HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the second year in a row, the Blue Dragons (5-6) failed to become bowl eligible and finished the season with five wins.
Dodge City (7-4) was already bowl eligible and represented the KJCCC in last year’s Salt City Bowl.
Saturday’s contest was not decided until the final minutes.
HCC trailed at halftime by a score of 14-6.
Dodge City scored early in the first quarter on an A.J. Walker run from 1 yard out.
Hutch got on the board later in the first on a crazy kick from Luke Niemeyer. The snap was high and threw off Niemeyer’s approach to the ball. After a stutter step, Niemeyer got off a low kick that hit the crossbar and bounced over for three points. The kick was good from 26 yards away.
Niemeyer connected again in the first, this time from an impressive 44 yards.
HCC cut the Dodge City lead to one with less than a minute left in the opening quarter.
The Conquistadors would score early in the second stanza on a 13-yard pass from Caden Walters to Austin Watkins.
Dodge City took an eight point lead into the break.
HCC tied the game up late in the third quarter on a Tre Griffin 2-yard run. The score was set up by an Andre Lewis 82-yard reception.
Down two, HCC tried for the two-point conversion.
Cam Jones took the snap and found an open Jezel Parra in the back of the end zone for the conversion.
HCC tied the game at 14 with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Dodge City regained the lead with 11:11 left in the fourth on a Tyler Minor 7-yard run.
Late in the fourth, HCC needed to drive 84 yards for the tying score.
The drive seemed to stall when the Dragons faced a long fourth down. However, Cam Jones found Gary Cross for a first down that extended the drive.
Tre Griffin finished off the 13-play drive on a 2-yard run.
Niemeyer’s extra point tied the game at 21 with 2:10 left.
HCC failed to force Dodge City into a third down situation and gave up a 50-yard TD run to Tyler Minor with 1:26 left.
HCC had one last chance to drive the field and tie, but failed to move the ball.
FINAL: Dodge City 28 HCC 21
The Blue Dragons will miss the Salt City Bowl for the second year in a row.
HCC celebrated Military Appreciation Day and presented the YMCA with a check for football equipment.
The YMCA held its annual Super Bowl Sunday on Oct. 30 when the gatekeeper was robbed of a large sum of money.
HCC donated $900 from Saturday’s admission to the YMCA.
The game’s sponsor, Nex-Tech Wireless, also pitched in a check for $500.
YMCA representatives were presented two checks, $1,400 in all, before the fourth quarter.
At halftime, the Blue Dragons also recognized the 1956 HCC football team.
Four members were present from a team that finished undefeated at home.