By Brad Hallier
There was a bit of controversy when the final NJCAA football poll was released.
In one week, Hutchinson Community College went from No. 2 to No. 3, despite not playing. Georgia Military passed Hutch, despite not playing.
As such, the Blue Dragons had to travel to Georgia for Sunday’s NJCAA semifinals. It won’t be their final road trip this season.
The Blue Dragons scored the final five touchdowns and pulled away in the second half for a 63-21 win over Georgia Military. The Blue Dragons will play Iowa Western on Dec. 18 in Canyon, Texas for the national championship.
Hutchinson (10-1) used a dominant ground attack, led by running back Waymond Jordan Jr., who rushed 19 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Samari Collier added 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Collier also threw for 119 yards and two more touchdowns.
The Blue Dragons finished with 519 yards of offense, despite having the ball for just 21 minutes, 5 seconds.
Georgia Military dominated the first quarter, having the ball almost the entire way and led 7-0. But Hutchinson got on the board on the first play of the second quarter, as Collier fired a 41-yard touchdown to Ja’Cory Thomas, tying the game.
The Bulldogs (10-2) quickly answered, but Jordan’s 43-yard touchdown run tied it, 14-14.
The Blue Dragons then blocked a Georgia Military punt, and La’Terrius Robinson scooped up the ball at the 1-yard line and took it in, giving Hutchinson the lead for good.
The Blue Dragons carried a 28-21 lead into halftime, but they dominated the second half. After a few traded punts, Thomas made a spectacular catch from a Collier long pass and turned it into a 38-yard touchdown. Collier then had consecutive touchdown runs, the second coming after another blocked punt that actually hit a Georgia Military player in the rear.
Backup quarterback Christian Johnson had a hand in the final two scores, a 30-yard pass to Donte Ferrell and the other on a 2-yard run.
This will be the third time in coach Drew Dallas’ five seasons that the Blue Dragons have played for the title. They beat Snow College in the spring 2021 season, which was played in the spring due to Covid. The Blue Dragons also lost to Iowa Western in the 2022 championship game in Arkansas.
Hutchinson beat Iowa Western this season, 38-37 on Sept. 7 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Iowa Western beat Northwest Mississippi in a Friday semifinal.
