Blue Dragons Set Records in 76-8 Rout of New Mexico Military

ROSWELL, N.M. — The top-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team turned their 2025 season opener into a record-breaking showcase Saturday afternoon, crushing New Mexico Military 76-8 at Colt Field while reaching several historic milestones.

Head coach Drew Dallas became just the fourth coach in Blue Dragons history to reach 50 career victories, achieving the mark in the fastest time at 55 games coached. The dominant performance also established multiple team records in the season opener.

"It was a fun one," Dallas said of his milestone 50th victory, though he noted his 51st win might prove more challenging to secure.

The Blue Dragons (1-0) wasted little time asserting control, scoring 20 first-quarter points and never looking back against New Mexico Military (1-1). The 76 points marked an opening-day team record, while the 68-point margin of victory ranked as the second-largest in opening-day history.

Quarterback Christian Johnson tied an individual opening-day record with five touchdown passes, matching the marks set by Elliott Alford and Greg Meinzer. Johnson completed 14-of-18 passes for a career-high 237 yards, orchestrating an offensive attack that accumulated 545 yards of total offense.

The Blue Dragons' balanced approach featured 299 combined passing yards from Johnson and Hudson Ferralez, plus 246 rushing yards. Ferralez contributed 62 yards on a perfect 4-of-4 passing performance with two touchdowns.

Eddie McLaughlin emerged as Johnson's primary target, hauling in five catches for 122 yards and two scores covering 62 and 14 yards. Derrick Salley Jr. matched McLaughlin's touchdown total with three scoring receptions of 18, 22 and 56 yards on three catches for 74 yards. Bobby Shaw III added four receptions for 42 yards, including a spectacular one-handed grab for an 18-yard touchdown.

The ground game was highlighted by Rayville Leak's two carries for 102 yards, featuring a 93-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that ranks as the third-longest run from scrimmage in program history.

Hutchinson's defense delivered a record-setting performance of its own, forcing eight total takeaways to establish a new single-game team record. The unit also set a single-game record with five fumble recoveries while limiting New Mexico Military to 290 total yards.

M.J. Graham led the defensive effort with two interceptions, while Jeffrey Manns added another. The fumble recoveries came from Teegan Haines, Jawon Springs, Amir Hill, Kumaro Brown and Kevin Moorer, who returned his recovery 15 yards for a touchdown.

The scoring began early when Titus Petteway capped a three-play, 60-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving Hutchinson a 7-0 lead with 9:51 remaining in the first quarter. Johnson and McLaughlin connected on consecutive possessions for touchdown strikes, building a commanding 20-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

The Blue Dragons extended their lead to 27-0 early in the second quarter when Salley hauled in an 18-yard scoring pass following another Dragon takeaway.

Hutchinson exploded for three touchdowns in a five-minute span to open the third quarter. Salley's 22-yard touchdown reception made it 34-0, followed by Johnson's fifth touchdown pass to L.T. Robinson from 24 yards out. Ferralez then threw his first career touchdown pass, connecting with Shaw on a 10-yard strike for a 48-0 lead.

After New Mexico Military managed its lone touchdown on a pass from Jake South, the Dragons responded with two more scores before the quarter ended. Ferralez found Salley for a 56-yard touchdown, and two plays later, Moorer's strip and 15-yard return for a score pushed the lead to 62-8.

The final quarter featured Leak's memorable 93-yard touchdown run before Daeshawn Carter closed the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:10 remaining.

The victory improved Hutchinson's season-opening record to 57-45-2, extending their current streak to four consecutive wins and 23 victories in their last 26 openers. The Blue Dragons now stand 6-0 all-time against New Mexico Military, posting both the most points scored and largest margin of victory in series history.

The performance marked several other notable achievements, including the Dragons' first 300-yard passing game since throwing for 300 against Iowa Central on Sept. 14, 2023. The seven combined touchdown passes from Johnson and Ferralez represented the second-most in single-game Blue Dragon history.

Hutchinson returns to Gowans Stadium next Saturday for a championship game rematch against No. 2 Iowa Western at noon, marking the team's only home contest until Oct. 18 as they navigate an early-season road-heavy schedule.