Grizzlies Take Down Garden City in Wild Finish

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – The No. 13 ranked Butler Grizzlies defeated the No. 6 ranked Garden City Broncbusters at Broncbuster Stadium for the first time since 2014 in double overtime on Saturday night.

The Grizzlies entered the game on Saturday on a five-game losing streak at Broncbuster Stadium, with the last win being Hall of Fame coach Troy Morrell's last season at the helm of the program in 2014. Kyle Woodall and the Butler Grizzlies looked to end that streak. 

Garden City got on the board first after Lucca Alcaraz Valens nailed a 25 yd field goal to take a 3-0 lead for the only points in the first quarter. 

Garden City had the first possession of the second quarter and it resulted in a three and out. The Broncbuster punt was blocked by Grizzlies Caden lappe and recovered by Isaac Martin at Garden City's 34 yard-line. Three plays later, Butler running back Markellus Bass broke off a 15-yard run for a touchdown to put the Grizzlies on the board and the lead at 7-3. With 2:59 to go in the half, Garden City's quarterback Jaydyn Sisk ran it in for a score from nine-yards out to put the Broncbusters back up 10-7 heading into the break. 

To start the second half, Garden City turned to backup quarterback DaeOnte' Mitchell to run the offense. The Broncbusters received the opening half kick off, and the Grizzlies held them to a three and out to force a punt. Butler was called for a roughing the punter penalty, an automatic first down for Garden City. The drive then resulted in a 33-yard rush for a touchdown from Mitchell to extend Garden City's lead 17-7. On the following Butler possesion, things were looking bleak as Garden City forced the Grizzlies to punt, but after Garden City muffed the punt, the Grizzlies regained possesion. On the following play, Grizzlies quarterback Tate McNew found receiver DeColdest Crawford for a 28-yard touchdown pass to cut Garden City's lead 17-14. 

With 3:43 to go in the third, Garden City got on the board again following a field goal from Lucca Alcaraz to take a 20-14 lead. On the next Grizzly possesion, Butler marched down the field and McNew got his second touchdown pass of the game as he found Nolan Chambers in the back corner of the endzone. Though the game was now tied at 20-20, Chambers was called for a unsportmanlike conduct penalty for spiking the ball after he scored, which forced the Grizzlies to attempt an even farther extra point attempt that was no good. 

With 2:42 to go in the contest, Garden City had possesion with one timeout remaining. After a sack from Butler's Dexter Carr and Jaylen Lawrence on third and nine, the Grizzlies called their final timeout and forced Garden City to punt. 

The Grizzlies started their possesion on their own 20-yard line with 58 seconds left. Garden City was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the punt, and the Grizzlies moved the ball up 18-yards and started their possesion at their own 38-yard line. On second and five, Garden City was called for a roughing the passer, and the Grizzlies now had the ball on Garden's 42 yard-line. Markellus Bass then got a 10-yard run to move the ball to Garden's 32-yard line. But on the following play, a five-yard by Bass that would have put them on the 27-yard line, the Grizzlies were called for a holding penalty and moved them back to the Garden 42-yard line. McNew dropped back to pass and found Howard Peoples for a nine-yard catch, but the clock ran out and the game was now headed to overtime. 

Butler won the toss and elected to play defense first. The Grizzlies held Garden City to a field goal, and the Broncbusters now led 23-20. Butler's possesion in the first overtime also resulted in a field goal, as Hunter Rioux knocked in a 29-yard attempt to tie the gameagain at 23-23. 

It was the Grizzlies turn to receive the first possesion of double-overtime, and the Broncbusters held the Grizzlies to yet another field goal attempt, this time from 36-yards out. Rioux drilled this one as well as the Grizzlies took the lead right back 26-23. After the kick, Butler was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Garden City started their possesion at the 13-yard line. The Grizzly defense came up big again as they forced Garden City to try a 22-yard field goal to tie the game and send it to a third overtime. The kick from Garden City was blocked by Marcel Bowes and recovered by Butler's Dwight Bush to seal the Grizzly victory and their first win in Garden City since 2014. 

The Grizzlies had 281 total yards of offense to Garden's 295. Butler had 183 yards on the ground, and sophomore Markellus Bass had another great performance, finishing with 24 carries for 144 yards, six yards per carry and one rushing touchdown. Quarterback Tate McNew was 9-20 passing for 98-yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception. Tavares Elston Jr. led the Grizzlies in tackles with 10, and had 1.5 tackles for loss. Justyce Betts added nine tackles with two tackles for loss. Defensive back Marcel Bowes had six tackles, one interception, and the blocked field goal that won the game. 

Next up: The No. 9 ranked Butler Grizzlies will play host to the No. 1 ranked and undefeated Hutchinson Blue Dragons on Saturday at 7 p.m. from BG Products Veterans Sports Complex in El Dorado. Tickets to the game can be purchased at butlergrizzlies.com or at the south gate. The game will be streamed on the BCTV+ app and on butlergrizzlies.com/watchlive, and will also be on radio, 98.7 & 1330 KNSS with the pregame show starting at 6:30 p.m.