Iowa Western football captures second NJCAA national title in program history
The Iowa Western Community College football team captured its second NJCAA national title Wednesday night with a dominating 31-0 win over Hutchinson Community College (KS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Reivers jumped out to a 17-0 lead over their first three possessions and never looked back, earning revenge over the Blue Dragons (11-1) who were one of only two teams to beat them during the regular season. Both offenses struggled a bit in the second quarter, with neither team able to throw any points on the scoreboard in the 15 minutes before halftime.
But Iowa Western came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders to start the second half. They hung 14 points over the final two frames and kept Hutchinson off the scoreboard entirely. At one point, halfway through the third quarter, the Blue Dragons had a total of 0 rushing yards on the night. They finished the contest with just 12 yards on the ground and 159 yards of total offense. Iowa Western also forced four fumbles, recovering three of them. The IWCC defense posted the first shutout in an NJCAA title game since 1992.
The Reivers' offense was dominant on the night too, racking up 404 yards of total offense, including 228 on the ground with an average of over 5 yards per carry. Iowa Western had three rushers, James Graham, Bryant Williams and Trey King Jr., with over 50 yards in the game. Graham, the team's quarterback, led the way with 102 yards and added a score through the air. Williams found the endzone twice on the ground.
The win gives Iowa Western its second national title in just 14 years since the program's inception. Head coach Scott Strohmeier has led the team for all 14 of those seasons, guiding the Reivers to the national title game four times. The team has never posted a losing record. They finish this season with a record of 10-2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Western football dominanted Hutchinson to win second national title
