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Released By:
Steve Carpenter
Sports Information Director
Hutchinson Community College
JAYHAWK COACHES’ POLL HAS BLUE
DRAGON FOOTBALL PICKED TO FINISH SECOND
WICHITA – With several key components
returning from a 10-2 Salt City Bowl championship team, the
Hutchinson Community College football team was picked to finish
second in the preseason Jayhawk Conference Coaches Poll announced
at the league’s annual media day on Friday at the Kansas
Sports Hall of Fame located in the Wichita Boathouse.
The Jayhawk Conference coaches unanimously picked defending
conference, Region VI champion and national runner-up Butler to win
the 2011 conference title. The Blue Dragons, who finished fifth in
the final NJCAA poll of 2010, were the solid second pick.
Coffeyville was picked third and upstart Independence was picked
fourth. The Pirates were picked to finish last in 2010 and made a
run into the Region VI playoffs. The remainder of the 2011
preseason poll has Fort Scott, 5th; Garden City, 6th; Highland,
7th; and Dodge City, 8th.
Fifth-year Blue Dragon head coach Rion Rhoades has 12 starters
(five offense, six defense, 1 specialists) and 19 overall lettermen
back from a season in 2010 where the Blue Dragons won 10 games for
the first time since 1995 and for just the fourth time in program
history.
He talked on Friday about being happy with the strides his program
has made in four years, but the Blue Dragons were not satisfied
getting only to this point. The Blue Dragons have played in two of
the last three Region VI championship games and have won
back-to-back bowl games.
“What puts it in perspective, you look at last year and the
only team we have to beat is Butler, and that’s true,”
Rhaodes said. “Both those 10 wins didn’t come without a
lot of energy and the ball bouncing our way. Butler’s not the
only team we have to worry about. They are on top and at some point
you have to knock them off, but just getting to that point is as
much of a challenge as winning that game.
“The only game we are worried about right now is Kilgore on
August 25.”
Offensively, the Blue Dragons return starting quarterback Elliott
Alford, game-breaking receiver and All-American Cordarrelle
Patterson, running back Derek Campbell and center Taylor Peak from
an offense that set a team records for points scored and had the
second-best scoring average in team history.
Defensively, the linebackers appear to be the strength of the
defense led by Markus Golden and Shane Smith. Safeties Spencer
Vangerbogart, Bradley Gallon and cornerback Duane Sims all
return.
It’s the second time in three seasons the Blue Dragons were
picked as high as second in the preseason poll. The Dragons are
looking for their first league and region championship since
1995.
The Blue Dragons open fall camp on Thursday, August 4 with the
season opener only three weeks later against Kilgore at Gowans
Stadium.
According to the league poll, all will once again be chase Butler
and veteran coach Troy Morrell. The Grizzlies finished 11-1 last
season, losing only to Navarro 13-12 in the NJCAA championship game
in Pittsburg in an 11-1 season. The Grizzlies return four starters
and 14 lettermen.
Last season HCC and Butler met in a battle of the top two teams in
the nation. The 2011 showdown will be in Week 9 on Oct. 22 at
Gowans Stadium.
Coffeyville started the season 6-0 and was ranked No. 3 in the
NJCAA poll before faltering down the stretch with a five-game
losing streak and a bowl loss in a 6-5 season. The Red Ravens, look
to former head coach Skip Foster to bolster an inconsistent
offense.
Second-year Independence coach Steve Carson had eight starters
returning from a 4-6 team that held a 10-point lead in the third
quarter of the Pirates Region VI semifinal playoff game against
Hutchinson last season at Gowans Stadium. Carson will have two
major holes to plus with the graduation of quarterback Broderick
Waters and linebacker Mike Juene.
Curtis Horton takes over at Fort Scott after former head coach Jeff
Sims took the top recruiters job at Indiana a couple of weeks ago.
Eleven total lettermen return, eight on offense.
Garden City is under new leadership with Jeff Tatum taking over the
Broncbusters after a sub-par 3-6, sixth-place showing. Only four
starters return for 2011.
Linebacker Logan Eck and a solid receiving trio returns at Highland
as the Scotties look to improve on a 2-7 season.
Dodge City went 0-9 last season, but head coach Bob Majeski is
confidence that his team will be better in 2011. A revamped
coaching staff and a good number of returning players have the
Conqs thinking with a positive attitude.
Jayhawk Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Butler
2. Hutchinson
3. Coffeyville
4. Independence
5. Fort Scott
6. Garden City
7. Highland
8. Dodge City
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