DRAGONS’ EVANS TAPPED AS NJCAA SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

A 95-yard kickoff return to open the second half was one of the key plays in the top-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team's 34-27 victory over Iowa Western on Saturday in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Tiyon Evans, the author of that scintillating runback against the Reivers, was named the NJCAA Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday.

Evans, a 5-foot-9, 215-pound freshman running back/return specialist from Hartsville, SC, is the first Blue Dragon to earn national weekly honors since Monty Montgomery last season. Evans was named Jayhawk Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Tuesday.

With Hutchinson leading No. 7 Iowa Western 20-13 at halftime on Saturday, the usual 20-minute halftime turned into a 45-minute break because of lightning in the area.

Needing a jumpstart to open the second half, Evans provided it.

He grabbed the IWCC kickoff at the Hutch 5 and angled right at the Dragon sideline. Reaching about the 35 Evans started to encounter some Reiver resistance. He spent the next 20 yards shaking off and bouncing off would-be defenders. At the Iowa Western 40, Evans made a dazzling 360-degree turn to avoid another tackle and then stayed on his feet at one last Reiver attempt and into the end zone for a 95-yard return for a touchdown for a 27-13 lead just second into the second half.

Evans return for a touchdown was the first for the Blue Dragons in 55 games. The last was Anthony Autry against Coffeyville in 2014.

Evans averaged 50.6 yards on three kickoff return attempts in the game.