The winner of the Dodge City versus Manhattan contests will play the winner of the Wichita Northwest versus Derby contest next Friday Night.

Game Night Details

• Location: Bishop Stadium – Manhattan (see map below)
• Game Time: 7:00
• Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Students [No passes will be accepted, per KSHSAA playoff regulations.]

Series History
Friday night will mark the eleventh time these teams have met on the gridiron. The Red Demons trail in the overall series with three wins versus seven losses. The teams have met five times in the regular season and five times in the post-season. The teams first met in 1974, a regular season contest won by the Indians. The Demons defeated Manhattan for their first win in the series in 1985 on their way to the 6A State Championship game. The Demons then defeated Manhattan the following regular season at Memorial Stadium, 21-19. The teams played in consecutive seasons from 1983-1989, with ‘89 being the last time the teams have met before last year’s Sectional Playoff game, won by the Demons 41-20.

Dodge City and Garden City went into Friday night’s slugfest with 2-0 district records, with the winner claiming their right to a home playoff game next week in round one.

Demon head coach Dave Foster addresses his squad after the game.

The game started out as a slobberknocker between the two squads, trading blows, but never breaking.

Early Demon miscues cost Dodge early on, with a combination of false start penalties and mistimed snaps. An early DCHS punt gave Garden field position around midfield and after an unfortunate fumble by Buffalo quarterback Jake Curran actually advanced the ball forward ten yards, Garden City punched it in from one-yard out to give the home team a 6-0 lead.

Dodge City would drive back down the field on the next drive and challenge the Buffalo defense, but stalled inside of the ten-yard line, settling for a field goal to reduce the deficit to 6-3.

Once again, after a Garden City stop, Dodge drove down the length of the field but could not punch it in the endzone, notching another field goal to tie the game at six right before halftime.

As the teams came back onto the field for the second half, it was more of the same story for both sides, which saw stalled drives and stagnant offenses.

The Demons pulled ahead on a 43-yard field goal, prompting the Dodge faithful to rise up and cheer loudly for their team.

The score would remain 9-6 until deep into the fourth quarter.

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WATCH STREAM REPLAY ON RED DEMON TV

WATCH THE HATCHET GAME IN HI-DEFINITION

Coupled with a Garden City victory, the Demons are secured a spot in the 6A playoffs and will face-off with the Buffaloes next week for not only the coveted “Hatchet,” but for the right to call themselves district champions and host a first round game.

Daily Globe Photo

DCHS jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a touchdown pass from Taylor Murphy and a short scoring plunge from Parker Davis, one of his three rushing touchdowns on the night.

For a defense that has been suspect throughout the middle portion of the season, they have been nothing short of dominant during these past two wins for Dodge.

The Demons did not allow a first down to the Eagles throughout the entire first half while cushioning their lead.

Maize just couldn’t matchup with the Demon offense, allowing chunks of yardage, as DCHS average just under six yards per play for the ballgame.

As a unit, the Demons outgained Maize 426-274 and ran 16 more offensive plays than the Eagles.

Dodge was actually led by Damien Salem, who rushed the ball seven times for 111 yards and one long scoring run in which he broke several tackles while tip-toeing the sidelines.

Not far behind Salem was the starter Davis, who finished with 19 carries for 103 yards and the three scores, all coming from close distance.

Through the air, Murphy was 17-of-22 for 170 yards and two touchdowns, including a second half toss to Trey Hallman.

Leading the team in receiving was Jordan Doan, who hauled in six catches for 45 yards, while Hallman had five grabs for 45 yards and the touchdown.

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Just one week after allowing a season high in rushing yards, the Dodge City High School football team quickly put the clamps on a Goddard team with outstanding speed.

The Demons jumped on the Lions early and put the game away with tough, physical running in the second half to defeat Goddard 33-14 and move to 1-0 in district play.

One area of concern going into this game was the defense, but they stepped up tonight as a cohesive unit to shut down any momentum Goddard had on their side.

Case and point, with the Lions driving in the first quarter, they reached into their bag of tricks and utilized a halfback pass, only to have it intercepted by Jonathan Taylor and kill the drive for Goddard.

Dodge City capitalized on the home team’s mistake as Taylor Murphy would rumble 33 yards into the endzone to give the Demons an early 6-0 lead.

After trading blows for the next quarter, DCHS took advantage of a -1 yard punt by the Lions as they drove down and Parker Davis powered his way in on fourth and goal from the two to extend that lead at halftime to 13-0.

Despite fumbling the ball on the opponent’s two early in the third quarter, the Mad Hatters on defense refused to give any ground to a Goddard team known for their misdirection and trickery.

After another stop gave the ball back to Dodge at around midfield, Murphy and Davis once again used the zone read beautifully, as Davis burst through a crease in the defense and bolted past the Lion defense for a 38-yard touchdown.

Another fantastic stop on defense allowed the Demon offense to set up shop with good field position. Isaiah Bradshaw made his biggest catch of the night on this drive, a 15 yard pitch and catch which moved the ball down to the Goddard 35. That set up Murphy, running the zone read once again, who gashed the Lions for a 35-yard touchdown scamper.

At the end of three, Dodge City could breathe a sigh of relief as they could set the rest of the game on cruise control being up 25-0.

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Using a solid and unexpected rushing attack, the Great Bend Panthers defeated the Demons 28-7 Friday night at Great Bend.

The Panthers, who ranked last in the Western Athletic Conference with 294 yards rushing, put up 286 on the ground alone against DCHS.

Josh Lopez led the way for the Panther ground attack with 24 carries, over 150 yards and three of the team’s four touchdowns.

Dodge City, which came into the game with one of the most potent offenses in the conference, managed to gain only 40 yards rushing, with star back Parker Davis held to 10 yards on six carries.

The game did not start off well for the Demons, who went go three-and-out four times in four possessions. On the fourth possession, Dodge went for it on fourth and three and completed it, but an illegal procedure penalty wiped out the first down.

After a scoreless first quarter, Great Bend started a drive from its own one-yard line, and a Lopez 38-yard scamper put the Panthers near midfield. Lopez would finish off the 99-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown burst up the middle, a play the Demons could not stop.

The next possession Dodge City had momentum and the ball moving toward the Great Bend side of the field, when a Davis fumble gave the ball right back to the Panthers. The score would remain 7-0 at the half.

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The game began with the home team and the Redskins trading possessions throughout the first quarter, both having difficulty moving the ball. The scoring drought was lifted with 8:33 left in the second quarter; a short run by Taylor Murphy broke the tie.

With the extra point by Dillon Burkhart, Dodge took a 7-0 led.

The Demons were able to tack on a Salem touchdown later in the quarter on a short run, to spread the lead to 14-0. Liberal was able to close the led to 14-7 on a long run.

The Demons were able to go into halftime with a 14-0 lead, positive momentum, solid defense and offensive rhythm that has been essential for their two wins.

Following the Home Coming celebration, the Demons took the field with the same momentum. The offense was able to continue the offensive rhythm they had developed in the first half.

A vital pass to Jordan Doan help put the Demons in position for a short touchdown run by Parker Davis, giving the Dodge a touchdown on their first possession of the second half.

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Junior running back Parker Davis rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries and scored three times, a week after being held in check by a rugged Wichita Northwest defense. Junior quarterback Taylor Murphy was 17 for 25 passing for 232 yards and two touchdown throws. He also rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown.  Isaiah Bradshaw led the Demons in receiving with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Red Demon defense was led by Rodney Rojas with his eight tackles on the night and Parker Davis with five. Isaiah Bradshaw and Austin Savage both had interceptions.

Coach Foster was pleased with the quick start and effort of his team coming off last week’s loss.

“We talked to the kids about bouncing back this week and once the ball rolled our way early we did a nice job of executing and burying North with some quick scores. Our tempo was good and we established a positive rhythm from the start.”

Story continued below video

The Red Demons opened the scoring in the first quarter with a Parker Davis 18-yard scoring run, which was set up by an Isaiah Bradshaw fumble recovery on the opening kickoff. On the second possession, Taylor Murphy connected with Immanuel Galloway for 14-0 Dodge City lead.  On the ensuing possession for Wichita North, Isaiah Bradshaw intercepted a Nathan Garner pass and took it 35 yards to the house – and after a Dillon Burkhard extra point the Demons led 21-0. The Demons would score on their first four possessions, as Parker Davis scored from one yard out to make it 28-0.

The Redskins would get on the board as Garner connected with Torian Gonzalez on a 35-yard touchdown pass, against what appeared to be a busted coverage by the Red Demon defense.

Dodge City quickly returned the favor as Isaiah Bradshaw took a Taylor Murphy screen pass for a 59-yard touchdown on the first play after the kickoff to put the Demons up 35-6. The Demons scored their final points of the first half on a four-yard Taylor Murphy run to make the halftime score, 42-6.

The Red Demons continued their momentum in the second half as they scored on their first two possessions to take a commanding 56-6 lead, which would be the final tally. The first score was a one-yard Damien Salem run, followed by a 31-yard Parker Davis score.

Now the Demons can finally look forward to the conference portion of the schedule.

“We know next week begins the defense of the WAC title and we will get everyone’s best effort.  Liberal will certainly be a tough test and they will be physical and well coached”, said Foster.

Final Non-Conference Game for Demons
The Dodge City High School football program will continue its’ run of City League opponents as the Red Demons travel to Wichita to take on the Wichita North Redskins. Wichita North enters the contest looking for its first win of the 2011 season. Dodge City enters the game looking to get back on the winning track after having its’ (12) game regular season winning streak snapped by Wichita Northwest (14-7) last Friday.

Dodge City will enter Western Athletic Conference play next week as the Demons host the Liberal Redskins at Memorial Stadium for Homecoming.

Game Night Details
Location: Carpenter Stadium (Wichita South, map below)
Game Time: 7:00
Admission: $6 Adults, $4 Students
[Staff passes will be accepted]

Series History
The Red Demons have faced the Redskins twenty-seven times in their storied history. The Red Demons first played the Redskins in 1940. The Red Demons have won seven straight contests against the “Redskins”.

The series between North and Dodge City continues to be a close one with DCHS holding a (16-10) advantage over North – with one tie coming in 1960. Dodge City lost the inaugural 1940 contest, 52-0. In the 1960 contest both teams failed to score resulting in a 0-0 tie. The two teams played consecutively for 12 years from 1965 to 1976. They met in the playoffs in 1979, with Dodge City winning, 35-22.

Dodge City won last year’s Homecoming contest, 63-13.

Wichita North
Mascot: Redskins
Classification: 6A
Conference: Greater Wichita Athletic League
2011 Record: 0-2
Website: www.north.usd259.org

Dodge City
Mascot: Red Demons
Classification: 6A
Conference: Western Athletic Conference
2011 Record: 1-1
Websites: www.dchssports.org • www.reddemonfootball.com

Carpenter Stadium

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Both teams struggled to move the ball in the first quarter. The Grizzlies had an opportunity for a field goal, but the attempt was blocked by the Demons special teams.

Dodge City was able to move the ball at times, but penalties stifled their drives early.

The second quarter was much of the same solid defense. But both teams scored rushing touchdowns prior to halftime, evening the score 7-7.

What started as a defensive struggle, continued as trench warfare in the second half with defense controlling the game.

Both teams struggled for every first down and field possession became of utmost importance. The game was filled with helmets crashing and pads popping with each hard hit taken by runners.

Midway through the fourth quarter, it appeared both defenses were worn. Wichita Northwest was eventually able to mount a ground game with hard running up the middle to score the final touchdown with 5:28 left in the game.

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GAME PHOTO GALLERY

The Dodge City High School football program will host the Wichita Northwest Grizzlies, in a game to be televised state-wide on Cox Kansas 22. The series between the two schools was brought back to life last year, as the Red Demons defeated the Grizzlies by a score of 30-10.

This year, both teams enter the contest with season opening wins, with the Red Demons defeating Wichita Southeast (69-46), while Northwest thumped Kapaun Mt. Carmel (28-6).

Game Night Details

Location: Memorial Stadium
Game Time: 7:00
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students
[Staff passes will be accepted]

Series History

The Red Demons have faced the Grizzlies fourteen times in the storied history of both programs. The Red Demons first played the Grizzlies in 1981 with the Demons winning the inaugural contest by a score of 18-0, while Northwest won the last match up between the teams (35-28), in 1997, before the renewing of the series last season. The overall series record has Dodge City with a (9-5) advantage. On six occasions the Demons and Grizzlies have met with a State Playoff berth on the line. This year’s matchup is a non-district affair.

Northwest head coach, Weston Schartz, will be looking for his 150th career win versus the Demons on Friday night. Dodge City will be attempting to extend its’ current (12) game non-conference regular season winning streak. This is the second of three consecutive contests for the Red Demons versus Wichita City League opponents. Next Friday night, the Red Demons finish their City League run by travelling to play Wichita North.

Wichita Northwest

Mascot: Grizzlies
Classification: 6A
Conference: Greater Wichita Athletic League
2011 Record: 1-0
Website: www.northwest.usd259.org

Dodge City

Mascot: Red Demons
Classification: 6A
Conference: Western Athletic Conference
2011 Record: 1-0
Websites: www.dchssports.org • www.reddemonfootball.com