After a 41-24 road victory over Iowa Central, Butler football moved up one spot to 14th in this week's NJCAA Top 20 poll.
The Grizzlies (4-2 overall, 2-1 KJCCC) received 56 votes, just a half-point behind 13th-ranked Dakota College at Bottineau. For the fourth straight week, Butler remained the highest-ranked two-loss team in the poll.
The top seven in the poll remained nearly unchanged. East Mississippi and Iowa Western, tied for the top spot last week, went back to 1 and 2 in the rankings. For the first time this season, East Mississippi received only seven of the nine first-place votes, with Iowa Western and fourth-ranked Trinity Valley receiving one first-place vote each.
Mississippi Gulf Coast held steady at No. 3 for the second straight week, while Hutchinson, Scottsdale (Ariz.) and Snow (Utah) remained fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Nassau (N.Y.), Arizona Western and Central Lakes-Brainerd (Minn.) rounded out the top ten.
For the third consecutive week, three KJCCC teams - Hutchinson, Butler and Coffeyville - stayed in this week's poll. With a 42-35 loss to No. 5 Hutchinson, Coffeyville dropped down three spots to 17th.
Butler is on the road again this week, as the Grizzlies travel west for a conference battle with Dodge City on Saturday. After opening the season with a 2-1 record, the Conquistadors (2-4 overall, 2-2 KJCCC) have lost three straight games - including a 49-38 road loss at Fort Scot on Saturday. Kickoff for the Butler-Dodge City contest is at 1 p.m.
| 2014 NJCAA TOP 20 FOOTBALL POLL | ||||
| Oct. 7, 2014 | ||||
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Prev. |
| 1. | East Mississippi (7) | 6-0 | 198.5 | 1 |
| 2. | Iowa Western (1) |
6-0 | 196.0 | 1 |
| 3. | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 6-0 | 194 | 3 |
| 4. | Trinity Valley, TX (1) | 6-0 | 177 | 4 |
| 5. | Hutchinson | 6-0 | 164.5 | 5 |
| 6. | Scottsdale, AZ | 5-1 | 152 | 6 |
| 7. | Snow, UT |
5-1 | 139 | 7 |
| 8. | Nassau, NY | 6-0 | 128 | 8 |
| 9. | Arizona Western | 6-1 | 126.5 | 8 |
| 10. | Central Lakes-Brainerd, MN | 6-0 | 123.5 | 11 |
| 11. | Tyler, TX | 5-1 | 104.5 | 10 |
| 12. | Kilgore, TX | 5-1 | 98.5 | 13 |
| 13. | Dakota-Bottineau, ND | 5-1 | 56.5 | 18 |
| 14. | Butler | 4-2 | 56 | 15 |
| 15. | Navarro, TX | 4-2 | 50 | 17 |
| 16. | Blinn, TX | 4-1 | 44.5 | 19 |
| 17. | Coffeyville | 4-2 | 38 | 14 |
| 18. | ASA, NY | 3-1 | 37 | RV |
| 19. | Hudson Valley, NY | 5-0 | 35.5 | 20 |
| 20. | Jones County, MS | 4-2 | 29 | 12 |
Other schools receiving votes: Copiah-Lincoln, MS (4-2, 16.5); Lackawanna, PA (4-1, 13); Georgia Military (3-3, 7); Hinds, MS (4-2, 7).
Dropped from rankings: Georgia Military (16).
