HUTCHINSON — With the stigma of the now-snapped 23-game losing streak to Butler out of the way, the No. 5-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team moves on to a Saturday showdown in its first matchup of the KJCCC/ICCAC Scheduling Alliance series.
The Blue Dragons (3-0, 2-0 Jayhawk Conference) play host to Iowa Central (2-1, receiving votes in NJCAA poll), at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.
Hutchinson’s euphoric 35-26 victory over then No. 9 Butler on Saturday in El Dorado has propelled the Blue Dragons into the NJCAA Poll’s Top 5 for the first time in three seasons.
The Dragons trailed 20-13 after four first-half turnovers, but overcame those mistakes and outscored the Grizzlies 22-6 in the second half, including 13 in the fourth quarter. That was the first time that HCC has scored 10 or more points in the fourth quarter against Butler since 2009.
Iowa Central had a heart-pounding victory of its own last Saturday, upsetting No. 17 College of DuPage 20-17 in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The 2-1 Tritons needed a last-second blocked field goal to secure the three-point victory.
This will be Iowa Central’s third game against Jayhawk Conference schools with a loss to Fort Scott and victory over Independence. Hutchinson won’t see Iowa Western until Oct. 25 in Council Bluffs and Ellsworth one week after that in Ellsworth, Iowa.
Saturday’s game is a rematch of the 2012 Salt City Bowl. Paced by back-up quarterback Kody Cook’s five touchdown passes off the bench to defeat the Tritons 41-21 in the only meeting ever between the two teams.
GAME 4: IOWA CENTRAL at HUTCHINSON
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Gowans Stadium, Hutchinson, KS
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
RADIO: KHUT-FM (102.9), KWBW-AM (1450), KWBW-FM (98.5), 12:30 p.m. airtime
VIDEOSTREAM: Blue Dragon Sports Network (BlueDragonSports.com), 12:30 p.m.
INTERNET AUDIO: Blue Dragon Sports Network (BlueDragonSports.com), 12:30 p.m.
LIVE STATS: BlueDragonSports.com
TWITTER: @bluedragonsport
BLUE DRAGONS
Record: 3-0 (2-0 Jayhawk)
NJCAA Ranking: No. 5
Last Game: def. No. 9 Butler 25-26 on Sept. 13
Coach: Rion Rhoades, 8th season
TRITONS
Record: 2-1
Ranking: Receiving Notes
Last Game: def. No. 17 College of DuPage 20-17 in Sept. 13
Coach: Kevin Twait 19th season
The Coaches
Hutchinson: Rion Rhoades is in his eighth season with the Blue Dragons. He has a 55-27 record at HCC and 62-32 in his ninth season as a head coach.
Iowa Central: Kevin Twait is in his 19th season with the Tritons. He had compiled a 134-59 record at ICCC.
Noting The Blue Dragons
+ The Blue Dragons are eighth in the NJCAA in scoring at 45.0 points per game. The Dragons rank third in the NJCAA in rushing offense at 292.3 yards per game, breaking the 300-yard mark in 2 of the first 3 games. The Dragons are averaging 244.0 passing yards per game and 536.3 total yards, sixth in the NJCAA.
+ Defensively, HCC is allowing 14.3 points per game. The Dragons come off their best game defending the run and have dropped the season average to 135.7 yards per game. Hutch continues to be stellar against the pass allowing 141.3 yards per game.
+ Two HCC running backs rank in the Top 15 of the NJCAA stats. Alvin Kamara, coming of a 145-yard game vs. Butler is ninth in the nation at 118.7 yards per game with three touchdowns. Travis Custis is averaging 97.3 yards per game and ranks 15th. Custis has two touchdowns. The Blue Dragons are averaging 5.7 yards per rush attempt and have a combined nine rushing touchdowns.
+ Starting quarterback Dalton Demos has completed 42 of 63 passes for 467 yards with six touchdowns and an interception. He comes off a five TD-pass game last week vs. Butler. HCC has used two quarterbacks extensively. Kylen Binn is 18 of 34 for 236 yards and two TDs.
+ For the third-straight game, the Blue Dragons have had a different player as the team’s leading receiver. Coming off an NJCAA National Player of the Week performance against Butler, Juwan Dickey is now the team’s leading rusher with 13 receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Bryce Harvey has 11 receptions for 88 yards and a score. DeQuan Bowman has 10 receptions for 164 yards and two TDs. Thirteen different receivers have caught passes this season.
+ Linebacker Lakel Bass is Hutchinson’s leading tackler with 32 total tackles, including four tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Defensive end Marquavius Lewis has 22 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter has 21 tackles, Riley Hunsicker has 20 tackles, Kyle Wilson has 20 tackles and Seth Hartman has 19.
+ The Blue Dragons have racked up 13 quarterback sacks through three games, which ranks 13th in the NJCAA. Marquavius Lewis has a team-high 4.5 sacks. Jeremiah Ledbetter has 3.5 sacks and Lee Spight has two sacks. Ledbetter has seven quarterback hurries as well.
+ Blue Dragon coverage teams have three blocked kicks this season. Jeremiah Ledbetter blocked a 54-yard field goal attempt by Bethany. Against Butler, Claude George blocked both an extra point and field goal.
+ Over the last 15 games, the Blue Dragons now have 30 total interceptions. The Blue Dragons have six picks in 2014 from five different players. Tyler Williams has a team-high two interceptions. Riley Hunsicker’s interception was returned for a touchdown vs. Bethany.
+ Freshman placekicker Tymony Bonilla handled all the placement kicks in the first two weeks of the season. Bonilla is 10 of 10 on extra points and 3 of 3 on field goals, hitting from 21, 32 and 33 yards. He didn’t kick against Butler because of an injury in pregame. Kassidy Lemons is 5 of 7 on extra points and 1 of 1 with a 26-yard field goal.
+ Punter Stetson Broce is averaging 35.7 yards per punt on 11 attempts. He has placed five punts inside the opponents’ 20 and his long is 50 yards.
Noting Iowa Central
+ Iowa Central is off to a 2-1 start and is receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Football Poll. The Tritons dropped a 24-17 decision to Fort Scott in Week 1, but have recovered with a 28-0 win over Independence and a 20-17 victory over No. 17 College of DuPage last weekend in Fort Dodge.
+ The College of DuPage victory was secured by a blocked 41-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game by the Tritons’ Shaquille Wells.
+ Offensively, Iowa Central hasn’t put up a ton of yards or points, but the Tritons haven’t committed a turnover in three games either. ICCC is averaging 21.3 points per game, averaging 143.3 rushing yards and 64.7 passing yards per game. Central has just six offensive touchdowns in the first three games.
+ Through three games, the Tritons have been solid defensively allowing 13.7 points per game. ICCC is allowing 124.3 rushing yards and 147.3 passing yards. Iowa Central has five takeaways this season.
+ Freshman Jarvis Holley was the quarterback to lead the upset of the College of DuPage last week, doing plenty of damage with his legs. He ran for 101 yards on 13 carries against DuPage and has a team-high 186 rushing yards for the season.
+ Sophomore Kendall Jackson in two games completed 10 of 27 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.
+ Trentan Bleadsoe and Joe Morrow are the top receivers for Iowa Central with five and four receptions through two games.
+ Defensively, a pair of linebackers lead the Tritons. Joe Tuimaseve and Devontre’a Tyler averages 11.5 tackles per game. Chris McNutt averages 9.0 tackles per game.
+ Oscar Opara has a team-high two interceptions.
+ Punter Jacob Sherman is averaging 47.6 yards per punt, averaging a net of 46 yards per kick.
+ Placekicker Hunter Meyer is 4 of 5 on extra points with a long of 35 yards. He is 6 of 6 on extra points.
Series History vs. Iowa Central
Saturday’s matchup will be the second ever between Hutchinson and Iowa Central. The only other meeting came two years ago in the 2012 Salt City Bowl.
Hutchinson won that game 41-21.
This will be only the eighth meeting between the Blue Dragons and an opponent from the state of Iowa.
HCC is 1-0 vs. Iowa Central, 2-0 vs. Graceland, playing in 1955 and 1956; 1-0 vs. Ellsworth, playing in 1972; and 1-2 vs. Iowa Falls, playing in 1971, 1973 and 1974. HCC will play both Iowa Western and Ellsworth later this season.
(HCC Sports Information)