{WICHITA, Kan.) — The Hutchinson Community College football team was picked to finish fourth this season, according to the league’s coaches poll released on Friday at the annual Jayhawk Conference football media day at the Wichita Boathouse.
Butler, which has won eight of the last nine conference titles was picked to win the Jayhawk Conference in 2010. Close behind was defending league and regional champion Fort Scott and Coffeyville was third.
Earlier this week, the NJCAA listed Hutchinson No. 11 in its preseason national football poll. Fort Scott is No. 3 in the national poll, while Butler was No. 6 and Coffeyville No. 18.
The rest of the coaches’ preseason poll was Garden City at No. 5, Highland at No. 6, Dodge City at No. 7 and Independence at No. 8.
The Blue Dragons return 11 starters and 22 lettermen from a 7-4 team that finished fourth in the league, advanced to the Region VI semifinals and won the inaugural Salt City Bowl.
Gone from that team are four-fifths of a solid offensive line that paved the way for a pair of 1,000-yard running backs (Chris Clay and Chris Anderson), an All-American defensive end who is No. 2 all-time in quarterback sacks (Adam Davis) and a defensive secondary that started for most of the last two seasons.
