For the second time this season, quarterback Luke Barnes threw for a school-record tying six touchdowns and the 12th-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team rolled up a school record for total yardage as the Blue Dragons pounded Air Force Prep 66-7 on Saturday night at Gowans Stadium.
Hutchinson (5-1) avenged last season’s 40-7 loss at Air Force Prep in a big way. The Blue Dragons scored the most points ever against Air Force Prep and the 59-point margin of victory was also the largest in series history.
Barnes completed 21 of 28 passes for 380 yards and threw six touchdown passes for the second time this season, tossing scoring passes of 67, 14, 49, 3, 31 and 28 yards to three different receivers. Barnes broke the 2,000-yard mark for the season and is already fourth on the single-season passing list with 2,056 yards.
Barnes guided a Blue Dragon offense that for the second time this season broke the 700-yard mark and set a new team record by putting up 724 total yards (344 rushing, 380 passing). The Blue Dragons averaged 9.1 yards per play. The preview record was 716 total yards set against Garden City in a 63-49 victory at Garden City on Sept. 8.
The Blue Dragons had a pair of 100-yard receivers. Sophomore Miguel Johns had eight catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Jatavius Stewart had 6 catches for 144 yards and three scores. Stewart moved into second place on the career receptions list with 82 and third on the career receiving yards list with 1,308 yards.
Sophomore running back Terrell Lane joined the Blue Dragon career rushing Top 10 on Saturday night with his sixth-straight 100-yard game. Lane rushed 22 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Lane is now ranked ninth on the career rushing list with 1,437 yards.
In addition to Lane, freshman Orange Mooney had 80 rushing yards on 12 carries. Sophomore LaQua Mayes had 44 yards on six rushes and Stewart had 37 yards on three attempts.
Defensively, the Blue Dragons continued to show great improvement from their rough start to the season.
The seven points allowed were a season low as well as the 63 passing yards allowed. The Huskies (0-6) rushed for 178 yards. The Blue Dragons had two takeaways, interceptions by Terell Hannah and Christian Goodlett. Linebacker Aaron Jackson had a huge game with 14 total tackles on just 33 snaps.
Air Force Prep was led by running back Kyle Woolbright and quarterback D.J. Dunn, who both had 62 rushing yards.
The Blue Dragons had 12 offensive possessions, none of which started in Air Force Prep territory.
HCC scored on its first four possessions and on 6 of 7 first-half possessions to lead 38-0 at halftime.
The Dragons struck quickly on possession No. 1 when Barnes linked up with Stewart for a 67-yard scoring strike to cap a two-play 71-yard drive. After a punt, HCC marched 72 yards in 11 plays as Lane made it 14-0 on Lane’s 2-yard TD plunge with 6:38 to play in the opening period.
Hannah’s fourth interception of the season set up HCC for its third possession, which was finished off by a Michael Mesh 38-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead with 2:26 to go in the first quarter.
The Blue Dragons scored three times in the second quarter. Stewart hauled in a 14-yard touchdown catch from Barnes with 10:51 to play. Lane broke loose on a 40-yard scoring run with 3:17 to go. The Dragons then finished off the half with a dazzling 49-yard touchdown reception by Johns in the corner of the end zone for a 38-0 lead.
The only defensive breakdown of the game for HCC came on Prep’s opening second-half possession. Jalen Robinette caught a short pass from Dunn and scampered 49 yards down the sideline for a Prep touchdown.
HCC immediately answered back, driving 65 yards on 59 seconds. Lane scored from 6 yards out to finish it off and lead 45-7 with 12:27 to play.
Sophomore fullback Braden Eck caught his first career touchdown pass, a 3-yard reception on a Barnes scramble, and Stewart hauled in another 31-yard touchdown strike for a 59-7 lead after three quarters.
Barnes threw his sixth touchdown pass of the game when he connected with Johns for a 28-yard scoring play with 9:09 to play in the game.
The Blue Dragons return to conference play next Saturday when Independence comes to Gowans Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
GAME NOTES – HCC head coach Rion Rhoades won his 40th game on the Blue Dragon sideline. … HCC is now 19-10 all-time vs. Air Force Prep, including 10-3 at Gowans Stadium. … Terrell Lane is now tied for eighth on the single-season scoring list with 78 points and is now tied for sixth in career points with 132. … Luke Barnes is now third in single-season touchdown passes with 25, fourth in single-season total offense with 2,088 yards and fifth in single-season completions with 156. … Jatavius Stewart is now tied for fourth in career touchdowns with 22 and is tied for sixth in career scoring with 132 points. … Miguel Johns is now fourth in career receptions with 66 and fifth in career receiving yards with 1,131 yards. … Antonio Johnson now has a team-high 41 receptions which is tied for 10th on the single-season receptions list. … Michael Mesh is now alone in third in career scoring with 146 points. … Johns’ 168 receiving yards are the second most by an HCC receiver this season.
(HCC Sports Information)
