Blue Dragons Sink Reivers Again in Top NJCAA Showdown

Slideshow photos by Chris Norez and Reyna Sanchez / Collegian

By Chris Lachenmaier
Sports Editor
IG: @chrissylach

It was a hot Saturday kickoff for the Hutchinson Community College football team, live on ESPN Plus, for another matchup against Iowa Western.

The top-ranked Blue Dragons won 30-27 against No. 2 Iowa Western. This was their first matchup since the NJCAA national championship game, which Hutchinson won 28-23.

Intensity is what kept the game at such a high level.

“It starts in practice, everyday Coach told us it was going to be a four-quarter battle, and that’s what we did – we finished,” said sophomore defensive end K.J. Henson, who ended the game with a seven tackles.. “Pushing each other and keeping the same intensity everyday will convert another win for us next week.”

Derrick Salley Jr., a sophomore wide receiver, had the game-winning catch against the Reivers, a 3-yard pass for sophomore Christian Johnson with 1 minute, 1 seconds left in the game.

“Team effort was there, everybody stayed cool and just played as a team,” Salley said. “We just have to trust and believe in everybody.

“It was a great team win. It took everybody to win today.”

But beating Iowa Western was just the start for the 2-0 Blue Dragons. Johnson put his body out on the line for his team several times, including a long run on the final drive that ended with Johnson being hit so hard he had to come out for a play.

“I know that any other of my guys would do it for me, and I know it was a big game and I was willing to put my body on the line,” Johnson said. “The big guys up front held up well. They gave us the push we needed so we could drive down the field and get runs, receivers ran heck of routes, and the play calling was incredible.

“I like the way we play, I love the way we are, the way we play, the grit we have. It reminds me of last year’s team”

Blue Dragons coach Drew Dallas won his third straight over Iowa Western, which beat Hutch in the 2022 NJCAA national championship game.

“It was a one-two matchup against two highly respected programs, you don’t try to downplay, you try not to overplay it,” Dallas said. “We play each week like we want to win it, and then find a way to go 1-0, and they did it today. It was an instant classic again, and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

With intensity and competitiveness there were key plays where players had to step up and make big plays. Johnson showed his intensity repeatedly, taking several hits, including on both touchdown runs.

“He’s a tough dude man,” Dallas said. “He wanted to win the ball game really badly, and he found a way. He was going to do whatever it takes without second guessing it. Luckily he got up and was able to throw the touchdown pass to Derrick.”

One play that was a highlight was a blocked extra point attempt that the Blue Dragons turned into a two-point conversion.

“Coach (Matt Wallerstedt) stated on the headset before it even happened that this play could be a difference in the ball game, and sure enough, I mean it just changed the aspect at the end of the game,” Dallas said. “But at the end of the day, it just came down to effort that our guys played throughout the course of the game, and it came down to wanting to be right there on that field blocking that.”

The Blue Dragons next play Iowa Central at noon at Dodger Stadium in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

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