RICHMOND, ROPER EARN WEEKLY KJCCC HONORS

Rontavious Richmond (left) and Darby Roper (right) are this week's Jayhawk Conference Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week.
Rontavious Richmond (left) and Darby Roper (right) are this week's Jayhawk Conference Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week.
September 6, 2022

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

A pair of Hutchinson Community College football players earned Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week honors in Week No. 2 after the Blue Dragons rolled to a 63-point victory on Saturday at Ellsworth.

Freshman running back Rontavious Richmond was named the KJCCC Offensive Player of the Week. Redshirt freshman return specialist Darby Roper was named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week after the No. 3 Blue Dragons defeated Ellsworth 70-7 on Saturday at Cadet Field in Iowa Falls, Iowa.

Richmond and Roper are the second and third Blue Dragon players to earn weekly conference honors this season. Last week, quarterback Dylan Laible was named the Offensive Player of the Week.

RONTAVIOUS RICHMOND – Offensive Player of the Week
Richmond accounted for three touchdowns – two rushing, one receiving – to pace Blue Dragons offensively at Ellsworth.

Richmond had only eight carries but went for 158 yards, scoring rushing touchdowns of 64 and 75 yards. Richmond also had two receptions, including a 15-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Dragons a 14-0 lead.

Richmond was the leading rusher for Hutchinson, which had 317 total rushing yards against Ellsworth.

DARBY ROPER – Defensive Player of the Week
The redshirt freshman from Haven started the Blue Dragons scoring on Saturday with his first career touchdown.

Roper took a short punt out of the end zone and returned it 32 yards for the Blue Dragons' opening score.

Roper had five punt returns for an average of 9.8 yards per return against the Panthers.

Roper's punt return for a touchdown was the first by a Blue Dragon since Markies Colvin in 2018.