By DUSTIN ARMBRUSTER
Hays Post
114 points. That is the total amount of points scored between Hays and Dodge City on Friday night at Lewis Field Stadium. The 64-50 Hays win gave the Western Athletic Conference crown to the Indians as they sweep Great Bend, Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City.
Hays jumped out to a 7-0 win after Ethan Deterding picked up a blocked punt and raced 30 yards for a touchdown. Dodge City responded back with a scoring drive to tie the game at 7-7, a score which held until the second quarter.
Hays and Dodge City combined for 42 points in the second quarter. Isaiah Blackmon scored on a two yard run to give Hays a 14-7 win set up by a 53 yard pass from Alex Delton to Keith Dryden. Dodge City scored on back to back possessions to take their first lead of the game at 21-14 on a Tyler Trent 11 yard run then a Caden Walters 1 yard qb sneak after Hays had a miscue on a punt snap.
It took Hays just two plays to answer as Delton hit Hayden Kreutzer for the first of three touchdown passes to tie the game at 21. The Red Demons not to be out down scored three plays later on a Walters touchdown pass. The Red Demons took their last lead of the game at 28-21 when Walters hit running back Tyler Trent for 65 yards. Again Hays answered this time three plays later on a 70 yard Delton run to the tie the game at half time 28-28.
Hays looked like they took control of the game scoring on their first three possessions of the second half. Delton hit Kreutzer on passes of 66 and 80 yards and then Isaiah Blackmon put Hays up 49-28 on a 41 yard scoring run.
Dodge City got back within two scores at 49-35 with 1:07 left in the 3rd quarter. The next Hays possession took over 7:00 minutes, but Hays couldn’t score inside the red zone. Dodge City made the score 49-43 on a 38 yard pass play following another bad snap on a punt and a two point conversion.
Hays went back up 57-43 on the next play as Delton cruised to a score from 51 yards and added the two point conversion.
Sophomore Shane Berens put the game away on a one handed pick six to put the Indians up 64-43. Dodge City added one more touchdown with 1:28 left for the final 64-50 margin.
Hayden Kreuzter caught four passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Delton was 6-16 through the air for 272 yards and three scores. The Hays defense sacked Dodge City quarterback Caden Walters seven times.
Hays moves to 6-0 on the season and won the conference title for the fourth time in six years. (2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014).
Dodge City drops to 4-2.
The Indians move into district play next week at 5-1 Buhler.