DODGE CITY, KANSAS -- A 93-yard 4th quarter touchdown drive got the Ellsworth Panthers within one score in their matchup with Dodge City on Saturday, but the Conquistadors never let the Panthers get the ball back and ran out the clock on a 21-14 victory.

Trent Lane capped Ellsworth's 10-play drive in the final period -- a drive that started on their own 7-yard line -- with a 2-yard scoring run and when Leonardo Araujo added the extra point, it was 21-14 with 5:59 remaining.  After the ensuing kickoff, Dodge City picked up 3 first downs and kept the ball away from the ECC offense to record the win.

Dodge City scored on their 2nd possession of the game, going 55 yards and getting the initial TD of the contest on a 17 yard scoring pass.  The Conqs came right back the next time they had the ball to march 56 yards in 4 plays, the touchdown coming on a 39-yard pass, for a 14-0 first quarter lead.

ECC got on the scoreboard on their next possession, a 9-play drive that featured a 26-yard run by Trent Lane and a 21-yard pass from Joshua Bauer to Lane.  Bauer ran it in from 5 yards out and Araujo's point-after kick cut the DCCC lead in half.

Neither team scored in the 2nd period although Ellsworth had what looked like a potential game-tying TD called back because of a penalty.  The Panthers scooped up a fumble on a Dodge City punt try and returned it to the endzone, but the play was negated when it was ruled ECC had 12 men on the field for the play.

The Panthers reached the red zone on their 2nd possession of the 2nd half, but were stopped on a 4th-down play and Dodge City took over and immediately cashed in.  A 69-yard run set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 in the 3rd quarter.

ECC's lengthy scoring drive accounted for the only points after that, but for the 2nd week in a row the Panthers came up short on a trip to Kansas.

After being held to fewer than 20 yards rushing in their first 5 games of the season, Ellsworth enjoyed another good day on the ground, running for 187 yards.  Ernesto Rios led the ground attack with 77 yards and Lane ran for 64.  Bauer was 13-for-35 passing for 134 yards.  Aghogho Eyafe led the receivers with 4 catches for 65 yards and Erastus Antsino and Malcolm Gillie each had 3 receptions.

Michael Acri and Jaden Davis led the ECC defense with 7 tackles apiece and Acri added a sack.  Ari Curtis also recorded a sack and Nashon Johnson had 6 tackles.

For the 3rd week in a row, the Panthers head back to Kansas next Saturday for a game at Independence CC.