By DAREN DUNN
Hutch Post
DODGE CITY, Kan. ā No. 2 Hutchinson (6-0, 3-0) was on Dylan Watch Saturday afternoon against the Conquistadors (2-4, 1-3).
Quarterback Dylan Laible needed just three passing yards to surpass Luke Barnes as Hutchinson's all-time leader.
Running back Dylan Kedzior came into the game as the back-to-back Conference Player of the Week after five quarters of star-studded play that featured a game-winning TD at Coffeyville and a four-touchdown performance against then-No. 9 Butler.
Both Dylans delivered on the first drive. Laible hit Treymon Echols on a short route that etched his name into another portion of the Dragon record book. Laible already took the all-time TD passing record from Barnes with his 51st passing TD earlier this season. He took the all-time yards record (2,706) away with 217 yards on 14 completions for two touchdowns (now 4,921 yards all time).
Dylan Kedzior continued his dominance on the first drive with a 20-yard scamper to the 4. He finished the 11-play, 76-yard drive with a one-yard run for the score. It was his sixth touchdown in just six quarters of play. He came into Week 7 as the National Offensive Player of the Week.
Dodge City looked poised to tie the game on its second drive. Quarterback Grant Ciccarone drove his team to the Dragon 15 before Jaymar Mundy got his first pick of the season in the end zone.
Laible and the nation's top recruit, Malik Benson, made quick work of the touchback opportunity.
Unexplicably, Benson was left alone down the seam and took Laible's pass 80 yards to the house on the very next play.
Laible would hit Benson again in the second quarter from eight yards away.
Laible finished with two TDs, both to Benson. Laible has seven touchdown passes in his last two road games at Dodge City. His day ended early in the third quarter on both trips.
Benson caught seven passes for 136 yards and the two scores.
Kedzior finished with 117 yards on 13 touches (9 yards per carry). The effort proved even better than his 8.2 yards per carry against Butler. Early in the contest, he was averaging "a mere" 6.2 yards per carry.
"It's kind of funny we're critiquing six yards per carry because he's been so explosive," head coach Drew Dallas said with a grin after the game.
Dallas graded his team a "high B" overall, saying he would like them to be at "an A-plus" by the end of the season.
"That's the challenge," Dallas said, "to find a way to get better each and every week and by the end, be playing your brand of football."
Hutchinson took a 27-0 lead into the break thanks to three touchdowns and a pair of Cole Segraves field goals.
Segraves entered the game just 1 of 5 with a long of 39. He nailed all four of his attempts Saturday.
Segraves took his 20% field goal percentage and turned it into 55% after hitting from 35, 33, 45 and 46.
The Dragon defense was strong again. Hutchinson allowed 16 yards on 12 plays in the second quarter.
Laible's day was over after his first drive in the third quarter.
Colin Shields took over the QB spot and threw for 176 yards on eight completions. He hit Tristan Smith on an intermediate route that would have normally been good for a first down. However, two Conquistador defenders collided on the tackle attempt, leaving nothing but green turf between Smith and the goal line. Smith took his second reception of the year 79 yards to pay dirt.
The Dragons also substituted defensively. Dodge City found the end zone twice in the second half.
Ciccarone found Jalen Rose Hannah twice for scores, once from the 5 and another time from the 7.
Rose Hannah finished with five receptions for 39 yards. The TDs were his first two of the season.
Jaheim Simmons finished a 13-play, 89 yard drive that took 7:10 off the clock with a two-yard burst. Simmons carried the ball 11 times for 37 yards and the TD.
FINAL: Hutchinson 47 Dodge City 14
Hutchinson finished with 599 yards of offense. The Dragons were 7 of 13 on third down.
Dodge City went 6 of 17 on third down. The Conqs managed just 42 yards on the ground.
Ja'Maric Morris led the Dragon defense with six tackles, one sack and a tackle-for-loss.
Hutchinson is off next week before heading back west to Garden City on Oct. 22.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.