'Hounds picked third in KJCCC

WICHITA -- With the college football season right around the corner, the head football coaches from the Kansas Jayhawk Conference met at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame here Saturday for their annual media day.

It came to no one's surprise that the Butler County Grizzlies (11-1 in 2008) were picked to win the conference title after posting their eighth straight conference championship and their second consecutive NJCAA national title in 2008.

Following Butler, the 2009 coaches poll went as follows (with their 2008 records): 2. Hutchinson (7-4), 3. Fort Scott (9-2), 4. Garden City (6-4), 5. Coffeyville (3-6), 6. Independence (2-7), 7. Dodge City (2-7), 8. Highland (1-8)

Fort Scott Community College, coming off a 9-2 record and No. 6 final national ranking, was picked to finish third in the coaches' poll. The 'Hounds are coming off a season that could be considered the program's best since the early 1970's. The 2008 Greyhounds were the first FSCC team to win a bowl game since 1970, beating Blinn College (Texas), 30-14, in the Heart of Texas Bowl. In 2008, FSCC posted five shutouts, including four in a row. The 'Hound defense allowed an average of 6.9 point per game.

FSCC head coach Jeff Sims returns for a third campaign after posting a two-year total of 18 wins and 5 losses, a winning percentage of .783, which ranks fourth in the school's history. Sims' teams have compiled a 9-0 regular season home record over the past two seasons and have had back-to-back second-place finishes in the Jayhawk Conference. Last season also marked the first time FSCC had beaten a Texas community college. In their season opener, the 'Hounds defeated Kilgore College, 30-14.

The 2009 'Hounds return four starters on offense and two on defense. Fort Scott will look to sophomore running back Jasmine Hopkins to play a key role in its offensive scheme. Hopkins rushed for 1,227 yards (112 yards per game) in 2008.

On defense, sophomore linebacker LaVonte David returns for his sophomore season after posting a team-leading 93 total tackles --12 of those for a loss -- in 2008.

The Hounds will start their 2009 "All Aboard" campaign by playing host to Kilgore from at Frary Field August 29.