HUTCHINSON, KS — The Hutchinson Community College football team steps out of Jayhawk Conference play this week with a shot to stay in contention for a national championship.
The eyes of the junior college football world will be on Lewis Central High School Stadium in Council Bluffs, Iowa, as the No. 4-ranked Blue Dragons play host to No. 2 Iowa Western at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Both Hutchinson and Iowa Western enter Saturday’s game with 8-0 records. For HCC, it’s the fourth-best start to a season in PROGRAM
history. Iowa Western is playing its fifth overall season of football.
This will be Hutch’s third game in 2014 against nationally ranked opponents. The Dragons have already defeated No. 9 Butler and No. 14 Coffeyville this season. Both of those games were also road games for HCC. Iowa Western will be playing its third ranked opponent. The Reivers beat both Coffeyville at Butler at home.
Hutchinson clinched a tie for its first Jayhawk Conference championship since 1995 last Saturday with a 58-35 victory over Highland at Gowans Stadium. Iowa Western knocked off College of DuPage 65-27 last Saturday in Council Bluffs.
Saturday’s game features two of the best overall offenses in the nation. The Blue Dragons are No. 11 nationally in scoring offense (45.5 ppg) and has the NJCAA’s fifth-ranked rushing offense (259.4 ypg) and is No. 7 in total offense (498.5 ypg). Iowa Western is sixth in the nation in scoring (49.4 ppg).
Defensively, The Blue Dragons are 20th in scoring defense (20.9 ppg) and is No. 10 in rushing defense (78.4 ypg). The Reivers are No. 10 in the NJCAA in scoring defense (17.0 ppg).
GAME 9: HUTCHINSON at IOWA WESTERN
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Lewis Central High School Stadium, Council Bluffs, IA
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
RADIO: KHUT-FM (102.9), KWBW-AM (1450), KWBW-FM (98.5), 12:30 p.m. airtime
VIDEOSTREAM: Blue Dragon Sports Network (BlueDragonSports.com), 12:50 p.m.
INTERNET AUDIO: Blue Dragon Sports Network (BlueDragonSports.com), 12:50 p.m.
TWITTER: @bluedragonsport
BLUE DRAGONS
Record: 8-0 (6-0 Jayhawk)
NJCAA Ranking: No. 4
Last Game: def. Highland 58-35 on Oct. 18
Coach: Rion Rhoades, 8th season
REIVERS
Record: 8-0 (1-0 ICCAC)
NJCAA Ranking: No. 2
Last Game: def. College of DuPage 65-26 on Oct. 18
Coach: Scott Strohmeier, 5th season
The Coaches
Hutchinson: Rion Rhoades is in his eighth season with the Blue Dragons. He has a 60-27 record at HCC and 67-32 in his ninth season as a head coach. Rhoades is 5-0 in bowl games at Hutchinson.
Iowa Western: Scott Strohmeier is the only coach Reiver football history. Strohmeier has posted a 54-9 overall record with one NJCAA national championship.
Noting The Blue Dragons
+ The Blue Dragons are second in the Jayhawk Conference and 11th in the NJCAA in scoring at 45.5 points per game. The Dragons lead the league and rank fifth nationally in the NJCAA in rushing offense at 259.4 yards per game. The Dragons are averaging 237.8 passing yards per game and 497.1 total yards, which ranks No. 2 in the Jayhawk Conference and seventh in the NJCAA.
+ Defensively, the Blue Dragons are allowing 20.9 points per game, No. 1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons rank No. 1 in the KJCCC in rushing defense (79.5 yards per game allowed). The Dragons are sixth in passing defense at 228.9 yards per game. HCC is third in the KJCCC in total defense at 308.4 yards per game.
+ The Blue Dragon running game has produced eight 100-yard rushers, 28 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
+ Alvin Kamara is No. 6 in the nation and second in the Jayhawk Conference in rushing at 135.0 yards per game. Kamara became HCC’s 17th 1,000-yard rusher. He has 20 total touchdowns, 17 coming on the ground. Kamara has rushed for at least 100 yards in 7 of 8 games this season.
+ Running back Travis Custis had a season-high 146 yards against Fort Scott and two touchdowns. Custis is ninth in the Jayhawk at 54.6 yards per game with five touchdowns. Bradan Smith had his first career 100-yard game on Sept. 27 against Dodge City and is now averaging 43.8 yards per game. Smith is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, Custis is at 5.3 per rush.
+ Both Blue Dragon quarterbacks have had stellar moments in guiding the offense and both have comparable numbers. Kylen Binn has completed 64 of 119 passes for 965 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Dalton Demos has completed 71 of 131 passes for 890 yards with 11 touchdowns and only one interception.
+ Thirteen different Blue Dragons have caught at least one pass this season. The top five have 17 receptions or more. Bryce Harvey has a team-high 28 receptions for 208 yards and one TD. Anthony Autry now has team highs in receiving yards with 350 and receiving touchdowns with five. Autry has 20 receptions. DeQuan Bowman has 19 catches for 342 yards and three TDs. Juwan Dickey has 18 catches for 320 yards and a game-high five touchdowns. Kamara, out of the backfield, has 17 catches for 228 yards and three scores.
+ Linebacker Lakel Bass is HCC’s leading tackler with 71 total tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Linebacker Darius Wright has 61 total tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Linebacker Kyle Wilson has 58 tackles. Defensive back Riley Hunsicker has 54 tackles each. Defensive end Marquavius Lewis has 46 tackles.
+ The Blue Dragons have racked up 33 quarterback sacks through eight games, including a season-high seven vs. Garden City on Oct. 11. Marquavius Lewis has a Jayhawk Conference-high 10 quarterback sacks and has 11 quarterback hurries. Jeremiah Ledbetter has 7.5 quarterback sacks.
+ Blue Dragon coverage teams have six blocked kicks this season. Jeremiah Ledbetter and Claude George have two blocked kicks each. Riley Hunsicker and Devonta’ Staples have the others. HCC has blocked three extra points, two punts and one field goal
+ HCC has 15 interceptions and 23 total takeaways.
+ Freshman placekicker Kassidy Lemons is 35 of 39 on extra points and 2 of 3 on field goals. Tymony Bonilla handled all the placement kicks in the first two weeks of the season. Bonilla was 10 of 10 on extra points and 3 of 3 on field goals, hitting from 21, 32 and 33 yards.
+ Punter Stetson Broce is leading the Jayhawk Conference and ranks 11th in the NJCAA in punting at 39.3 yards per punt. He had a long of 71 yards against Dodge City on Sept. 27. Broce has seven punts of 50-plus yards and has downed 21 punts inside the opponent 20.
+ Anthony Autry is HCC’s top kickoff return man at 28.7 yards per return with one 89-yard return for a touchdown. DeQuan Bowman has returned 22 punts this season for an average of 7.7 yards per return.
Noting Iowa Western
+ The Reivers are playing in just their fifth season of college football, having won an NJCAA national championship in the PROGRAM’S third season in 2013.
+ Iowa Western puts one of the best offenses in the nation on the field. The Reivers are sixth in the country in scoring offense at 49.4 points per game. The Reivers are 16th in total offense at 438.5 yards per game. They are 18th in rushing offense at 189.0 yards per game and 20th in passing at 249.5 yards per game.
+ The Reivers have two shutouts and a third game where they didn’t allow a touchdown. Iowa Western ranks 10th in scoring defense in the NJCAA allowing 17.0 points per game, 28th in total defense at 310.6 yards per game, 32nd in passing defense at 199.2 yards per game and 23rd in rushing defense at 111.4 yards per game allowed.
+ Defensively, Iowa Western has forced 23 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries and has scored two defensive touchdowns. The Reivers have also totaled 26 quarterback sacks.
+ Sophomore quarterback Tay Bender has been Iowa Western’s No. 1 signal caller this season, but freshman Zach Martin has seen extensive action. Bender is 118 of 196 for 1,383 yards with 20 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Bender has also rushed for 168 yard and three scores. Martin is 54 of 81 for 570 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s run for 110 yards and two scores.
+ Iowa Western spreads the ball around in its rushing attack. Six different backs have at least 30 carries. Devon Payne is the top rusher at 56.6 yards per game and 8.7 yards per carry with two rushing touchdowns. Anthony Anderson has rushed for 252 yards, but a team-high seven touchdowns. Iowa Western, as a team, has a 5.0 yard per carry average.
+ Seven different receivers have at least 11 catches this season. Taj Williams is among the best in the nation with 49 catches for 634 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. Williams is seventh in the nation in receptions. Alex Reed has 32 catches for 412 yards and seven scores. Ronald Nash has 24 catches for 274 yards.
+ Defensive back Jayme Thompson leads Iowa Western with 59 total tackles. Linebacker Marcus Montgomery has 55 and defensive tackle Mike Edwards is third with 52 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and seven quarterback sacks. Defensive back Mondo Williams has a team-high six interceptions.
+ Punter Connor Thomas is fifth in the NJCAA at 40.8 yards per punt. He’s had nine touchbacks, 12 kicks inside the 20 and one blocked punt.
+ Place kicker Dan Hamilton has connected on 50 of 52 extra points and is 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 42 yards.
+ Rico Gaffard is Iowa Western’s top kickoff return man with a 26.7 yard average on seven returns. He has a long of 42. Reid Bonner averages 8.8 yards per punt return and Dominic Wilson has a punt return for touchdown.
Series History vs. Iowa Western
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting ever between Hutchinson and Iowa Western in football. This will be only the ninth meeting between the Blue Dragons and an opponent from the state of Iowa.
HCC is 2-0 vs. Iowa Central, 2-0 vs. Graceland, playing in 1955 and 1956; 1-0 vs. Ellsworth, playing in 1972; and 1-2 vs. Iowa Falls, playing in 1971, 1973 and 1974. HCC will play Ellsworth next week in Ellsworth.
The Jayhawk Conference and Iowa Conference are in the first season of a scheduling alliance. So far, HCC is 1-0 vs. Iowa with a 42-14 win over Iowa Central on Sept. 20.
(HCC Sports Information)