AFTER CLASSIC BATTLE, DRAGONS AND REIVERS REMAIN ATOP NJCAA POLL

Hutchinson CC Sports Information

Last Saturday's No. 1-vs.-No. 2 battle between Hutchinson and Iowa Western at Gowans Stadium lived up to the hype.

The top-ranked Blue Dragons rallied late in the fourth quarter and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 1:01 remaining in regulation for a 30-27 victory over the second-ranked Reivers.

The outcome did not change the Top 2 spots in Monday's NJCAA Division I Football Rankings – the Blue Dragons received all 12 first-place votes and stayed No. 1. Iowa Western remained No. 2.

The Blue Dragons extend their program record for longest consecutive weeks in the national poll with to 52 weeks. The Dragons have been ranked in the top three of the NJCAA Rankings for 46 consecutive polls and have been ranked No. 1 in 41 of the 71 polls released in the Drew Dallas era.

Hutchinson (2-0) will be on the road this week to meet another Top 10 opponent as the Blue Dragons travel to Fort Dodge, Iowa to play No. 9 Iowa Central (2-0) at Noon in Dodger Stadium.

With Saturday's win, the Blue Dragons are now 4-1 all-time No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchups in program history.

Two new teams join the Top 5 this week after the upset of former-No. 3 Northwest Mississippi. Tyler (3-0) jumps up to No. 3. Garden City (2-0) remains No. 4 and Mississippi Gulf Coast climbs to No. 5.

Only one other Jayhawk Conference team is in the Top 15 this week with Butler (2-0) moving up two spots to No. 13.

NJCAA DIVISION I FOOTBALL RANKINGS
                                            Record     Points    Last Poll
1. Hutchinson (12)                 2-0        150           1
2. Iowa Western                       1-1        135            2
3. Tyler                                   3-0         133            5
4. Garden City                         2-0         117            4
5. Mississippi Gulf Coast           3-0         114            6
6. Navarro College                   1-1          88             8
7. Georgia Military                   3-1          74            10
8. Snow College                      2-1          75             9
9. Iowa Central                       2-0          71             14
10. Northwest Mississippi         2-1          70             3
11. Lackawanna College          2-0          45             13
12. East Mississippi                 2-1          43             NR
13. Butler                              2-0          39             15
14. Copiah-Lincoln                  2-1          21              7
15. Trinity Valley                     2-1         10              11
Receiving Votes: Hinds, Cisco, Northeast Mississippi, Kilgore