Iowa Western rallies past Hutchinson to claim NJCAA football title
Information obtained by HCC officials
CANYON, Texas (AP) — Iowa Western scored 28 unanswered points after falling behind early, defeating top-ranked Hutchinson Community College 28-10 in Wednesday's, Dec. 17, NJCAA Football Championship game at Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.
The second-ranked Reivers overcame a 10-0 first-quarter deficit to claim the national title in a rematch of last year's championship game.
Hutchinson (11-1) raced to an early lead, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions and outgaining Iowa Western 108-39 in the opening quarter. Freshman kicker Alejandro de la Poza set a school record with a 52-yard field goal, and receiver Derrick Salley Jr. tied Roger Frazier's 20-year-old single-season touchdown reception record with his 13th scoring catch on a 15-yard pass from Christian Johnson.
Iowa Western seized control in the second quarter, scoring twice to take a 14-10 halftime lead. The Reivers dominated the final three quarters, outgaining the Blue Dragons 368-54.
Game MVP Daniel Swinney rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Quarterback Malachi Marshall threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns, completing 18 of 35 passes.
Hutchinson managed just 162 total yards, a season low. Johnson completed 10 of 21 passes for 89 yards but was sacked eight times. The Blue Dragons converted just 1 of 11 third-down attempts after the first quarter.
The Blue Dragons finished with a program-record-tying 11-1 mark and fell to 2-2 in NJCAA championship games. Head coach Drew Dallas completed his sixth season with a 60-6 record.