Recap:

The Golden Eagles were able to bounce back in a big way this past Friday against the Dodge City Red-Devils after a demoralizing loss against the Derby Panthers just one week before.  The Golden Eagles were able to compile huge contributions from their defense and special teams with two pick-sixes and one punt-return touchdown from Cade Gatschet. These three early scores were extremely key in the momentum turning to the side of the Golden Eagles, resulting in the team outscoring the Red-Devils 51-20 by the end of the night. It is important to note that the vast majority of Dodge City’s points came late in the second half, with the game already decided. After this dominant victory for the Golden Eagles, they move up to ninth place in the all Kansas rankings. 

The dominant day for the Golden Eagles was without a doubt headed by the team’s defense. Whether a big play was coming from the team’s defensive line or the defensive secondary, headed by Ryan Birch and Cade Gatschet, the Dodge City offense had little to no time to get anything going from the jump. 

For Dodge City, the thing that caused its quick and early demise were simple, self-explanatory mistakes occurring early and often. From not picking up routine run gaps on defense, to not hitting open receivers on offense, the Red Devils just could not get out of their own way, which resulted in them falling once again in the win-loss column. 

    Adrian’s Thoughts: 

The Golden Eagles were able to put together a massive statement victory against Dodge. The defense was also able to put together a much better performance this week when compared to last week’s game against Derby, which could be key for the team’s mindset and morale going forward. The Golden Eagles will, of course, look to carry this new-found momentum into this week’s game against Lawrence, which is red hot after three straight blowout victories to begin its season.