Game graphic courtesy of Blue Dragon Sports Information
There will be a new No. 1 in the NJCAA Division I football rankings early next week and it will be the Hutchinson Blue Dragons.
The No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Blue Dragons (2-0) knocked off No. 1 Iowa Western (the defending NJCAA champions) 38-37 in an offensive shootout Saturday afternoon at Titan Field in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Iowa Western (1-1) scored a touchdown with 3 seconds left and cut HutchCC’s lead to 38-37, but overthrew a receiver in the end zone on the 2-point conversion.
For the second-straight regular-season meeting, the Hutchinson Community College football team and Iowa Western met in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.
Last season, the then-No. 1 Blue Dragons rallied from two double-figure first-half deficits by scoring 28 unanswered points to earn a 42-28 victory over No. 2 Iowa Western at Gowans Stadium.
After the Blue Dragons recovered a fumble in Iowa Western territory, HutchCC quarterback Samari Collier scored on a 28-yard touchdown run with 11:45 left in the first quarter. The Dragons led 7-0 on Nestus Burger’s extra point kick.
Iowa Western answered with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive and a 11-yard TD pass from quarterback Hunter Dekkers to Lucci Fidone at the 7:45 mark of the opening frame. The PAT kick by Max Bartachek tied the score at 7-7.
Collier, who turns 22 on Monday, scored on a 3-yard TD run at the 5:15 mark to give HutchCC the lead back. Burger’s PAT kick made the score 14-7 in favor of the Blue Dragons.
The TD was set up by a 55-yard pass from Collier to Ja’Cory Thomas on a six-play, 78-yard drive.
The Reivers advanced to the Blue Dragon 26-yard line on a long running play and couple HutchCC penalties, but the Blue Dragons stuffed the drive and took over on downs.
Collier hooked up with redshirt freshman tight end Nate Hoover, from Manhattan High School, on a 31-yard TD pass at the 2:46 mark of the first quarter. Burger’s PAT kick gave HutchCC a 21-7.
Hoover’s catch was the first reception of his HutchCC career.
Iowa Western scored the first touchdown of the second quarter at the 14:46 mark to cut HutchCC’s lead to 21-14. Josh Humpal’s 22-yard TD catch from Dekkers capped a 10-pay, 75-yard drive.
The Blue Dragons were stopped on their next drive and Hoover, the HutchCC punter, was forced to kick 8 yards deep in the end zone. His kick went to the Blue Dragons’ 28-yard line.
HutchCC stopped the Reivers short on fourth down and took the ball back.
The Blue Dragons made the score 24-14 on Burger’s 25-yard field goal with 4:47 left in the second quarter. The field goal capped an 11-play, 68-yard, 6:26 scoring drive.
The Reivers closed the gap to 24-21 on a quick-strike 78-yard TD pass from Dekkers to Keyon Brown.
HutchCC went on a 7-play, 63-yard drive, capped by a 26-yard TD run by Waymond Jordan Jr. 1:35 before halftime to take a 31-21 lead. That was the halftime lead.
Burger missed a field goal on the Dragons’ first drive of the second half. Neither team scored in the third quarter and the score remained at 31-21.
With 12:26 left in the game, Iowa Western’s Bartachek kicked a 20-yard field goal to cut HutchCC’s lead to 31-24.
Iowa Western tied the score at 31-31 at the 8:43 mark on a 78-yard TD pass from Dekkers to Titus Myers.
The Blue Dragons scored on a 2-yard TD run by Johnson and Burger kicked the extra point for a 38-31 lead with 4:22 left in the game. The TD capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive.
Iowa Western scored on a 3-yard TD pass from Dekkers to Myers with 3 seconds left to make the score 38-37. However, Dekkers overthrew his intended target on the two-point conversion try and HutchCC hung on for the victory.
The Blue Dragons and Reivers combined for 54 first downs and 943 yards of total offense. HutchCC had 30 first downs and 411 yards of Toal offense (201 passing and 210 rushing).
The Reivers had 532 yards of total offense (418 passing and 114 rushing).
HutchCC’s Collier completed 8-of-11 passes for 156 yards and 1 TD. Johnson completed 4-of-5 passes for 45 yards. Collier had 56 yards rushing and 1 TD run. Johnson gained 24 yards rushing and scored the go-ahead TD run.
Waymond Jordan Jr. rushed for 123 yards n 23 carries. He gained 178 in Hutchinson’s 42-10 Week 1 win over New Mexico Military Institute on Aug. 29 and earned Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Benson Prosper caught 6 passes for the Blue Dragons for 78 yards. Thomas caught 2 passes for 59 yards. Hoover caught 1 pass for 31 yards for his TD. L’Terrius Robinson caught 2 passes for 29 yards.
Avian Rose and Kendrick Walker led the HutchCC defense with 8 tackles each. JaQuel Mack had two TFLs (tackles for loss). Rayshawn Reynolds recovered a fumble.
In a losing cause, Iowa Western’s Dekkers completed 28-of-46 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.
Humpal rushed for 59 yards on 15 carries and caught 2 passes for 28, including a TD. Daniel Swinney rushed for 31 yards on 5 carries.
Mayers caught 10 passes for 173 yards and two TDs. Brown caught 3 passes for 138 yards and 1 TD.
Lucas Struck led the Reivers’ defense with 10 tackles, Marcus Williams and Ahmad Johnson each had 7 tackles. Andy Burburija and Dominic Wiseman each had 6 tackles.
Williams, Burburija and Wiseman recorded sacks. The Reivers had 11 TFLs.
Game notes: It’s the first time in the series history the Blue Dragons win back-to-back meetings over the Reivers in Council Bluffs.
Only twice in the 10-game series between the Blue Dragons and Reivers have both teams not been ranked (2015, 2017).
This match-up was the fourth-consecutive game where Hutchinson and Iowa Western met with both teams ranked in the Top 3 of the NJCAA national rankings.
It’s the fifth meeting overall in a matchup of Top 5 opponents and the fourth consecutive time for that occurrence.
The Blue Dragons are 40-4 under fifth-year head coach Drew Dallas.
The Dragons are 18-3 under Dallas in nationally-ranked matchups and 14-3 in battles of Top 10 programs.
Saturday was the first in what could be three games of Hutchinson’s next four in which opponents could be ranked. Iowa Central, Hutchinson’s opponent next Saturday at Gowans Stadium, is No. 8.
After Ellsworth on Sept. 28, Dodge City comes to Gowans on Oct. 5 currently ranked No. 15.
Iowa Western quarterback Dekkers, who started for Iowa State University during the 2022 season, was among a group of athletes from ISU and the University of Iowa who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of underage gambling in September. He placed one $15 bet.
As part of their plea deal, the athletes received a fine and no other penalties.
Dekkers, who will get his degree from Iowa State, had 3,044 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for the Cyclones in 2022.