Garden City again hoists Hatchet
By: Shelton Burch
Courtesy of Dodge Globe Sports Editor
The Garden City Buffaloes beat the Dodge City Red Demons 40-9 Friday night, winning the Hatchet for the second consecutive time.
It was the first time a home team won the game in four years.
“They physically dominated us in the second half and we really didn’t have any answers,” Dodge City head coach Dave Foster said. “We never got ourself out of our end in the third quarter.”
The Red Demons played hard, and only trailed 6-3 at halftime. Dodge City junior Carlos Gamboa played well, making catches early that helped keep early Red Demons’ drives alive. He was also active on defense.
“Carlos is a great kid and we know what we’re gonna get from him night in and night out,” Foster said. “He played his heart out, and that’s what we get from a kid like that.”
In the second half, however, Garden City built momentum behind senior running back Quinton LaPointe, building a lead up to 33-3.
“They haven’t been able to run the ball like that all-year, but they made some personnel changes as well,” Foster said. “He’s obviously a tough runner and they blocked well for him.”
Then, late in the fourth quarter, Dodge City sophomore quarterback Beau Foster
threw a screen-pass to senior Dawson Williams, who broke through the Garden City defense and went 55 yards, cutting the lead to 33-9.
“We were trying to find him ways to get the ball,” Foster said. “It was too little, too late. I just wish we could effectively block for him like (the team did on that play) in the first quarter. We had a screen just like that out to Dejon (Delgado), we just couldn’t get a lineman out to there, we were one block away from scoring.”
The win clinched at least share of the Western Athletic Conference title for the Garden City Buffaloes as they moved to 6-1 and 3-0 in conference.
With the loss, the Red Demons fell to 3-4 and 1-2 in conference.
They’ll take on the Liberal Redskins at 7 p.m. next Friday in Dodge City’s Memorial Stadium.
