Red Demons head to Wichita Heights for tough test
By: Shelton Burch
Courtesy of Dodge City Daily Globe
Coming off a dominant 60-26 win over Wichita Southeast last Friday, the Dodge City Red Demons football team heads to Wichita Heights to take on the Wichita Heights Falcons.
Red Demons head coach Dave Foster said one of the challenges this week will be the battle between the Red Demons offensive line and the Falcons defensive line.
“They’ve got some kids up there that we can only hope to slow down and not necessarily own or control,”Foster said.
Wichita Heights also returns a lot of players from last year’s team.
“They’re very good up front,” Foster said. “They return like 10 starters off last year’s team. Defense is really their strength. There are some things we think we can achieve through the air.”
Foster said part of that comes from the coverage schemes Wichita Heights uses, which could allow big plays through the air while also opening up space for the running game.
“You can get (defensive backs) running out with receivers playing man-coverage then it can open up the run-game as well,” Foster said.
Last week, the Red Demons took a very run heavy approach, rushing for
over 240 combined yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
They also recovered three fumbles and two interceptions. Foster said the Red Demons didn’t necessarily do anything special to cause those, but this Wichita Heights team runs an offense that lends itself to disruption if the Dodge City defense can get enough pressure.
“Heights is a team that runs the triple-option,” Foster said. “They’re a mid-line veer team. There’s a lot of exchanges of balls. So you’ve got a fullback-quarterback mesh, you’ve got a pitch-phase and that’s their go-to stuff. So the ability to create disruption at the mesh, at the point of contact when that ball is being transitioned, they’ve shown to put that ball on the ground and that would obviously be big for us.”
The Falcons will not make those mistakes on their own, Foster said.The Red Demons will have to force them to make those errors.
Sophomore quarterback Beau Foster completed 14 ⁄24 passing with 161 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in last week’s win. Coach Foster said he is progressing well, but still a sophomore.
“I think he’s had a big week at practice and took steps in a positive direction,” Foster said. “Obviously we need to keep things within his realm in terms of his understanding and throws he can make and the run game that he can
execute. That’s pry the biggest difference this week, is trying to make sure we direct things and not put him in bad situations.”
The Dodge City Red Demons take on the Wichita Heights Falcons at 7 p.m. in Heights Stadium in Wichita, Kansas.
