By Hutchinson CC Sports Information

RENO COUNTY, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College football team begins the 2023 season once again in the Top 5 of the NJCAA Division I Preseason national rankings.

The Blue Dragons were picked No. 2 in the national rankings, released on Monday afternoon.

This is the fifth-straight year that Hutchinson has started a season ranked in the Top 5 of the national rankings. The Blue Dragons started the 2022 season ranked No. 3 and in 2021, they were preseason No. 1. In 2020-21 they were picked No. 1 and went wire-to-wire to win the national championship. The 2019 Blue Dragons were picked No. 5.

Defending national champion Iowa Western was picked to repeat its championship in 2023. The Reivers received all 10 first-place votes. After Hutchinson, Northwest Mississippi was picked at No. 3, Snow College was at No. 4 and Kilgore College was at No. 5.

The Blue Dragons will play another challenging schedule this season with three other Jayhawk Conference schools and 3 of 4 non-conference opponents ranked in the Top 15.

Hutchinson opens the season at No. 11 Navarro at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Corsicana, Texas. The Dragons then travel to No. 10 Iowa Central on September 9.

The Blue Dragons open Jayhawk Conference play on September 23 against No. 6 Coffeyville. One week later, Hutchinson travels to No. 12 Butler in El Dorado. The Blue Dragons play host to No. 9 Garden City on October 21 and will close the regular season against No. 1 Iowa Western on November 11 at Gowans Stadium.

The Blue Dragons have been represented in the last 18 national rankings dating back to the 2021 season.