By Chris Lachenmaier
Staff writer
IG: @chrissylach
The defending NJCAA champion Hutchinson Blue Dragons football team are back at it with their opening afternoon matchup against New Mexico Military Institute at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Blue Dragons will play their first home game against Iowa Western on September 13.
“Our standard is to compete for a national championship each and every year,” said Blue Dragons coach Drew Dallas, who is starting his sixth season. “In college football, there’s limited opportunities to go out and prove yourself. And so our focus is not really about what’s happened in the past, but what we’re trying to accomplish this year.”
The Blue Dragons beat Iowa Western for their second national championship last season. The Blue Dragons also won the national championship in the spring Covid season in 2021.
Focus has been the key for the Blue Dragons over the summer.
Darius Wiley, a freshman defensive lineman said, “Our schedule is good and played out. I know that we are ready.”
Dallas said that it comes down to execution and not worrying about the environment or the adversity that is going to hit.
The Blue Dragons will play a New Mexico Military team that opened the season with an 86-12 win over Community Christian. Then comes the showdown with Iowa Western
“Game one, we have to get in and take care of business and then we will worry about game two, but anytime we’re here at Gowans Stadium, the community supports well. The college is well supported. We are comfortable with our surroundings,” Wiley said “We are getting ready to play against Iowa Western at home, so it’s definitely going to be a good game. Being at home is going to make us even more ready for it.”
The Blue Dragons are coming back with fire and with focus in their quest to repeat.
“And more than anything, taking it week to week trying to keep that focus on and being 1-0 each week. If we can do that repeatedly we will look back and be happy with the results,” Dallas said. “We are going to have a target on our back. It is normal to us, this is Hutch’s expectation, this is normal. We are used to it, but we are ready.”
