Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College Football team officially was named the No. 1 overall seed for the 2026 NJCAA Division I Football Playoffs after the matchups were released Tuesday night on the NJCAA Football Selection Show.
The top-ranked Blue Dragons (11-0) will play host to No. 4 Northwest Mississippi (9-2) in the first national semifinal in a rematch of their 2025 semifinal. The game will be played at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20 at Gowans Stadium.
No. 2 Iowa Western (9-1) will play host to No. 3 Trinity Valley (9-1) in the other semifinal in a game to be played on Saturday, November 21 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The semifinal winners will meet in the NJCAA Championship game on Sunday, December 6 at West Texas A&M University's Bain-Schaffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas.
The Blue Dragons make their fifth-straight national semifinal appearance and sixth NJCAA playoff appearance overall, all since the 2020/21 season. The Blue Dragons are 3-1 in the national semifinals, playing three of the first four appearances at Gowans Stadium.
The Blue Dragons defeated Coffeyville 38-7 in the 2022 semifinals at Gowans Stadium. East Mississippi came to Gowans and knocked off the Blue Dragons 27-23 in the 2023 semifinals. The only time Hutchinson was on the road in the national semifinals was 2024 when the Blue Dragons traveled to play Georgia Military in Milledgeville, Georgia. Hutchinson advanced to the finals with a 63-21 victory.
Last season at Gowans Stadium, quarterback Christian Johnson accounted for 325 total yards and two touchdowns while the Blue Dragon defense pitched a shutout in a 27-0 victory over the Rangers.
Hutchinson completed its first 11-0 regular season in program history and the seventh overall undefeated regular season with a 26-10 road victory last Saturday at No. 11 Iowa Central.
Starting the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll, the Blue Dragons shut out previous No. 1 Iowa Western 26-0 on September 29 at Gowans Stadium and have resided in the No. 1 spot of the national poll since then.
The 2026 Blue Dragon defense is allowing a nation-low 5.8 points per game this season. Hutchinson is giving up 186.8 total yards per game and tied a program record with six shutouts this season.
Offensively, the Dragons are averaging 51.2 points and 433.4 total yards per game this season.
Quarterback Randy Phillips has thrown for 2,244 yards and 25 touchdowns to lead the Blue Dragon offense. Phillips has spread the wealth around to several different receivers. Jeremiah Looney has 43 receptions for 706 yards and seven touchdowns, while Bobby Shaw III has 29 catches for 459 yards and eight touchdowns. Ravelle Leak has a team-high 557 rushing yards with five touchdowns and PB Price has 512 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Northwest Mississippi went 8-2 in the regular season, earning an MACCC Championship Game appearance with a 38-28 victory over No. 5 East Mississippi.
The Rangers won their third-straight MACCC championship in come-from-behind fashion, defeating No. 9 Hinds 33-29. The Rangers trailed 29-26 after a Hinds touchdown with 2:14 to play in the fourth quarter, but Northwest Mississippi scored a touchdown with 47 seconds to play to capture a 33-29 victory.
Northwest Mississippi averages 34.9 points and 391.7 total yards. Quarterback Noah Gillon has 1,984 passing yards with 16 touchdowns. Receiver TyAnthony Elmore has 70 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. Running back D.J. Woods has a team-high 415 rushing yards with six scores.
Defensively the Rangers allow 17.9 points per game and give up 79.1 rushing yards and 206.9 passing yards per game.