DRAGONS ROLL BY BUSTERS TO SECURE PLAYOFF SPOT

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

GARDEN CITY – The No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team scored a pair of touchdowns within 1 minute, 26 seconds of each other late in the first half to break open its pivotal Jayhawk Conference battle at Garden City on Saturday.

Those scores took a one-possession game and turned it into a 21-point halftime lead as the Blue Dragons secured its spot in the NJCAA National Playoffs with a 42-17 victory at Broncbuster Stadium.

Hutchinson improved to 8-1 overall and completed the KJCCC season 5-1. Currently tied for second in the KJCCC, the Blue Dragons can earn a share of the 2024 title if Coffeyville defeats Butler next Saturday. The final NJCAA poll, which will decide the seeding for the NJCAA Playoffs will be released after next Saturday's games.

Leading 21-14 with 2:02 remaining in the second quarter, the Blue Dragons struck twice quickly. The Dragons got runs of 8 and 47 yards from Waymond Jordan Jr. to set up a 10-yard Samari Collier touchdown run that capped a 24-second, three-play scoring drive for a 28-14 lead.

The Dragons then forced a punt that was returned by Kordell Gouldsby 27 yards to the Buster 39. On 4th-and-1 from the Garden City, Collier hit L.T. Robinson for 13 yards and a first down. Three plays later, Collier threw to Benson Prosper in the right flat. Prosper broke a tackle and sprinted 27 yards for a touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half for a 35-14 lead.

The Blue Dragons scored 28 points and had 196 total yards in the second quarter alone. The Dragons rushed for 308 yards and amassed 457 total yards for the game.

Jordan surpassed the 100-yard mark for the eighth time this season, going for 132 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown. Jordan moved into the Blue Dragon single-season rushing Top 10, moving past Alvin Kamara (2014), Dion Marion (1995), Chico Harris (1993) and Dave Wassenberg (1969) into seventh place with 1,331 yards this season. He rushed for his 18th rushing touchdown, which tied Kamara for second in the single-season rushing touchdown list.

Quarterback Samari Collier was 7 of 19 for 116 yards with three touchdown passes. Collier moved past John Rapp (1996-97) for 12th on the Dragon career passing chart with 2, 530 yards. He moved past PJ Peters (1994-95) for fifth place in career touchdown passes with 30.

Robinson had three receptions for 55 yards. Tre Brown had three catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Prosper had 10 receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Kedrick Walker had a career-high 10 tackles, including one tackle on a Garden City fourth-down attempt that gave Hutchinson the ball on downs. Michael Graham and La'Modrick Spencer had interceptions, while Jeffrey Manns had a fumble recovery.

Garden City rushed for 279 yards and had 369 total yards. Quarterback Tyler Nelson rushed for 146 yards on 22 carries. He was 8 of 24 passing for 90 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Blue Dragon defense held the nation's No. 4-leading rusher, Garden City's Dejuan Gary to 51 yards on 18 carries and an average of 2.8 yards per carry.

The teams opened the game trading touchdown drives. The Dragons marched 75 yards in eight plays on a drive that was capped by Brown's 10-yard touchdown reception with 11:28 to play in the first quarter. Garden City followed with a seven-play, 49-yard drive and the Busters tied the game at 7-7 after a Zac Dyer 5-yard TD reception with 8:19 to go in the opening quarter.

The Dragons punted on their next two possessions, but there next scoring drive was set up by a Spencer interception that was turned 4 yards to the Hutchinson 46. The Dragons needed eight plays to cash in on the turnover, getting a Jordan 1-yard touchdown run with 9:13 to play in the second quarter for a 21-14 lead. One possession later, Brown caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Collier for a 28-14 lead with 6 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

After the wild finish to the first half gave the Dragons a 35-14 lead at intermission, the teams scored once each in the second half.

Garden City got a 340yard Tanner Rinker field goal with 14:08 to play in the fourth quarter. The only Dragon tally was Titus Petteway's 19-yard touchdown run with 3:42 remaining in the game.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 20-1 in road games under Drew Dallas. … This was the sixth-straight win over Garden City. The Dragons are now 44-40 overall against the Busters, including 23-23 in Garden City. … The 450 points scored by the Dragons this season ties the 2013 Blue Dragons for fifth on the single-season list. … The 2,650 rushing yards this season is sixth on the single-season list. … The Blue Dragons have 400 or more total yards in 9 of 10 games this season. … The Blue Dragons were 5 of 15 on third-down conversions. Garden City was 1 of 14.