COFFEYVILLE, Kan. — The No. 16 Blue Dragons (1-0) used a stable of running backs to race ahead of the No. 18 Red Ravens (0-1) at halftime.
By intermission, HCC had three running backs with one touchdown each and a 20-point lead. DeShawn Waller capped off an 11-play drive with a 6-yard run to put the Blue Dragons up 13-0 with 3:05 left in the first quarter. Luke Niemeyer failed to tack on the extra point. Otis Williams broke free on a 42-yard run to put Hutchinson up 20-7 in the second quarter. Finally, Tre King capped off a 9-play drive with a 3-yard burst for pay dirt. King’s TD was the last of the first half for either team and put the Blue Dragons up 27-7.
HCC opened up scoring on the evening with a 48-yard pass from Chris James to Gary Cross. Coffeyville failed to put a cornerback on Cross in time for the snap and James made the Red Raven defense pay.
Antwan Barksdale scored from 60 yards out for the only Coffeyville score of the first half.
The third quarter belonged to Coffeyville. Trailing by 20, the Red Ravens took advantage of a miscue with James and Cross. Willie Hobdy jumped the short route and ran the interception back for a touchdown. Five minutes later, Cole Murphy finished off a seven-play drive with a 1-yard TD run.
Coffeyville got great field position in the fourth quarter after a short punt from HCC’s Tyler Harris. Harris was forced to punt from his own end zone and gave the ball to the Red Ravens on the Blue Dragon 23.
HCC’s defense stopped the Red Ravens and forced a Cooper Lee 37-yard field goal.
Coffeyville battled back from the 20-point deficit with 16 unanswered points.
Enter: Michael Witherspoon. Cornerback DJ Smalls played the ball perfectly with the Red Ravens backed up against their own goal line. His hit on Terry Wright jarred the ball loose and into the air. A gift from the sky fell into the arms of Witherspoon, who immediately walked in 8 yards for the touchdown.
That would be HCC’s only score of the second half.
Leading 34-23, the Blue Dragon defense went back to work. Terry Wright found a hole in the secondary and scampered into the end zone on a 34-yard pass from Kelan Newton. Coffeyville’s two-point conversion failed.
HCC’s lead was cut to 34-29.
The defense would be tested once again when Tyler Harris was forced to punt from his own end zone. This time the ball stopped on the Blue Dragon 22. HCC’s defense held once again and kept Coffeyville out of the end zone.
The Red Ravens struggled all night with the center-quarterback exchange. It ultimately cost Coffeyville late with an errant snap that left the Red Ravens with 4th and long.
A trip to the red zone ended earlier in the game for Coffeyville when Dominique Briggs snapped the ball over Kelan Newton’s head.
The Red Ravens were 2-of-5 in the red zone. HCC went 2-of-3 inside the 20.
The Blue Dragons coughed up the ball five times, but only lost one fumble. Meanwhile, the Red Ravens put two on the turf and lost one.
Coffeyville threw four interceptions compared to three thrown by Chris James.
FINAL: Blue Dragons 34 Red Ravens 29
HCC will be home against Iowa Western (0-1) next Saturday in Gowans at noon.