BLUE DRAGON FOOTBALL |
Hutchinson (1-2, 1-2) at No. 8 Garden City (2-1, 2-1) |
| When: Saturday, October 2, 2021 Where: Broncbuster Stadium, Garden City, KS Time: 7 p.m. Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9) – Glen Grunwald (play-by-play); Daren Dunn (Color), 6:30 p.m. Video: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 6:30 p.m. Twitter: @bluedragonsport CLICK FOR BLUE DRAGON GAME NOTES (PDF Format) |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Even before the 2021 season started, the Hutchinson Community College football team knew a two-game stretch at the beginning of October would have a lot of do in deciding the Blue Dragons' final outcome.
That stretch has arrived for the 1-2 Blue Dragons as Hutchinson travels to No. 8 Garden City Saturday for a 7 p.m. Jayhawk Conference battle at Broncbuster Stadium in Garden City.
The aforementioned two-week gauntlet consists of Garden City, ranked as high as No. 3 this season, and current No. 2 Independence - that matchup is next Saturday at Gowans Stadium. For the Blue Dragons, it's an opportunity to climb back into the national rankings after starting the season 0-2 and put them in a better position for playing host to a first-round Region VI playoff game in November.
The Blue Dragons put an end to their two-game winning streak last week with a 55-6 victory over Fort Scott. Anwar Lewis became the first Blue Dragon running back to rush for 200 or more yards (210 on 19 carries and two touchdowns) since 2014 and the Blue Dragons rushed for 415 yards, the seventh-largest single-game rushing total in Blue Dragon history.
The Blue Dragon defense had a strong rebound performance against the Greyhounds after allowing 464 total yards to Butler two weeks before. Led by a tremendous effort from defensive ends Nadame Tucker and Davion Westmoreland, the Blue Dragons limited the Greyhounds to 144 total yards and a minus-16 yards rushing and forced four takeaways.
Garden City (2-1, 2-1) is on the back end of its two-game stretch against Independence and Hutchinson. Last week, the Broncbusters had two fumbles returned for touchdowns in a 26-13 loss to the Pirates at Broncbuster Stadium. Garden City fell from No. 3 to No. 8 in the NJCAA national rankings following the loss.
Hutchinson brings in the nation's No. 3 rushing offense at 261.3 yards per game. Lewis is currently fifth in the NJCAA in rushing at 122.3 yards per game. The Broncbusters are No. 2 in the NJCAA in rushing defense with a scant 19.3 yards per game. Garden City allowed Fort Scott to rush for 21 yards, Highland had 16 yards and Independence could muster only 21 yards last week.
Saturday's game will be the 80th meeting in a series that dates back to 1947. The Blue Dragons trail in the series 40-39. Hutch won last season's meeting in Gowans Stadium, 23-7.