For the third time this season, the Hutchinson Community College football team resides in the Top 10 of the NJCAA national football poll.

After their 42-17 victory at No. 17 Coffeyville on Saturday, the Blue Dragons jumped up five spots to 10th. Coffeyville slipped three spots to No. 20. Butler is the other Jayhawk Conference team ranked at No. 4.

Hutchinson and Coffeyville will meet for the second-straight week, this time at Gowans Stadium in the Region VI Playoff Semifinals at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Blue Dragons have now been ranked in 27 consecutive and 35 of the last 37 NJCAA football polls, the longest run as a ranked team since the mid-1990s, when it spent time in 29 consecutive polls. HCC had been ranked in the NJCAA Top 10 in 15 consecutive polls before falling out after the Air Force Prep loss and were among the Top 10 for three more weeks until the loss against Butler on Oct. 22.

The Blue Dragons have been ranked as high as No. 3 this season and as low as No. 15.

The difference between No. 1 Blinn and No. 2 Arizona Western as shrunk to a scant single point. East Mississippi, Butler and Grand Rapids remain Nos. 3, 4 and 5.

(HCC Sports Information)

NJCAA FOOTBALL POLL
School    Record    Pts.    Last Week
 1. Blinn College, Texas (4)                           9-0       135       1
 2. Arizona Western College (2)                    9-0       134       2
 3. East Mississippi CC (1)                          9-0       128        3
 4. Butler CC, Kan.                                      8-1      119        4
 5. Grand Rapids CC, Mich.                          9-0     114        5
 6. Mississippi Gulf Coast CC                       8-1     103        7
 7. Iowa Western CC                                    8-1      97        8
 8. Trinity Valley CC, Texas                          8-1       92        9
 9. New Mexico Military Institute                   8-1       80      12
10. Hutchinson CC, Kan.                           7-2       71       15
11. Navarro College, Texas                          7-2       69        6
12. Rochester CTC, Minn.                          10-0      68       13
13. Dean College                                        6-1       52       16
14. Hinds CC, Miss.                                   7-2       48       10
15. Snow College, Utah                              7-2       40       11
16. Nassau CC, N.Y.                                  7-2       38       19
17. Northeast Mississippi CC                      6-3       21       18
18. Central Lakes College-Brainerd, Minn.    7-2       19       20
19. Eastern Arizona College                        7-3       18       14
20. Coffeyville CC, Kan.                               6-3        9        17
   Others Receiving Votes: Lackawanna College, Pa (6-2); Glendale CC, AZ. (6-3); Tyler Junior College, Texas (6-3); Northwest Mississippi (6-3).