By Hutchinson CC Sports Information
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – The top two teams in last week’s NJCAA Division I Football rankings switched places on Monday after Saturday’s scintillating contest between the two teams in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The Hutchinson Community College football team assumed the top spot in Monday’s latest rankings after a 38-37 victory at Iowa Western on Saturday. The game came down to Iowa Western going for two and missing after scoring a touchdown with 3 seconds remaining in regulation. The game featured the second-most combined points scored in series history and the 982 combined total yards were the most in the 10 games played between the Blue Dragons and Reivers.
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The Blue Dragons (2-0) earned their sixth all-time No. 1 ranking in program history, capturing all 12 first-place votes.
Since head coach Drew Dallas took over the program before the 2020/21 season, 56 national polls have been released. The Blue Dragons have been No. 1 in 30 of those 56 polls.
The Dragons have now been ranked in the Top 3 of the national rankings for 31 consecutive polls.
Hutchinson has now been ranked in 36 consecutive NJCAA rankings dating back to the second regular-season poll of the 2021 season. That is the third-longest consecutive run in the national poll in program history. The Blue Dragons were ranked in 45-straight polls from 2010 to 2013 and in 38 consecutive polls from 2018 to 2021.
The Top 5 saw a shakeup after the switch at Nos. 1 and 2. Snow and Kilgore flip-flopped spots at Nos. 3 and 4 and Mississippi Gulf Coast vaulted into the No. 5 spot.
Highland’s victory over previous-No. 8 Iowa Central helped the Scotties jump up to No. 11. Iowa Central dropped to No. 12. Garden City reappears in the poll after a decisive win over Dodge City at No. 14. Butler is receiving votes this week.
The Blue Dragons play host to No. 12 Iowa Central at Noon on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.
