Turnovers costly in Greyhounds’ 30-16 loss

Fort Scott running back Damon Bonds uses blocking by Sam Arnold (57) to get downfield on a run during the first half of action Saturday evening at Frary Field. Bonds rushed for 103 yards in the Greyhounds’ 30-16 loss to visiting Independence

Scott Nuzum/Tribune

Fort Scott Community College’s football team outgained Independence in all aspects in the second half of their Jayhawk Conference contest at Frary Field Saturday night. But for that effort, the Greyhounds scored but 6 points and lost to the Pirates, 30-16.

Fort Scott (0-2 conference and overall) trailed 14-0 after one period but got within one point at the half. They then outgained No. 17-ranked Indy (1-0, 1-1) 183 total yards to 106 in the second half but were hurt by turnovers.

The Greyhounds turned the ball over six times with the Pirates scoring twice off them. Special teams errors led to two more scores.

Jamal Scott scored a pair of one-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter for Independence. The first, with 8:02 on the clock, came after the first of three interceptions Dalton Sneed threw. The second came with 5:45 to go after Indy recovered a blocked punt on Fort Scott’s 2-yard line.

Fort Scott High graduate Brody Southwell got the Greyhounds on the board with 13:47 on the clock in the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal, the first of three he connected on in the game.

The ’Hounds had a chance to get a touchdown on their next possession after forcing Independence’s Nino Alibergic to miss a 31-yard field goal. But the drive was thwarted on another interception on a pass play from the Indy 19.

Edward Aldred scored the only Fort Scott touchdown with 3:09 to go in the half as he hauled in a 15-yard pass from Sneed to cap a 7-play, 55-yard drive. Southwell brought Fort Scott within 14-13 with 12:59 to go in the third when he made a 40-yard field goal to end the first possession of the second half.

Independence answered when quarterback Malik Henry kept for a 2-yard touchdown with 7:29 to go in the third to boost the Pirate lead to 21-13. Alibergic added another 3 points when he connected from 43 yards out with 1:26 left in the period.

Southwell hit from 43 yards with a bit more than two minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. That brought the Greyhounds within 24-16.

Henry rolled left and found Calvin Jackson from 7 yards out with 9:03 remaining to make it 30-16 as the Greyhounds blocked the extra point. That was set up by a lost fumble at the end of a 19-yard gain two plays after an Independence punt forced Fort Scott to start at its own one-yard line.

Later in the period, Sneed was switched out for Garret Sharp under center. Although there was a gaffe near the end of the drive — a fumble on an option play that cost Fort Scott 7 yards on a first-and-goal from the 9 — Sharp got the ’Hounds down to the 5 before missing a little bit long for Jaylan Jenkins in the end zone on fourth down from the 5.

Sharp had one more chance but it lasted only two plays before Independence picked off its fourth pass of the night.

Fort Scott gained 350 yards of total offense, 172 on the ground and 178 in the air. Independence had 282 yards of offense, 176 of it in the air.

Sneed finished 11 of 24 for 105 yards with 3 interceptions while Sharp was 5 of 8 for 73 yards and one pick. Henry, who entered the game midway through the first quarter, was 14 of 22 for 132 yards for Independence.

Damon Bonds rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries for Fort Scott. Scott led Indy with 97 yards on 19 rushes.

Fort Scott’s defense recorded 5 sacks, 2 by Dominic Cizauskas and 2 by Jeffery Keene in a 3-play span.

The Greyhounds have turned the ball over 10 times in two games, seven on interceptions.

Fort Scott travels to Council Bluffs for a non-conference contest against Iowa Western at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Reivers demolished Independence in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 26, 70-21.

NOTES — The presence of the film crew following Independence for the third season of the Netflix series “Last Chance U.” was not especially invasive during the game. There was a tent along the far sideline on the northeast corner of the stadium and a lift truck on the far sideline at the center of the field….

INDEPENDENCE.... 14 0 10 6 — 30

FORT SCOTT......... 0 10 3 3 — 16

Scoring plays

First quarter

In — Scott 1 run (Alibegic kick), 8:02 [6, 20, 2:04)

In — Scott 1 run (Alibegic kick), 5:45 [2, 2, :28]

Second quarter

FS — FG Southwell 41, 13:47 [7, 39, 2:17]

FS — Aldred 15 pass from Sneed, 3:09 [7, 55, 2:36]

Third quarter

FS — FG Southwell 40, 12:59 [6, 20, 2:00]

In — Henry 2 run (Alibegic kick), 7:29 [13, 65, 5:30]

In — FG Alibegic 43, 1:26 [4, minus-12, 2:08]

Fourth quarter

FS — FG Southwell 43, 12:58 [9, 39, 3:28]

In — C.Jackson 7 pass from Henry (kick blocked), 9:03 [3, 17, 1:23]

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Independence — Scott 19-97, Boyd 9-15, Davis 4-9, Hopkins 5-5, Bea 1-0, team 2-minus 3, Henry 9-minus 17. Fort Scott — Bonds 19-103, Sneed 11-58, Sharp 5-8, Crum 2-6, Abrams 1-minus 3.

PASSING: Independence — Bea 2-5-0-44, Henry 14-22-0-132. Fort Scott — Sneed 11-24-3-105, Sharp 5-8-1-73.

RECEIVING: Independence — C.Jackson 3-56, Buford 3-24, Carter 3-24, Odom 2-35, Applewhite 2-5, Davis 1-13, Cannon 1-11, Boyd 1-8. Fort Scott — Jenkins 5-10, Aldred 4-49, Harrison 3-69, Carter 3-47, Abrams 1-3.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Independence — Alibegic 31 (WR).