By John Mesh
The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Blue Dragons fought off the No. 12 Coffeyville Red Ravens 40-17 Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Coffeyville.
The Blue Dragons improved to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. The Red Ravens fell to 4-3 overall and 1-2 in league play.
“We knew they would be tough on offense,” said Hutchinson coach Drew Dallas during his postgame radio interview. “We gave up a couple home runs (long passes). We got off to a slow start. I thought our coaches made some good halftime adjustments. It was a physical game.”
The Blue Dragons recovered two Red Raven fumbles in the first quarter. After the first fumble, HutchCC quarterback Samari Collier hooked up with Tre Brown, who lost the football before he crossed the goal line. Coffeyville recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchback.
Blue Dragons’ defender DeMarcus Johnson then recovered a Coffeyville fumble and carried it 32 yards to the 1-yard line. Collier scored from 1-yard out and Nestus Burger kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
On the Red Ravens’ next possession, Hutchinson’s defense recorded a safety for a 9-0 lead.
The Blue Dragons pushed their lead to 16-0 when Waymond Jordan Jr. broke loose for an 83-yard touchdown run. Burger kicked the extra point.
Coffeyville scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Chris Arviso to Jalile Bost and cut the Blue Dragons’ lead to 16-7.
HutchCC extended its lead to 19-7 on a 33-yard field goal by Burger. Coffeyville end the first half with a 36-yard field goal from Roan McCarthy that cut HutchCC’s lead to 19-10.
On their first drive of the second half, the Blue Dragons went 73 yards on 10 plays. HutchCC scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Christian Johnson to Ja’Cory Thomas with 10:56 left in the third quarter. Burger’s extra point kick made the score 26-3.
HutchCC’s Rayshawn Reynolds intercepted a pass. The Blue Dragons drove down the field. Jordan scored on a 10-yard touchdown run and Burger’s PAT made the score 33-10 in favor of HutchCC.
Coffeyville went on a 4-play, 67-yard scoring drive to pull within 33-17 of the Blue Dragons, capped by a Brec Long 4-yard touchdown run. That was the score at the end of the third quarter.
After HutchCC intercepted a pass, Jordan capped the Blue Dragons’ drive with his third touchdown of the game on a 6-yard run. Burger’s PAT kick gave HutchCC a 40-17 lead.
The two teams combined for eight turnovers. Coffeyville committed five miscues and the Blue Dragons three (including two in the end zone).
The Blue Dragons posted their 22nd-straight win over a KJCCC team, defeated their fourth ranked team and extended the program record for true road wins to 18 straight games. It was also the 29th straight conference win for the Blue Dragons.
Hutchinson piled up 456 yards of total offense (284 passing and 172 rushing). The Red Ravens had 377 yards of total offense (202 passing and 175 rushing).
Hutchinson backup quarterback Christian Johnson completed 13-of-20 passes for 228 yards and ran for 31 more. He replaced Collier in the second quarter. Collier was 2-of-4 passing for 37 yards and added 8 yards rushing.
Jordan finished with 115 yards on 22 carries. Jordan has scored 12 touchdowns this season and has three games with three touchdowns.
“He was good again,” said Dallas.
Ja’Cory Thomas caught 4 passes for 64 yards, Tate Hoover 1 for 56, Derrick Salley Jr. 5 for 53, Brown 1 for 38, La’Terrius Robinson 1 for 36, Benson Prosper 2 for 27 and Jared Napoli 1 for 10.
Burger was 1-for-1 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points. He also had 7 kickoffs for 177 yards and 4 touchbacks. Davis Barr had 4 punts for 177 yards and Blaise Hoover 1 for 39.
JaQuel Mack led the Blue Dragons’ defense in tackles with 11. David Jester, Avian Rice and Kedrick Walker each had 7 tackles. Kollin Collier intercepted 2 passes and Reynolds 1.
Arviso completed 9-fo-21 passes for 167 yards, including a 61-yard pass to Bost. Joseph Vick completed 5-of-10 passes for 35 yards. Ma’Kenttis Adams rushed for 165 yards on 28 carries. Bost caught 6 passes for 151 yards.
Khmari Johnson led the Red Ravens with 10 tackles and Marquis Lane-Owens had 9.
The Blue Dragons wore “SF” stickers to honor former Coffeyville head football coach Skip Foster, who died on May 2 after a short battle with cancer. Foster, a former Coffeyville player, coached the Red Ravens from 1989-2001 and compiled a record of 83-39-2.
The Blue Dragons host Butler Community College for next Saturday for HutchCC homecoming at Gowans Stadium. Kickoff is noon.
No. 16 Blue Dragon women’s soccer team earns 1-1 draw with KCK
The No. 16 Hutchinson Blue Dragon women’s soccer team took on Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference leader and No. 7 Kansas City Kansas Saturday afternoon at KCK Soccer Complex.
The Blue Dragons earned a 1-1 draw with KCK.
KCK led at halftime 1-0. The Blue Dragons tied the score at 1-1 on an “own goal” off a Haley Rogers corner kick.
Hutchinson has a 9-2-5 overall record (8-2-5 KJCCC). KCK is 11-0-5 overall and 9-0-5 in league play.
HutchCC hosts Cowley College at 4 p.m. next Saturday at the Salthawk Sports Complex.
HutchCC volleyball team takes match from Cloud County
The Hutchinson Community College volleyball team defeated Cloud County Saturday afternoon in a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference matchup at the ThunderDome in Concordia.
Hutchinson dropped the opening set 25-18 and won the last three sets 25-21, 25-23, 25-20.
Hutchinson improved its record to 14-17 overall and 4-6 in the KJCCC.
HutchCC plays a triangular Monday at home against Friends University JV (3 p.m.), Neosho County Community College (5 p.m.) and McPherson College ( 7 p.m.).
The Blue Dragons host Butler CC at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Seward County at 6 p.m. on Friday and Pratt CC at 6 p.m. next Saturday.
Cloud County dropped to 5-19 overall and 0-13 in the KJCCC.
Defending national champs HutchCC picked to repeat as KJCCC women’s champs
The defending national champion Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon women’s basketball team is picked to repeat as champions of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference by league coaches.
The 2024-2025 KJCCC Preseason Coaches’ Polls were released on Friday.
The HutchCC Blue Dragons, Dodge City, Barton, Garden City and Butler are the top five women’s picks.
Rounding out the coaches picks are Coffeyville, Seward County, Cowley, Cloud County, Colby, Independence, Pratt and Fort Hays Tech Northwest.
John Ontjes will begin his 18th season as HutchCC women’s basketball coach. Four players are returning from last year’s national championship team.
The Blue Dragons went 37-0. HutchCC defeated Butler in the Region 6 championship game and beat Northwest Florida State 88-80 in overtime in the national championship game in Casper, Wyo.
Hailey Jackson, an all-conference, All-Region 6 and NJCAA All-Tournament performer, is the lone full-time starter back for the new season. Also returning are guard Kahlen Norris, guard Jada Pleasant and forward Madi Denison.
For the 16th time in 18 seasons with Ontjes as head coach, the Blue Dragon women were picked either first or second in the KJCCC preseason coaches’ poll.
After the Blue Dragons open on the road at NOC-Tonkawa on Nov. 1, they will play Neosho County for their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at the Sports Arena.
The Blue Dragons will host a home scrimmage Thursday against Tabor College at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Blue Dragon men picked to finish second in KJCCC behind national champion Barton
The Hutch CC men’s basketball team, guided by new head coach Kyle Fisher, is picked by coaches to place second behind Barton County Community College, the defending NJCAA men’s champions.
The Kyle Fisher era opens officially on Tuesday, Nov. 5 against Hesston College at the Sports Arena.
The 2025 KJCCC Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll was released on Friday.
The Blue Dragons are picked second only behind defending NJCAA national champion Barton in the preseason rankings. The Blue Dragons received 2 of 13 first-place votes in the preseason poll.
Garden City was picked third, Cowley fourth and Coffeyville fifth. Dodge City was picked sixth, followed by Butler, Cloud County, Independence, Seward County, Pratt, Colby and Fort Hays Tech Northwest.
The last time the Blue Dragons were picked as high as No. 2 in the preseason rankings was the 2020-2021 season when they were picked to win the conference.
The Blue Dragons were 29-7 last season and went 20-4 in the KJCCC to place third in the league. The Dragons reached the Region 6 Tournament championship game and earned an at-large bid for the 2024 NJCAA Tournament.
Hutchinson advanced to the national tournament quarterfinals after wins against USC-Salkehatchie and Chipola before falling to Connors State.
Hutchinson has just one player returning from last year, guard Kobe Smith 6.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season.
Before the Blue Dragons officially open the season, they will play two games in the Coffeyville Jamboree on Sunday in Coffeyville.
HutchCC hosts Newman University in a home scrimmage at 5:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena
on Oct. 28.
Blue Dragon men’s cross country team 5th in final regular-season poll
The Hutchinson Community College men’s cross country team remained No. 5 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NJCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country rankings for the second-straight week.
Coming off a third-place finish at the Region 6 Preview on the course of the upcoming Region 6 Championships stayed at No. 5.
Hutchinson opened the season No. 10 in the preseason rankings. The Blue Dragons climbed to No. 9 and then jumped four spots to No. 5 after a Top 10 finish in the university division at the Chili Pepper Festival.
Dennis Cherioiyut, Cornelius Kogo and Titus Kiprotich have been the top runners for the Dragons this season, including a record-setting performance by Kiprotich last week at the Region 6 Preview.
The Blue Dragons are the second-highest ranked KJCCC team in the final regular-season rankings. Butler is fourth and Hutchinson is fifth in the rankings. In the teams’ two matchups at 8,000 meters, each team has played higher than the other once each.
Other KJCCC teams ranked are Garden City at No. 11 and Colby at No. 19.
Salt Lake and Iowa Western are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. There are only three points separating the two teams. El Paso is No. 3 in the national rankings.
The Blue Dragons will run next at the 2024 Region 6 championships next Friday at the Kansas Veterans Home in Winfield.
HutchCC women’s cross country team 6th in final poll
The Hutchinson Community College women’s cross country team remained No. 6 in the final United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s NJCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country Rankings.
Led by freshman Faith Jepchirchir, who has won all three races she has competed in this season, the Blue Dragons have been in the Top 10 for the entire season. The Dragons started the season at No. 6, moved up to No. 5 and have been No. 6 for the past two polls.
The Blue Dragons are the highest ranked Jayhawk Conference team in this week’s rankings.
Butler is No. 10, Cloud County is No. 13, Dodge City is No. 14 and Garden City is No. 15.
Salt Lake received all 10 first-place votes and is No. 1. College of Southern Idaho is ranked second, Iowa Central is third, Crowder is fourth and New Mexico Junior College is fifth in the national rankings.
The Blue Dragons will next race in the Region 6 Cross Country championships next Friday at the Kansas Veterans Home in Winfield.