Fort Scott ends Butler's reign

FORT SCOTT — Butler's grasp on the Jayhawk Conference football title couldn't last forever, although maybe after eight consecutive league championships it may have felt like it just might.

That reign is over after Fort Scott defeated Butler 14-10 Saturday at Frary Field.

Jasmin Hopkins led Fort Scott rushing for 164 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:37 remaining.

Fort Scott (9-0, 7-0) won the Jayhawk Conference regular-season championship and will be rewarded with the No. 1 seed in the Region VI tournament. It will host the winner of Saturday night's Garden City-Hutchinson game next Sunday. Butler (7-2, 6-1) will host Coffeyville.

It took a 19-play, 93-yard drive with eight minutes left for Fort Scott to knock off the two-time defending national champions.

Trailing 10-7, the Greyhounds converted three third downs and one fourth down on the drive before Hopkins finished it with a one-yard run touchdown run.

"Before we went out there for the final drive I told everybody to keep their heads up," Hopkins said. "We all just stepped up. We wanted it, that's all we've talked about all year long. That's how bad we wanted it."

For the Grizzlies, four turnovers against the No. 3 ranked Greyhounds hurt, but it didn't stop them from rallying for a late lead after Ross Dausin found Marcus Kennard for a 14-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

"I thought I won the game for us," Kennard said.

Fort Scott forced Butler's third fumble of the game on the Grizzlies' last drive to ice the win.

"A lot of people are going to give the credit to this 93-yard drive and what not, but we wouldn't have even had a chance to win this game if our defense didn't play the way they did today," Fort Scott coach Jeff Sims said.

Butler turned the ball over on both its first and last series of the game.

"It comes down to turnovers in big games like these when you get two good teams like this," Butler coach Troy Morrell said. "We committed the turnovers today, especially at critical times in the game. They are good enough to capitalize on our mistakes and they certainly did that today.

"We're still alive... it's playoff time and it's just a matter of us bouncing back now."

Butler (7-2, 6-1) 0 0 3 7 — 10 Fort Scott (9-0, 7-0) 7 0 0 7 — 14

F—Hopkins 5 run (Ericson kick)

B—Ortiz 36 field goal

B—Kennard 14 pass from Dausin (Ortiz kick)

F—Hopkins 1 run (Erickson kick)

Individual Statistics

Rushing—Butler, Brazil 15-87, Jacques 12-80, Dausin 3-(-7), Henderson 1-3. Fort Scott, Hopkins 34-164, Woods 13-45, Davis 6-(-17), Walker 1-2.

Passing—Butler, Dausin 10-29-143-1. Fort Scott, Davis 19-38-212-1.

Receiving—Butler, Soft 3-50, Watkins 3-44, Kennard 3-42, Demps 1-7. Fort Scott, Baker 5-50, McFall 3-55, Hopkins 3-37, Peake 2-21, Fondren 2-21, Terron 2-16, Mathies 1-9, Woods 1-3.