2004 Heart of Texas Bowl

Colemen's 5 field goals
power Blue Dragons
past No. 9 Tyler

Hutchinson 15, No. 9, Tyler 10
December 4, 2004
Bulldawg Stadium, Copperas Cove, TX

When David Dixon gathered his team at halftime, the Hutchinson Community College middle linebacker demanded of his squad "No more points."

The sophomore was addressing his defense, but may as well have been speaking to everyone in the locker room but kicker Kevin Coleman.

The Blue Dragons complied, holding heavily favored No. 9 Tyler Junior College scoreless in the second half for a 15-10 victory in the 2004 Heart of Texas Bowl at Bulldawg Stadium.

Coleman, a Buhler High School graduate, provided all of Hutchinson’s points, connecting on five field goals including two school-record-tying 47-yarders. His only miss came from 50 yards.

Dixon, who led the Blue Dragons (7-4) with 161 tackles this season, anchored a defensive effort that held Tyler (8-4) to 173 total yards. Sixty-nine of those yards came on the two-play scoring drive which ended in Tyler's only touchdown.

“Before we came out of the locker room (after halftime) I got all the guys together,” Dixon said. “I was telling them, ‘this is the last 30 minutes of our life right here, our last 30 minutes together.’ We made it up in our minds they weren’t going to score any more points. We made a vow.”

The Hutchinson defense was tested from the outset as Tyler intercepted Hutchinson quarterback Robert Coates on the third play from scrimmage, taking over on the Blue Dragons’ 24-yard line.

But seven plays later, Tyler quarterback Markeith Sanders was stripped by Hutchinson’s Cornelius Minafield at the 4-yard line, coughing up the first of his four fumbles on the day, all of which the Blue Dragons recovered.

Things didn’t get any easier for the defense as Hutchinson’s ensuing punt was blocked, awarding the ball to Tyler at the Blue Dragon 15-yard line. Again, Hutchinson’s defense held, forcing a field goal to go down 3-0 with 3:38 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Blue Dragons, however, returned the favor one series later. Dixon deflected a Tyler punt to set up Hutchinson on the Tyler 47-yard line. Coleman put the Blue Dragons on the board with a 47-yard field goal less than a minute into the second quarter.

“Our defense played probably as good as they can play,” HCC head coach Craig Jersild said. “I've never been prouder of a group of kids. This game was close all day, so they couldn’t give an inch.”

Five punts and a missed field goal later, Tyler exploded for their only offensive outburst of the game. Sanders found receiver Ronnie Miller with a 46-yard strike down the left sideline, and Jason McQueen took a pitch 23 yards off the left tackle for the only touchdown of the game. Tyler led 10-3 at the half.

Sanders fumbled the first play of the second half, and Zack Carter recovered for Hutchinson at Tyler's 17-yard line. Four plays later, Coleman connected from 31 yards out.

Coleman, who had made just 9 of 19 field goals entering the bowl game, then turned two consecutive Tyler punts into field goals, giving Hutchinson a 12-10 lead with 2:13 left in the third quarter.

“(Coleman) has got an extremely strong leg, but he’s missed some shorter ones this season,” Jersild said. "But today he was unbelievable, and thank God he was.”

Hutchinson forced turnovers the next three Tyler possessions, sandwiching two Sanders fumbles with an interception of the Apaches redshirt freshman quarterback.

“That was a great defense we played today,” Tyler coach Dale Carr said. “You can’t really blame the turnovers on the quarterback. He was back there fighting for his life.”

Hutchinson converted the final fumble into Coleman's last field goal, a 32-yard effort to go up by five.

The game fittingly ended with Hutchinson's A.J. Wallace intercepting Sanders as the Blue Dragons claimed their sixth turnover of the game.