Quarterback Dylan Laible threw for 278 yards and five touchdowns to guide third-ranked Hutchinson to a 42-0 season-opening win Saturday over 13th-ranked Navarro at Gowans Stadium.
While surpassing the 3,000-yard career passing mark in his 16th game for the Blue Dragons, Laible completed 13-of-18 passes and sprayed touchdowns of 50 and 18 yards to Micah Woods, 48 and 15 to Marcello Bussey and 90 to University of Alabama pledge Malik Nelson, the Hutchinson defense indeed may have upstaged their star quarterback.
Hutchinson took advantage of five turnovers, begrudgingly allowed only 216 yards from 67 plays, and posted the first shutout over Navarro since the middle of 1997 season when Tyler chiseled out a 21-0 win over the Bulldogs at Rose Stadium. Heading into Saturday's game, the Bulldogs had scored points in a program-record 257 consecutive games over 25 seasons.
First-year coach Ryan Taylor's Bulldogs managed onlyh 3.2 yards per play, frustrated at every turn. Five of Navarro's first six possessions counted three plays or less, and by that time, the Bulldogs found themselves in a 28-0 hole. NC gained a meager 80 yards on 35 carries from eight different rushers, Three Bulldog quarterbacks, each saddled with interceptions, combined for 15-of-32 passing to nine receivers for just 136 yards.
Interceptions by Jaden Mosley, Monterrio Smith and JaMaric Morris stymied Bulldog chances.
Hutchinson scored after its opening drive as Rontavius Richmond sealed a three-play, 36-yard drive with a 23-yards with 12;41 remaining in the opening quarter. Late in the opening period, Laible flung the first of five TD passes -- a 50-yarder to Woods to increase HCC's lead.
Two TD passes within a minute of the second quarter blew the game open.
Laible connected with Bussey for a 48-yard scoring strike with 11:25 remaining in the second quarter after linebacker Terry Kirksey recovered a fumble on Navarro's next offensive play, Laible and Bussey connected again for a 15-yard touchdown strike and a 28-0 lead with 11:08 remaining in the first half.
Just 3:44 later, Laible hit Benson in the flat and out-raced the Bulldog defense to the end zone for a 90-yard touchdown and a 35-0 lead with 7:24 to go. Benson caught two passes for a team-high 112 yards -- his sixth cnssecutive 100-yard-plus receiving game and eighth of his career.
Navarro will have extended time to prepare for its nationally televised Southwest Junior College Football Conference opener September 10 against NJCAA reigning champion New Mexico Military Institute at the Wool Bowl in Roswell, NM.
------
(13) Hutchinson 42, (3) Navarro 0
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Navarro.............0........0........0.........0 -- 0
Hutchinson.........14.....21.......7.........0 -- 42
SCORING SUMMARY:
HCC -- Rontavious Richmond, 23 run. (Cole Seagraves kick). 12:41, 1Q
HCC -- Micah Wood, 50-pass from Dylan Laible. (Cole Seagraves kick) 1:56, 1Q
HCC -- Marcello Bussey, 48-pass from Dylan Laible. (Cole Seagraves kick) 11:56, 2Q
HCC -- Marcello Bussey, 15-pass from Dylan Laible. (Cole Seagraves kick).
HCC -- Malik Benson, 90-pass from Dylan Laible. (Cole Seagraves kick).
HCC -- Micah Woods, 19-pass from Dylan Laible. (Cole Seagraves kick).
YARDSTICK.........NC............HCC
FIrst Downs.........18..............20
By Rush................7..............12
By Pass.................5...............7
By Penalty..............6...............1
RUSHES-YARDS..35-80.......35-182
Per carry..............2.3............5.1
PASSING YARDS.....136..........341
Completions............15............19
Attempts.................32............30
Intercepttions...........3..............0
TOTAL OFFENSE.......216.........523
RETURN YARDS.........0.............15
Kickoffs....................3-31..........0-0
Punts.......................0-0..........1-0
Interceptions.............0-0..........3-15
TOTAL YARDAGE........247........538
Punts-Average...........4-25.5.....2-31.5
Punting Yardage..........102..........62
Third Down Conv..........4-15........7-13
Fourth-Down Conv.........1-5.........0-1
Penalty Yards................5-30.......12-110
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: NC -- Tim Carter 7-31-0; Roderick Brown 8-21-0; Brendan Strickland 4-12-0; Asa Osbourne 5-17-0; Dane Jentsch 3-14-0; Isiah Marks 1-(-4)-0; T.J. Snowden 1-(-1)-0; Brenden Cur 1-(-12)-0. HCC -- Ed Williams III 10-45-0; Tre Bess III 5-45-0; Rontavious Richmond 5-35-1; Dylan Kedzior 6-28-0; Jaheim Simmons 5-21-0; Malik Benson 1-6-0.
PASSING: NC -- Brendan Strickland 7-18-59-0-1; Dane Jentsch 6-11-66-0-1; Isiah Marks 2-3-11-0-1. HCC -- Dylan Laible 13-18-271-5-0; Colin Shields 6-12-63-0-0.
RECEIVING: NC -- Brandon Hawkins 3-60-0; Wesley Douglas 3-26-0; Jay Williamson 2-19-0; Eli Martinez 2-16-0; Jack Hecker 1-5-0; Jamarion McDougle 1-4-0; T.J. Snowden 1-(-1)-0. HCC -- Malik Benson 2-112-1; Marcello Bussey 5-85-2; Micah Woods 2-68-2; Treymon Echols 1-18-0; Tristan Smith 1-12-0; Jaimelle Claytor 1-11-0; Darby Roper 1-9-0; Blake Durham 1-9-0; Tariq Logan 1-7-0; Nakeo Thomas 1-6-0; Dylan Kedzior 1-6-0; Jamauri Chislom 1-0-0; Rontavious Richmond 1-(-2)-0
-------
OTHER SEASON-OPENING SCORES INVOLVING THE SWJCFC
Thursday
Snow 36, TVCC 14
Saturday
Hutchinson 42, Navarro 0
NJMMI 44, Papgo Pumas 13
Tyler 65, Rezolution Prep Academy 0
Blinn 55, Louisiana Community Christian 0
Cisco 52, Gordon's Academy 0
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 44, Southern-Shreveport 0
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up