|
By Steve Carpenter
HCC Sports Information
Director
Saturday, July 26, 2008
WICHITA – While every coach
in the Jayhawk Conference picked defending national champion Butler to win
its eighth consecutive league football championship, nobody was really sure
how the rest of the pack would fall as the 2008 junior college football
season is just a month away.
The Hutchinson Community
College football team was picked to finish fifth in the annual coaches poll
released on Saturday at the 2008 Jayhawk Conference football media day at
the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita.
The Blue Dragons come off a
2-7 season in second-year head coach Rion Rhoades’ first season in 2007. But
a solid foundation has been put down by Rhoades and his staff.
“We are still in the
building stage,” Rhoades said. “It probably isn’t going as fast as some
people would like, but we are excited to see what we can accomplish this
season.”
2008 Jayhawk Conference
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Butler
2. Garden City
3. Fort Scott
4. Coffeyville
5. Hutchinson
6. Independence
7. Highland
8. Dodge City
“I would agree with the poll
for the most part. There are a lot of good teams listed in the top four. The
four teams listed one through four have been teams that have done will the
past couple of years. They are teams with a lot of rich tradition and are
deserving of being there.
“The other four teams, we
are all trying to get better.”
The Blue Dragons have
11
starters and 21 lettermen back from a 2007 team that finished tied for fifth
in the Jayhawk Conference, but closed strong by pushing No. 1 Butler to the
final play of the game and then defeating Independence 13-9 in the season
finale.
Of the starters returning,
five are on offense and six are on defense. Of the five offensive starters,
three are on the offensive line. Of the defensive starters, three come in
the secondary to form the most experienced defensive backfield that’s
returned since the 1999 Valley of the Sun Bowl team.
The 2007 Blue Dragon defense
was much improved in Rhoades’ first season. After allowing a staggering 36
points and 418 yards per game during a winless 2006 season, the 2007 Blue
Dragon defense allowed an improved 22.4 points and 299 yards per game.
Gone from that defense are
the unit’s top three tacklers, including Division I linebacker Antwon Canady
(now at Louisville). Rhoades will also have to replace two all-conference
defensive linemen.
Sophomores Jasper Simmons,
Josh Heimerman and David Lamour all return in the defensive backfield. Tyran
Melvin returns at defensive end, and the coaching staff is anticipating a
big season from him. The Dragons have no returning starting linebackers, but
redshirt freshman Jacob Lattimer, reserve Jamin Raigoza and transfer Michael
Brakenhoff will give the Dragons a solid base to build on.
The 2008 Blue Dragons look
for a much-improved offense that struggled with inexperience, inconsistency
and ultimately injuries.
Last season’s HCC offense
averaged 13.8 points, 138.7 yards passing, 80.2 yards rushing and 218.9
yards of total offense.
The Dragons return a
quarterback (Skylar Travis) with starting experience, starting running back
Damien Bates and returning starters Jacob Miller, Nate Newland and Eric
Mateos. HCC is also adding Northwest Mississippi transfer Jamar Bass to the
offensive line.
The Blue Dragon open fall
came on Aug. 9 and will open the season at home against Northeastern
Oklahoma A&M at Gowans Stadium.
2008 Hutchinson Blue
Dragon Football Schedule
Aug. 30 – Northeastern Okla
A&M 7 p.m. at Gowans Stadium
Sept. 6 – at
Highland 1 p.m. at Highland, Kan.
Sept. 20 – Dodge
City 7 p.m. at Gowans
Stadium
Sept. 27 – Fort
Scott 7 p.m. at Gowans Stadium
Oct. 4 – at
Butler 7 p.m. at El Dorado
Oct. 11 –
Coffeyville 7 p.m. at
Gowans Stadium
Oct. 18 – at Air Force
Prep 1
p.m. CT at Colorado Springs, CO.
Oct. 25 –
Independence 7 p.m. at Gowans Stadium
Nov. 1 – at Garden
City 7 p.m. at Garden City |
