(HCC Sports Information)

A loss to the No. 4 team in the country cost the Hutchinson Community College football team seven spots in this week’s NJCAA Football Poll.

HCC dropped a 28-10 decision to Butler on Saturday at Gowans Stadium and slipped from eighth to No. 15 in the latest poll releases on Tuesday.

The Blue Dragons have now been ranked in 26 consecutive and 34 of the last 36 NJCAA football polls, the longest run as a ranked team since the mid-1990s, when it spent time in 29 consecutive polls. HCC had been ranked in the NJCAA Top 10 in 15 consecutive polls before falling out after the Air Force Prep loss and were among the Top 10 for three more weeks until the loss on Saturday.

The Blue Dragons have been ranked as high as No. 3 this season.

Two other Jayhawk Conference schools are in this week’s national rankings.

Butler remained at No. 4 and Coffeyville is No. 17 this week.

The 15th-ranked Blue Dragons travel to No. 17 Coffeyville at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the first of two-straight meetings between the Blue Dragons and Red Ravens. Saturday’s winner will play host to a Region VI semifinal matching between what will be the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.

Blinn College remained No. 1, but No. 2 Arizona Western closed the game and trail by a scant two points in the latest voting. East Mississippi remains No. 3 this week.

NJCAA FOOTBALL POLL
School    Record    Pts.    Last Week
 1. Blinn College, Texas (4)    8-0    136    1
 2. Arizona Western College (2)    8-0    134    2
 3. East Mississippi CC (1)    8-0    127    3
 4. Butler CC, Kan.    8-1    118    4
 5. Grand Rapids CC, Mich.    9-0    113    6
 6. Navarro College, Texas    7-1    107    7
 7. Mississippi Gulf Coast CC    7-1    95    9
 8. Iowa Western CC    7-1    93    10
 9. Trinity Valley CC, Texas    7-1    85    11
10. Hinds CC, Miss.    7-1    70    12
11. Snow College, Utah    7-7    64    5
12. New Mexico Military Institute    7-1    62    14
13. Rochester CTC, Minn.    9-0    59    13
14. Eastern Arizona College    7-2    50    20
15. Hutchinson CC, Kan.    6-2    44    80
16. Dean College    6-1    34    RV
17. Coffeyville CC, Kan.    6-2    33    19
18. Northeast Mississippi CC    6-2    13    16
19. Nassau CC, N.Y.    6-2    9    15
20. Central Lakes College-Brainerd, Minn.    7-2    8    17
Others Receiving Votes: Glendale CC, AZ. (6-3); Lackawanna College, Pa (6-2); Louisburg College, N.C. (7-1); College of DuPage, Ill. (7-2).