Published: August 27, 2007 07:39 am      

No. 21 Garden City turns back Cardinals

TVCC suffers 28-19 loss in season opener

No. 21-ranked Garden City Community College (Kan.) used a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to fuel a 28-19 win over the Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals in season-opening action Saturday night.

The loss in the Land of Oz spoiled the TVCC head coaching debut of Brad Smiley and marked the second straight year the Cardinals have opened with a loss to the Broncbusters. Garden City was a 21-17 winner over TVCC last year at Bruce Field.

TVCC will attempt to bounce back at home this week against Arkansas Baptist. Game time Saturday at Bruce Field is set for 7 p.m.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Garden City with 7:26 left in the opening quarter on a 29-yard field goal by Cross Roads redshirt freshman David Johnson.

TVCC had a scoring opportunity denied a few minutes later on an interception near the goal line.

Garden City tacked on a pair of scores after the Johnson field goal. The Broncbusters scored on a 47-yard touchdown pass and one-yard run.

The Cardinals cut into the 14-3 Garden City lead just before the half ended on a six-yard Lloyd James touchdown. Athens freshman Angel Nava tacked on the PAT to pull TVCC within 14-10 at the half.

James, a Terrell sophomore, rushed 22 times for 68 yards in his debut in the Cardinal backfield.

The Broncbusters scored on their opening drive of the second half on a 45-yard pass.

Nava booted a 26-yard field goal with 32 seconds to go in the third quarter to keep the Cardinals within striking distance at 21-13 going into the final period.

Garden City hung onto the eight-point advantage until scoring on an 18-yard pass with 5:45 left in the game.

TVCC answered with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Arlington Seguin freshman quarterback to Jahbari McLennan with 34 seconds remaining. The two-point conversion failed.

Barbers Hill redshirt freshman quarterback Pat Cook completed 11-of-27 passes for 207 yards for the Cardinals. Barrett was 1-of-3 — the touchdown to McLennan. McLennan had three receptions for 107 yards.

John Turner caught five passes for 41 yards for TVCC.

In Saturday’s other games involving Southwest Junior College Football Conference teams against Kansas schools, it was Fort Scott 18, Navarro 17; Blinn 25, Coffeyville 14; Cisco 10, Independence 0; Tyler 27, Hutchinson 6; Butler 29, Kilgore 28 and NEO 48, Dodge City 15.