Garden City's offense lights up Navarro in 19-point win in Scooter's Coffee Bowl

By Mike Pilosof 

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-The Broncbusters closed the 2021 campaign in fine style.

Rhett Ricedorff threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns, David Elder caught eight balls for a season-high 150 yards and a score, and No. 12 Garden City won a bowl game for the first time in five years with a 53-34 victory over Navarro in the inaugural Scooter's Coffee Bowl at Broncbuster Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

"Our offense played its best game of the season today," said Head Coach, Tom Minnick, who was inducted into the NJCAA National Coaches' Hall of Fame earlier this week. "Rhett was fantastic."

Indeed, the freshman quarterback, who tallied his third 300-yard passing game of the season en route to most valuable player honors, put together nearly a flawless performance, totaling the most yards through the air in a single game since Jayru Campbell threw for 390 in a 40-35 loss to Dodge City on Sept. 5, 2015.   

"We had a really good game plan coming in, and the guys just executed," Minnick explained. "Most of all, everyone had fun."

Most of the hype coming into this showdown surrounded Navarro and their second-ranked aerial attack. And while Qua Gray still threw for nearly 400 yards, Aaron Cheatwood's defense made them work for most of the afternoon.

"We knew how good their offense was," Minnick added. "We had to figure out a way to slow them down."

While the defense had its hands full, Ryan Felker dialed up the perfect game plan on offense, which included a multitude of intermediate routes and crossers. And it was on full display on Garden City's second possession when Ricedorff lasered a 27-yard rocket to Fuafiva Tulafal that moved the ball to the Navarro 6. Two plays later, Dedrick Talbert plowed into the end zone, and the Broncbusters had a 6-0 advantage with 6:33 to go in the first.

"We really had a good mix of run and pass in this game," Minnick added.

Garden City ran the ball 45 times for 224 yards and had 31 pass attempts. It all totaled up to a season-high 618 yards, the second time this year that Felker's offense topped 600.

On the Broncbusters' ensuing drive, Ricedorff did something that not even Navarro defensive coordinator Fred Tate saw coming. On third-and-1 at the Bulldogs' 49, the freshman executed a zone read to perfection, sprinting to the left sideline before turning the corner, outracing the entire defense for a touchdown. Talbert ran in the two-point conversion, and Garden City was up, 14-0.

"That's a little wrinkle that we really haven't used all season," Minnick said. "It was nice to see that play work."

After Navarro responded with Gray's 64-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Hawkins, Keylon Kennedy blocked the extra point. Eilye Oshaye-Hill scooped up the loose ball and ran it back for a two-point conversion. That was followed up by a seven-play, 70-yard march that concluded with Ricedorff's bullet to Martiel Singleton, who secured the line-drive pass against his chest along the back chalk for a touchdown and a 23-6 lead 90 seconds into the second period.

"I like how Rhett was raeding the defense and saw the field," Minnick stated. "He made plays all day."

Ricedorff went back to Singleton for a 29-yard score late in the first half that gave the Broncbusters a 17-point cushion. But William Greig's ensuing kickoff took a funny hop out of bounds, setting Navarro up at their own 41. Gray then rifled a ball to Karl Reynolds for 22 yards before going back to him two plays later, this time for a 13-yard touchdown. Garden City was up 10 at the break.

It appeared the Broncbusters were back on track early in the third when Ricedorff connected with Shawn Charles for a seven-yard score that put them up, 36-20. But the Bulldogs made it a one-possession contest on Gray's 43-yard rainbow to Jeremiah Aaron and ensuing two-point conversion.

That's as close as the visitors got the rest of the way.

Ricedorff answered with a 59-yard bomb to Elder, and Talbert barreled into the end zone, polishing off a six-play, 63-yard drive that gave Minnick's squad a 50-28 cushion with 12 seconds to go in the third. Hernandez then added a 27-yard field goal on Garden City's first possession of the fourth.

Talbert finished the day with 20 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns for the Broncbusters, which were without starting tailback William Knight for the second straight game. Devion Hodges added 84 yards, and Jacob Hollins recorded seven tackles and a pass breakup.

Gray ended the day 26-of-47 for 392 yards, five touchdowns and one pick, which happened on Navarro's first play of the second period when Chris Smith snagged a jump ball down the left sideline. Reynolds and Hawkins combined for 10 catches, 237 yards, and four scores, and Chatavies Johnson tallied 12 tackles and a block.

Notes: Garden City improved to 11-13-1 in bowl games…This was the Broncbusters first-ever victory over Navarro having dropped the first two meetings in 1991 and 1992…Garden City finished a masterful 8-of-13 on third down…The Broncbusters averaged 8.1 yards per play…Hollins was named the defensive most valuable player...it was the fifth time in the last six years that Garden City won eight or more games in a season...Minnick won his 30th game as Broncbuster coach and is now three victories shy of tying Jeff Sims and Jeff Leiker for fourth on Garden City's all-time wins list