Scott City hosts Colby to begin district play

Scott City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–The first six games of the season can be erased, because tonight, it starts a string of three games that count towards a playoff run. Scott City will host the Colby Eagles on Senior Night and what could be a big game for not only district implications, but GWAC standings.

Colby comes into town with a 4-2 record after a 35-6 loss at Norton last Friday night in Norton. While it was a 29-point loss to the Bluejays, the final was quite deceiving. The Eagles committed six turnovers, Norton had an 80-yard kickoff return and a fumble return for a touchdown on a fumbled punt snap. Colby scored the first six points of the game, before Norton scored 35 unanswered in the first three quarters. Out were Jordan Schippers and Tucker Branum and both are expected to return to the lineup tonight. The Eagles started off the year at 4-0, which was their best start since 1992, before their recent two-game slide. Schippers leads Colby with 471 yards rushing and six touchdowns, while Calvin Stapp is the leading receiver with 366 yards, while Zach Hart has thrown for 838 yards with five touchdowns. They are averaging 27.5 points while giving up 16 per game. It is also a homecoming for Eagle Coach Rees McKinney, who is the first-year head coach for Colby. McKinney previously coached at Moscow and is a 2004 Scott City graduate.

Scott City survived a 32-minute weather delay to pick up a 28-6 win over an improved Wellington team last Friday night at Darner Field. The Beavers went up 14-0, led 14-6 at the break, and scored a touchdown in the third and fourth quarters. They outgained the Crusaders 303-95 in the game, and had a 253-12 yard advantage on the ground. Wyatt Hayes had three of the teams four touchdowns, with one being a reception, while Jarret Jurgens had the other touchdown. So far this year, Scott City has held five of their first six opponents to under 200 yards of total offense, and two have had under 100 yards for the game. The Beavers have outscored opponents by an average of 32-9, and grind out 349 yards per game, while giving up 131. Hayes leads the ground attack with 615 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Parker Gooden has thrown for 469 yards and seven touchdowns and Marshal Faurot has 230 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

There are some implications riding on this game. A Scott City win would give them not only a 1-0 district record, but also clinch at least a share of the GWAC title. A Colby win would snap Scott City’s 25-game district winning streak and put them back in the hunt for the league title with one GWAC game to play.

Scott City leads the series 26-15, and picked up a 42-12 win last season at Colby for their 13th straight win in the series. The last time the Eagles won in the series was in 1999, when they defeated the Beavers 14-7 in Scott City.

Kickoff is at 7 pm, with a 6:30 pregame on Mix 94.5. You can also listen online at westernkansasnews.com/mix94, on the TuneIn app, and also on the Mix 94.5 app that is free to download.