FORT WORTH, Texas – Top-seeded Grand View (Iowa) had the last say in a back-and-forth affair, defeating No. 2 Keiser (Fla.) 22-16 to win the 70th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Saturday (Dec. 20) at Crowley ISD Multipurpose Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas,.
The victory secured the Vikings’ second consecutive football national championship and third overall, having previously claimed the red banner in 2013 and 2024.
The scoring started out slow as neither offense could generate much in the first quarter. However, Keiser (12-1) cracked the scoring column first with a Dorian Hall 27-yard field goal with 42 seconds left in the opening frame.
Grand View (14-0) countered with a pair of field goals in the second quarter. Cory Wood connected on kicks from 45 and 41 yards, with the latter coming with 3:08 to go in the half. The Vikings extended their lead to 13-3 when Dalten Van Pelt broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds to go in the second.
Keiser wasted no time in answering, scoring on the opening drive of the second half. Facing fourth and 2 at the 7-yard line, Shea Spencer hooked up with Maurico Porcha for score, cutting Grand View’s lead to 13-10 with 10:19 left in the third. Hall added his second field goal of the day, a 36-yarder, to tie the game at 13-all with 4:26 to go in the third.
Grand View reclaimed the lead with 10:08 remaining in the game when a scrambling Jackson Waring found an open Corey Phillips for a 40-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was no good, leaving the score at 19-13.
Wood tacked on a 32-yard field goal with 2:05 left to give the Vikings a 22-13 advantage.
With two seconds remaining, Hall added a 37-yard field to make the final 22-16. Keiser kept things interesting recovering the onside kick at the Grand View 44 with one second half. Spencer heaved a Hail Mary, but Triston Wilson knocked the ball down to secure the win and national championship for Grand View.
Following the game, Van Pelt was named the Offensive Player of the Game, with teammate Jackson Filer earned Defensive Player of the Game honors. Van Pelt finished with 144 yards rushing and one score on 19 carries. Filer only had three tackles, but all went for a loss of 10 yards as he created havoc in the Keiser backfield.
Waring threw for 144 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-21 passing, connecting with seven different receivers.
For Keiser, Spencer finished with 290 yards on 28-of-50 passing. Porcha and Dallas Desouza each had nine receptions with Porcha covering 114 yards and Desouza 102.
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