COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — No. 1 Hutchinson (3-0, 1-0) called on its defense three times late in Saturday’s game against No. 7 Iowa Western to get a stop. Each time, the defense answered.

Hutchinson’s defense registered 10 sacks against Iowa Western, including the sack that prevented Shelton Applewhite from heaving the final prayer.

The Reivers (1-2) opened with a three-and-out. Hutchinson took its first possession 53 yards for a score. Mark Wright pitched the ball to Tiyon Evans, but the ball bounced and rolled across the ground. Evans was able to secure the ball and run 4 yards to pay dirt. It was just the fourth rush of the season for Evans and his first TD.

Four minutes later, Hutchinson scored on Cortez Braham’s first touchdown of the season. Wright fired the ball 39 yards through the air for the score. With just 8 minutes gone by, the Blue Dragons were up 14-0.

Cam Thomas started the game for Iowa Western, but he was pulled after two series. He finished the day 1 of 4 with just two yards to show.

Applewhite provided a spark for the Reivers by immediately chucking a 47-yard completion. Applewhite then found Corey Reed from 11 yards out to cap a 6-play, 75-yard drive.

Iowa Western was able to strike again in the second quarter after a Blue Dragon mistake. Markies Colvin muffed a punt inside the Dragon 5. The Reivers recovered. It took Iowa Western just two plays to cover the 4 yards. However, the potential tying extra point was blocked.

Hutchinson scored again with 4:49 before the half on a Kendall Cross 3-yard run. The Blue Dragons had a chance to go up by 8, but Sebastian Garcia’s extra point was blocked. Garcia would have three kicks blocked on the afternoon.

He had a 22-yard attempt blocked in the second quarter. His 23-yard attempt that would have put the Dragons up by 10 with less than a minute to play was also blocked.

Hutchinson took a 20-13 lead into an extended halftime.

Just as time expired in the first half, the game went into a lightning delay. The game resumed nearly 45 minutes later.

It was unclear if Hutchinson would maintain any momentum it built in the first half.

Tiyon Evans immediately erased any doubt. For his second TD of the day, Evans took the second half opening kickoff 95 yards to the house. Evans broke nine tackles on the return that put Hutchinson up 27-13.

Iowa Western answered when Florida State transfer Zaquandre White tore off a 50-yard romp. That run was the only reason Hutchinson gave up its first 100-yard rusher this season. Outside of that run, White averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. White entered the game averaging 9.9 per touch.

Hutchinson would answer later in the third with an 8-play, 56-yard drive. Wright finished off the drive with a 1-yard sneak.

Wright put the Hutchinson defense in a predicament to start the fourth quarter with his only interception of the game.

Devin Ruffin returned the ball to the Dragon 2. It was the second Iowa Western drive that started inside the Dragon 5. White punched the ball in from 2 yards out.

Wright would fumble the ball away later and give Iowa Western another opportunity. The Reivers had three possessions with a chance to tie the game late, but the Dragon defense kept pushing the Reivers back. Anthony Greene registered two sacks on one series alone.

Latrell Bankston got the final sack of the game as time expired.

FINAL: Hutchinson 34 Iowa Western 27

The win was the first in Council Bluffs for Blue Dragon head coach Rion Rhoades.

Rhoades is now 6-20 against teams ranked in the Top 10.

Three Blue Dragons registered two sacks: Latrell Bankston, Oliver McDowell and Anthony Greene.

Mark Wright finished the day with 188 yards passing. He had one passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.

For the first time this season, a running back led the Dragon rushing attack. Trey Coleman ran for 61 yards. Wright led the Dragons in rushing from the quarterback spot the previous two games.

Hutchinson is on the road again next week to take on No. 20 Fort Scott (2-0, 2-0). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 14.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After shutting the Pirates out for one half of football, the No. 5 Blue Dragons (2-0, 1-0) had to hold off an Independence run in the second half.

The Pirates (1-1, 1-1) scored twice to open up the third quarter and cut the Dragon 17-point lead to three. Stephon Brown found Raekwon Heath on nearly-identical 39-yard touchdown passes.

Hutchinson answered in the third quarter with a TD pass of its own. Mark Wright hit Karim Brown on a 27-yard strike to put the Dragons back up by 10. The touchdown capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive.

Independence scored almost immediately after the ensuing kickoff was taken 92 yards by Tank Dell to the Dragon 3. Stephon Brown sneaked the ball up the middle to pull the Pirates within three.

Hutchinson’s Mark Wright found Mitchell Tinsley on a 25-yard pass to finish out the third quarter. That touchdown put the Blue Dragons up for good at 31-21.

Wright finished the game with 194 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Wright once again led the Blue Dragons in rushing. He carried the ball for 160 yards.

Hutchinson opened the game with a Wright pass to Craig Burt. Not even four minutes had gone by before the Dragons got on the board with the 29-yard TD pass.

The Dragons scored again in the second quarter on a Wright connection with Karim Brown from 10 yards out. A Sebastian Garcia 19-yard field goal put Hutchinson up 17-0 at the half.

Stephon Brown was coming off a 345 yard performance with 6 touchdown passes against Dodge City. Hutchinson held him to 152 yards passing and two touchdowns. Morgan Ellison led the Pirates with 88 yards on the ground. Brown added 71 and the touchdown sneak.

Trey Coleman added 82 yards on the ground for Hutchinson. The Dragons finished with 290 yards on the ground and 194 through the air.

Independence finished with 189 yards rushing and 152 yards passing.

The Dragon defense intercepted Brown twice. Ronald Williams came up with both interceptions.

FINAL: Hutchinson 31 Independence 21

No. 5 Hutchinson is on the road next week to face No. 2 Iowa Western.

IOWA FALLS, Iowa — No. 5 Hutchinson (1-0) rolled to a 41-16 victory over Ellsworth (0-1) after dropping 20 points in the first quarter.

After trailing 7-0 early, the Blue Dragons put up 27 unanswered points.

The beginning of the game didn’t go quite as planned.

Quarterback Mark Wright started for the Dragons against his former team. Wright played six games for Ellsworth last season.

His first pass was picked off and taken back for a pick-six. Wright was looking for a quick receiver screen, but instead found Omunique Wilkerson of Ellsworth. Wilkerson scampered 15 yards to the end zone to give the Panthers the early lead.

Wright followed up his first interception of the year with his first TD.

Wright hit Karim Brown on a 24-yard strike. Sebastian Garcia’s extra point was blocked.

Wright followed up his touchdown pass with more of the same. He hit Mitchell Tinsley on a 66-yard bomb.

Wright threw for 260 yards in the first half alone.

Isaiah Todd answered the Ellsworth pick-six with one of his own. He intercepted A.J. Payne and took the ball 55 yards for the score.

Mark Wright added to his stellar night with a 2-yard touchdown run that capped off a 99-yard drive. The drive started with a near safety after an Ellsworth punt put Hutchinson an inch from the goal line. A 61-yard pass from Mark Wright moved the Dragons into Panther territory. The 7-play drive took 2:23 off the clock.

Yannie Scott got Ellsworth on the board offensively with a 25-yard scramble. It was the first offensive touchdown for Ellsworth against the Dragons in nearly six quarters.

At the break, Hutchinson held a 27-13 advantage.

The Dragons scored late in the third quarter on a Kendall Cross 1-yard run. The run was part of a 15-play, 67-yard drive that took 8 minutes and 23 seconds. Mark Wright kept the drive alive on 3rd and 17 when he rushed for 19 yards to the Ellsworth 1.

Wright finished with 271 yards passing and 47 yards on the ground. He was Hutchinson’s leading rusher. He threw two touchdowns and ran for another. Erin Collins, who ran for three touchdowns against the Panthers last year, only managed 35 yards on eight carries.

Ellsworth got on the board again in the fourth. Logan Ward barely put enough on the ball to connect on a 26-yard field goal.

Shariff Brown also spent some time at quarterback for the Blue Dragons. He scored from 1 yard out with only a minute left in the contest. His TD sealed the 41-16 victory.

The Dragons have now won a record 12 straight games on opening day.

Hutchinson will face Independence on Aug. 31 at home in Gowans Stadium.