When Friday nights roll around in Hutchinson and the lights come on at the high school football field, there are dozens of local businesses, families, and neighbors who quietly helped make that moment happen. Jay Malone Motors is one of them — and this week, four of the people who put on the pads each fall stopped by the dealership to pick up our seasonal sponsorship.
Meet The 2026 Tiger Football Captains
The captains of this year's Hutchinson High School football team — Hayden Benson, Grady Campbell, Jack Hantge, and Luke Ostlie — stopped by Jay Malone Motors to collect the dealership's annual sponsorship check. The visit happened well before the season opener in August, but that timing is intentional. Hutchinson's strongest athletic programs build their off-season around the small responsibilities just as much as the on-field work. Showing up at a local business to thank a sponsor in person is one of those responsibilities.
Assistant General Manager Jordan Malone-Forst greeted the captains at the dealership and signed off on the check personally. Jordan herself attended Hutchinson High School and played volleyball for the Tigers — one of three Malone kids who grew up wearing the black and gold.
A Season-By-Season Commitment, Not A One-Time Gesture
Jay Malone Motors' commitment to Hutchinson High School athletics is structured around showing up every season, for every sport. The football sponsorship is part of a broader investment in HHS programs that runs year-round:
Hutchinson High School Athletics We Support
- Fall: Football, volleyball, cross country, soccer, tennis
- Winter: Basketball, hockey, wrestling, swimming
- Spring: Baseball, softball, track & field, golf
The thinking behind that approach is simple. Athletics in Hutchinson aren't just a fall football tradition or a winter basketball season. They're a year-round investment in young people who learn discipline, teamwork, leadership, and resilience through the work they put in — and a family business that grew up in this community has a responsibility to back the whole calendar, not just the high-profile sports.
Why Hutchinson Tiger Football Matters
Tiger football has been part of Hutchinson's fall identity for generations. Friday night games, the marching band, the student section in black and gold, the post-game stop at a local diner — these are the moments that make Hutchinson feel like Hutchinson. The captains who lead the team aren't just running plays. They're carrying a tradition that started before most current students were born and will continue long after they graduate.
For Hayden, Grady, Jack, and Luke, this is their year to set the standard. Captains in any program take on responsibility that extends beyond the field — from team culture, to off-season conditioning, to the small but symbolic acts of leadership like personally picking up a sponsorship check on behalf of the team.
Looking Ahead To August
The Tigers' first kickoff is coming in August. Between now and then, the captains will be leading their teammates through summer training, building team chemistry, and getting ready to walk under the lights on opening night. When that night arrives, Jay Malone Motors will be cheering loud — just like every Hutchinson family that has been part of this tradition for decades.
Good luck to Hayden, Grady, Jack, Luke, and the entire 2026 Tiger football program. Go Tigers.
About Jay Malone Motors
Jay Malone Motors has served Hutchinson and McLeod County since 2005. The family business supports schools, athletics, civic organizations, and community programs across central Minnesota every season of the year. To see more of the partnerships we maintain throughout the community, visit our Community Involvement page.