With a 37-34 loss to No. 19 Coffeyville on Saturday, Butler football fell five spots to 19th in this week's NJCAA Top 20 poll.
Butler (5-3 overall, 3-2 KJCCC) received just 15 votes and is one of two three-loss teams in the poll. The loss not only snapped a four-game winning streak for the Grizzlies, but it also ended a 23-game winning over the Red Ravens, who earned their first win over Butler since the 1997 season.
For the ninth straight week, East Mississippi retained the No. 1 spot in the poll, as they received 208 votes and six first-place votes. Iowa Western held steady in second with 197 votes and two first-place votes. Trinity Valley, Texas and Hutchinson both moved up one spot, as Mississippi Gulf Coast suffered its first loss of the season and fell to seventh. Trinity Valley grabbed 184.5 votes and one first-place vote, while Hutchinson received 177 votes. Scottsdale, Ariz., rounded out the top five.
For the fifth consecutive week, three KJCCC teams - Hutchinson, Butler and Coffeyville - were ranked this week's poll. Coffeyville moved up two spots to No. 15 after defeating Butler.
Butler will travel to Garden City this Saturday for a 7 p.m. contest. The Broncbusters (3-4 overall, 2-3 conference) have lost three straight contests after opening the season with a 3-1 record. Garden City is coming off a 32-28 home loss to Fort Scott last Saturday.
| 2014 NJCAA TOP 20 FOOTBALL POLL | ||||
| Oct. 21, 2014 | ||||
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Prev. |
| 1. | East Mississippi (6) | 8-0 | 208 | 1 |
| 2. | Iowa Western (2) |
8-0 | 197 | 2 |
| 3. | Trinity Valley, TX (1) | 8-0 | 184.5 | 4 |
| 4. | Hutchinson | 8-0 | 177 | 5 |
| 5. | Scottsdale, AZ | 7-1 | 158 | 6 |
| 6. | Snow, UT | 7-1 | 149.5 | 7 |
| 7. | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 7-1 | 135.5 | 3 |
| 7. | Central Lakes-Brainerd, MN | 8-0 | 135.5 | 8 |
| 9. | Nassau, NY | 7-0 | 132.5 | 9 |
| 10. | Arizona Western | 8-1 | 123 | 10 |
| 11. | Kilgore, TX | 7-1 | 110.5 | 12 |
| 12. | Navarro, TX | 6-2 | 83 | 15 |
| 13. | Copiah-Lincoln, MS | 6-2 | 83 | 19 |
| 14. | Dakota-Bottineau, ND | 7-1 | 75 | 13 |
| 15. | Coffeyville | 6-2 | 65.5 | 17 |
| 16. | ASA, NY | 4-1 | 57.5 | 16 |
| 17. | Hudson Valley, NY | 7-0 | 53 | 18 |
| 18. | Tyler, TX | 6-2 | 41.5 | 11 |
| 19. | Butler | 5-3 | 15 | 14 |
| 20. | Glendale, AZ | 5-3 | 8.5 | NR |
Other schools receiving votes: Jones County, MS (5-3, 8); Blinn, TX (4-3, 6).
Dropped from rankings: Blinn, TX (20).
