BLUE DRAGON-REIVER RIVALRY RENEWS IN NJCAA TITLE GAME
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The top rivalry in NJCAA Football is also the matchup that will decide the 2025 national champion.
Meeting for the seventh time in the past four seasons, the No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons (11-0) will battle the No. 2-ranked Iowa Western Reivers (11-1) in the 2025 NJCAA Division I Football Championship game on Wednesday at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium in Canyon, Texas. Kickoff is set for 6:03 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on Blue Dragon flagship station KHUT-FM (102.9) and on sister stations (KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5) beginning at 5:30 p.m. with Sean Boston (PBP) and Daren Dunn (color) calling the action.
ESPNU will televise the game with Chris Sylvester (PBP), Reginald Walker (color) and Zach McKinstry (sidelines) on the call.
BLUE DRAGON FOOTBALL
No. 1 Hutchinson (11-0) vs. No. 2 Iowa Western (11-1)
When: Wednesday, December 17
Where: Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, Canyon, TX
Kickoff: 6:03 p.m.
Radio: KHUT-FM (102.9); KWBW-AM/FM (1450/98.5), 5:00 p.m. -- Sean Boston (PBP); Daren Dunn (Color)
TV/Video: ESPNU, 6:00 p.m. – Chris Sylvester (PBP); Reginald Walker (color), Zach McKinstry (sidelines)
X: @bluedragonsport
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The 2025 championship game is a rematch of a thrilling 2024 title game that the Blue Dragons rallied from two double-figure deficits for a 28-23 victory. This will be the third time the Dragons and Reivers will play for a national championship The teams met in the 2022 title game in Little Rock, Ark., a 31-0 Reiver win.
The Blue Dragons advanced to the title game with a 27-0 semifinal win over fourth-seed Northwest Mississippi on December 6 at Gowans Stadium.
Blue Dragon quarterback Christian Johnson led the Blue Dragon offense with his first career 100-yard rushing game, rushing for 102 yards on 11 carries with a 10-yard touchdown run. The sophomore quarterback completed 18 of 26 passes for 223 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass. The 18 completions tied a season high for Johnson, who added a 37-yard punt that was downed at the Ranger 8-yard line.
Hutchinson's defense pitched its third shutout of the season, holding the Rangers 184 yards below their 400.3 yard-per-game average.
The victory was the 15th in a row for Hutchinson, which is now the third-longest win streak in program history. The Dragons play in the NJCAA Championship game for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
Iowa Western returns to the NJCAA Championship game for the fifth-straight season with a 41-29 semifinal win over No. 3 Tyler on December 5 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Leading 14-0, IWCC's Tim Roberson had a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown to break the game open.
Back on September 13, the Blue Dragons defeated Iowa Western 30-27 when Johnson rallied the Blue Dragons back with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Salley Jr., with 1:01 to go in the game.
The Blue Dragons bid for their third national championship in program history, winning the 2020/21 and 2024 championships.