1999 Valley of the Sun Bowl

Shaun Hill leads Blue Dragons to big win in final game

Hutchinson 33, Glendale 8
December 5, 1999
Hanhilla Stadium, Glendale, AZ

Shaun Hill made his final game as a Hutchinson Community College quarterback memorable.

Hill ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as Hutchinson blew out Glendale Community College 33-8 in the 1999 Valley of the Sun Bowl at Hanhila Stadium.

Hill accounted for 290 total yards, throwing for 171 yards and running for 119 yards.

“Quite possibly it could have been Shaun's best game,” said Blue Dragon coach David Wheeler, whose team won eight games for the first time since 1995. “I don’t think he made a mental mistake. He hit passes every time we needed to hit them and he ran the ball extremely well.

“Everything he did, he did well.”

Hill, as he has done so many times in his two years at HCC, put the Dragons on his back and carried them.

Hill, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Parsons who is the Blue Dragon’s No. 2 leading passer all time, guided the Dragons (8-3) to touchdowns on their first two possessions.

Hill hit a wide-open Greg Cole in stride for a 38-yard touchdown pass, capping off a seven-play, 63-yard drive.

After a Glendale punt, Hill marched the Dragons 82 yards in seven plays. Hill scored from 7 yards out for a 13-0 lead with 13:32 left in the second quarter after Philip Case’s kick was blocked.

“We wanted to make sure they knew we came here to play,” said Hill, who completed 10 of 22 passes and was sacked just once. “It was also important for us to come out fast. We had to jump on them early and often and we did that.”

Two possessions later, Hill, standing in punt formation, pulled the snap down and threw 24 yards to 6-foot-5 wide receiver Dan Bythwood over a much shorter cornerback for a first down.

Three plays later, Hill rolled right, reversed his field and leaped over a Glendale defender for a touchdown. HCC led 19-0 with 1:20 remaining in the half.

“My last eight-man game, I won my last game. My last 11-man game I won my last game. Now I won the last game of my junior college career,” Claflin sophomore offensive guard Tyler Klug said. “I wanted to come out and be a physical player, and we wanted to show them we were the more physical team and the better football team.”

The Dragons rolled up 215 rushing yards against a Glendale defense that gave up just 125 yards per game.

The Dragons continually found success down the middle of the field in the first half. Freshman receiver Terrance Lloyd caught five passes for 93 yards. Three catches set up scores.

“We wanted to go out with a bang,” Lloyd said. “Shaun is a real smart quarterback. He can pick the receivers out and get the ball to us. He can run really well, too.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Dragon defense kept the Glendale offense in check.

“We came to do what we wanted to do and executed like we wanted to,” said sophomore all-conference linebacker Antwaun Bynum, who had three quarterback sacks and three passes broken up. “With all the smack they talk, it’s good to go out of here with a win.”

Seven different Blue Dragons combined for nine sacks on Glendale quarterbacks. HCC also held the Gauchos (4-6) to 94 rushing yards.

“They have a great defense,” Glendale coach Mike Grossner said.

After an ineffective starter, Dan Mortensen, was pulled by Grossner, James McKnight came in and led the Gauchos to their only touchdown in the third quarter.

Josh Watts scored on a 4-yard run that topped a Gaucho 14-play, 81-yard drive with 5:16 to go to cut the Hutch lead to 19-8 after Watts' two-point run.

With momentum slowly slipping away from the Dragons, the teams traded fumbles.

After D.J. Chapman recovered one, HCC went on an eight-play, 48-yard drive that Hill culminated with a 1-yard sneak. HCC led 26-8 with 13:46 left in the game.

Freshman running back Bryan Thomas then topped the scoring with a 17-yard option run around the left side with 5:45 remaining.

The Blue Dragons, making their first bowl appearance since 1995, won their first bowl game in 30 years. The last bowl victory came in a 32-7 win over Nassau N.Y., in the Sterling Silver Bowl. It was also the first time the Blue Dragons won the Valley of the Sun Bowl. The Dragons lost this game in 1993 and 1994, losing 59-9 to Glendale in 93.