By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons, coached by Drew Dallas, are ranked No. 2 in the Junior College Football Frenzy National 25 preseason rankings.
The poll includes two-year programs in California and NJCAA Division I.
The Blue Dragons, the defending NJCAA Division I champions, are second behind San Mateo, Calif.
Coffeyville is ranked No. 12, Butler CC is No. 18, Dodge City No. 20 and Garden City No. 22.
Iowa Western CC, which HutchCC beat 28-23 in the national championship game in November, is ranked No. 3.
Hutchinson hosts Iowa Western on Sept. 13, plays at Dodge City on Oct. 11, hosts Coffeyville on Oct. 25, plays at Butler on Nov. 1 and hosts Garden City on Nov. 22.
Mount San Antonio College, Texas (also known as Mount Sac) is fourth, followed by Georgia Military 5th, Riverside (Calif.) 6th, Northwest Mississippi 7th, Snow College, Navarro (Texas) 8th and Mississippi Gulf Coast 9th.
Holmes CC is 11th, Pasadena (Calif.) 13th, East Central 14th, Tyler (Texas) 15th, Golden West 16th, Lackawanna 17th, Fresno City 19th, Modesto 21st, San Diego Mesa 23rd, Butte 24th and East Mississippi 25th.
Great Bend’s Ian Premer commits to Notre Dame
Great Bend High School all-state tight end Ian Premer has committed to Notre Dame.
Premer, 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, is a three-sport all-state athlete and has major NCAA Division I offers in two sports (football and basketball). He’s also an all state baseball player
Premer will be a senior at Great Bend High School this fall.
Like Hutchinson, Great Bend is a Kansas Class 5A school. The Class 4A Buhler football team hosts Great Bend on Sept. 19.
There always is a possibility that Hutchinson and Great Bend could meet in the football playoffs. The Salthawks and Panthers have played basketball and baseball games in recent seasons.
“Congratulations to Ian Premer,” said the GBHS Panther Football Facebook page. “This has been a long and rewarding process for Ian and his family. The Irish are getting a great young man. Very happy for Ian.”
In November, Premer ascended to No. 1 in the class of 2026 tight end rankings.
“Notre Dame’s dominance on the recruiting trail in the month of June continues, as they managed to secure the commitment of high 4-star right end Ian Premer out of Great Bend, Kansas,” said the Irish Tribune recruiting page.
Premer, a top 50 recruit, joins Joey O’Brien, Khary Adams, Grayson McKeogh, Preston Fryzel and Charlie Thom as the sixth Irish commit this month for the class of 2026.
Premer racked up 543 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for 260 yards and two additional scores on the ground.
Premer’s best performance of the season came against Buhler High School, where he hauled in five touchdown passes for 167 yards.
Playing free safety on the other side of the football, Premer totaled 50 tackles and three interceptions in his junior season. Premer helped Great Bend finish the season with a 9-1 record.
Last fall, Premer had a huge season for Great Bend, leading the Panthers to an undefeated regular season and opening round of the playoffs.
Great Bend fell to conference foe Hays in the second round, the team that went on to represent the west side of the Class 5A bracket in the state title game.
Notre Dame outworked Kansas and Kansas State for Premer’s services.
Premer joined Goodland’s Linkon Cure as the top-ranked tight ends in their respective classes (Cure in 2025) and there was wide speculation that Premer would join Cure at Kansas State.
Haven’s Nash Wray named to Sports in Kansas 3A state baseball team
Haven High School graduate Nash Wray, who will play baseball at Hutchinson Community College, was named to the Sports in Kansas 3A state baseball team released on Thursday.
Wray, a shortstop who is listed an infielder on the Sports in Kansas Team, recently played in the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-Star Game and the Kansas Shrine Bowl football game.
Wray recorded 155 hits over four seasons, breaking the Kansas State High School Activities Association career record. He surpassed the previous mark of 140, set earlier this spring by Hayden Kearney of Valley Falls.
Brogan Wray, Nash’s younger brother, was named honorable mention along with Haven teammate Chandler Ingold.
Halstead softball players recognized on Wichita Eagle All-Metro Team
Halstead High School softball players were recognized on the Wichita Eagle’s All-Metro Team, which was released on Friday.
Halstead graduate Kaci Young was named to the Second Team. She will play softball at Hutchinson Community College the next two seasons and is a member of the Central Kansas Crushers program.
Halstead senior-to-be Thea Boese and junior-to-be Addison Thompson earned honorable mention status.