Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College football team maintained its status as the hottest team in the NJCAA Saturday in the Salt City Bowl.

From Dylan Laible's fifth-straight 300-yard passing game to Tye Edwards' 200-plus rushing yards to Malik Benson's Hail Mary touchdown at the end of the first half and a single-season record for receiving yards, the Blue Dragons amassed 707 total yards as the No. 5 Blue Dragons defeated No. 8 Hinds Community College 66-34 at Gowans Stadium.

The Blue Dragons close the 2021 season at 9-2, winning six games in a row by an average of 39.2 points per game. The Blue Dragons win their fourth-straight bowl game, winning in 11 of their last 12 bowls. Hinds closed its season at 8-4.

Benson was named the 2021 Salt City Bowl's Offensive MVP with career highs of seven catches and 198 yards with two touchdowns, which all came in the first half. The 198 receiving yards was a Salt City Bowl record.

Benson made perhaps the biggest play of the game on the final play of the first half. With two seconds remaining in the half and the Blue Dragons leading by three points, Laible launched a Hail Mary that was deflected by Cortez Braham into the hands of Benson for a touchdown that gave the Blue Dragons a 38-28 lead at halftime.

That reception made Benson the Blue Dragons' single-season record-holder for receiving yardage with 1,226 yards, surpassing Hall of Famer Lonnie Crittendon's 1970 record of 1,205 yards. Also, Benson's 198 yards in the Salt City Bowl was the third-highest single-game total for a Blue Dragon in team history. Benson now owns the Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 8 games for single-game receiving yards by a Blue Dragon.

Blue Dragon sophomore defensive end Nadame Tucker was named the Salt City Bowl's Defensive MVP with seven total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 quarterback sacks a forced fumble and quarterback hurry.

There were 19 Salt City Bowl records broken and three others tied by the Blue Dragons and Eagles on Saturday. Among the highlights:

+ Laible completed 15 of 24 passes for an SCB record 310 yards and three touchdowns. Laible also had his first career rushing touchdown.

+ Edwards ran for a career-high and SCB record 210 yards on 19 carries and touchdowns of 1 and 6 yards. He also had an SCB record for the longest run from scrimmage, going for 85 yards to the Hinds' 1 in the first quarter.

+ Hutchinson's 707 total yards and 345 passing yards were both SCB records.

The Blue Dragons and Eagles also combined for a single-quarter record 49 points in the first quarter (Hutchinson 28, Hinds 21). Hutchinson had 309 yards in the opening quarter and both teams combined for 480 yards.

The Blue Dragons scored on Braham's 33-yard touchdown receptions, Edwards' 1-yard run, Jaheim Simmons' 3-yard run and Benson's 63-yard catch and run with 20 seconds remaining in the quarter. Hinds countered with a Jaiden Burns 21-yard touchdown reception and touchdown runs of 48 and 29 yards from Jeffrey Pittman. The Dragons led 28-21 after one quarter.

Just 14 seconds into the second quarter, the Eagles tied the game at 28 when Ruben Lee connected with Tabashi Thomas for a SCB record 85-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28-all.

The Blue Dragons answered that score with a SCB record 39-yard field goal by C.J. Moya with 10 minutes to play in the period. The next score was Benson's Hail Mary catch at the end of the first half that came the Blue Dragons a 38-28 lead.

Hutchinson's lead increased to 52-28 after three quarters on Dylan Kedzior's 56-yard touchdown run and an Edwards 6-yard dash to the end zone.

The lead grew to 59-28 on Laible's first career rushing touchdown, a 1-yard sneak with 11:20 to play. Hinds snapped Hutchinson's run of 31 unanswered points with a Kaleb Mosley 8-yard touchdown reception. Blue Dragon backup quarterback Daisean Cash closed out the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Marcello Bussey with 2:26 to play in the fourth quarter.

Simmons had 87 rushing yards on 13 carries and Kedzior had 67 yards on the ground on four carries. Braham made five receptions for 63 yards. Demariyon Houston had two catches for 43 yards. Defensively, Mike Brown had a team-high eight tackles.

Hind rolled up 398 total yards (153 rushing, 245 passing). Ruben Lee combined 14 of 22 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked five times. Pittman added to his nation-leading total for rushing touchdowns and barreled for 195 rush yards on 26 carries. Kyziah Pruitt had five catches for 53 yards.

With the huge offensive output on Saturday, several Blue Dragons continued to move up career and single-season charts:

+ Injured early in the first quarter, Anwar Lewis had eight yards on two carries, but moved up to No. 8 on the career rushing list with 1,608 yards.

+ Laible moved up to No. 2 in career touchdown passes with 43 and is fourth in career passing yards with 3,643 yards.

+ Laible also moved into third place on the Dragon single-season passing list with 2,861 yards and tied Elliott Alford for second in single-season touchdown passes with 32 this season.

+ Braham finished his Blue Dragon career fifth in both career receptions (68) and receiving yards (1,387).

+ Benson has already climbed to No. 7 on the Blue Dragon career receiving yards' list.

GAME NOTES – The Blue Dragons are now 15-7-2 all-time in bowl games. … Blue Dragon head coach Drew Dallas is 17-2, the second-most wins by a Blue Dragon coach through two seasons (Andy Hill 18). … Over his streak of five-straight 300-yard passing games, Laible has thrown for 1,738 yards. … The 100 combined points are the fifth-most in team history. … The 66 points scored are the second most by the Blue Dragons in a bowl game (Lackawanna 70). … Edwards' 210 rush yards ties Lewis for season-high honors. Lewis had 210 rushing yards vs. Fort Scott on September 25.