(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Saturday’s Jayhawk Conference showdown between the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons and Butler Grizzlies really doesn’t need any superfluous adjectives to hype the game.
Number 1 Blue Dragons vs. No. 2 Grizzlies will do.
For just the second time in this classic KJCCC rivalry’s 99-game history, the Blue Dragons and Grizzlies meet as the NJCAA’s Top 2 teams in the national rankings.
Kickoff is at Noon Saturday at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium. The game will be broadcast live by Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5). Glen Grunwald (play-by-play), and Rob Dreher (Color) will call the action at 11:30 a.m. the game will be streamed by the Blue Dragon Sports Network at 11 :30 a.m.
Saturday’s matchup will be the sixth time since 2008 that the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the NJCAA rankings meet in the regular season. Back in 2010, then-No. 2 Hutchinson meet then No. 1 Butler at Gowans Stadium. The Grizzlies prevailed on that night with a 28-0 victory.
The Blue Dragons are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons have had two weeks to prepare for the Grizzlies.
Butler will be the third-straight nationally ranked opponent for the Blue Dragons. Two weeks ago Hutchinson won a 27-7 decision at No. 17 Fort Scott. The Dragons have also knocked off then-No. 2 Iowa Western.
That victory over Fort Scott was the 100th in Hutchinson head coach Rion Rhoades’ coaching career. He is only the fourth Jayhawk Conference coach to reach 100 all-time wins.
Hutchinson will be playing its first home game since August 31 when the Blue Dragons played and defeated Independence 30-20.
Butler is 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the KJCCC coming off a 31-7 home victory over Dodge City last Saturday night. The Grizzlies have one Top 10 victory this season, a 36-17 win at BG Products Stadium over then-No. 6 Snow College.
According to the numbers, points double be at a premium on Saturday. The top two defenses in the Jayhawk Conference will be on display.
Butler is No. 1 in the KJCCC in scoring defense (11.8 ppg) and the Blue Dragons are No. 2 (17.8 ppg). Hutchinson is No. 1 in total defense (222.2 ypg) and Butler is No. 2 (265.0 ypg). The Blue Dragons are No. 1 with 24 quarterback sacks. Butler is second with 11 sacks.
While the overall series between the Blue Dragons and Grizzlies is nearly dead-even – Hutch trails 46-48-1 – recent history has been decisively gone Butler’s way. Since 1997, Butler owns a 27-2 record over the Blue Dragons. Hutchinson won the last meeting with Butler, 27-13 last season in El Dorado.
The Blue Dragons are due to break through at Gowans Stadium against Butler. Hutchinson hasn’t defeated Butler at Gowans since a 36-18 Jayhawk Conference playoff victory in 1995 (seven games).
BLUE DRAGON FOOTBALL |
No. 1 Hutchinson (4-0, 2-0) vs. No. 2 Butler (5-0, 3-0)When: Saturday, September 28, 2019 |