The Coffeyville Red Ravens used a potent passing attack and timely defensive stops to outlast the Highland Scotties 44-28 Saturday afternoon, earning their third win of the season under head coach Nick Dobler.

Coffeyville’s defense stopped Highland on fourth down during the Scotties’ opening possession, and the Red Ravens quickly drove down the field. However, on third-and-goal, an errant snap sailed over the head of T.J. Ward, allowing the Highland defense to recover the bouncing ball and return it 75 yards for a scoop-and-score touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.

The Red Ravens marched down the field again on their next series, reaching first-and-goal, but another third-down mistake proved costly. Quarterback John Nicholas lost the football on a scramble, and Highland recovered to take possession.

The back-to-back red-zone fumbles did not deter Coffeyville’s offense. Nicholas went on to throw three first-half touchdowns to three different receivers, connecting on scoring passes of 25, 31 and 7 yards to give the Red Ravens a 24-7 lead at halftime.

Nicholas added two more touchdown passes early in the third quarter, bringing his total to five on the afternoon. Coffeyville’s offense was highly efficient, punting just once all game while converting five of its 10 third-down opportunities. On the defensive side, the Red Ravens held Highland to just two conversions on 10 third-down attempts, something Dobler says was a key point of emphasis coming into the game.

Highland cut into a 37-7 deficit in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, finding some rhythm offensively to make it a 16-point game, but a 13-yard touchdown reception by Azuri Jackson, his second of the afternoon, gave Nicholas his sixth touchdown pass and put the game out of reach.

Nicholas’ six touchdown passes tied a Coffeyville program record as he finished 22 of 29 for 384 yards. Jayden Howard, Tyler Jackson and Cam Hunter each recorded a touchdown reception, while Howard and Azuri Jackson hauled in two scoring catches apiece.

The Red Ravens also controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 10 minutes longer than Highland. Coffeyville finished with 184 rushing yards, and Dobler says winning the battle up front and controlling the clock were important keys heading into the contest.

Garry White added an interception off Highland quarterback DaeOnte Mitchell with less than two minutes remaining to help seal the victory. Coffeyville improves to 3-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play, with a 3-1 record on the road.

The Red Ravens will return to action next week, looking to close the season on a high note against the Dodge City Conquistadors. Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m., with kickoff set for noon on US 98.