Scott City hosts Concordia in regular season finale

Scott City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–It’s hard to believe, but we are to the end of the regular season. Tonight features a game that will have playoff implications, as Scott City hosts Concordia in district play to wrap up the regular season. 

Concordia enters the game tonight with a 4-3 overall record, and 3-1 in district play. They are in second place in Class 3A, District 8 tonight, after a 34-24 win over arch-rival Beloit last Friday night at home. The win clinched a playoff berth for the Panthers. After trailing 16-0, Concordia rattled off 34 straight in the win, and built a 34-16 lead early in the fourth quarter, before settling for a 34-24 win. They had two rushers over 100 yards in Wyatt Trost and Hunter Schroeder, both juniors. The Panthers rolled up 349 yards of offense, with 272 coming on the groud. This year through seven games, they average 24 points a game and average 338 yards of offense, while giving up 27 points a contest and 226 yards a game. Their losses come to a pair of one loss teams in Marysville and Wamego, and an unbeaten Colby team. 

Scott City lost back to back district games for the first time since 2005, in a 28-20 double overtime loss at Colby last Friday night. The Beavers led 6-0 after the first quarter, and trailed by one at the break. Entering the fourth quarter down 14-6, Scott City would tie the game up and get the two point conversion to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter at 14. They scored first in overtime, only to see the Eagles force a double overtime where, Colby scored the only points, and held the Beavers one yard short of the goal line on fourth down in the second overtime. Parker Gooden rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in his season debut at quarterback. The Beavers average 26 points and give up nine points a game. They have outgained their opponents by an average of 350-150 yards so far through seven games. In the loss, it guaranteed Scott City would not win a district for the first time since 2008.

Scott City leads the series 3-0, including a 43-20 win at Concordia last year.

If Scott City wins by 21 or more points, they will finish second in the district. If they defeat Concordia by more than three points, they will finish third in the district with a Beloit win, and will finish fourth if they win by fewer than three points over the Panthers, or if they lose to Concordia, and Beloit wins. If Beloit falls to Russell, and Scott City wins, then the Beavers would be a two or three seed, and Russell would be in the fourth spot. If Beloit and Scott City lose tonight, then points would be into play to see which team would clinch the third or fourth place spot in the district. 

Pregame coverage from Darner Field begins at 6:30 with kickoff at 7 pm. You can also listen online at westernkansasnews.com/mix94, on the KSKL App or on Tune In Radio.