(HCC Sports Information)
The Hutchinson Community College football team began the climb back up the NJCAA ladder on Tuesday, rising three spots to No. 11 this week.
One week after suffering its first loss of the season, Hutchinson rebounded in a big way by setting an NJCAA modern-day scoring record after a 90-7 victory over Highland on Saturday night at Gowans Stadium.
The Blue Dragons have now been ranked in 21 consecutive and 29 of the last 31 NJCAA football polls, the longest run as a ranked team since the mid-1990s, when it spent time in 29 consecutive polls. HCC fell out of the NJCAA top 10 for the first time the last 15 polls after the loss to Air Force Prep.
Two other Jayhawk Conference schools are in this week’s national rankings.
Butler decisively defeated Air Force Prep on Saturday and still slipped two spots to seventh. Coffeyville remains No. 16.
Defending national champion Navarro College remains No. 1 with Texas rival Blinn College close behind at No. 2.
The Blue Dragons are in the midst of their bye week. Hutchinson next travels to Fort Scott for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 1 at Frary Field against the Greyhounds.
NJCAA FOOTBALL POLL
School Record Pts. Last Week
1. Navarro College, Texas (5) 3-0 138 1
2. Blinn College, Texas (1) 4-0 132 2
3. Arizona Western College (1) 3-0 125 3
4. East Mississippi CC 3-0 111 8
5. Iowa Western CC 4-0 110 6
6. Snow College, Utah 3-0 106 7
7. Butler CC, Kan. 3-1 104 5
8. Grand Rapids CC, Mich. 4-0 89 9
9. Trinity Valley CC, Texas 3-0 79 10
9. Northwest Mississippi CC 2-1 79 4
11. Hutchinson CC, Kan. 3-1 68 14
12. Glendale CC, Ariz. 4-0 62 18
13. Mississippi Gulf Coast CC 2-1 57 13
14. Lackawanna College, Pa. 3-0 47 17
15. Pearl River CC, Miss. 2-1 41 15
16. Coffeyville CC, Kan. 2-1 28 16
17. Central Lakes College, Minn. 4-0 25 19
18. Scottsdale CC, Ariz. 4-0 25 RV
19. Northeast Mississippi CC 3-0 12 RV
20. Rochester CTC, Minn. 4-0 9 RV
Others receiving votes: Eastern Arizona College, 3-1; Nassau CC, N.Y., 2-1; Hinds CC, Miss., 2-1; Louisburg College, N.C., 3-0; New Mexico Military Institute, 3-0; Tyler JC, Texas, 2-1.