HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After shutting the Pirates out for one half of football, the No. 5 Blue Dragons (2-0, 1-0) had to hold off an Independence run in the second half.
The Pirates (1-1, 1-1) scored twice to open up the third quarter and cut the Dragon 17-point lead to three. Stephon Brown found Raekwon Heath on nearly-identical 39-yard touchdown passes.
Hutchinson answered in the third quarter with a TD pass of its own. Mark Wright hit Karim Brown on a 27-yard strike to put the Dragons back up by 10. The touchdown capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive.
Independence scored almost immediately after the ensuing kickoff was taken 92 yards by Tank Dell to the Dragon 3. Stephon Brown sneaked the ball up the middle to pull the Pirates within three.
Hutchinson’s Mark Wright found Mitchell Tinsley on a 25-yard pass to finish out the third quarter. That touchdown put the Blue Dragons up for good at 31-21.
Wright finished the game with 194 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Wright once again led the Blue Dragons in rushing. He carried the ball for 160 yards.
Hutchinson opened the game with a Wright pass to Craig Burt. Not even four minutes had gone by before the Dragons got on the board with the 29-yard TD pass.
The Dragons scored again in the second quarter on a Wright connection with Karim Brown from 10 yards out. A Sebastian Garcia 19-yard field goal put Hutchinson up 17-0 at the half.
Stephon Brown was coming off a 345 yard performance with 6 touchdown passes against Dodge City. Hutchinson held him to 152 yards passing and two touchdowns. Morgan Ellison led the Pirates with 88 yards on the ground. Brown added 71 and the touchdown sneak.
Trey Coleman added 82 yards on the ground for Hutchinson. The Dragons finished with 290 yards on the ground and 194 through the air.
Independence finished with 189 yards rushing and 152 yards passing.
The Dragon defense intercepted Brown twice. Ronald Williams came up with both interceptions.
FINAL: Hutchinson 31 Independence 21
No. 5 Hutchinson is on the road next week to face No. 2 Iowa Western.