Season Preview

IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING FEW MONTHS TO SAY THE LEAST FOR GARDEN CITY. FROM AN OFF-SEASON HEALTH SCARE WITH TOM MINNICK TO A RESHUFFLE OF THE COACHING STAFF, THE BRONCBUSTERS ENTER THE 2022 SEASON REENERGIZED. AND AFTER THREE YEARS OF NEAR MISSES, IS MINNICK'S BUNCH READY TO BREAK THROUGH?

BY MIKE PILOSOF PHOTOS BY ADAM SHRIMPLIN

IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING FEW MONTHS TO SAY THE LEAST FOR GARDEN CITY. FROM AN OFF-SEASON HEALTH SCARE WITH TOM MINNICK TO A RESHUFFLE OF THE COACHING STAFF, THE BRONCBUSTERS ENTER THE 2022 SEASON REENERGIZED. AND AFTER THREE YEARS OF NEAR MISSES, IS MINNICK'S BUNCH READY TO BREAK THROUGH?

ON PAPER, GARDEN CITY MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY. BUT AS TOM MINNICK HAS POINTED OUT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, YOU DON'T WIN GAMES ON PAPER. HOWEVER, WITH A TALENTED RECRUITING CLASS COMES ENORMOUS EXPECTATIONS TO BE PLAYING IN LITTLE ROCK IN DECEMBER. AND WITH A DEFENSE FILLED WITH DIVISION-I BOUNCE BACKS AND AN OFFENSE LITTERED WITH PLAY MAKERS, MINNICK IS HOPING A RETURN TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IS IN HIS TEAM'S FUTURE. HE'S BETTING ON IT AND SO ARE HIS PLAYERS. YET THIS YEAR WILL BE DEFINED BY SOMETHING WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN FOOTBALL: PERSEVERANCE.

He was rushed to St. Catherine Hospital where the news was grim. "It was the scariest thing I've ever dealt with because I couldn't explain it," Minnick said. "I felt helpless, which is the worst feeling in the world."

Griffin's prompt response saved Minnick's life for the time being, but once doctors got in the room, the diagnosis was not good. He had suffered a stroke. His speech was severely impaired, and his entire left side was paralyzed, forcing medical personnel to fly him to Denver to seek out a neurologist. "I remember the flight there," Minnick explained. "It wasn't very long. I was conscious."

The weeks that followed only tested Minnick's resolve. There was anger, tears and setbacks. He was still as sharp as ever, but the former college quarterback couldn't convey the message that he wanted. He needed a walker to move around, and the physical therapy, even for one of the most determined people on earth, was agonizing. But, just days before fall camp was set to open, the one thing had the fiery Minnick as determined as ever was his team. He promised that he would be back before the start of classes on Aug. 15. "I needed to be there for those guys," Minnick explained.

Incredibly, less than three weeks after suffering the stroke, Minnick was back at work. But considering he had missed the first week of practice, he had to play catchup. "Our coaching staff did a great job of keeping these guys focused on the task at hand," Minnick said. "It wasn't the most ideal

It's the middle of August, a time in the Junior College world where most compliance personnel and athletic directors are at their busiest. Transcripts are pouring in from all over the country, fingers are pounding adding machines frantically trying to calculate grade point averages, and yet, on this particular morning, Tom Minnick has a smile on his face. To understand why, one would have to go back less than a month, when the Hall-of-Fame coach was fighting for his life.

On July 25, Minnick was getting ready for meetings when Head Athletic Trainer, Alli Griffin was called frantically by offensive coordinator, Ryan Felker. Minnick's left side had gone numb. He was coherent but couldn't talk. situation to be in, but they figured it out."

The fact that Minnick, despite the need of a moterized scooter to manuever around the facility, is back at full swing, is a miracle in itself. "He's one of the most stubborn and determined people I know," said Tiffany Minnick, who serves as the Head Spirit Squad Coach. "This is his legacy. This is what we've built for the last 30 years."

MOVING FORWARD

Entering his fourth season at the helm, Minnick is embracing all the expectations that come with the job. Now, seven years removed from the program's only national title and four years after their last trip to the championship game, the veteran coach's bravado hasn't changed, even despite

Broncbusters barely squeaked by Highland on the road. That was followed up by a pair of blown fourth quarter leads against Independence and Hutchinson before an Oct. 30 loss at home to Butler, a game the Grizzlies eventually forfeited because of an ineligible player. Even with their reversal in fortune, the polls didn't do Minnick's bunch any favors, and following playoff wins over Dodge City and Butler, Garden City was blown out by Hutchinson in the conference championship game.

"Hutch was the best team in the country last year when we played them in the championship game," Minnick said. "They were playing better than anybody. But, we also know that we blew some games earlier in the season that could have changed everything. It really all comes down to finishing games."

Still, it was the fifth time in the last six years that Garden City won at least eight games, capping it off with a resounding 53-34 victory over Navarro in the inaugural Scooter's Coffee Bowl.

"We did a lot of really good things last season," Minnick said. "We plan on building off that."

COACHING CHANGES

Minnick's staff looks a little different this season. Gone is defensive coordinator, Aaron Cheatwood, who is now a graduate assistant at New Mexico State. He was replaced by veteran coach, Chenelle Jones, who spent the past four years as both an assistant coach and assistant athletic director at Mesa Community College. Jumanne Robertson takes over the defensive backs' position vacated by Antonio Banks, while Ed Tarleton, who spent the spring at Cisco, will coach the linebackers. Vaughn Van Dame, who also serves as the Head Strength Coach, will tutor the wide receivers with help from assistant Carlos Wiggins. Minnick also brought in Gio Perez-Chavoya as a recruiting coordinator.

"We've got a good mix of veteran and young coaches on this staff," Minnick said. "Getting Coach Jones was huge because of the experience factor."

Trey Jackson returns to lead the defensive line after a brief coaching stint in the United States Football League during the spring while Ryan Felker enters his second season calling the offensive plays.

"Coach Jackson and Coach Felker are two very important pieces to what we do," Minnick said. "Coach Felker has been around the Junior College ranks for a long time, and Coach Jackson played at this level. It's a good combination for sure."

a major health scare. But the reality is the landscape of Junior College football, more specifically the Jayhawk Conference has changed again. Hutchinson won the spring 2021 title and nearly backed into the national playoffs in the fall. Coffeyville won the regular-season crown a year ago, and Highland hired former Broncbuster assistant Jared Powers to help revitalize a dormant conference contender. Fort Scott axed their football program, Butler promoted offensive coordinator Brice Vignery to the top spot, and Independence, the darlings of Netflix's Docuseries Last Chance U, is loaded once again. So, where does that leave Garden City, a team that has flirted with the big game each of the last three seasons only to come up short?

2022 OUTLOOK

Minnick's best recruiting job to date came during the spring of 2020. But most of those players never saw the field thanks to COVID including former Miami quarterback, Jarren Williams, who just last month walked away from football for personal reasons. In addition, running back Anthony Grant was an All-American on New Mexico Military's national championship team in 2021.

This year's class may look different, but it stands to reason that it could be just as talented. On the offensive side of the ball, Ty Perry replaces Rhett Ricedorff at quarterback with Torey Morrison serving as a wideout/backup signal caller. The freshman from Miami, FL threw for over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior. The backfield is loaded with a combination of speed and power with Cisco transfer Travis Dixon leading the way and third-year speedster Devion Hodges and sophomore Man Man Freeman back in the mix. On the perimeter, TyeJuan Taylor, who at one point had interest from Nebraska, UCLA, and Penn State coming out of Plainfield High School in New Jersey provides a 6-3 frame while West Carolina transfer Jaylin Young, who played in eight games at the Division-I level, gives Minnick a veteran presence on the outside. Jacobi Bellazin, the one-time four-star wide receiver is also back after playing in the first couple of games last season. "Ty may not be the biggest guy, but he has a great arm and he is tough. We've got some speed, but it will still be a work in progress."

Up front, Garden City brings back preseason All-American Basa Balangnayi, who was a starter on the 2021 spring team. He joins returning tackle Chris Carter, who has offers from Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Troy. Jeremiah Mawali, Jabaree Dawkins, and Quentin Ross are also back, stabilizing the most important unit on the team.

"I say it every year, it starts with the guys up front," Minnick stated. "We've got a lot of experience there, which is always a good thing. But they're going to be going against SEC guys every week. So, we need to stay healthy."

The defense is where things get really interesting. The team that Minnick trots out in 2022 will look nothing like the one from last season. All-American Raymond Cutts returns on the defensive line but he's joined by a slew of new faces including University of Miami transfer Deshawn Troutman, who will start at linebacker opposite West Virginia transfer Ja'Corey Hammett.

"Those two guys are nasty," Minnick said. "You have two Division-I football players who have experience and are as physical as it gets. We wanted to bring in guys with experience that can cover and get pressure on the

quarterback."

But where the real transformation will be seen is in the secondary, where the Broncbusters signed Mississippi State transfer Eldric Griffin along with former East Carolina defensive back, Nasir Clerk. Those two will team up with

Albert Nunes, who transferred in from Hutchinson.

"When you play in this league, you better be able to cover," Minnick added. "When you play teams like Hutch and Butler, teams who can throw the ball, you have to have guys who can stay with receivers. That was our entire mission during the offseason."

"Looking back on last year, we needed to CHANGE some things. We focused on the SECONDARY."

MEDIA RIGHTS DEAL

NJCAA President, Chris Parker, has been busy this offseason. Besides securing sites for the upcoming National Championship events, Parker just finalized a multiyear agreement with ESPN to carry the Junior College National Championship Game, which will air on ESPNU on Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. CDT. It will be the fifth straight season that the big game will air on national television.

THE GAUNTLET

There might not be a team in the counry with a more difficult schedule to begin the season. Garden City starts the year in El Dorado against Butler on Saturday, Aug. 27. Those teams met twice in 2021, which included the Broncbusters victory over the Grizzlies in the Jayhawk Conference semifinals. As a side note-Garden City has only lost once at BG Products Stadium (2019) since 2014. The following week, the Broncbusters host Iowa Central, a team with plenty of firepower, led by veteran head man Jesse Montalto. After that, it's a trip to Council Bluffs to face Iowa Western, which lost in the National Championship Game last season.

"We get tested right out of the gate," Minnick explained. "But, to get to the National Championship Game, you have to beat those guys. So, in essence, it really doesn't matter when you play them. We've opened up with Snow before. This is nothing new for us." team that took them to the wire a season ago. Then it's homecoming on Oct. 1 vs. Dodge City before a top10 showdown with Independence on Oct. 8. That's all in prelude to a rematch of the Jayhawk Conference Championship Game with Hutchinson on Oct. 22.

"Right now, Hutchinson is the team to beat," Minnick said. "They're good. Coach Dallas does a great job with them."

Garden City then closes the regular season at Ellsworth on Oct. 29 before welcoming in Coffeyville on Nov. 12. The Red Ravens won the regular-season title in 2021 and are led by former Garden City Head Coach, Jeff Leiker.