By John Mesh
It’s four times in the Final Four for the No. 3-ranked Hutchinson Blue Dragon football team.
The Jayhawk Conference tri-champion Blue Dragons (9-1) will play No. 2 seed Georgia Military College (10-1) in the second NJCAA national semifinal 2:30 p.m. Central time (3:30 p.m. Eastern time) Sunday in Milledgeville, Ga.
In the first semifinal game Friday night in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Iowa Western (11-1), the No. 1 seed, defeated No. 4-seed Northwest Mississippi (10-2) 42-21.
The Hutchinson-Georgia Military winner will play Iowa Western in the NJCAA Championship game on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.
HutchCC will make its third straight national semifinal appearance. Two years ago, the Blue Dragons defeated Coffeyville 38-7 in the 2022 semifinals. Last season, the Blue Dragons were upset by East Mississippi 27-23.
The national semifinal game between Hutchinson and Georgia Military will be the first matchup between the two teams.
This will be only the second time that the Blue Dragons will have played a Georgia-based team. The Blue Dragons lost 42-37 to Middle Georgia in the 1995 Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo.
The Blue Dragons will make their 28th bowl/national playoff in program history. Hutchinson is 16-9-2 all-time in the postseason (not counting KJCCC/Region 6 playoff games).
The Blue Dragons are third in the country in rushing at 265 yards per game and has the nation’s leading rusher in Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player of the Year Waymond Jordan Jr. (1,331 yards with 18 rushing touchdowns).
Sophomore quarterback Samari Collier has completed 83-of-154 passes for 1,174 yards (16 TDs and 5 interceptions) and has rushed for 419 yards and 7 TDs.
Freshman backup quarterback has completed 63-of-106 passes for 919 yards with 5 TDs and has rushed for 309 yards and 5 TDs.
Julius Bolden has rushed for 255 yards and Titus Petteway 187.
The Blue Dragons’ leading receivers are sophomore Benson Prosper (34 catches, 401 yards, 3 TDs), redshirt freshman Tre Brown (27 catches, 500 yards, 9 TDs), sophomore Ja’Cory Thomas (23 catches, 375 yards, 2 TDs), Derrick Salley Jr. (19 catches, 317 yards, 5 TDs) and freshman Le’Terrius Robinson (15 catches, 173 yards, no TDs).
Sophomore Nestus Burger has made 8-fo-16 field goals and 50-of-53 extra points for 74 points.
McPherson freshman Blaise Hoover has served as punter, backup place-kicker and holder this season.
Freshman Davis Barr has punted 44 times for a 44.1 average and Hoover 15 for a 15.1 average.
Freshman Kordell Ghouldsby has been the Blue Dragons’ main kickoff and punt returner. He has returned one punt for a touchdown.
The Blue Dragons defense is led in tackles by redshirt freshman JaQuel Mack with 51. Kedrick Walker has 48, David Jester 42, La’Modrick Spencer 42, Kollin Collier 33, Duke Clayton Jr. 32, Marshon Oxley 32 and Devan Lowe 30.
Oxley leads the Dragons in sacks with 8 and tackles for loss with 10. Kollin Collier has 3 interceptions.
NCAA Division I signing day for 13 Blue Dragon football players
On the first day of the college football signing period Wednesday, 13 Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon football players signed to play at the NCAA Division I level for the 2025 season.
Five Blue Dragon football players were on ESPN’s Top 50 Juco Recruiting List.
That list includes University of Central Florida signee/commit Waymond Jordan Jr., the nation’s No. 1 junior college running back and the Offensive Player of the Year in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference.
Jordan, nicknamed “The Junkyard Dog,” leads NJCAA Division I with 1,332 yards rushing and 19 total touchdowns (18 TDs rushing and 1 TD receiving).
Jordan, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound Pensacola, Fla., native, picked the UCF Knights (Big 12 Conference) over Missouri, South Florida. Memphis, Boise State, Toledo, Western Kentucky and several other schools.
Jordan leads the Dragons in the ESPN Juco Top 50 at No. 1. The others are:
• 28, Chandavian Bradley, 6-4, 242, defensive end, Oklahoma State.
• 30, La’Modrick Spencer, 6-0, 180, cornerback, SMU.
• 34, Bubba Craig, 6-6, 312, offensive guard, Arkansas.
• 35, Kollin Collier, 6-0, 185, safety, TCU.
Other Blue Dragon DI signees are:
• Demonte Gaston, 6-2, 200, defensive back, Georgia State.
• Duke Clayton, 6-5, 238, defensive end, Eastern Michigan.
• Ja’Cory Thomas, 6-3, 195, wide receiver, Old Dominion.
• Tre Brown, 6-2, 185, wide receiver, Old Dominion.
• Carson Bradley, 6-6, 310, offensive line, Old Dominion.
• Nick Hemer, 6-4, 195, long snapper, UT-San Antonio.
• Mickel Williams, 6-5, 265, defensive end, Ohio.
• Korbyn Green, 6-0, 178, defensive back, Western Kentucky.
Sports in Kansas honors Randy Dreiling as All-Classes Coach of the Year
Randy Dreiling of St. Thomas Aquinas (Class 5A) Is the 2024 Sports in Kansas All-Classes Coach of the Year.
Dreiling picked up a state record 10th title as a head coach when Aquinas captured the 2024 5A state championship over Hays.
Dreiling won seven titles at Hutchinson and now has won three at Aquinas.
The Saints moved up from Class 4A, played the best schedule in the state and went 13-0.
Dreiling is a known program builder over the years as he built the Hutchinson High School dynasty to seven state titles that when he inherited the program they were on a 26-game losing streak.
Aquinas also had zero titles before Dreiling’s arrival in football and now has three.
Halstead girls wrestling team places in Top 10 at Wakeeney meet
The Halstead High School girls wrestling team traveled to Wakeeney for a tough 26-team tournament Friday.
The Dragons finished in the Top 10. Kahlyn Davis placed secnd and Mariah Swarts placed third.
Halstead results from Wakeeney meet
Lexi Overton 2-2
Mariah Swarts 4-1 3rd
Kahlyn Davis 3-1 2nd
Parker Metoyer 2-2
Alexis Westfall 0-2
Addi Thompson 1-2
Ava Armstrong 1-2
Kansas high school basketball scores
From Scorestream
FRIDAY NIGHT BOYS
Abilene 79, Circle 56
Andover Central 62, Salina Central 61
Augusta 56, Goddard 48
BV Northwest 59, Wichita Sunrise 50
Berean Academy 60, Caldwell 22
Buhler 49, Nickerson 45, OT
Burlington 67, Holton 44
Cedar Vale-Dexter 53, Oswego 44
Central Plains 49, Smoky Valley 29
Chase County 90, Osage City 87, OT
Clay Center 73, Riley County 48
Cornerstone Family 58, Plaza Heights Christian, Mo. 41
Council Grove 49, Mission Valley 36
Derby 57, Andover 55
Ellinwood 49, La Crosse 39
Ellis 51, Hill City 41
Emporia 71, Liberal 18
Eureka 61, Sedan 43
Flinthills 47, Lebo 37
Fredonia 80, Neodesha 53
Great Bend 71, Salina South 44
Hesston 54, Southeast of Saline 38
Holyoke, Colo. 78, St Francis 40
Humboldt 78, St Paul 38
Ingalls 61, Moscow 9
Junction City 74, Atchison 51
KC East Christian, Mo. 50, Reno County 48
KC Piper 69, Topeka Seaman 51
Kapaun Mount Carmel 65, Wichita Southeast 52
Labette County 73, Frontenac 61
Lawrence 78, KC Harmon 38
Liberty, Colo. 67, Garden City 47
Logan 61, Western Plains-Healy 30
Louisburg 77, Tonganoxie 50
Macksville 57, Ness City 39
Maize South 39, Goddard-Eisenhower 38
Marion 64, Goessel 38
Marysville 57, Sabetha 38
Maur Hill – Mount Academy 59, Doniphan West 47
McLouth 52, Central Heights 39
Metro Academy 59, Harrisonville, Mo. 25
Moundridge 50, Elyria Christian 39
Mulvane 56, Kingman 36
Nemaha Central 49, Centralia 19
Northern Valley 81, Triplains-Brewster 12
Olathe West 83, Maize 78
Pawnee City, Neb. 56, Frankfort 48
Phillipsburg 35, Oakley 22
Plaza Heights Christian, Mo. 30, Flint Hills Christian 23
Quinter 54, Victoria 42
Remington 58, Bluestem 10
Rock Creek 70, Jefferson North 22
Rock Hills 67, Pike Valley 55
Royal Valley 51, Jackson Heights 26
Salina Sacred Heart 60, Clifton-Clyde 49
Scott City 64, Hoisington 36
Silver Lake 59, Perry-Lecompton 52
South Gray 76, Pawnee Heights 22
Southeast 57, Erie 48
St. Thomas Aquinas 61, Omaha Skutt, Neb. 55
Thayer Central, Neb. 50, Hanover 37
Topeka West 66, De Soto 44
Wabaunsee 61, West Franklin 50
Walsh, Colo. 60, Rolla 34
Washburn Rural 71, BV Southwest 53
Weskan 79, Wheatland-Grinnell 30
Wichita Classical 57, Hutchinson Central Christian 48
Wichita Heights 91, Wichita North 14
Wichita Life Prep 54, Manhattan 49
Wichita Trinity 44, Garden Plain 39
Winfield 68, Arkansas City 55
THURSDAY NIGHT BOYS
Frankfort 48, Nebraska City Lourdes, Neb. 23
Wellington 57, Garden Plain 21
Wichita Sunrise 76, Manhattan 56
FRIDAY NIGHT GIRLS
Andover 57, Derby 44
Arkansas City 54, Winfield 17
Beloit 60, Concordia 46
Berean Academy 55, Caldwell 9
Blue Valley Randolph 51, Solomon 17
Buhler 69, Nickerson 17
Central Heights 43, McLouth 26
Central Plains 48, Smoky Valley 29
Centralia 46, Nemaha Central 24
Cheylin 63, Golden Plains 34
Circle 40, Abilene 25
Clay Center 52, Riley County 36
Clifton-Clyde 51, Salina Sacred Heart 38
De Soto 70, Topeka West 32
Doniphan West 55, Maur Hill – Mount Academy 35
Frankfort 63, Pawnee City, Neb. 9
Garden Plain 56, Wichita Trinity 54
Girard 69, Parsons 31
Goddard 46, Augusta 44
Greeley County 45, Stanton County 38
Halstead 46, Rose Hill 28
Hanover 42, Thayer Central, Neb. 27
Haven 60, Hutchinson Trinity 25
Herington 55, Ell-Saline 39
Hesston 67, Southeast of Saline 39
Highland Park 42, SM West 29
Hillsboro 62, Sterling 17
Holyoke, Colo. 33, St Francis 26
Hoxie 58, Norton 25
Humboldt 55, St Paul 20
Iola 40, Anderson County 19
Kapaun Mount Carmel 62, Wichita Southeast 56
Kiowa County 54, South Barber 21
Labette County 41, Frontenac 23
Larned 53, Pratt 31
Lawrence 56, KC Washington 12
Leavenworth 62, KC Turner 9
Lebo 52, Flinthills 19
Liberal 60, Emporia 25
Liberty, Colo. 46, Garden City 42
Logan 33, Western Plains-Healy 29
Macksville 57, Ness City 39
Madison 63, Yates Center 13
Manhattan 53, Hays-TMP-Marian 32
Marais des Cygnes Valley 50, Lyndon 43
Marion 45, Goessel 33
Meade 51, Satanta 27
Mulvane 50, Kingman 36
Neodesha 62, Fredonia 22
Olathe East 37, Newton 20
Omaha Skutt, Neb. 64, St. Thomas Aquinas 48
Onaga 37, Northern Heights 18
Osage City 55, Chase County 42
Phillipsburg 36, Oakley 34
Plaza Heights Christian, Mo. 30, Flint Hills Christian 23
Remington 42, Bluestem 21
Reno County 44, KC East Christian, Mo. 36
Rock Creek 61, Jefferson North 19
Rock Hills 33, Pike Valley 27
Royal Valley 35, Jackson Heights 19
Salina South 57, Great Bend 20
Scott City 44, Hoisington 23
Silver Lake 78, Perry-Lecompton 23
Southeast 53, Erie 28
St. Michael The Archangel Catholic 46, Dunham, La. 43
Topeka Seaman 69, KC Piper 67
Wabaunsee 70, West Franklin 48
Wakefield 55, Centre 35
Wallace County 49, Lakin 38
Walsh, Colo. 42, Rolla 19
Washburn Rural 44, BV Northwest 43
Wichita Central Christian 53, Peabody-Burns 14
Wichita Classical 43, Hutchinson Central Christian 40
Wichita East 73, Wichita West 11
Wichita South 52, Wichita Northwest 19
THURSDAY NIGHT GIRLS
Garden City 53, Coronado, Colo. 7
Liberal 53, Bennett, Colo. 10
McPherson 60, Dodge City 41
Nebraska City Lourdes, Neb. 30, Frankfort 22