Hutchinson Community College opens its 82nd season of football on Saturday when the No. 6 Blue Dragons hit the road to take on No. 12 Coffeyville in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Coffeyville.
This is the second-straight season and seventh time ever that Hutchinson and Coffeyville will open a season together. In 2012, the Blue Dragons extended their winning streak over the Red Ravens to five in a row with a pair of victories. HCC downed Coffeyville 54-28 in the season opener and again 58-26 in the Region VI semifinals, both games were at Gowans Stadium.
Hutchinson and Coffeyville meet for the fifth time in three seasons.
Saturday’s game will be the 33rd time in 82 season openers that Hutchinson’s first opponent will be a Jayhawk Conference foe.
Hutchinson will have the toughest schedule through the first three weeks of the in the nation. After Saturday’s game with No. 12 Coffeyville, the sixth-ranked Dragons play host to No. 3 Navarro and No. 19 Garden City in Weeks 2 and 3.
In 2012, the Blue Dragons completed their third-straight nine-win season – the first time that’s ever been done in Blue Dragon history. They also tied for the best five-year run in team history with 42 victories.
Coffeyville finished 6-4 overall in 2012, finishing third in the Jayhawk Conference.
At Coffeyville’s Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, the Blue Dragons are just 1-7.
GAME 1: Hutchinson at Coffeyville
When: Saturday, August 24, 2013
At: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Coffeyville, KS
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Broadcast Information
TV – None
Radio – KHUT-FM (102.9), KWBW-AM (1450), 6:50 p.m.
Internet Video – Blue Dragon Sports Network (link)
Internet Audio – Blue Dragon Sports Network (link)
Live Stats – www.bluedragonsports.com (link)
BLUE DRAGONS
Record – 0-0 (0-0 Jayhawk)
NJCAA Ranking – No. 6
Last Game – Season Opener
RED RAVENS
Record – 0-0 (0-0 Jayhawk)
NJCAA Ranking – No. 12
Last Game – Season Opener
The Coaches
Hutchinson: Rion Rhoades is in his seventh season with the Blue Dragons. He has a 44-23 record at HCC and 51-28 in his eighth season as a head coach.
Coffeyville: Aaron Flores is in his second season with the Red Ravens. Flores is 6-4 after one season with the Ravens.
SERIES HISTORY VS. COFFEYVILLE
This will be the 82nd meeting between Hutchinson and Coffeyville. The Red Ravens have a decisive 54-23-4 overall series advantage, but the Blue Dragons have won five in a row and 6 of the last 7 meetings.
Hutchinson is 16-21-2 against Coffeyville in games played in the Salt City. HCC is 7-33 at Coffeyville. A 42-17 win in 2011 at Coffeyville snapped a seven-game losing streak at Coffeyville and was HCC’s first-ever win at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.
This is the fifth meeting in the last three seasons between HCC and Coffeyville.
NOTING THE BLUE DRAGONS
+ Offensively the 2013 Blue Dragon offense returns three starters and just seven letter winners.
+ Last season, Hutchinson ranked fifth in the NJCAA in scoring offense (45.2 ppg), fifth in total offense (498.2 ypg), sixth in passing offense (301.8 ypg) and 20th in rushing offense (196.5 ypg). The Dragons broke the 50-point mark five times and saw the single-game rushing, passing and reception records fall last season. HCC had three games more than 700 yards of total offense.
+ Returning starting quarterback Luke Barnes threw for HCC single-season records of 3,256 yards, 266 completions and 36 touchdowns last season. He also set season records for total offense (3,244 yards) and passing yards per game (271.3 ypg) and single-game records of 459 yards, six touchdowns and 32 completions.
+ Playing in 10 games in 2012, running back Orange Mooney was HCC’s second-leading rusher with 444 yards on 80 carries and two touchdowns. Mooney came up huge in the 2012 Region VI semifinals against Coffeyville when he rushed 12 times for a career-best 114 yards and a 73-yard touchdown.
+ HCC’s defense has four starters and eight overall letter winners back. The 2012 defense was up and down. While going through a five-game stretch where it had a shutout and allowed an average of 8.8 points per game, HCC had allowed 40-plus points in three games and allowed an average of 40 points per game in its three losses.
+ The 2012 Blue Dragon defense ranked 28th in scoring defense (23.9 ppg), 41st in total defense (331.1 ypg), 51st in passing defense (205.2 ypg) and 25th in rushing defense (125.8 ypg).
+ As a freshman, returning linebacker Brock Long tied for second on the team in tackles with 88. That included 6.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries and two passes broken up.
+ Defensive End Carnell Simon (6-4, 264, Duluth, GA) was an All-Jayhawk Conference honorable mention player as a freshman.
+ All-Jayhawk Conference honorable mention selections Christian Goodlett and Shattle Fenteng are back. Goodlett had 69 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes broken up in a solid freshman season. Fenteng tallies 56 tackles, four interceptions and 12 passes defended. Also back is safety Keegan Murphy (5-11, 193, Arkansas City). He played in all 12 games and totaled 36 tackles with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
+ Freshman Ryan Weese will be the place kicker this season. There are several options at both punter and return specialist.
NOTING COFFEYVILLE
+ Coffeyville was picked third in the preseason Jayhawk Conference Coaches poll.
+ Coming off a 6-4 third-place season in 2012, second-year head coach Aaron Flores has 10 total lettermen returning (4 offense, 5 defense, 1 special team).
+ Offensively in 2012, Coffeyville averages 28.8 points, 170.2 yards rushing, 200.0 yards passing and 370.2 total yards. The Red Ravens did have 26 giveaways last season.
+ Defensively in 2012, the Ravens allowed 32.3 points, 137.3 rushing yards, 269.0 passing yards and 406.3 total yards despite having the Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Year Martell Spaight.
+ Coffeyville gave up 30 or more points five times last season, including games of 45, 47 and 52 points allowed in the Ravens’ final three games of 2012.
+ Flores said at media day that the 2013 Red Ravens will be upgraded in several key areas, including size. Four offensive linemen and three defensive linemen weight more than 300 pounds.
+ Coffeyville has won three national championships (1956, 1983, 1990).
+ Coffeyville’s overall football record is 567-260-28.
(HCC Sports Information)