El Dorado, Kan. - In a classic Coffeyville/Butler football matchup, the #9 Coffeyville Community College Red Raven Football Team held on late to defeat the #10 Butler Grizzlies 19-14. With the victory, the Red Ravens improve their overall record to 6-4 including a 3-2 mark in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) matchups. Coffeyville's record currently has them in second place in the KJCCC standings behind #1 NJCAA-ranked Hutchinson.
The Butler Grizzlies roared out of the gates in this one jumping up 14-0 off a long touchdown run followed up by a long touchdown pass to put the Ravens in an early 14-0 hole just eight minutes into the contest. However, Coffeyville, after the early Butler fireworks, settled in and went to work both offensively and defensively.
A big second quarter by Red Raven freshman running back Romal Webb helped lead Coffeyville onto the scoreboard. At the 9:00 mark of the second quarter, Webb ripped off a 37-yard touchdown run up the middle to pull the Ravens within a touchdown. The Forrest Taylor extra point was good and Coffeyville pulled within 14-7 of the Grizzlies. Just five minutes later at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter, Webb struck again this time untouched up the middle for a 45-yard touchdown run. The extra point snap was mishandled and the resulting scramble for the two-point try failed and Butler still led by a single point 14-13.
After Butler's initial barrage to start the game, the Raven's defense had strengthened not allowing the Grizzlies any more points (Butler missed a 48-yard field goal late in the second quarter) and the teams went into halftime with Butler leading Coffeyville 14-13.
Midway through the third quarter, Butler lined up for a punt facing a 4th and 4 from their own 9-yard line. With Butler's punter standing in his own endzone, Red Raven sophomore linebacker Ethan Hix rushed from the left side of the line to lay out and block the Grizzly's punt attempt. The punt bounced around in the end zone and eventually was recovered by Coffeyville at Butler's 3-yard line.
Finally, on a 4th and goal from Butler's 1-yard line, Red Raven sophomore quarterback Isaiah Velez was able to convert the QB sneak into the endzone. In an attempt to regain the missed extra point attempt from the second quarter, the Ravens tried for two but the Velez pass attempt was no good and the Ravens clung to a 19-14 lead at the 3:31 mark of the third quarter.
Through the fourth quarter, Coffeyville's defense held and forced Butler into two straight punts. The game came down to Butler facing a 4th and 13 with 1:25 remaining in the game at Coffeyville's 26-yard line. Coffeyville's defense held on the 4th & 13 play with Butler's quarterback running out of bounds a yard short of the first down marker. Coffeyville got the ball and went into a couple of plays of victory formation and the #9 NJCAA-ranked Ravens had the 19-14 defeat of #10-ranked Butler.
Offensively Coffeyville had 265 yards of total offense including 183 yards on the ground. Butler was able to get 365 yards of offense, but after the first quarter, Coffeyville's defense did not allow the Grizzlies to capitalize on any of their yards.
Defensively, Coffeyville's sophomore DB Amir Renwick was a terror against the Grizzlies racking up 14 total tackles (10 solo) including one tackle for a loss and a pass breakup.
Top performers for Coffeyville offensively were sophomore running back Romal Webb and the entire Red Raven offensive line. Webb rushed for 151 yards on 21 attempts including two second-quarter touchdowns.
Moving forward, Coffeyville will face their fourth-ranked opponent of the year (Iowa Central, Hutchinson, and Butler) as they will host #2-ranked Iowa Western on Saturday, November 5th. Game time is set for 7:00 pm in Veterans Memorial Stadium.