The Home Stretch

The 2023 football season is winding down and we still have close to 10 programs with a chance at grabbing the Dirty 30 national title. A few programs saw their chances go up in flames this weekend with a handful making a big statement.

Top-ranked Hutchinson had a massive win with a 42-28 victory over Iowa Western. The Blue Dragons finish the regular season 10-0 and are certain to be the top seed in the NJCAA playoffs. The question remains, will Iowa Western make the NJCAA Final Four or not? The Reivers fell to No. 6 in the Dirty 30 Rankings.

The Southern California ranks look a little bit clearer after Fullerton stunned Riverside City in the final minute to walk away with the National Division Southern League title, 17-16. Fullerton rose to No. 3 in the rankings while Riverside City sits at No. 7. It’s still a little cloudy as to who Fullerton could face in the opening round of the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs, but they may have to turn around and play Riverside City a second straight time.

Mt. San Antonio College moved up to No. 2 in the rankings with a 33-21 win over Golden West to take home the National Central title. The Mounties have been ripping teams apart all season and will enter as one of the top two seeds along with Fullerton.

The Northern California ranks had a shakeup when 2022 national champion San Mateo took apart 2021 national champion San Francisco, 44-17, for the Bay 6 title. San Mateo moved up to No. 5 with the win and the lone loss of the season came against No. 12 Butte in week five. San Francisco fell to No. 8 with the loss, but should still squeak into the playoffs as a result of beating Butte in week three. The California playoffs start on November 25.

The Mississippi title will be decided this week when No. 11 East Mississippi hosts No. 4 Copiah-Lincoln. EMCC is no stranger to winning championships, but two losses earlier in the year likely keeps them out of the Dirty 30 conversation. A win by Co-Lin likely vaults them into the NJCAA Final Four and keeps their Dirty 30 hopes alive.

Kilgore College is the lone school from the Southwest Junior College Football Conference with any shot at the Dirty 30 title and will play No. 19 Navarro for the SWJCFC title this weekend. The Rangers currently sit at No. 10 in the rankings with a 8-1 record. Kilgore would likely have to win this weekend and run the table in the NJCAA playoffs to have any shot at a title.

One other independent is making a late run in Snow, who comes in at No. 14 in the rankings. The Badgers were ranked No. 5 in the latest NJCAA rankings, which has them close to qualifying for the Final Four. The problem for Snow in the JCGridiron Dirty 30 Rankings is a lack of quality wins, with three wins against non-affiliated programs and a pair of losses to No. 20 Trinity Valley and No. 6 Iowa Western.

It’s a lite schedule this week, with a handful of games in the lower-tier ranks in Northern California and the Mississippi and SWJCFC titles to decide.

#4 Copiah-Lincoln at #11 East Mississippi
#19 Navarro at #10 Kilgore

The rest of the Dirty 30 Rankings follow. Just a reminder, the Dirty 30 Rankings do not include games against club teams, prep schools, non-CCCAA, non-NJCAA or non-HJCAC programs in its rankings.