Broncbusters roll over Highland

Garden City, KS-After a week to contemplate their most lopsided loss of the season, Garden City got back on a track in a big-time way on Saturday. 

Dejuan Lacy rushed for 133 yards and three touchdowns, Tyler Nelson scored twice on the ground, and Garden City thrashed Highland, 48-21 at Broncbuster Stadium.  

The Broncbusters, which improved to 1-7-1 overall and 1-4 in conference play, ran for 328 yards as a team. J'Kharri Thomas, who was just moved to running back this week, added 51 yards on the ground, Julius Tikoisuva tallied 47 on 10 carries, and Zahmari Palode-Gary had 26 yards and a touchdown.

"Their coaching staff paid us a major compliment saying that we are the best team in the conference," Head Coach, Kiyoshi Harris said afterwards. "But we were sloppy in the second half. We have guys that needed to prove themselves in the second half, and they didn't do what we wanted them to do."

Gunnar Smith was 23-of-44 for 269 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Highland, who fell to 7-32 all-time vs. Garden City. Myles Murphy rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns, and Dariyonne Bryant reeled in five balls for 97 yards and a score.  

The Broncbusters wasted little time getting on the board in the opening quarter. After Highland failed on a fourth-and-5 at the Garden City 34, Lacy raced 60 yards to the end zone on the Broncbusters' second play from scrimmage. The transfer from Mississippi Valley State went basically untouched up the middle.  

"We just have to do a better job of being more consistent on that side of the ball," Harris added.  

Later in the first, Nelson capped off a six-play, 81-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run that made it 14-0 with 51 seconds to go. 

After Cortez Velasco scooped up Smith's fumble on Highland's ensuing possession, Lacy paid it off with a one-yard plunge to give the Broncbusters a 21-0 advantage with 13:52 to play in the half. 

"We know we can run the ball, and we made that a point of emphasis again this week," Harris said. 

Lacy added his third rushing touchdown of the first half with a 29-yard score later in the period, and Nelson scored from 14 yards out in the final half minute of the second to give Garden City a commanding 35-0 lead at the intermission.  

"We were dominant in the first half," Harris said. "But there is no way we should have allowed them to score 21 points in this game." 

Palode Gary's 78-yard kickoff return to begin the second half eventually setup the sophomore's two-yard rushing touchdown that stretched the lead to 42-0.  Liam Oczkowski then connected with Demetris "Meech" McKelvey for a 23-yard touchdown on the Broncbusters' next possession to make it 48-0 (Tanner Rinker missed the extra point). 

The Scotties though proceeded to score 21 unanswered, which started with Murphy's 65-yard rushing touchdown. Murphy added a two-yard touchdown run late in the third, and Smith found a wide-open Bryant for a 74-yard score early in the final quarter. 

Dawson Johnson recorded a season-high 10 tackles for Garden City, which beat Highland for the 10^th time in their last 11 meetings. McPherson High School graduate, Jayce Schriner tallied eight tackles and a fumble recovery, and Jeremiah Caldwell added his nation-leading sixth interception at the end of the first half.