BLUE DRAGONS FALL TO BUTLER IN HOME OPENER

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Butler Grizzlies dominated the second half and sent the Hutchinson Community College football team to 0-2 to start the season on Saturday night.

The Grizzlies scored 27 unanswered points to defeat the No. 11-ranked Blue Dragons 43-23 in the 2021 home opener at Gowans Stadium.

Hutchinson falls to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The Blue Dragons haven't started a season 0-2 since 2006. The Grizzlies improved to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in league play. The Blue Dragons have a bye week next Saturday and will play host to Fort Scott at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 25 at Gowans Stadium.

For the second-straight game, the Blue Dragons scored first, but let an opponent score late in the first half to secure a halftime lead.

The Blue Dragons took a 17-14 lead on a C.J. Moya 26-yard field goal with 3:07 to play in the second quarter. Butler answered that with a 13-play, 76-yard scoring drive and took a 21-17 halftime lead when Daevon Robinson caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from back-up quarterback Gavin Screws with 3 seconds remaining in the first half.

Screws replaced Butler starter Jake Wolff – he left the game with an injury in the second quarter – and threw three touchdown passes, completing 10 of 16 passes for 95 yards.

Butler ran for 261 yards and racked up 469 total offensive yards against the Blue Dragons. The Blue Dragons had 397 total yards offensively (233 rushing, 164 passing), but were a minus-two in turnover ratio losing a fumble and an interception. Butler did not turn the ball over. The Dragons were also stung by 12 penalties for 115 yards.

Running back Anwar Lewis rushed 17 times for 95 yards and a touchdown to lead the Blue Dragons. Corey McKnight finished with 54 rushing yards on eight carries and two receptions for 23 yards. Dylan Kedzior had 35 yards on four carries.

Quarterback Dylan Laible was 14 of 30 passing with a touchdown and 164 yards.

Micah Woods had a team-high three catches for 44 yards.

Butler receiver Darrius Lassiter caught seven balls for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Running back J.J. Shankle had 72 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Adarius Thomas had 71 yards.

Linebacker Albert Nunes had a team-high six tackles for the Blue Dragons. R. J. Evans, Jaylon Bass and Martavius French had five tackles each.

The Blue Dragons scored first as Lewis scored from a yard out to cap a seven-play, 51-yard drive with 11:10 to play in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. Butler tied the game with 13:47 to play in the second quarter when Lassiter caught a 1-yard touchdown pass.

The teams traded second-quarter touchdowns – Hutch scored on a Jaheim Simmons 1-yard touchdown run and Butler countered with a 40-yard scoring reception from Lassiter. Moya booted his 26-yard field goal with 3:07 left for a 17-14 lead.

Robinson's 6-yard TD catch with 3 seconds remaining in the first half started the Grizzlies' unanswered 27-point run.

Trailing 43-17, the Blue Dragons scored on the final play of the game when tight end Miles Kitselman caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Laible to cap a 12-play, 67-yard scoring drive

GAME NOTES: Hutchinson had its eight-game home-opening winning streak snapped. The Dragons are now 53-25-2 in home openers … Butler takes the overall series lead over Hutchinson at 49-48-1. … The Blue Dragons were 6 of 16 on third-down conversions and 3 of 3 on four down. The Dragon were also 4 of 5 in red zone opportunities. …