JCGridiron.com - Fort Scott takes over the No. 1 spot...for now

November 16, 2009

Brad Hoiseth
JCGridiron.com Publisher

The Greyhounds from Fort Scott (KS) Fort Scott College have taken over the top spot in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings after previous top-rated Navarro (TX) Navarro College stumbled in the Southwest Junior College football title game. Fort Scott battled both the elements and a tough Butler College team to capture the Jayhawk Conference championship game, 13-12.

It wasn't pretty (by any means) but the folks at Fort Scott will take it, after beating the perennial power Grizzlies in the Jayhawk title game on Sunday. With cold and rainy weather and playing on a muddy field, the Greyhounds managed to capitalize on a number of Butler mistakes to hold on for the narrow victory. The teams combined for 18 fumbles, 11 by Butler, in a game that had only 100 yards of offense in the second half. In the end, Fort Scott blocked a punt and recovered the football in the end zone with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest as the Greyhounds improved to 10-0, matching the record of its 1970 title team.

"Our kids had to fight for this one, really hard," Fort Scott head coach Jeff Sims said following the game. "I did very little today. Our players and coaches did an outstanding job. People came out and supported us and our kids deserve it."

Fort Scott's hold on the top spot is very thin and a lot could depend on who the Greyhounds are matched against in the Citizen's Bank Bowl on December 6. Fort Scott is one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the country but has not beaten a team currently rated in the top-15 in the country. Teams expected to be in the mix for the NJCAA showdown include; No. 3 East Mississippi, No. 5 Blinn, No. 7 Navarro, No. 10 Grand Rapids and No. 14 Arizona Western.

Things should get very interesting out west where the California playoffs kick into high gear this weekend with four games in Southern California and one in Northern California. The ever-mysterious California playoff system has an 8-team playoff system for the teams in the southern half while two northern programs will play for the right to have a couple of weeks off to eat turkey and get healthy for the state title game on December 12. Making matters worse for the southern teams this season is that the winner of the north game will host the event, as if they needed any more built-in advantages heading into the event.

No. 2 Mt, San Antonio College is the top seed in the south and will host Los Angeles Pierce College (7-3) after finishing the regular season at 9-1, with its only loss coming against No. 18 Saddleback College (8-2) in week four. No. 6 Fullerton College (9-1) received the second seed and will host No. 26 Los Angeles Harbor College (9-1). No. 12 Cerritos College (9-1) managed the three seed and has a tough matchup against No. 15 Palomar (8-2) while No. 4 Bakersfield College (9-1) will host No. 11 Allan Hancock College (9-1) as the fourth seed.

The Northern California title game will pit No. 8 College of San Mateo (9-1) against No. 40 Reedley College (6-4). The top-seeded Bulldogs from San Mateo earned their way into the title game by winning the always tough NorCal Conference in a tiebreaker over No. 9 City College of San Francisco, who they defeated 30-24 back on Halloween. Reedley managed a spot in the big dance when they won a three-way tiebreaker with Sierra College (5-5) and Fresno City College (6-4), two teams that outscored them 56-31 over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, five teams rated above Reedley from the Northern California ranks, including four from the Coach's Poll, did not make the playoffs. Not even Oliver Stone himself, could make this stuff up.

JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (November 16, 2009)
1. Fort Scott (KS) 10-0
2. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 9-1
3. East Mississippi 10-1
4. Bakersfield (Calif.) 9-1
5. Blinn (TX) 9-1
6. Fullerton (Calif.) 9-1
7. Navarro (TX) 10-1
8. San Mateo (Calif.) 9-1
9. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 9-1
10. Grand Rapids (MI) 9-0
11. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 9-1
12. Cerritos (Calif.) 9-1
13. Mississippi Gulf Coast 9-2
14. Arizona Western 9-1
15. Palomar (Calif.) 8-2
16. Butler (KS) 7-3
17. El Camino (Calif.) 8-2
18. Saddleback (Calif.) 8-2
19. Ellsworth (IA) 8-2
20. Ventura (Calif.) 7-3
21. Jones County (MS) 6-4
22. Tyler (TX) 7-3
23. Snow (UT) 9-2
24. Foothill (Calif.) 7-3
25. Grossmont (Calif.) 7-3
26. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 9-1
27. Central Lakes (MN) 10-1
28. Rochester (MN) 10-1
29. Butte (Calif.) 7-3
30. Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 6-3
Others on the bubble: Eastern Arizona 7-3, Canyons (Calif.) 6-4, Coffeyville (KS) 5-4, New Mexico Military 5-3, Fresno City (Calif.) 6-4, Laney (Calif.) 8-2, Dean (MA) 5-1, Santa Rosa (Calif.) 5-5, Kilgore (TX) 4-6, Reedley (Calif.) 6-4

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