by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
If Kansas City Kansas Community College is to win the Jayhawk Conference championship, the Lady Blue Devils will have to defeat the top teams in the nation.
Johnson County Community College (12-0) is ranked No. 1 and Highland (7-0) No. 2 in the latest NJCAA Division II national poll.
KCKCC, the only team to defeat No. 11 St. Louis Community College, is ranked No. 6 in the new poll. However, voting was concluded before the Blue Devils (10-2) suffered their second loss of the season 76-74 at Washburn JV Monday night. A fourth Jayhawk team is ranked in the Top 20. Fort Scott (10-1) is ranked 14th.
In the NJCAA poll of Division II men’s teams, Highland (11-0) is ranked No. 3 and Johnson County (9-2) is 14th.
The KCKCC women return to action Friday and Saturday when they’ll compete in the Southeast Nebraska Classic in Beatrice. The Blue Devils will play Central Nebraska Friday at 2 p.m. and host Southeast Saturday at 6 p.m. before returning home for their final two pre-holiday contests.
The Blue Devils will get a chance to avenge their first loss of the season Tuesday when they host Metropolitan Community College (formerly Penn Valley) at 6 p.m. and then will entertain Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in another re-match Friday at 7 p.m.
The KCKCC men will also close out pre-holiday play at home. At State Fair Saturday at 8 p.m., the Blue Devils will play host to Washburn junior varsity Monday at 7 p.m. and Iowa Western Saturday, Dec. 15, at 4 p.m.