The Hutchinson Community College football team is headed back to the NJCAA national championship game for the fourth time in six seasons.
The top-ranked Blue Dragons posted their third shutout of the season Saturday at Gowans Stadium, beating No. 4 Northwest Mississippi 27-0.
The staunch Blue Dragons defense allowed just nine first downs and 220 yards of offense. The Blue Dragons forced eight punts and recovered a pair of fumbles, one on special teams.
Hutchinson also shut out Ellsworth and Coffeyville.
Offensively, the Blue Dragons had 371 yards of offense. Quarterback Christian Johnson, who signed this week with Louisiana-Monroe, had another stellar game. He rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, and completed 18 of 26 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown to Bobby Shaw. He even punted once and it landed inside the Northwest Mississippi 10-yard line.
Hutchinson got the ball first and scored. The Blue Dragons converted a few third downs, one coming on a 24-yard pass from Johnson to Kade Smith, which took the ball to the Rangers’ 1-yard line. Two plays later, Smith scored from 5 yards out.
The Blue Dragons then had a big second quarter. After the Rangers dropped a punt, at the 6-yard line, the Blue Dragons punished them as Johnson hooked up with Shaw for a 5-yard touchdown. Johnson added a 10-yard touchdown run, and Alejandro de la Poza ended the half with a 44-yard field goal, giving the Blue Dragons a commanding 24-0 lead.
The only points in the second half came on de la Poza’s 20-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.
Hutchinson will take on Iowa Western for the second straight season for the national championship. One of Hutchinson or Iowa Western have played in the championship game every season since the Covid-delayed spring season in 2021. This will be the third time the two have squared off for the NJCAA title. In 2022, Iowa Western beat Hutchinson 31-0. Last season, Hutch won 28-23. Earlier this season, the Blue Dragons beat Iowa Western 31-28 at Gowans Stadium.
