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Cowboys' Season Ends with 60-18 Playoff Loss at Wichita Collegiate
WICHITA — A Goodland football season filled with memorable victories, historic milestones and renewed excitement came to a disappointing end Friday night.
The Cowboys struggled to slow down a high-powered Wichita Collegiate offense, falling 60-18 to the Spartans in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs.
The loss brings Goodland's season to a close at 5-4, ending a campaign that saw the Cowboys record their most victories in a season since 2013 under first-year head coach Dax Ruhs.
Friday night, however, belonged to Wichita Collegiate.
The Spartans piled up 647 yards of total offense, the most surrendered by Goodland this season, while senior quarterback Landon Langston delivered a dominant performance.
Langston accounted for six touchdowns, rushing for five scores and throwing for another as the Cowboys struggled to find an answer for the Spartans' dynamic quarterback.
Ruhs credited Collegiate's talented roster and coaching staff for creating difficult matchups throughout the night.
"You've got to take your hats off to the Collegiate coaching staff and their kids," Ruhs said afterward. "They did really well tonight."
Ruhs said the Spartans' ability to use multiple formations and move personnel around created additional challenges for the Goodland defense.
"They have some special athletes over there," Ruhs said, while also praising Collegiate's offensive execution and preparation.
The result was a difficult night for a Cowboy defense that had shown flashes of strong play throughout the season but struggled to contain the Spartans' offensive attack.
Offensively, Goodland was unable to keep pace.
The Cowboys were limited to 236 total yards and committed two turnovers, making an already challenging matchup even more difficult.
The 18-point performance marked the second consecutive game in which Goodland was held below 20 points, following a 28-16 loss to Hugoton in the regular-season finale.
After scoring a combined 92 points in back-to-back victories over Colby and Scott City earlier in October, the Cowboys struggled to rediscover that offensive rhythm over their final two games.
Despite the lopsided score, Ruhs was pleased with the way his team responded in the second half.
Facing a significant halftime deficit, the Cowboys continued to compete, putting together productive offensive possessions and finding the end zone while also coming up with defensive stops.
Ruhs said he challenged his players at halftime to remember the identity they had established throughout the season.
"Everybody and their grandma this year has told me the Goodland Cowboy football team fights, and they fight to the end, and they never give up," Ruhs said.
"I said, we're not going to end the season that way, and we're not going to go back to that mentality."
Instead, Ruhs encouraged his players to enjoy the opportunity to compete, focus on executing the little things and celebrate their successes in the second half.
"I thought they went out like champions," Ruhs said.
While the final score was not what Goodland had hoped for, the defeat brought an end to a season that represented a significant step forward for the program.
The Cowboys opened the year with three consecutive victories for the first time since 2013, including a dramatic 38-34 comeback victory over Burlington in which Goodland erased a 26-point deficit.
After suffering consecutive six-point losses to Holcomb and Ulysses, the Cowboys responded with one of their most dominant performances in recent rivalry history.
Goodland dismantled Colby 50-0 on Homecoming night, recording the largest margin of victory over the Eagles in the history of the rivalry.
But perhaps the defining moment of the season came one week later in Scott City.
Facing a longtime rival they had not defeated since 2003, the Cowboys delivered an unforgettable finish.
Quarterback Reid Cure connected with senior Jaxson Miller for a last-second touchdown, lifting Goodland to a 42-36 victory over the Beavers and snapping a 23-year losing streak.
The win also gave Goodland its fifth victory of the season, marking the program's highest win total since 2013.
Miller emerged as one of the Cowboys' most explosive playmakers throughout the fall, while Cure directed an offense capable of producing big plays through the air.
The Cowboys also received important contributions from players such as Konnor Collett and Trayvon Conger, along with a senior class that helped set the tone for Ruhs' first season.
When reflecting on the season afterward, Ruhs was quick to recognize the people who helped make the Cowboys' success possible.
He thanked assistant coaches Rotor, Owens and Gardener, along with their families, his own father and the Goodland community for supporting the program throughout the fall.
"We've had great community support rally around us," Ruhs said.
But Ruhs reserved his greatest appreciation for the senior class, which helped lead Goodland through a season filled with memorable moments.
"There's a lot of them, and they played exceptionally well, and they really stepped up to the plate for us this season," Ruhs said. "We're proud of them, and we're happy that they were able to achieve some of those marks."
For those seniors, Friday night marked the final chapter of their high school football careers.
Although the season ended earlier than they had hoped, Ruhs made sure his players understood how much their effort and commitment meant to the coaching staff.
In the final team huddle, the message was about more than football.
"We tell them we love them," Ruhs said. "I thank them on behalf of us for fighting as hard and working as hard as they have all season."
Ruhs acknowledged that there were undoubtedly difficult days throughout the year, but praised his players for continuing to show up, work hard and give their best effort.
And he reminded them that their relationship with the coaching staff would extend well beyond their playing days.
"If they need anything in life, they always got us to fall back to or lean on," Ruhs said.
Although Goodland's season ended with a difficult loss, the Cowboys leave 2026 with plenty to build upon.
With several talented underclassmen expected to return next fall, Ruhs and his staff will look to carry the momentum of this season into the future.
From the season-opening victory at Cimarron to the remarkable comeback against Burlington, the historic shutout of Colby and the unforgettable finish at Scott City, the 2026 Cowboys gave their fans plenty of moments to remember.
For Ruhs, a Goodland graduate who was part of the Cowboys' 2013 team, his first season leading his alma mater provided a foundation for the years ahead.
The Cowboys entered the year hoping to take a step forward as a program.
They leave it with five victories, two historic rivalry wins and renewed expectations for the future.
The season may have ended earlier than Goodland had hoped, but the 2026 Cowboys left their mark on the program — and gave Cowboy fans plenty of reasons to look forward to what's next.
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