By DAREN DUNN
Hutch Post
COFFEYVILLE, Kan. -- Seven turnovers, two in back-to-back red zone possessions, doomed No. 1 Hutchinson Community College Saturday night in Coffeyville.
Hutchinson led the contest 7-0 just 52 seconds in after an Albert Nunes scoop-six.
Coffeyville quarterback Will Bohn failed in his attempt to throw the ball away as he scrambled out of the pocket. The ball slipped out of Bohn's hand and Nunes picked it up en route to a 24-yard score.
Coffeyville fumbled away the next possession and Hutchinson found itself with an opportunity to increase the lead.
Instead, the Dragons turned the ball over on downs. Hutchinson was 85% in the red zone last season and scored touchdowns nearly 74% of the time.
Saturday night, the Dragons were 1 of 4 in the red zone with back-to-back turnovers.
Just like the March contest between the two teams, Coffeyville had a chance to tie the game in the first quarter. That drive ended in a missed field goal.
Neither team would score again until Coffeyville added a 28-yard field goal from Forrest Taylor with 4:57 left before the half.
Coffeyville was poised to add another field goal just before the half when Taylor was roughed on the attempt. With 8 seconds left before the break, the Red Ravens took a shot at the end zone and came away with a 7-yard pass to the team's leading receiver Cortarious Wilson. He caught the pass from Jackson Thomson, who replaced Bohn after the early fumbles.
Thomson finished 11 of 24 for 135 yards with the one TD.
Instead of being down one, Coffeyville took a 10-7 lead into the locker room.
Hutchinson averaged 273 yards on the ground a game in the spring. The Dragons were held to 28 yards rushing at the half.
Hutchinson went down by 10 after Rian Green picked up a blocked Trevor Whiteman punt in the end zone.
Miscues on offense and special teams haunted the Blue Dragons.
The Dragons finished with seven turnovers from fumbles, muffed punts and interceptions -- all things head coach Drew Dallas knows his team must fix. "We've got to take ownership . . . and move on because those are things we can control," Dallas said.
Despite the seven turnovers, the Dragons were still in the game to the very last play. "In all honesty, we shouldn't have been in it with the way we played," Dallas said.
Hutchinson looked poised to answer the special teams score after a long Anwar Lewis kick return. Despite the 72-yard return, Hutchinson turned the ball over on downs.
The Blue Dragons pulled within a touchdown after a 21-yard C.J. Moya field goal. Hutchinson went 1 of 4 in the red zone.
After a Coffeyville punt, National Championship game MVP Tye Edwards broke free on a 60-yard scamper. Once in the red zone, an exchange between quarterback Dylan Laible and Edwards hit the turf and was picked up by Coffeyville.
Coffeyville would punt on the next possession and Hutchinson once again entered the red zone. A pass into double coverage was tipped in the air and picked off. Laible went 16 of 33 for 230 and two interceptions.
Despite back-to-back turnovers inside the 20, Hutchinson had a chance to win with 3:08 remaining. Coffeyville face a 3rd and 18 when Thomson found Wilson for a first down.
The Red Ravens ran another minute off the clock before failing to convert on 3rd and 14. Hutchinson was ready to get the ball back with no timeouts when the final miscue reared its ugly head.
A muffed punt gave the ball back to Coffeyville with a chance to run out the clock.
But the Red Ravens were not content with the 17-10 advantage. After three straight runs, Coffeyville took a timeout on 4th down with 19 seconds left. The kicker trotted onto the field for a short field goal. That kick was missed.
Hutchinson had one final chance. Hutchinson made it to the Coffeyville 23-yard line after a completion from Laible to Malik Benson. Benson was tackled inbounds and time expired. Benson finished with 113 receiving yards.
FINAL: Coffeyville 17 Hutchinson 10
Hutchinson's defense kept the Blue Dragons in the game. Coffeyville was held to 4 of 18 on 4th down. The Red Ravens fumbled the ball three times and lost two. Davion Westmoreland led the way with nine tackles.
The Red Ravens held the Blue Dragon offense to 3 points. Reise Collier had 12 tackles and Jhalyn Shuler had 11.
Hutchinson (0-1) will face Butler (0-1) in Gowans Stadium next Saturday.
