State college sports news

If the drive up K-61 and I-135 weren’t enough for the idea that the Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team was at the NJCAA Women’s National Tournament, once the Lady Dragons walked onto the Bicentennial Center floor, it was set in stone.

Hutchinson native Caleb Walker scored a career-high 29 points, helping his Butler Grizzlies roll to an 86-60 win over the Hutchinson Blue Dragons on Wednesday night in the Power Plant.

Turning in one of the most dominant seasons ever by a Hutchinson C.C. football player, sophomore defensive tackle Eugene Kinlaw was named the NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Year.

Newman University men’s basketball head coach Mark Potter recorded his 200th career victory after the Jets routed York College, 119-68 Saturday evening at Fugate Gymnasium.

The Butler Grizzlies withstood a furious comeback and took advantage of a unique special teams play in double overtime to defeat Snow College 37-30 on Saturday.

The Butler Grizzlies will battle the Snow Badgers of Utah for the 2008 NJCAA football championship in the Zion’s Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl to be played at Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City on Dec. 6.

The No.3-ranked Butler football team scored three touchdowns in less than six minutes in the fourth quarter on Sunday, propelling the Grizzlies to a 29-14 win over No. 15 Hutchinson in the Region VI championship game.

For many years the Hutchinson / Butler rivalry was the cornerstone of the jayhawk conference in basketball. Now the rivalry looks pretty good in football. At least for this Sunday's Region VI Championship at Cessna Stadium.

With a 41-7 win over Bethel, in North Newton on Saturday, the Friends Falcons earn atleast a share of the 2008 KCAC championship.