Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College football team bids for its first Jayhawk Conference Playoff postseason title since 1995 at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita.

The third-seeded and now NJCAA No. 8-ranked Blue Dragons (7-2) will square off against fourth-seed and 11th-ranked Garden City (7-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at the home of minor league baseball's Wichita Windsurge.

The Blue Dragons have posted two-straight shutouts to advance to its first playoff final since 2013. Last week, the Blue Dragons dispatched No. 5-ranked Independence 42-0 in the semifinals at Independence. Quarterback Dylan Laible threw for 365 yards and five touchdowns, with receiver Malik Benson catching five balls for career highs of 197 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, the Blue Dragons limited the Pirates to 23 rush yards and created four takeaways and six quarterback sacks.

Garden City has defeated Dodge City (36-16 in the opening round) and Butler (27-16 in the semifinals) to advance to the championship game. Quarterback Rhett Ricedorff threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns while running back Dedrick Talbert rushed for 101 yards. The Broncbuster defense also forced three turnovers and held Butler to 33 rushing yards.

The Blue Dragons had to have a fourth-quarter comeback in early October to defeat the then-No. 8 Broncbusters 24-16 at Garden City. Laible was 5 of 6 passing with two fourth-quarter touchdowns as the Blue Dragons rallied from a 13-10 deficit after three quarters. Anwar Lewis rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown in the victory. Running back William Knight led the Busters with 162 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Hutchinson and Garden City have met six times in the Jayhawk Conference/Region VI Playoffs in series history. Garden City has a 5-1 advantage in postseason meetings, but the one victory by the Blue Dragon came in the 1995 championship game when Hutchinson defeated Garden City 34-22 in Garden City. The last playoff meeting between the Dragons Busters came in the 2001 semifinals, a 45-7 Garden City victory in Garden City.

Overall, this will be the 81st all-time series meeting between Hutchinson and Garden City. The series is tied at 40-all and this will be the first meeting ever on a neutral field between the Blue Dragons and Broncbusters.

Sunday's KJCCC title matchup will be the first time this season that either team has played on natural grass. The baseball field at Riverfront Stadium has been converted to football.