[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

Graphic courtesy of Blue Dragon Sports Information

Keep a close eye on the NFC Playoffs this weekend as three former Hutchinson Community College football players will see action.

Getting the most headlines with a spectacular rookie season is running back Alvin Kamara. He and the New Orleans Saints take on NFC South rival Carolina at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday in the SuperDome.

Before that, the other two former Dragons in the playoffs will go head-to-head as linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and the Atlanta Falcons meet tight end Gerald Everett and the Los Angeles Rams at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday at the L.A. Coliseum.

Kamara and Everett are in their first seasons in the NFL. Campbell is in his second season in the Falcons’ organization.

Here is a brief recap of all three former Blue Dragons in the 2018 NFL Playoffs:

ALVIN KAMARA

One of the favorites to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Alvin Kamara has already been selected to the NFL Pro Bowl after a scintillating first season.

Selected in the third round with the 67th overall pick by the Saints, Kamara made an immediate impact for the NFC South champion Saints (11-5).

Kamara ranks seventh in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (1,336 yards), as he has carried 99 times for 652 yards (6.6 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns and one two-point conversion. Kamara has 68 receptions for 684 yards (10.1 yards per catch) with five touchdowns for a club-best 12 total scores, which is tied for second in the NFL. Kamara is ranked first in the league in yards per carry.

Kamara had one 100-yard rushing game this season, going for 106 yards and a touchdown in a 47-10 win over Buffalo in Week 10. He had six catches for 101 yards in a Week 12 loss to the Rams.

In 2014, Kamara became the 17th Hutchinson running back to reach 1,000 yards in a season. Kamara finished 10th on the Blue Dragon single-season rushing list with 1,211 yards on 172 carries. He’s averaged 7.0 yards per carry, which ranks second in team history. With 21 total touchdowns, Kamara tied for second place on Hutch’s single-season list. His 126 points are also tied for second place with Mack Herron.

Kamara was named the 2014 Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player of the Year and NJCAA First-Team All-American.

Coming to Hutch from Alabama, Kamara returned to the SEC with the Tennessee Volunteers where he played for two seasons in an impressive running-back rotation.

DE’VONDRE CAMPBELL

Already with a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, Campbell has been very steady for the Falcons, who finished 10-6 and had to win their last game of the season to earn a wild card spot.

For the season, Campbell had 92 total tackles, including 61 solo stops. He had two sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Campbell had a career-high 13 tackles in a 27-7 victory over Dallas in Week 10. He had four tackles in Atlanta’s 22-10 playoff-clinching win over Carolina.

In his one season at Hutchinson in 2012, Campbell was a second-round all-Jayhawk Conference linebacker. The outside linebacker from Fort Myers, Florida, was second on the 2012 Blue Dragon team – 9-3 and Salt City Bowl champions – in tackles with 83 total stops, including 21 unassisted tackles. He also had three quarterback sacks, one interception and two passes broken up. That interception was returned for a touchdown against Fort Scott.

After Hutchinson, Campbell went to the University of Minnesota. He played in 39 games over three years with the Golden Gophers.

Campbell was drafted in the fourth round by the Falcons with the 105th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft.

GERALD EVERETT

Gerald Everett has participated in 13 games this season for the resurgent Rams (11-5), who won their first NFC West Division championship since 2003 and make their first playoff appearance since 2004.

Everett had 16 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns this season. His longest reception was 69 yards in a Week 2 loss to Washington. He had three receptions against the Redskins and tied that high mark in the season finale against San Francisco. Everett had a season-high 85 receiving yards against Washington.

The highest of three drafted Blue Dragons in the 2017 NFL Draft, Everett was selected in the second round by the Rams with the 44th overall pick. That made him the second-highest drafted Blue Dragon in history.

Everett never appeared in a game with the Blue Dragons in 2012 or 2013.

The 6-foot-3, 239-pound tight end played only one year of high school football. Then after his time in Hutchinson, he moved onto Alabama-Birmingham where he caught 17 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown in 2014.

UAB dropped football, which forced Everett to transfer to South Alabama. He earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 2015 and 2016 with a combined 90 receptions for 1,292 yards and 12 touchdowns.

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team knocked off its second-straight nationally ranked opponent, moved into a four-way tie for first place in the Jayhawk Conference and extended its winning streak to 10 games on Wednesday night at Scott Auditorium.

Led by double-doubles from Jada Mickens and Dejanae Roebuck and key fourth-quarter performances from Alicia Brown and Sara Cramer, the Blue Dragons defeated No. 18 Cowley 78-70. On Saturday in Fort Myers, Florida, the Blue Dragons knocked off No. 21 Florida Southwestern State and are now 2-1 against ranked opponents.

Hutchinson’s win over Cowley combined with Seward County’s win over Independence and Barton’s win over County, means the Blue Dragons, Saints, Tigers and Pirates are all tied for first place in the Jayhawk with 8-2 records. The Blue Dragons improve to 12-2 overall heading into Saturday’s home game against the Allen Red Devils at the Sports Arena.

The Blue Dragons led by as many as 10 points with 9:46 to play in the fourth quarter and still led 67-61 with 1:59 remaining in the game. Cowley scored six unanswered point to tie the game at 67 with 1:14 to play. Cramer hit two free throws with 1:04 left and Cowley’s Brittany Hall hit 1 of 2 free throws with 49 seconds left to give the Dragons a 69-68 lead. Out of a Hutch timeout, Tia Bradshawdrove into the lane and kicked out to Cramer, who pump faked, drove the baseline and hit a clutch 15 footer with 28 seconds left to give Hutch a 71-68 lead.

The Blue Dragons were 15 of 18 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, including 9 of 10 in the final 1:04, to outscore Cowley 26-25 in the period and preserve the win.

Mickens led the Blue Dragons with her eighth double-double of the season, collecting 22 points and 11 rebounds. Mickens, who was 8 of 10 shooting from the floor, scored 17 points in the first half.

Roebuck posted her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Roebuck also had five assists.

Brown scored eight of her 15 points in the fourth quarter. Cramer scored six of her eight points in the final 10 minutes. Tia Bradshawand Kayla Barber chipped in seven points each.

The Blue Dragons broke out of a five-game shooting slump with 48.1 percent shooting (25 of 52). The Dragons were 6 of 18 from 3-point range and 22 of 27 from the foul line. The Dragons doubled up the Tigers in rebounding 46-23, but had to overcome 31 turnovers, their second-highest total of the season.

Defensively, the Blue Dragons held Cowley to 39.4 percent shooting (26 of 66). The Tigers were 1 of 22 from 3-point range and 17 of 29 from the line. Cowley had just nine turnovers.

Kaitlyn Potter, the Jayhawk Conference’s leading scorer, had 16 points on 7 of 17 shooting, including 0 of 7 from 3-point range. Brenda Silva had 18 points to lead the Tigers.

Mickens was dominant in the first half with 10 points in the first quarter and seven more in the second. Her jumper with 56 seconds left in the period tied the game at 16 – the sixth tie of the first quarter. The game was tied despite the Dragons shooting 50 percent in the period. But the Dragons committed nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

Tied at 25 in the second, a Barber layup sparked a 7-0 Hutch run. Mickens hit a 3-pointer and then a long 2-pointer to give the Blue Dragons a 32-25 lead with 1:59 to play in the period. Cowley scored four-straight points before Mickens closed out her superb first half with a jumper in the paint to give Hutch a 34-29 lead at halftime.

Cowley started the second half on a 12-6 run to take a 41-40 lead after a Fatou Jallow free throw with 3:19 to go. The Dragons immediately reclaimed the lead as Cramer hit a short jumper to spark a 12-2 Hutch run. Barber nailed a 3-pointer with 39 seconds to play and Hutch led 52-43. Hutch led 52-45 heading into the final quarter.

A Kelsey Brett 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter gave Hutch a 55-45 lead, but Cowley used an 11-2 run over the next 6 minutes to pull within 57-56 on a Julia Nygard jumper with 6;03 to go. The Dragons again responded and built a 67-61 lead on a Brown drive to the hoop with 1:59 to play.

[ By STEVE CARPENTER ]

[ BLUE DRAGON SPORTS INFORMATION ]

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. — Shaking off the rust of a 25-day layoff and facing the injury bug, the No. 6-ranked Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team also faced the upset bug on Wednesday night.

Battling back from seven points down to take a one-point lead with 7:53 to play, the Blue Dragons faltered down the stretch as Cowley upset Hutchinson 81-74 on Wednesday night at Scott Auditorium.

The Blue Dragons fall to 12-2 overall and 8-2 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons saw their seven-game winning streak snapped. With Barton’s win over Cloud County and the Blue Dragons’ loss, Hutch, Barton and Cowley are tied for first place in the Jayhawk.

Tied at 40 at halftime, Cowley continued to stress the Dragon defense and eventually built a 56-49 lead with 13:17 remaining in the second half. Despite shooting only 39 percent in the second half and six second-half turnovers, the Dragons stayed close and finally took a 64-63 lead after two Rob Whitfield free throws with 7:53 to play.

Cowley immediately went on a 10-0 run over the next 2 ½ minutes to lead 73-64 after a Cedrick Rembert field goal. The Blue Dragons got it back within two points at 73-71 with 2:29 left, but Patrick Cairns fired a dagger 3-pointer on Cowley’s next possession with 2:07 to go to give the Tigers a 76-71 lead.

Sophomore J.J. Rhymes scored a game-high 25 points with eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Blue Dragons. After a fast start, Rhymes was 7 of 22 shooting, but hit 11 of 14 free throws.

Rheaquone Taylor had 13 points and eight rebounds for Hutchinson. Curtis Hollis had 11 points and Kai Mitchell added eight points.

The Blue Dragons were 27 of 69 shooting (39.1 percent). Hutch hit 19 of 27 free throws, but was out-rebounded 45-44, giving up 14 offensive rebounds that led to 14 Cowley points.

The huge difference in the game was 3-point shooting. Cowley hit 10 of 27 from 3-point range. The Dragons were just 1 of 6.

Darnell Cowart had 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Tigers. Jeremiah Starks finished with 17 points and Rembert had 13. Starts and Cairns had three 3-pointers each to lead the Tigers.

Hutchinson raced out to a quick 7-2 lead after a Kai Mitchell basket, but the Tigers tied the game up at 9-all on a Starks’ 3-pointer with 15:40 remaining. The first half had nine lead changes and nine ties.

Hollis had a layup with 6:39 to play that gave the Dragons a 32-28 lead. Cowley scored six in a row to take the lead back before Rhymes’ three-point play returned the lead to Hutch at 35-34 with 2:30 left.

Trailing 40-37 in the final moments of the half, the Dragons got a defensive stop and raced the ball up the floor. Whitfield found a wide-open James Rojas for a 3-pointer at the buzzer to knot the game at 40-all at halftime.

The Blue Dragons return home on Saturday to take on the Allen Red Devils at 7:30 p.m. at the Sports Arena.