we couldn’t get stops or turnovers and paid the price.”
O’Neil credited Hays’ physical front and grueling schedule while noting areas Dodge City must clean up.
“Hays has probably had one of the toughest schedules in the state, and they were still 4–1 coming in. With Great Bend up next for them, I believe we were the so-called trap game. We played that well for just so long. Our two biggest problems on the night were penalties and defensive misalignments,” he said.
“Multiple penalties left us in long-yardage situations we couldn’t convert. Even with that, I believe Ty Scheck had his best overall game, spreading the ball around and hitting multiple receivers. Defensively, we gambled using an unconventional front and slowed Hays at times, but every misalignment cost us. Their running back had a career night, and both issues have to be corrected if we’re going to be successful.”
