By John Mesh
Reporting day is Monday at Gowans Stadium for the 2025 Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon football team.
So begins defense of the Blue Dragons’ 2024 NJCAA Division I national championship. The Blue Dragons posted an 11-1 season in 2024.
Hutchinson rallied to defeat Iowa Western 28-23 on Dec. 18, 2024, in the national championship game at West Texas Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas. The Blue Dragons defeated Iowa Western 38-37 earlier in the 2024 season.
HutchCC opens the season Sept. 6 at New Mexico Military Institute and will host Iowa Western on Sept. 13.
“Our recruiting is pretty much finished up and we are excited about the upcoming season,” said sixth-year Hutchinson Blue Dragons’ head coach Drew Dallas, who has a career record of 49-5 overall (including two national titles in three championship game appearances) and 28-3 in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference play (including four league titles).
“Our full team will be on campus next week — July 14 (Monday) is our report date,” Dallas said. “Our roster will deep again this season, most notably on the defensive line where we have a good handful our returning guys that played key roles last season.
Dallas said the full roster won’t be released until after school starts at HutchCC on Aug. 1.
“We start with a minicamp for all of our newcomers, so we practice without pads in the mornings, and then on Aug. 1, which is the first official day of full team practice, we will begin around 9:30 in the mornings.”
The Blue Dragons’ roster will include 10 players who competed in the 2025 Kansas Shrine Bowl June 21 in Dodge City. The West team defeated the East teams 26-8.
Members of the victorious West squad playing for the Blue Dragons were Trey Hoover, Manhattan, offensive lineman; Terrell King, Hutchinson, running back/athlete; Karlan Ransom, Wichita East, wide receiver; and Bodey Redenbaugh, Buhler, offensive lineman.
East Squad members were Bravin Powell, Gardner-Edgerton, quarterback; Howie Rezac, St. Mary’s, linebacker; Tevyn Gasaway, Olathe West, wide receiver; Quinton Harding, Chanute, running back; Kaden Jordan, Topeka Seaman defensive lineman; and Jeremiah Looney, Shawnee Mission North, wide receiver.
“We will have right around 50 guys from the state of Kansas on this year’s team and expect many of them to play key roles on offense, defense and special teams,” Dallas said.
Hutchinson Community College 2025 football schedule
Sept. 6 at New Mexico Military Institute, 1 p.m.
Sept. 13 IOWA WESTERN CC, noon.
Sept. 20 at Iowa Central CC, noon.
Oct. 4 at Ellsworth CC, 11 a.m.
Oct. 11 at Dodge City CC, 1 p.m.
Oct. 18 INDEPENDENCE CC, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 COFFEYVILLE CC, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Butler CC, 7 p.m.
Nov. 15 at Highland CC, 1 p.m.
Nov. 22 GARDEN CITY CC, noon.