March 24, 2023 Hutchinson Collegian

pinion O

Paige Asberry discusses corporate food waste

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No break plans for THESE HutchCC students Page 3

In depth analysis of modern streaming services Page 3

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Ava Jones’ guide to staying positive

By Ainsley Trunkhill Managing Editor- Content

When met with a traumatic accident, it is abnormal to use every sentence to speak of gratitude and thankfulness — but that’s exactly what Ava Jones does.

In July of last year, Ava Jones, a senior at Nickerson High School who has taken a couple classes with Hutchinson Community College, suffered serious injuries after she and her family were hit by a car driven by an impaired driver in Louisville while there for an AAU basketball tournament. Her mother, Amy Jones, experienced severe injuries as well. While her younger brother, Creek, escaped serious injuries, her father, Trey Jones, did not survive the accident.

Now, eight months later, mother and daughter take each day as it comes, hardships and successes, and practice an inspiring philosophy of gratitude. For them, each day serves as an opportunity to set and reach goals.

A once physically active family, Ava and her mom used to play tennis and golf together.

“If I remember right, the last tennis game we played I won,” Ava said, joking.

Their competitive spirit still manifests, though their goals look different now. Amy hopes to walk on her own again soon, and Ava hopes to run

and lift weights again. Their goals serve to propel them forward while simultaneously remembering how far they have come. Where they once were in wheelchairs together, Amy is now back at work and Ava even scored a layup in a Nickerson basketball game against Halstead. Her brief moment on the court displayed her perseverant passion for a steadfast goal.

“My goal before, and still is, to play basketball at the highest level. That’s still my goal,” Ava said.

In the meantime, her victory lies not on the scoreboard, but the small wins inside the home. For the Jones’, taking out the trash represents success. The trivial moments present a new set of challenges for the family as they navigate this unique journey.

“Just carrying a cup of coffee . . . that’s hard,” Amy said.

Despite their hardships, experiencing life without their father, and a less-than-ideal way for Amy to witness her daughter’s senior year, Ava retains an optimistic attitude.

“The good days are all the time, bad or good. I’m just grateful we’re not paralyzed,” she said. “I can come back.”

Ava and her mother credit their success to the communities around them that have indefinitely supported them.

Just within their hometown,

Nickerson student staying upbeat when things get tough HutchCC to add barbering to curriculum

By Lizzie Kipp Staff Writer

Everyone needs a haircut at some point in their lives. No one misses having to do it themselves, like they had to a few years ago during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Lots of uneven bangs and regretful dye jobs.

For those interested in cutting hair, and maybe not just their own, development for a new barbering program is in the works at Hutchinson Community College.

However, one could argue that since HutchCC has a great cosmetology program, there isn’t real-

ly a need for a barbering curriculum.

Alex Hass, HutchCC’s cosmetology program coordinator, explains that while the two programs are similar, barbering is actually a completely different license than cosmetology.

“Barbers do learn a

bit about women’s hair, color, perming, and nails, but the main focus of that program is on men’s haircutting,” Hass said. “Our cosmetology program covers the basics and some advanced aspects of hair, skin and nails.”

Hass advised that the barbering program is the

best option for students who wish to focus specifically on men’s haircutting, rather than the wider range of services that the cosmetology school provides.

The barbering school will be built onto the north end of the cosmetology building, which is located at 200 East 3rd Avenue here in Hutchinson. Construction is expected to take about a year.

The instructors and clinic floors will be completely separated, but some spaces will be shared between the barbering and cosmetology programs. They will share a lunchroom and some of the classrooms - but not at the same time, of course.

Cosmetology students at HutchCC will benefit from the new addition. Once they’ve earned their cosmetology license, they will be able to take a bridge program in which they do 500 hours of barbering and earn that

license as well. The same goes for any barbering students who also want a cosmetology license.

“I’m really excited for this to be a part of the Hutchinson community,” Hass said. “This will give future barbers the same options as our cosmetology students.”

HutchCC President Carter File also shows excitement about the new addition to the college.

“I do believe that we will be the only public institution in Kansas that offers both barbering and cosmetology,” File said. “And I believe we will be the only public barbering program.”

File also said that he looks forward to the new program, and to giving HutchCC students another great career option.

Students who think they can make the cut should expect to sign up for the barbering program as early as the spring 2024 semester.

March 25 — NJCAA National championship basketball game, 1 p.m.

March 26 — Sports Arena parking re-opens

March 31-April 1 — “Rent” performaces at Stringer Fine Arts 7 p.m.

April 1— Baseball vs. Butler, 1 p.m., Hobart-Detter Field

portsMadison Grimes sets softball hits record

Photo by Sabrina Anzo/Collegian

Amy Jones (Left) and daughter Ava continue their recovery from injuries sustained after being hit by an impaired driver in Louisville, Kentucky last summer.

Collegian File Photo

One of the classrooms soon to be shared between the Cosmetology and Barbering colleges at HutchCC.

See Jones, Page 3

Get nice and comfortable

The world is in a crazy place right now. Everywhere you turn there seems to be bad news after bad news.

With all of this negativity circling around, it’s crucial for us to find a healthy way to cope and maintain some sort of sanity. What works for one person may not work for the next so it’s important to find what works best for you specifically.

The Webster Dictionary defines ‘comfort food’ as food prepared in a way that brings a nostalgic or sentimental appeal. The same definition applies to the term ‘comfort show,’ an increasingly popular term used to describe a movie or television show that allows viewers to escape reality into a more comforting, nostalgic mindset.

For many people, this is a show that they’ve watched before yet no matter how many times they rewatch it, it’s still just as good as the first time. The familiarity of the show, knowing what is about to happen and not being surprised with yet another tragedy, provides the viewer with a place of comfort and peace.

If this isn’t something that appeals to you then maybe you’re more inclined to escape reality in a book or a relaxing walk on a trail.

Whatever that escape may be, find it and utilize it to the best of your ability to give your brain a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

-For The Collegian Editorial board

Spring break shenanigans!

That’s a wrap on “The Last of Us”

March 12 marked the end of the first season of HBO’s adaptation of “The Last Of Us”, which I firmly believe will go down in history as one of the greatest video-game-toTV adaptations ever. If you’ve read my previous piece discussing the first two episodes in comparison to Paramount+’s “Halo” show, you know that I already was a fan of “The Last Of Us’” loyalty to the source material, and that only continued as the series went on. They even cast the original voice actors for both Joel and Ellie as characters in the series.

Troy Baker (Joel) was cast as the right-hand man of a religious cannibal who takes a cleaver to the neck, and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) plays Ellie’s mother in a later episode, who gives birth only to turn into a zombie mere hours later.

The nine-episode series con-

tinues to just ooze dedication to its source material, partially due to the fact that one of the lead writers is Neill Druckman, the head writer behind the original games as well. In keeping it’s loyalty, however, the show possibly moved beyond the scope of the first game, where one of it’s final scenes mimics the final act of the game, an intense close quarters runand-gun through a hospital.

In the game, it’s a rough slog of fighting through tons of gunmen. However, the sequence in the show takes a whole new spin. Where you’re actively in the boots of the vengeful Joel as you play the game, the show takes you out of

the boots of Joel and forces you to watch what is an objective evil act occur from an outside perspective. It really sets in the fact that Joel is not doing “the right thing”, dark lighting and red alarms blaring as Joel quickly and brutally murders his way through a hospital that is unable to put up any resistance. I think the focus the series has on humanity, including very few sequences where zombies are actually present, are an added positive.

While I would have liked to see more clickers portrayed, I think what we saw was an overall better story and an improvement on the “movie game” that “The Last of Us” originally was.

You want me to do what with it?

About 165 gallons of perfectly good doughnuts. A plethora of decadently delicious pies. Where do all of these things end up? More often than not, in the trash can.

To a non-food service worker, restaurant waste isn’t a huge issue. The customer collects their dozen doughnuts and doesn’t worry about what happens to the rest of the treats after the store lights go off. But should that change? Should consumers be more aware of how the business they’re supporting treats the environment and the community around them?

“America Runs On Dunkin’” is the slogan of popular donut chain Dunkin Donuts, which recently opened a fran-

chise in Hutchinson. Dunkin’ policy states that employees are not allowed to take donuts home, and must throw away any remaining pastries at the end of the night. On average, a Dunkin’ bakes 40 dozen donuts, and rarely sells more than 25 dozen in a day, which leaves 15 dozen, give or take, at the end of the night. And that’s just counting the donuts. That doesn’t factor in bagels, croissants, muffins, or any other pastries for sale.

So if employees can’t take them home, then they simply throw them away. Instead of boxing them up for delivery to a soup kitchen, or to be dropped off for first responders, they’re dropped unceremoniously in the garbage.

How about another massive chain of coffee shops? Starbucks also has a franchise in Hutchinson, incidentally right across the street from where Dunkin’ is in Hutchinson on 17th Avenue. Starbucks policy allows employees first dibs on what pastries are left from the day, and anything that remains is stored in a refrigerated truck to be delivered to the local soup kitchen or food bank. A local Starbucks employee says “very few times does it get tossed”. Maybe a refrigerated truck costs a little extra, but it helps provide for those in the community that are less fortunate.

Small businesses are better about it, right? Dutch Kitchen Restaurant in nearby Pleasantview is known for their homemade pies, cinnamon rolls, and breads, but of course it’s rare to completely sell out of everything. Instead of throwing away day-old products, the

Dutch discounts them and sells them the next day. Whatever doesn’t sell goes home with employees or is taken to different charities.

So why do some businesses care so little about what is done with leftover products? Why don’t business owners put a little bit more effort into reaching out and donating products into the community? Here in Hutchinson, the Christian Soup Kitchen Ministries takes donations, as does the Food Bank of Reno County. And what night shift nurse wouldn’t gladly accept a donut to get them through the night?

Businesses should be more in tune to what can help the community and give their brand name a boost instead of piling up the landfills.

Cartoon by Briana Payne/Collegian

Columnist

Paige Asberry

Paige Asberry is a high school senior from Hutchinson in General Studies.

Columnist

Braedon Martin

Braedon Martin is a Hutchinson sophomore studying journalism. He is The Collegian’s Managing Editor for Design and Opinion Page Editor.

Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel Miller) in HBO’s “The Last of Us”

Transferring troubles

By Carly Thompson Staff Writer

Hutchinson Community College can be a great place for students to get introduced to college life before moving on to a four-year university.

DJ Chastain is the Coordinator Of Advising and Career Development here at HutchCC and says the small class sizes and low teacher-to-student ratio - listed at 18 to 1 on the college’s website www.hutchcc.edu - “allows students to get a quality education before transferring to the four-year institution.”

On average, between 200 and 300 students transfer to four-year universities after attending HutchCC. This is partially encouraged by transfer fairs held once a semester. Students are able to meet transfer advisors from universities in and around Kansas. However, if students are unable to attend the transfer fairs, HutchCC invites four-year schools to come to campus. They are often set up in Lockman Hall or the Parker Student Union. Advisors may also recommend visits to universities of interest.

“I encourage students to take campus visits to the four-year schools to make sure they feel that it is a good fit

for them personally,” Chastain said.

Abby Yutzy is a HutchCC freshman transferring to Kansas State University in the fall semester. She was able to complete the required general education classes here and will be able to obtain her bachelor’s degree in only two years at K-State.

“HutchCC has helped me know which classes to take for my future major and connected me with scholarship opportunities,” Yutzy said.

She was able to contact an advisor at K-State to further her preparedness and make the process easier.

Maggie Strobel is a HutchCC sophomore who is also transferring to K-State. She said she has been able to enjoy her first two years of college at a lower cost while enrolled in a variety of classes.

“HutchCC has prepared me to transfer because it has been affordable enough to allow me to save money for next year,” Strobel said.

Strobel has attended several of the transfer fairs on campus and was able to begin her preparations early to be ahead of the game.

“My advisor, Bernadett Dillon, has been very helpful with making sure I’ve done everything,” Strobel said.

A look at the top streaming options

By Mason Poepperling Staff Writer

Nowadays, it can seem like every piece of media can be consumed digitally through the internet. Everything from music to books to even video games all exist on the internet to be enjoyed within a moment’s notice.

Thissurgeofpopularityinmediaconveniencecanbetraceddirectlytomovie andTVstreaming.Sincetheinceptionof Netflixstreamingservicein2007,dozens ontopofdozensofserviceshavebeen introduced,anditcanbeconfusingto figureoutwhichonesareworthit.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the more popular streaming services and what they offer.

Netflix

Despite the growing number of competitors and suffering their first loss in subscribers in the second quarter of 2022, Netflix continues to be the most popular streaming service of all time at 230 million subscribers, and for the most part it’s easy to see why

The thing that Netflix succeeds at the most is putting its best foot forward with showing its best content up front. Scrolling through the movie page alone without vertical scrolling, there is a perfect combination of action, come-dy, drama and more.Another aspect that Netflix excels at is original shows.

Netflix’s model of releasing every episode of their original shows at once has resulted in shows that usually make a huge splash when they drop and then disappear completely.

Otherthanthat,Netflixcontinuesto betheclosesttotheperfectmovieand televisionstreamingservice,Worthit

Rating:Absolutely

Hulu

Introduced 10 months after Netflix, Hulu has spent the most time in its shadow

What can make Hulu annoying is the introduction of add-ons, where you can watch shows that aren’t actually on

Jones

Continued from Page 1

Nickerson, they are met with the help of physical therapists, the staff and student body of Nickerson High School, Ava’s younger brother, and Amy’s mother, who all aid in their everyday lives.

“I’m grateful we have people like that in our corner getting us through these times,” Ava said. “I can’t imagine if this had happened and I wouldn’t have known them.”

While Nickerson and Reno County have rallied behind their cause, their support extends nationally to Louisville, the site of the accident, and Iowa, where Iowa University has honored Ava Jones’ scholarship to play basketball.

“It’s kind of overwhelming, and it’s

Hulu to Hulu for an added fee, such as Starz. This means sometimes, there are movies and shows that appear to be on Hulu, but when you try to watch them, they’re not actually on Hulu.

If one can look past this though and manage to find enough movies and shows that are interesting, viewers can probably get something out of Hulu. One massive benefit of Hulu however is that it’s one of the few streaming services with a college student discount for $2 dollars a month.

Worth It Rating: Kind of.

Amazon Prime Video

Leave it to Jeff Bezos to have a successful thing in his resume. The second most popular streaming service with 205 million subscribers, Prime Video has developed a reputation for being a dumping ground for some of the worst content available to stream, and it’s easy to see why

Apart from a handful of exceptions, most of the content PrimeVideo is the last thing anyone would want to watch, and that’s the stuff that Prime subscribers can watch. Even the best stuff on the platform you still might have to pay for again, because some of what’s on Prime Video you still have to either buy or rent.That says it all right there. Worth It rating:Absolutely not.

Disney+

The fastest growing streaming service of all time, gaining 10 million subscribers a day after its launch, Disney+ is an excellent example of the nichification of streaming services.

Withasimilarsenseofqualityinits contentasNetflix,Disney+succeedsin onewaywhereotherservicesfail,and that’sinfamilycontent.Anotheraspect thatDisney+hashadalotofsuccess withcomparedtootherservicesislive musicalperformances.Someofthe biggestnamesinmusichaveallreleased livemusicalexperiencesunlikeanything anyonehasevermadebefore.

Worth It rating: 100%.

overwhelming to think ‘How can we ever repay anyone for their generosity?’” Amy said. “It makes you think there’s a lot of positivity in the world.”

Each day, however, the Jones’ repay their supporters with inspiration. Ava has managed to convert adversity into motivation, and recognizes her newfound influence on the world around her.

“I’m not glad that it happened, but I can’t imagine what life would be like if it hadn’t happened,” she said. “I’m glad I can inspire people to push on.”

Their story and resulting mindset serves as an important reminder for anyone undergoing physical or mental challenges as they model gratitude and thankfulness. With setting goals and seeing accomplishments, Ava reminds people that “things do come to an end eventually.”

Staff writer Laci Sutton contributed to this story

The quieter side of spring break

By Victoria Lewis Staff Writer

Far from the infamous, outrageous partying and other tomfoolery that is spring break in places like Florida, some students opt for the quieter side of life, staying in the Hutchinson Community College student housing for the week off.

Sophomore Brandon Hall from Georgia chose to stay in his HutchCC apartment over the break instead of driving back home to Atlanta.

“I didn’t want to drive back 1,000 miles, and is a whole lot of money I don’t have,” Hall said. “I’m leaving at the end of this semester so it wouldn’t make sense to fly home just to fly back in a month.”

He did manage to keep himself occupied by traveling to Wichita on a few occasions over the week.

Though, he said he just “stayed in the house, and slept a majority of spring break - hibernation is key.”

Hall said there is a secret to spring break in student housing.

“Find you a gaming buddy who you’re cool with, and find something to do with that person, otherwise you’re gonna be bored in the dorms,” said Hall, speaking of his four teammates left to share his break with.

However, other students who stayed put over spring break didn’t have too much of a choice.

HutchCC student Colin Cymbalista is from Toronto, Canada, and was unable to fly home.

“I didn’t have much in terms of expectations while staying here as my schedule didn’t really change outside

of school,” he said. “The reality was that it was almost completely empty, as almost everyone was gone.”

Cymbalista passes on words of advice to others who find themselves in the dorms over school breaks.

“If students who are staying over for a break are athletes, I recommend hanging out with teammates, but if not, I’d say try and learn a new skill or hobby over the week because there isn’t a whole lot to do,” Cymbalista said. “Baseball kept me pretty occupied, but all the baseball players hung out together and played video games to pass time. It was kind of nice. No wait for the laundry machines, and everyone got to park super close to our dorms which was really nice,” he said.

Cymbalista’s teammate and Lincoln, Nebraska native, Cooper Wesslund seconded the enjoyment of having first pick of the hotly-contested washers and dryers in the dorms. He said that even though he experienced feelings of loneliness, and was disappointed he couldn’t go home and see his family, “it was nice when having to do laundry.”

Wesslund said there are serious perks to staying in the dorms over spring break.

“The best part was having no school and the parking,” Wesslund said. “We ate a lot of team meals where our coach would take us to either a fast food place or we would go to his own house for a meal,” Wesslund said.

It turns out spring break in the dorms is not all that bad after all, and is definitely an option for future students to consider, who just want a bit of ‘rest and relaxation’ come March next year.

Grimes sets new hitting record

By Sam Ojeda Sports Editor

The Hutchinson Community College softball team has a new career hits leader.

Third-year sophomore Madison Grimes is leading the 15th-ranked Blue Dragons lineup. Grimes, who is from Andale, has a career total of 178 hits. She passed former hits leader, and HutchCC Quarterback Club Hall of Fame member, Jessica Glenn on Feb. 28 in a game against the Sterling College JV.

Grimes recalls the moments surrounding her special moment. Grimes and assistant coach Ray Aguirre shared a moment over the hit.

“I remember Coach Ray saying how proud he was of me and giving me the biggest hug,” Grimes said. “I had the biggest smile on my face.”

In that same at-bat, Grimes recalls her conversation with Blue Dragons coach Jaime Rose following her home run.

“Coach Rose and I squeezed hands and I said ‘I got you’,” Grimes said. “I hit that home run and as I rounded third I pointed at her and she said ‘I guess you do’.

“I will remember that for the rest of my life.” Rose has been around Grimes her whole college career. Rose refers to Grimes by her common nickname “Dink” that was given to her because she was born premature, and is the smallest Blue Dragon at 5 feet, 4 inches.

Grimes started her career with a dream freshman season.

“As a freshman, she had a year at the plate that most only dream of and it felt like everything she hit found an open spot,” Rose said.

After hitting over .500 at the plate that season, her still impressive sophomore season was considered a down year for Grimes.

“As a sophomore, she continued to hit the ball solidly. It just didn’t fall as often which led to frustration, and I think that frustration held her back at times,” Rose said about

Grimes’ sophomore campaign.

In Grimes’s third - she was granted an extra year due to the Covid pandemic - and final season, Rose has seen tons of mental growth from her leader.

“This year, like usual she hits the ball hard, but when it does not fall, I have seen her overcome that frustration and truly grow as a hitter,” Rose said.

Grimes is the most experienced player on the roster but that also comes with some off field expectations. Rose loves having “Dink” still around and knew she was a crucial piece coming into this season.

“She is a leader by example and always has been,” Rose said. “She knows one speed and it is all out.”

Grimes also loves her role.

“As an experienced player, I feel like I thrive in a team environment,” Grimes

said. “I feel like Hutch has given me the opportunity to be myself as a player and as a person.”

As the final year of her Blue Dragon career goes on, Grimes knows what the future has in store for her. Grimes is headed to Missouri Southern State University to continue her softball career. She is planning on majoring in Sports Management.

Grimes said she will forever relish her time at HutchCC.

“The relationship I have built with my coaches, and building lifelong friendships with my sisters is why I have loved every minute being here at HutchCC,” Grimes said.

Grimes will miss Hutchinson and hopes to bring large amounts of success to her team and her school to finish out a great career.

Athlete of the week (Mar 12-18)

Ryan Henderson Baseball

The Week: Henderson had a great week at the plate. He went 8-13 for a .615 batting average clip. He had 12 RBI’s and four homeruns. He even had a stolen base. A few diving plays and that hitting line earned him a nomination for KJCCC West player of the week.

Henderson

This Season: Henderson rasied his batting average 70 points this week. He is now hitting .284 and has four homeruns. His 22 RBI’s and four stolen bases has helped lead the baseball team to a 14-11 record and a sweep last week over Pratt CC.They continue conference play this week against Seward CC.

Bryan Miller leads Hutch High to state

Anderson speaks highly of Miller as a player.

“Bryan was a hard-nosed, tough competitor that translated into a terrific defender,” Anderson said.

Miller is known as a good leader as a coach, and Anderson saw that early with Miller as a player.

“He was a great leader both on and off the floor that helped us win a bunch of games,” Anderson said. “Coach Miller loved the game and became a student of it.”

By Sam Ojeda Sports Editor

Weather it is as a Salthawk or a Blue Dragon, Hutchinson roots deep in the heart of Hutchinson High boys basketball coach Bryan Miller. Miller is a Hutchinson native. He is also a fan of the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons, HutchCC alumnus and former assistant men’s basketball coach.

Miller is now head coach of the Hutchinson High boys basketball team. Miller and the Salthawks finished their season two weeks ago in the Class 5A KSHSAA State Tournament. Miller’s squad finished with a 22-3 record. He was also an assistant coach of the HutchCC men’s basketball team for a season. Miller is a fond HutchCC sports fan. His fandom dates back to Miller’s childhood.

“My time at HCC started as a little boy sitting in the crows nest of a packed Sports Arena watching the Blue Dragons play,” Miller said.

These moments as a boy fueled the flame of love for the game of basketball in Miller’s heart.

“Those moments were the early basketball seeds that were planted which sparked a love for the game of basketball,” Miller said.

As Miller got to high school, his love for the game expanded in a major way. Before he was a Salthawk coach, he was a Salthawk player, as he graduated in 1997 and then attended HutchCC before going to Wichita State. He was coached by former coach Phil Anderson, who is now a HutchCC women’s basketball assistant coach.

Baseball

All dates are doubleheaders unless noted

Feb. 11, Southeast Nebraska, W 8-5, W 10-7

Feb. 13, at SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA, W 8-4, L 4-5

Feb. 17, at Temple, Texas (one game), L 2-7

Feb. 18, at Hill, Texas (one game), W 8-1

Feb. 19, at McLennan, Texas (one game), L 5-6

Feb. 21, TABOR JV, W 12-1, W 10-0

Feb. 23, at Rose State, Okla. L 13-7; W 5-2

Feb. 25, at Rose State, Okla, L 9-6

Feb. 28, at Northern Oklahoma-Enid (one game), L 12-9

March 1, COFFEYVILLE, W 8-7; W 8-2

March 4 at Coffeyville, L 8-1, L 5-4

March 9, DODGE CITY, L 13-7, W 10-1

March 11, at Dodge City, L 7-2, L 1-0

March 16, at Pratt, W 11-9, W 16-12

March 18, PRATT, W 11-4, W 13-3

March 23, SEWARD COUNTY, 1 p.m.

March 25, at Seward County, 1 p.m.

March 30, at Butler, 1 p.m.

April 1, BUTLER, 1 P.M.

Now that Miller has stepped into Anderson’s shoes as the head coach, Anderson said he sees some great qualities from Miller.

“Coach Miller is the epitome of a great coachtireless worker, great motivator, great character and a class act,” Anderson said. “It is not surprising at all the success Coach Miller is having at HHS.”

Miller finished his third year with the Salthawks and has seen his team’s hard work come to fruition. The year before Miller took over, the Salthawk went 1-19. In his first season, they reached the Class 6A state tournament.

“Our success is a direct result of consistent hard work over a three-year period,” Miller said.

The success this year came from a great senior class. Miller said he is proud of his seniors and is sad to see them go.

“Our seniors have elevated this program with their character, toughness and care for each other,” Miller said.

The community has rallied behind its basketball team and loved the success of this season.

“We are so supported right now by our students, faculty and the local community, Hutch High boys basketball has a buzz around it, and it’s cool to see,” Miller said.

Miller is enjoying his role as the head coach of Hutch High and added that he will always be a lifelong Blue Dragon.

“Being a Hutch kid and a Salthawk, it means everything to me. I was born and raised in this town and have a big heart for the Blue Dragons,” Miller said.

April 6, CLOUD COUNTY, 1 p.m.

April 8, at Cloud County, 1 p.m.

April 11, at Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa (one game), 2 p.m.

April 13, COWLEY, 1 p.m.

April 15, at Cowley, 1 p.m.

April 17, STERLING JV (one game), 4 p.m.

April 20, at Garden City, 1 p.m.

April 22, GARDEN CITY, 1 p.m.

April 24, at Sterling JV (one game), 2 p.m.

April 27, BARTON, 1

Dragon schedules. All home games, events in caps.

Photo by Billy Watson/HutchCC Sports Information Madison Grimes celebrates after breaking the school record for hits. The third-year sophomore broke the record against Sterling College earlier this season.

Photo by Josie Schrag/Collegian Hutchinson High School coach Bryan Miller stands on the sideline coaching his team. The Salthawks finished with a 22-3 record this season.

HutchCC alumnus and Blue Dragon fan, finds success as the Salthawks boys basketball coach.