INDEPENDENCE — Two key plays allowed Independence to hold off Fort Scott for a 20-18 victory in Southeast Kansas League play here Friday night, giving Bulldog first-year head coach John Black his first win.
The Tigers (1-1 SEK, 1-2 overall) scored with 4:57 remaining on a keeper by quarterback Brody Bowles but Independence (also 1-1, 1-2) was able to stop the 2-point conversion attempt. Following the kickoff, the Bulldogs were able to take valuable time off the clock with Amauryon Farley’s 7-yard gain with under 1:40 to go converting a fourth-and-1 into a chance to kneel out the clock.
With the win, Indy broke losing streaks of eight games in SEK play and 15 overall. The Bulldogs’ last victory came on Sept. 29, 2017 when they beat Anderson County, 56-14. Their last league win came two weeks earlier against Parsons, a 56-50 win.
Indy held a 13-0 lead after one period. Quarterback Brayden Coller connected with Matthew Grant for the first score on an 83-yard pass play with 6:03 left on the clock. Davis Merrick kicked the extra point.
Farley ran in from 30 yards out with 37 seconds to go in the quarter to make it 13-0.
Fort Scott rallied in the second quarter as Andrew Reed scored on a 9-yard run with 3:13 left and Bowles commented with C.J. Horton from 35 yards out with three seconds left on a fourth-and-18 play. Two-point conversions failed each time.
Wyatt Chism scored on an 18-yard run for Independence with 3:04 left in the third quarter. Merrick’s PAT kick made it 20-12.
Fort Scott finished the game with 280 yards of total offense, 163 of those coming on the ground. Independence had 206 of its 327 total offensive yards come from its rushing game.
Reed rushed the ball 26 times for 110 yards to lead the Tigers while Jamar Franks added 62 yards on 12 totes. Farley led Independence with 95 yards on 10 carries.
Horton caught 2 passes for 101 yards for the Tigers. Bowles completed 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards. Coller was 3 of 5 for 121 yards for Indy.
Fort Scott hosts rival Pittsburg in a non-league game Sept. 27 at Frary Field. Independence will host rival Coffeyville-Field Kindley the same night in league action.
FORT SCOTT…..……..00 12 00 06 — 18
INDEPENDENCE…… 13 00 07 00 — 20
Team stats FS Indy
First downs 18 13
Rushes-yards 46-163 37-206
Passing yards 117 121
Total offense 280 327
Penalties-yards 8-62 10-66
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-1
First quarter
Ind. — Grant 83 pass from Coller (Merrick kick), 6:03
Ind. — Farley 30 run (kick failed), :37
Second quarter
FS — Reed 9 run (run failed), 3:13
FS — Horton 35 pass from Bowled (pass failed), :03
Third quarter
Ind. — Chism 18 run (Merrick kick), 3:04
Fourth quarter
FS — Bowles 6 run (pass failed), 4:57
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Fort Scott — Reed 26-110, Franks 12-62, Bowles 8-minus 9. Independence — Farley 10-95, Pralle 8-49, Chism 8-40, Lang 2-26, Coller 6-6, team 3-minus 10.
PASSING: Fort Scott — Bowles 11-20-1-117. Independence — Coller 3-5-0-121.
RECEIVING: Fort Scott — Horton 8-101, Bowman 1-11, Reed 1-7, Emerson 1-minus 2. Independence — Grant 2-119, Farley 1-2.
(Statistics provided by Fort Scott’s coaching staff.)