Dodge City cagers rising through Jayhawk ranks Patterson, Grizzlies

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Dec 13, 1999 by TONY JIMENEZ Capital-Journal

J U N I O R C O L L E G E S P O R T S

By TONY JIMENEZ

The Capital-Journal

If you saw Coach Mike Rohn walking around the Dodge City campus it'd be easy to mistaken him for a student.

Rohn, who played at Dodge City (1985-87) and at McPherson College (1987-89), doesn't have any gray hair or sagging tummy and he stands only 5-8.

He's 34 years old going on 20.

And after serving a four-year apprenticeship as an as assistant coach to Chad Wintz --- a guy who always put a respectable product on the floor --- Rohn is quietly, but efficiently carving out a name for himself in his third season as the head coach in Dodge City.

While Barton County has been the talk of the Jayhawk Community College Conference, Dodge City has the best record, 14-0, among the 19 conference teams.

After being picked to finish seventh in the nine-team JCCC Western Division in a coaches pre-season poll, Dodge City headed the opposite direction and was ranked No. 11 in the most recent National JC Athletic Association poll.

The Conquistadors just began a 24-day holiday break before embarking on conference play.

"I was surprised they were picked to finish so low," said Garden City Coach Jeremy Cox. "Mike's a good coach who did a good job recruiting. He raised the level of his team's play with the guys that he brought in there."

Rohn and Co., win with a staunch defense --- yielding only 65 points per game, fifth among NJCAA schools --- and an offense that's fueled by Frameico Little, a 6-6 sophomore from Anderson, S.C., who headlines a group of four players in double-figure scoring, with 16 points per game.

Little, the point guard, is a little like Dodge City: talented but unheralded.

"He's our most complete player, and most valuable player," said Rohn. "He executes and runs our plays well and is an unselfish player who's also our best passer."

Dodge City has flourished despite the fact its budget took a big hit financially in the off-season; the women's basketball budget is now larger than the men's.

"That's out of my hands," said Rohn. "We just try to make the best of it, although it's hard to do a good job recruiting when me and my only assistant (Brian Hoberecht) have to wear so many hats.

"We have to do so many other things besides coach. Then we have to scour the country for players."

So has the jet-like start out of the blocks taken Rohn by surprise?

"Definitely," he says. "We're realistic, though. We haven't played a conference game yet. We know we probably won't go undefeated in the West. It all comes down to who's consistent night in and night out. Right now I think we have that."

SATURDAY'S SCORES

Butler County 65, Allen County 50

Cloud County 64, Northeast, Neb. 52

Iowa Western 86, Highland 67

McCook, Neb. 97, Colby 79

Penn Valley, Mo., 82, Johnson County 70

Bacone, Okla. 93, Independence 84

Garden City 94, Air Force 67

Seward County 76, Frank Phillips, Okla. 73

By TONY JIMENEZ

The Capital-Journal

EL DORADO --- It may have been chilly, damp and gray outside, but spirits still soared last weekend in this small town 35 miles east of Wichita.

And why shouldn't everyone feel festive? Christmas came early for the Butler County Community College football team, on Dec. 4 --- thanks in part to cornerback Bobby Patterson, a Topeka Highland Park graduate --- when the Grizzlies defended their National JC Athletic Association championship by defeating Dixie, Utah, 49-35, on its home turf in the Dixie Rotary Bowl.

In other season-ending bowl games among Jayhawk Conference teams, Hutchinson beat Glendale, Ariz., 33-8, in the Valley of the Sun; Garden City lost to Ricks, Idaho, 59-26, in the Real Dairy and Fort Scott fell to Blinn, Texas, 29-20, in the Mineral Water.

Still, the talk in national juco circles has been the Grizzlies -- - the first back-to-back NJCAA champ since Blinn, Texas (1995-96) was quarterbacked by Michael Bishop --- who were honored with a parade in downtown El Dorado and a reception Saturday.

The team was also recognized at the basketball game against Allen County that night.

Butler County --- ranked No. 2 behind No. 1 and previously unbeaten Dixie (11-1) in the final NJCAA regular season poll --- got an eye-opening performance from star running back Rudi Johnson, later named the NJCAA's Player of the Year.

Johnson rushed for 373 yards on 40 carries and scored seven touchdowns against Dixie and finished the season No. 1 among NJCAA rushers with 168 yards per game and 25 TDs.

Butler County finished the season with an 11-1 record after posting a 12-0 record in 1998.

"When I first saw him as a freshman, I said 'Whoa,' recalled Patterson of Johnson, a 5-10, 220-pounder from Colonial Heights, Va., who has visited Colorado and Auburn and most recently has had Oklahoma and Michigan State hot on his heels.

Patterson's showing may not have been as obvious as Johnson's, but he played well against Dixie while closing out his juco career at cornerback.

"He broke up two passes and played consistent," said Butler County Coach James Shibest. "He has done everything we expected he would while he was here."