STEVE CARPENTER
HutchCC Sports Information
The Hutchinson Community College football team looks for a reversal for fortunes in the 2021 home opener on Saturday night.
The No. 11-ranked Blue Dragons play host to the Butler Grizzlies pivotal Jayhawk Conference showdown at 7 p.m. at Gowans Stadium. The Blue Dragons will be having Gray-Out Night at Gowans Stadium.
Both Hutchinson and Butler are in the same boat entering Week No. 2.
The defending national champion and previous No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons were upset on the road, 17-10 at Coffeyville last Saturday. Then-No. 15 Butler suffered a 50-28 loss to No. 10 Independence last Saturday in El Dorado.
The fallout from Week 1 was Hutchinson (0-1, 0-1 KJCCC) dropped 10 spots in the first regular-season NJCAA Rankings to No. 11. The Grizzlies (0-1, 0-1) fell completely out of the rankings.
Hutchinson had its 10-game winning streak snapped with last week’s loss to Coffeyville, which was also the first loss in the Drew Dallas era. The Blue Dragons committed seven turnovers, including two turnovers in the fourth quarter at the Red Raven 11-yard line. The Blue Dragons offense failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 115 games.
Special teams had its share of mistakes that included a roughing the kicker penalty that led to a Coffeyville touchdown right before halftime and a blocked punt that led to a Raven touchdown and a 17-7 lead.
The Blue Dragon defense turned in a strong effort by holding the Red Ravens to 278 total yards. The only touchdown allowed was the 7-yard scoring drive by Coffeyville after the roughing-the-kicker penalty. Defensive end Davion Westmoreland had nine tackles and Albert Nunes had a defensive touchdown on a 24-yard fumble return.
Butler fell behind 36-7 early in the third quarter against Independence as the Pirates outgained the Grizzlies 536-281.
Saturday night’s contest will be the 98th in a series history that dates back to 1929. The series is even at 48-48-1.
The Blue Dragons have won the last three games in the series, winning 27-13 in 2018 in El Dorado, 35-27 two seasons ago at Gowans Stadium in a national No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. Last season, the Blue Dragons dominated in a 41-10 win in El Dorado.