Greyhounds picked second in conference; Butler favored

Herald-Tribune

WICHITA, Kan. -- Butler was picked as the favorite to win the Kansas Jayhawk Community College football championship while defending champ Fort Scott Community College was picked second in a pre-season coaches' poll announced at the KJCC media day at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Friday.

Fort Scott finished 7-0 in the conference, 11-1 overall last season and was voted second in the nation in the final National Junior College Athletic Association poll after a loss to Blinn (Texas) in the Citizens Bank Bowl, which was named the official NJCAA championship game. Butler finished in second place in the conference and was 6-1, 8-3. All three losses came to either Fort Scott (2) or Blinn.

While Butler and Fort Scott have been picked as the top two teams once again, both will have to replace many starters on both sides of the ball. The Greyhounds have only one back on each side of the ball: Fort Scott High graduate Jeff Johnson on the offensive line and Frank Bryant at defensive end. Butler also has only two back, one of which is defensive end Cornelius Carradine, who had 10 sacks and averaged more than eight tackles per game last season.

Fort Scott head coach Jeff Sims, beginning his fourth season, told the assembled media that when he looked at other team's programs and what they were bringing back this season number of returning players, the number of coaches they retained, the amount of experience he found that the Greyhounds don't have a lot of those things.

"We'll have to rely on a lot of freshmen," Sims said. "With the schedule we have to start a 10-hour ride to Blinn; and then we come back and play Butler the next week. There's a definite possibility we'll be 0-2.

If there's a silver lining in the fact that not a lot of experience returns, it's in the fact that Fort Scott saw 36 players graduate and go on to four-year schools. One, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, was talented enough to impress the University of Nebraska into recruiting him even though he had never played a down at FSCC after redshirting last season.

"There's nothing guaranteed," Sims said. "But we're excited about the opportunity we have to start the season."

Butler coach Troy Morrell also emphasized that his team will have to rely a lot on freshmen this season. There are 14 letter winners returning but this means freshmen and/or transfers will make up the bulk of the regular-season 55-man roster.

Coffeyville, third last season, was picked in that position in the pre-season poll. Head coach Darian Dulin feels his team (5-2, 7-4) is perhaps one player away from being one of the top teams in the nation.

"We need to find a difference maker," Dulin said. "You never know who will be the guy to step up and make plays."

Hutchinson (4-3, 7-4) was picked to finish fourth as it did last season. Head coach Rion Rhoades said that this will be the first of his seven years as a coach in the Jayhawk Conference that his starting quarterback Angelo Pease returns. He also has veteran receivers, including Ray-Ray Davis, but has to find a new tailback.

"We're unproven there," Rhoades said. "That's a position that's been critical to our success in the past."

Garden City (3-4, 4-5) is picked to finish fifth again following the Broncbusters' first losing season in many years. Head coach Lucas Aslin points to his offensive line as a strength but says the Busters need some freshmen to come in and play really well at the beginning of the season.

The expected order versus last year's finish shakes up in the final three spots. Highland brought up the rear of the 8-team conference last season after failing to win a game and has a tough start to the season as the Scotties will face pre-season nationally-ranked Iowa Central to start this season. Central will have 20 out-of-state players on its roster as Midwest Football Conference rules allow compared to the 12 Highland is allowed to have under KJCCC rules. Head coach Mike Beagle is expecting a pre-season camp battle at quarterback between out-of-staters from Florida and Georgia. Beagle said each are tall and can throw the ball well.

Dodge City (1-6, 1-8) finished seventh and was picked seventh. Head coach Bob Majeski has quarterback Lane Kendall a former Kansas 8-man football player returning at quarterback.

Independence (2-5, 2-7) finished sixth last season but lost head coach Lamar James in November when he suffered a heart attack in his sleep. Steve Carson was promoted to head coach and managed to retain the rest of the coaching staff.

"Lamar's passing was a tragedy for his family," Carson said. "I'm grateful the college has allowed me to continue some of the things coach James started."

Carson, the only new head coach in the conference, said the Pirates will look to run the ball to control the clock and play hard, intense defense.

Air Force Prep, which will play all eight KJCCC teams once again was invited to attend the media conference but could not do so due to a scheduling conflict.

Each coach also reflected on what has made the Jayhawk Conference a stronger league in the past three to four seasons.

"There are great coaches, great recruiters and very good players," Rhoades noted.

Morrell feels the conference is getting stronger because Kansas players are getting better development in high school.

"There are more good players from Kansas than there were a few years ago," Morrell noted. "This goes with the (Kansas State High School Activities Association) loosening up some of its rules so coaches can work with kids more in the summer. And better Kansas kids make our conference even better."

The regular season begins Aug. 26, when Butler acts as host for Navarro (Texas) at Cessna Stadium in Wichita. The other KJCCC schools begin play Aug. 28, with a slate that includes a Fort Scott-Blinn rematch at Brenham, Texas.