Grizzlies picked by coaches to win Jayhawk Conference

Football coaches in the Jayhawk Conference have once again selected Butler to win the league championship in 2012, as was announced during the conference's preseason media event on Friday in Wichita.

The Grizzlies were picked ahead of Hutchinson and Coffeyville, which were second and third, respectively. Fort Scott was picked fourth, Garden City and Doge City were tied for fifth, Highland was picked seventh and Independence picked eighth.

Butler has won the last two conference titles and 12 of the past 14 championships dating back to 1998. The only years the Grizzlies missed on were 2000 and 2009, when they finished second. Butler has an astounding 93-5 record in conference games over that time.

Butler returns 25 letterwinners and six starters coming off a year in which the Grizzlies won 11 consecutive games to finish the season, including a 21-17 win over Trinity Valley (Texas) in the Citizen's Bank Bowl in Pittsburg last December.

The Grizzlies open the 2012 season at Dodge City on Aug. 25. Butler will play its first home game in the new BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Sept. 1 against Blinn (Texas).