Blinn Buccaneers Win National Championship and Top Final NJCAA / JCFootball.com Rankings of 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - From time to time a football season is defined by just one play, a heroic effort that saves a team from elimination and vaults them to the pinnacle of success. Such a play took place at the 2009 NJCAA Football Championship Game in the inaugural Citizen's Bank Bowl in Pittsburg, Kan., yesterday (Dec. 6) that will forever define the 2009 National Championship season for Blinn College (Texas).
Down 26-24 to No. 1 ranked Fort Scott (Kan.) with just under 30 seconds remaining in the game, Blinn's Chad Froechtenicht fielded a Fort Scott punt on his own 16 yard line, avoided the first wave of Greyhound tacklers and sprinted 84 yards for the national title clinching touchdown.
Photo: #7 Chad Froechnicht returned a Fort Scott punt 84 yards for the winning touchdown. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE GAME WINNING PUNT RETURN. Photo by Charlie Kelm, Blinn College.
The 31-26 win over Fort Scott gave Blinn its fourth NJCAA Football Championship in program history (1995, 1996, 2006, 2009) and second in four years under head coach Brad Franchione. The win was extra special for Franchione as he is a native of Pittsburg, Kan., and was able to win the big game in front of many local supporters.
"For me to have the opportunity to come to the Citizens Bank Bowl in Pittsburg, Kansas, in front of my hometown crowd, it will forever be a special moment in my life," Franchione said.
The 2009 NJCAA Football Championship Game can be seen in its entirety via NJCAA TV archive at www.njcaa.org/tv.
The dramatic finish in the national title game ends another great year of NJCAA football. Blinn's victory over Fort Scott puts the Bucs in the No. 1 slot of the final NJCAA / JC Football.com rankings of the year with an 11-1 record.
The Greyhounds of Fort Scott, also 11-1, cap off a brilliant year with a No. 2 ranking. The 2009 season for Fort Scott included its first conference title in over 30 years and first-ever Region 6 Playoff Championship.
Navarro (Texas), East Mississippi, Arizona Western, Snow (Utah), Grand Rapids (Mich.), Mississippi Gulf Coast, Ellsworth (Iowa) and Butler (Kan.) round out the top 10 of the final poll.
NOTE: As the highest ranking non-scholarship team in the final rankings, Grand Rapids (Mich.) is declared the 2009 NJCAA Football Non-Scholarship Champion by the NJCAA Football Coaches Association.
2009 NJCAA Bowl Game Results
*Note: Rankings listed in scores below are from the final poll of the regular season (11/16/09)
NOVEMBER 21, 2009
NORTH STAR BOWL
UCR Regional Sports Stadium - Rochester, MN
#19 Coffeyville Community College, Kan. (7-4), 52
#14 Rochester CTC, Minn. (10-2), 12
NOVEMBER 22, 2009
THE GRAPHIC EDGE BOWL
(2 Games)
UNI Dome; Cedar Falls, Iowa
GAME 1
Joliet Junior College, Ill. (7-5), 28
North Dakota State College of Science (6-6), 17
FEATURE GAME
#13 Ellsworth Community College, Iowa (8-3), 64
#9 Central Lakes College, Minn. (10-2), 7
DECEMBER 5, 2009
VALLEY OF THE SUN BOWL
Phoenix, Arizona
Glendale Community College, Ariz. (7-5), 10
#11 Dean College, Mass. (9-2), 9
DECEMBER 5, 2009
C.H.A.M.P.S. HEART OF TEXAS BOWL
Bulldawg Stadium; Copperas Cove, Texas
#4 Navarro College, Texas (11-1), 37
#7 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (9-3), 26
DECEMBER 5, 2009
ZIONS BANK TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS BOWL
Rio-Tinto Stadium; Salt Lake City, Utah
#8 Snow College, Utah (10-2), 41
#3 Grand Rapids Community College, Mich. (9-2), 37
DECEMBER 5, 2009
CENTRAL BANK SALT CITY BOWL
Gowans Stadium; Hutchinson, Kan.
#20 Hutchinson Community College, Kan. (7-4), 22
#16 New Mexico Military Institute (7-4), 14
DECEMBER 6, 2009
MISSISSIPPI BOWL
Biloxi Indian Stadium, Biloxi, Miss.
#5 East Mississippi Community College (11-1), 27
#6 Arizona Western College (9-2), 24
DECEMBER 6, 2009
2009 NJCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
CITIZEN'S BANK BOWL
Pittsburg State University Carnie Smith Stadium; Pittsburg, Kansas
#2 Blinn College, Texas (11-1), 31
#1 Fort Scott Community College, Kan. (11-1), 26
