A rude 'welcome back'

Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Fort Scott sophomore running back Devin Taylor (5) leaps over the pile and into the end zone early in the fourth quarter of Saturday afternoon's game at Frary Field. Taylor rushed for a season-high 167 yards and two scores in the Greyhounds' 36-20 victory. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

It was a rude welcome back for Jeff Sims, Garden City's head coach who helmed Fort Scott Community College's program from 2007-10, leading the Greyhounds to an appearance in the 2009 NJCAA National Championship game.

Then again, the current Greyhounds only know Sims, if at all, as the guy who was the head coach before Curtis Horton moved up from offensive coordinator to take over before the 2011 season. So Sims' presence was perhaps the least-motivating factor in Fort Scott's 36-20 victory at Frary Field Saturday afternoon.

The big thing was playing well and breaking a six-game losing streak while sending the Broncbusters to their seventh consecutive defeat. Fort Scott got its first conference win since beating Independence last October and improved to 1-5 in the conference, 2-6 overall.

Fort Scott receiver Jamal Chevis (19) makes a fingertip grab of a second-quarter pass from Michael Glass while Garden City's Edward Rolle (11) and Jesse Squires come in too late to stop the play. Chevis scored on the play, which extended the Greyhounds' lead at halftime to 24-14. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

"To be honest, you'd think we were 6-1," Horton said. "We had our best week of practice. We're getting to know that we can do it and expect it and we'll build off of that and carry it into the next week and the next."

Fort Scott also had to play nationally-ranked teams Hutchinson, Coffeyville and Butler in consecutive weeks. Garden City (1-4, 1-7) beat Highland in its season opener, plays at Butler next week and at home against Coffeyville on November 7.

Devin Taylor returned to the form he enjoyed the majority of last season, when he finished third in the NJCAA in rushing, gaining 167 yards on 33 carries and scoring twice. Freshman quarterback Michael Glass has his third 200-yard passing game of the season, completing 15 of 25 passes for 206 yards and a score.

"It was good to see him have a game like we were used to seeing last year," Horton said. "I think the confidence of the offensive line, those boys have improved each week and it's coming on."

Glass returned after missing last week's game at Ellsworth (Iowa), which the Greyhounds lost.

"He was a little beat up last week," Horton said. "He's a tremendous talent and he just gets better and better each week."

Fort Scott scored first on Blayke Lindenman's 30-yard field goal just over two minutes into the contest.

Garden City answered back with an 11-play, 65-yard drive that resulted in a 19-yard scoring pass from Jayru Campbell to Quincy Watts with 8:13 on the clock.

A major swing in field position took place late in the quarter when Landon James-Wilson downed Nick McAfery's punt on the 3-yard line. The Broncbusters came out on fourth-and-1 from their own 12 looking to go for it but was called for illegal procedure just before the snap and punted from their own 7.

The punt, by offensive lineman Justice Wimes, went just 25 yards. Fort Scott took over at the Garden City 32 and scored eight plays later on Devin Taylor's 4-yard run with 13:23 on the clock in the second quarter.

Glass scored on a nine-yard keeper with 3:45 on the clock to boost Fort Scott's lead to 17-7. Garden City answered with a 22-yard scramble up the middle for a touchdown by backup quarterback Todd Porter, who came in when Campbell was injured.

Fort Scott responded quickly with Taylor's 30-yard run on third-and-2 from the Garden City 47 set up Glass' 17-yard scoring strike to Jamal Chevis on the very next play, making it 24-14 with 11 seconds left in the half.

Garden City had the opening possession of the second half and Porter moved the Busters downfield with a mixture of passing and his running ability, the latter a boost for an offense with one of the worst rushing attacks in the NJCAA. He scrambled right for his second score from the Fort Scott 7 with 10:36 on the clock, bringing his team within 24-20.

But the extra point was blocked and the ball bounced backward to about the 15, where Bernard Willingham picked it up. He lateraled to James-Wilson just as he was being tackled at midfield, who scampered the rest of the way for Fort Scott's second defensive conversion of the season, making it 26-20.

That play was just about the end of the things for Garden City's offense. The Broncbusters made it past their own 43-yard line just once more the rest of the game.

Fort Scott punted from its own 17 a few moments later but Garden City's Eddie Morris muffed the kick and Fort Scott recovered at its own 46. Taylor converted a fourth-and-1 at the 22 with a 3-yard gain, leading to Lindenman's 35-yard field goal with 3:24 to go that made it 29-20.

The Broncbusters next two possessions ended in punts as the defense began to assert itself. Linebacker Gabe Loyd, one of the leading tacklers in the nation, continued on course to pass current Tanpa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David as the school's all-time leading tackler. After an initial report that he had 13 tackles on the day, which would have broken the record, the official stat sheet showed he had six.

Seven tackles next week will break the record.

"He's a tackling machine," Horton said of Loyd. "I really think he's going to get a lot of offers. He's a character guy and a hard worker."

Wally Aime and Jonathan Harris had 9 tackles each. Aime, Horton, noted as been playing better since making the decision to commit to Florida State.

"It's like some pressure was lifted off him once Florida State offered and he committed to them," Horton said. "It was his dream school and he just gets better and better. When he goes to Florida State, he's going to have three years left."

Taylor put a cap on scoring when he leaped over the pile and extended the ball over the goal line with 8:48 remaining in the game.

Garden City made it to the Fort Scott 12-yard line with around seven minutes to go. But Porter's last three passes fell incomplete.

Fort Scott outgained Garden City, 469 yards to 268. Led by Taylor's effort, the 'Hounds rushed for 263 yards. Malcom Williams caught 4 passes for Fort Scott for 65 yards.

Porter led Garden City's rushers with 79 yards on 15 carries. He also completed seven of his first 11 passes for 73 yards before finishing 11 of 27 for 103 yards.

Fort Scott's 36 points were a season high and the most the Greyhounds have scored since beating the Broncbusters, 32-28, on the road last season.

Fort Scott's season will end Saturday with Homecoming versus Independence. Game time is 1 p.m. at Frary Field.


NOTES -- Sims said of his return to Fort Scott: "I'm appreciative of everything Garden City's given me. But I'm really, really pound that I was a Greyhound and I'm really proud of what we did here. When I was here, I felt the people of Fort Scott had a feeling of, 'This is just Fort Scott.' But I was proud of being in Fort Scott and it's a good place to be in. I'm proud of the time I was here in Fort Scott. I want to beat Fort Scott every time I play them, but I root for the Greyhounds when I'm not playing them."...

Glass' three 200-yard passing games are the most since Jason Stewart had three in 2013. If he can pass for at least 200 yards again Saturday, he would tie Mike Kline (2000) and Bill Whittemore (2001) for the second-most 200-yard games in the last 20 seasons. Whittemore went on to play at the University of Kansas....

Taylor began his FSCC career last season with eight consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing. In 10 games since then, he has reached 100 yards only twice, although there were also two games of over 90 yards in that run....

Lindenman is perfect this season (17 of 17) and in his FSCC career in extra-point conversions (40/40). He has also kicked 12 field goals in his career at Fort Scott, six each season. The only kicker known to have made more field goals as a Greyhound is Matthew London, who kicked 13 in 2000 and seven more in 2001 for a total of 20.....


'HOUND BOX

GARDEN CITY..................... 7 7 6 0 -- 20

FORT SCOTT....................... 3 21 5 7 -- 36

Team statsGarden CityFort Scott
First downs1720
Rushes-yards32-10851-263
Passing yards160206
Total offense268469
Passes (c-a-i)15-35-215-25-0
Sacked-yards lost4-330-0
Punt returns-yards1-41-0
Kickoff returns-yards5-1014-48
Interception returns0-02-12
Punts-avg.6-30.86.38.0
Fumbles-lost1-13-2
Penalties-yards9-717-80

Scoring plays

First quarter

FS -- FG Lindenman 30, 12:57 [7, 50, 1:57]

GC -- Watts 19 pass from Campbell (Olney kick), 8:13 [11, 65, 4:39]

Second quarter

FS -- Taylor 4 run (Lindenman kick), 13:24 [8, 27, 3:50]

FS -- Glass 9 run (Lindenman kick), 3:45 [9, 58, 4:59]

GC -- Porter 22 run (Olney kick), :58 [9, 66, 2:41]

FS -- Chevis 17 pass from Glass (Lindenman kick), :11 [6, 67, :40]

Third quarter

GC -- Porter 7 run (kick blocked), 10:36 [9, 64, 4:18]

FS -- James-Wilson return of blocked extra point, 10:36

FS -- FG Lindenman 25, 3:24 [11, 36, 5:22]

Fourth quarter

FS -- Taylor 2 run (Lindenman kick), 8:48 [7, 44, 2:56]

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Garden City -- Porter 15-79, Scroggins 11-29, Campbell 5-2, team 1-minus 2. Fort Scott -- Taylor 33-167, Glass 12-66, Fils-Aime 3-28, Williams 1-4, Chevis 1-1, team 1-minus 3.

PASSING: Garden City -- Campbell 4-8-1-57, Porter 11-27-1-103. Fort Scott -- Glass 15-25-0-206.

RECIEVING: Garden City -- Thomas 8-63, Watts 7-97. Fort Scott -- Williams 4-65, Chevis 3-22, Tarver 2-40, Graham 2-33, Lang 2-26, Taylor 1-10, Fils-Aime 1-10.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.