Another heavyweight battle awaits Butler, Hutchinson football teams

Given one taste of the rivalry with Butler Community College last season, Hutchinson Community College quarterback Kylen Binn came to a stunning conclusion.

He really liked it.

“Big-time environment, lots of energy from the fans on both sides,” Binn said. “They make a play, you make a play … everybody feeding off the emotion of that. It’s exciting “

It’s a game that’s taken on bigger and bigger proportions in the last five years. Saturday’s game is the sixth time the two teams have met with both ranked in the top 10 since 2010. No. 3 Hutchinson (1-0, 1-0 Jayhawk) finally broke into the win column last season with a 35-26 win in El Dorado, on the way to its first Jayhawk Conference title since 1995.

“We try not to read too much into rankings and what people are saying outside the program,” Binn said. “Expectations and pressure are byproducts of success, so we welcome that part of it.”

No. 8 Butler (2-0, 1-0) and first-year coach Tim Schaffner got a surprise 40-7 rout of No. 13 Iowa Western last Saturday in El Dorado. Schaffner was a Butler assistant for 10 years before being hired in January.

“Most of (the players) weren’t even here last year, so I don’t think the rivalry with Hutchinson means as much to them,” Schaffner said. “But the guys that were here last season are part of our core group of leaders, and they don’t want to walk off the field feeling like that again, with that regret.

“These are the type of games that make this such a great conference … from a fan’s perspective, it’s awesome. There’s just been some really great matchups.”

Binn (6-foot-6, 235 pounds) split time at Hutch last season with Dalton Demos, throwing for 1,508 yards and 15 touchdowns, but that hardly earned him the spot. Binn beat out Minnesota transfer Dimonik McKenzie and Oregon State transfer Kyle Kempt for the starting spot in training camp.

Binn was 7 of 15 for 126 yards and three touchdowns in last Saturday’s 37-6 win over Fort Scott in their opener.

“It’s always a privilege to be the one who ends up on the field, who gets that opportunity to lead,” Binn said. “I’ve grown a lot since last season, mentally and physically I’ve worked on things to become a better player.

“We worked a lot on the ins and outs of the game, of breaking down film, of going over and over the little things.”

At Butler, quarterback is probably the biggest question mark headed into Saturday.

Bishop Carroll product and freshman Colton Howell has started the first two games for Butler while Oklahoma transfer Justice Hansen sat out the first game with a nagging leg injury. They split time in the win over Iowa Western.

“Justice is fine,” Schaffner said. “We just have to manage that one day-by-day. The thing that I really appreciate, and that I think is unique, is that the two kids approach the preparation the same. Not an approach like who is first or who is second.”

Still, Howell’s play has been a bit of a surprise just one year removed from leading Carroll to an undefeated season and Class 5A title. His numbers haven’t been spectacular — 163 passing yards, two touchdowns — but he has no turnovers and was 5 of 5 passing with one touchdown against Iowa Western. Hansen was 7 of 16 passing for 61 yards and rushed for 50 yards.

“(Howell) has been awesome, a pleasant surprise,” Schaffner said. “You don’t expect a true freshman to adapt to the college level that quickly. Speaks a lot to who he is and where he comes from.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Another heavyweight battle awaits Butler, Hutchinson football teams."