Red Demons Top Redskins on Fireworks Friday

The Cornelsen Sports Complex turf served as a runway Friday night. The Liberal and Dodge City offenses both took off in a wild 62-48 Dodge City win over the Liberal Redskins. The Red Demons turned four LHS turnovers into 27 points. Liberal amassed 550 yards of offense to Dodge City’s 455, but Dodge only turned the ball over twice leading to 14 Liberal points. Liberal showed great effort overcoming a 55-38 hole with 4:24 to play and cut that lead to 55-48 with three minutes left before Dodge City iced it. But the bottom line is still another loss. It’s 16 WAC losses in a row and the Red Demons have defeated Liberal four consecutive times and six times in the past seven years.

Liberal faked a field goal on their first drive and Britton Abbott found J.J. Lewis to keep the drive alive. Liberal’s snap was too high on an attempted field goal. LHS scored on their second drive after a five yard run by Britton Abbott at the 5:15 mark.

Liberal had too many men on the field on Dodge City’s ensuing drive keeping a drive alive before Dodge City junior quarterback Kelan Newton found Dakota Duckett with a soft spiral lofting into the center of the south end zone.

Britton Abbott threw his first interception of the season going to Taylor Murphy. Dodge would convert that pick to points with a Newton five yard pass to Jordan Doan for a five yard scored to make it 14-7 after one quarter.

The Redskins began the second quarter with an option pitch from Abbott to Christian Torres for an 11 yard Torres run for a score to tie it at 14 at the 11:30 mark of the second quarter.

Dodge City sophomore running back Blaik Middleton’s 20 yard TD make it 21-14. Then Trace Pike intercepted an Abbott pass. A Middleton one yard run gave Dodge a 27-14 lead after the point after was intercepted.

Liberal drove back down the field and freshman kicker Cody Arellano kicked a 31 yard field goal to make it 27-17 with 1:30 to play in the half. Then Liberal’s Octavio Arredondo forced a Red Demon fumble which Trenton Hammond recovered at the DCHS 46. A Britton Abbott play action pass to a wide open Nolan Larkin for a three yard touchdown made it 27-24 with 10 second remaining in the first half.

Hammond intercepted a Dodge City pass tipped by Mershek Wiltshire which Abbott would turn into a 12 yard TD on a fade pattern to a wide open Hammond to give Liberal what would be their last lead 31-27 with 9:55 to play in the third.

Dodge City committed to the ground game on the next possession and Middleton’s 32 yard TD made it 34-31 with 8:15 to play.

A Britton Abbott tipped ball fluttered into the air and into the arms of Taylor Murphy for a 50 yard interception return for a score to make it 41-31 with 7:19 to play in the third. Liberal missed a 31 yard field goal but then got a stop and Abbott’s 37 yard TD to J.J. Lewis brought the Skins to within three at 41-38.

Dodge came right back and Newton found Duckett for a five yard scored to make it 48-38 with 6:48 to play. Dodge City then recovered a fumble which they turned to points when Newton found Doan for a 15 yard TD to make it 55-38 with 4:24 to play.

Torres returned a kick for a touchdown to make it 55-45. Liberal’s Larkin then recovered Arellano’s onside kick which they converted to points after a 35 yard field goal by Cody Arellano. But Dodge City’s Pike scored on an eight yard run with 1:08 to play.

Liberal is 1-3 and plays at 2-2 Garden City Friday at 7 with a 6 p.m. Redskin Pre-game on Talkradio 1270 and kscbnews.net. The Red Demons are 3-1 and host 3-1 Great Bend Friday.