The Hatchet will remain in the Dodge City High School trophy case near the football office.
Dodge City (7-2) took care of business Friday night, holding off a second-half push by bitter rival Garden City for a hard-fought 14-6 road victory.
It is the second straight win for Dodge over its longtime Western Athletic Conference counterpart after losing 13 straight to the Buffaloes.
Dodge City, the Class 6A District 8 champions, used some big defensive plays to stem Garden’s second-half comeback bid. The Demons will host a first-round state playoff game next Friday night at Memorial Stadium against either Derby or Topeka High.
Garden City ends its season at 4-5, losing all three of its district games.
“Our defense did a whale of a job,” Dodge City coach Justin Burke said. “I was real pleased with the defense and how they played.”
Clinging to a 14-6 lead, the Red Demons snuffed out Garden’s final chance on defensive back Zach Harvey’s interception of quarterback Cody Bernbeck’s pass with 2:51 remaining near midfield.
The Demons then were able to run out the clock, with standout tailback Jace Banner gaining two yards on his final run to push his total to 195 yards on 30 carries on the night.
Banner then had to be helped off the field by his teammates as the final minutes melted off the clock.
No worries, according to Burke.
“He was just cramping up,” Burke said.
