DRAGON DEFENSE DEALS A KJCCC SHUTOUT

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Holding Dodge City to 35 yards total offense, the Hutchinson Community College football team posted its second-straight shutout in its Jayhawk Conference opener on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.

Scoring on 5 of its first 6 possessions of the game, the No. 1-ranked Blue Dragons rolled to a 42-0 victory over the 14th-ranked Conquistadors, defeating Dodge City for the eighth-straight time.

Off to a 5-0 start for the 11th time in program history and the fourth time under head coach Drew Dallas, the Blue Dragons are 1-0 in conference. Hutchinson travels to Independence next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Shulthies Stadium. Dodge City is now 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the KJCCC.

The Blue Dragons posted back-to-back shutouts for the 33rd time in program history, the first time since 2021.

Hutchinson limited Dodge City to only three first downs and only 35 total yards. The Conquistadors had 47 passing yards and a minus-12 rushing yards. The Dragons had seven quarterback sacks for the second-straight game and they forced four Dodge City turnovers. Hutchinson held Dodge City to just 2 yards of total offense through three quarters.

The defense even scored for the Blue Dragons as sophomore safety LaModrick Spencer recovered a fumble after he sacked the Dodge City quarterback in the end zone late in the second quarter.

K.J. Henson Jr. had a season-high three quarterback sacks to lead the Blue Dragons. Spencer, Devan Lowe, Lashavion Brown and Avian Rice all had fumble recoveries. The Dragons also had five pass breakups and five quarterback hurries.

Offensively, the Dragons had 399 yards (170 rushing, 229 passing) with 21 first downs.

Quarterback Samari Collier completed 10 of 13 passes for 136 yards with two touchdowns. Christian Johnson was 9 of 15 for 93 yards with a touchdown.

Receiver Tre Brown had Hutchinson's first 100-yard receiving game since Malik Benson against Coffeyville in 2022 with season highs of six catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

Waymond Jordan Jr. rushed for a team-high 75 yards on 10 carries. Julius Bolden had 34 rushing yards on 14 carried with a touchdown.

The Blue Dragons took a 7-0 lead when Brown's 23-yard touchdown reception from Collier capped a four-play, 47-yard scoring drive on Hutchinson's first possession of the game. After a three-and-out and short put set the Dragons up at the Dodge City 28. The Dragons needed six plays to cover the short field. Collier bulled over from a yard out to make it 14-0.

The Dragons had their only big miscue of the game when a backwards pass turned into a 46-yard Dodge City fumble return to the Hutchinson 33. The Blue Dragons held Dodge City on downs. Four plays later the Dragons scored as Collier hit Jordan with a 20-yard catch and run for a 21-0 lead with 2:47 to play in the opening quarter.

The Dragons took a 28-0 lead on their next possession. Brown caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Johnson with 11:14 to play in the second quarter.

Jaquel Mack forced a Dodge City fumble two plays later that was recovered by Lowe. Bolden finished off the four-play 21-yard drive with a 2-yard run and Blaise Hoover ran in for the two-point conversion for a 36-0 lead with 9:50 remaining.

The Dragons' final score came on Spencer's sack/fumble and recovery in the end zone with 6 seconds remaining in the second quarter for a 42-0 Blue Dragon lead.

GAME NOTES – The last time the Blue Dragons posted back-to-back shutouts was November 7-14 against Highland and Independence. … The Blue Dragons are 11-9 all-time in KJCCC openers against Dodge City and 58-35 all-time in conference openers. … The Blue Dragons are 20-3 against NJCAA Ranked teams in the Drew Dallas era. … The Dragons are 54-36-2 against Dodge City, 29-14-2 vs. the Conquistadors at Gowans Stadium. … The Blue Dragons' eighth-straight win over Dodge City is a series record. … This was the 14th shutout of Dodge City in series history, the first since 2010. … The last time the Dragons held an opponent to negative rushing yards since Highland on May 9, 2021 when they held the Scotties to a minus-1 yard. … Blue Dragon punter Davis Barr had a season-long 78-yard punt.