INDIANAPOLIS — Mary Washington's first Division III championship came in dramatic fashion. Mary Washington took down Emory, which was also in search of its first national championship 75-73 in the waning seconds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
Showing posts with label ncaa division iii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa division iii. Show all posts
Wisconsin-River Falls: 2025 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
CANTON, Ohio -- Kaleb Blaha threw a touchdown pass and added two second-half rushing TDs to help Wisconsin-River Falls beat defending national champion North Central 24-14 on Sunday night at Hall of Fame Stadium to win the first Division III title in program history.
Trinity (CT): 2024-25 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Champions
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The fourth-ranked Trinity College Men's Basketball team claimed the program's first ever NCAA Division III National Championship with a 64-60 victory over top-ranked New York University, in the Title Game Saturday afternoon at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Trailing 60-59 with ten seconds to play, Will Dorion missed a three-point attempt, but Trevor McDonald battled for the offensive rebound and was off on the putback, but Drew Lazarre grabbed another offensive board and found Henry Vetter at the top of the key, who buried a game-winning three-pointer to help send the Bantams to the 64-60 victory.
Trinity had four scorers in double figures, led by Jarrel Okorougo with a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Vetter netted 14 points with five rebounds, while Dorion and Drew Lazarre added 10 points apiece. Lazarre grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds for his team-leading sixth double-double of the season.
NYU was paced by Hampton Sanders with a team-high 15 points and six rebounds off the bench. Zay Freeney tallied 14 points and Tristan How recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Bantams grabbed an early 7-4 lead behind five points from Dorion, but the Violets used an 8-4 featuring five points from Sanders to put NYU ahead 12-11 with 10:39 on the clock. The Violets pushed their lead to 25-18, but a pair of buckets from Okorougo and Lazarre trimmed the game to 25-22 at the 3:44 mark. The Violets took a 30-27 lead into halftime.
The Bantams came out of the break rolling, using a 10-3 run, paced by four-point efforts from Okorougo and Lazarre, to harness a 37-33 lead at the 15:19 mark of the second half. Knotted at 48-48 with 6:39 to play, the Violets rattled off a 7-2 run over the next three minutes to regain a 55-50 advantage. A quick triple from Vetter and a pair of free throws from Dorion closed the gap to 57-55 with 2:49 on the clock.
The Bantams edged the Violets on the glass, 40-32, and controlled the paint, 32-26, while the NYU bench outscored the Trinity reserves, 21-8. The Bantams connected on 25-of-66 (37.9%) from the field, 5-of-26 (19.2%) from three-point, and 9-of-13 (69.2%) from the foul line. The Violets shot 22-of-52 (42.3%) from the floor, including 7-of-21 (33.3%) from three-point, and 9-of-16 (56.3%) from the foul line.
With the win, the Bantams matched the program record for wins in a season (30), tying the mark set last season during the Bantams run to the Final Four. Trinity held NYU to their lowest point total of the season (60). Henry Vetter was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Jarrel Okorougo and Drew Lazarre earned All-Tournament Team honors.
North Central: 2024 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
HOUSTON -- Luke Lehnen accounted for five touchdowns Sunday night and North Central beat Mount Union 41-25 to win its third Division III national championship.
The Cardinals (15-0) appeared in their fifth consecutive Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Lehnen threw two of his four touchdown passes to Jacob Paradee and has 162 in his career, tied with John Matocha (D-II Colorado School of Mines, 2019 to 2023) for college football's all-divisions record.
Mount Union's Tyler Echeverry ran 29 yards untouched to open the scoring -- the first time North Central has trailed this season.
Lehnen, who went 57-2 over his college career, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Myles Walton to make it 7-7 with 4:35 left in the first quarter. It gave Lehnen 159 career TD passes, breaking Braxton Plunk's (Mount Union, 2019 to 2023) D-III record.
After the Purple Raiders failed to convert on fourth down deep in North Central territory, Lehnen scored on a 16-yard run about seven minutes into the second quarter to make it 14-7 and the Cardinals led the rest of the way.
Mount Union (14-1) made trips into the red zone on four consecutive possessions but scored just once, a 30-yard field goal by Ivan Maric with 3:57 remaining in the first half.
The Purple Raiders (75) and North Central (47) have won a combined 122 consecutive regular-season games.
Mount Union has won 13 D-III championships in 23 title-game appearances, both of which are records. North Central -- which captured its first title in 2019, the first championship-game berth in program history -- beat the Purple Raiders 28-21 in the 2022 title game.
Echeverry, who had 68 yards rushing and a touchdown on eight carries in the first quarter, finished with 20 carries for 83 yards.
Trine: 2023-24 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Champions
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Cortez Garland scored 22 points and Nate Tucker scored 13 points and Trine University beat Hampden-Sydney 69-61 on Saturday to claim the NCAA Division III national championship.
It's the first men's college basketball championship for the Thunder (29-4), who entered the 64-team tournament ranked 13th in the country. Hampden-Sydney (31-3) ranked No. 1.
Aidan Smylie scored 12 points and Drew Moore added 10 for Trine of Angola, Indiana.
Adam Brazil was the lone player for Hampden-Sydney (Sydney, Virginia) to score in double-digits with 23 points but was 6-for-22 shooting.
The Tigers led 25-23 at the break before Garland tied it with a jump shot, provided a pair of foul shots for a two-point lead and then buried a 3-pointer to complete his 7-0 run in less than two minutes. The Thunder led the remainder.
Smylie sank a 3 with 5:47 left made it 50-41 in Trine's favor before Hampton-Sydney closed within three off a pair of foul shots by Ryan Clements, a layup by Davidson Hubbard and jump shot from Josiah Hardy.
But Cortez Garland countered with a three-point play, brother Fred Garland made a 3 and Cortez Garland made a jumper to make it 59-48 with 2:13 left and the Thunder cruised from there.
Trine went 6 for 6 from the foul line in the last 33 seconds. The Thunder went 22 for 25 from the foul line overall.
Cortland: 2023 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
SALEM, Va. (AP) — Zac Boyes threw for 349 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards, Cortland stopped a 2-point conversion attempt with 90 seconds remaining, and the Red Dragons beat defending champion North Central 38-37 on Friday night for their first NCAA Division III championship.
Cortland (14-1), playing in the Stagg Bowl for the first time in program history, handed North Central (14-1) its first loss since the 2021 championship game. The Cardinals, in their fourth straight title game, won the 2019 national title in addition to last year.
Both teams scored in the final 1:41 — with North Central electing to go for 2 instead of a potential tying extra point with 1:20 to go. Quarterback Luke Lehnen was stuffed on a run to the left side and Cortland recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock.
“It means everything. I was over there talking to the officials on the sideline when we were kneeling it out and I’m like ‘We can kneel it, right? We can kneel it out and clock’s at zero’ and he said yes,” Cortland coach Curt Fitzpatrick said. “I can’t believe it. It’s amazing. I’m so proud of our players and coaches and our fan base that drove seven hours to be here.”
Cortland converted on a fourth-and-5 play near midfield with 3:49 to go in the fourth quarter and Cole Burgess ended the drive with a catch in the backfield before racing down the sideline for a 21-yard touchdown.
North Central scored 21 seconds later when DeAngelo Hardy was left wide open over the middle of the field and he cut back a defender to race for a 60-yard touchdown. The Cardinals, who average 60 points per game and rarely kick field goals, were denied back-to-back championship on the goal line.
North Central entered with the nation’s longest active win streak with 29. South Dakota State, which won its FCS semifinal game on Friday, has 28 straight wins, followed by Washington (20), Florida State (19) and Division II Harding (18).
The Red Dragons’ trip to the title game included three road victories and one at home — ending in a 12th straight victory.
Three of the first four drives of the game ended in fourth down stops in the red zone.
Cortland avoided being shutout in the first half of a game for the first time since 2016 when it drove 55 yards in 51 seconds — aided by a 15-yard penalty — to get within 7-3 after Mike Baloga’s 31-yard field goal.
Cortland began the second half with a seven play, 72-yard drive ending in Burgess’ 9-yard touchdown grab for a 10-7 lead. A video replay overturned the call on the field as Burgess got a foot down before going out of bounds.
It was just the second time all season that North Central trailed in a game — with the other coming in the fourth quarter of the semifinals.
North Central tied it at 31-all with 7:16 remaining on Lehnen’s 64-yard run.
Lehnen, who won the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier D-III individual award, threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 159 yards and another score for North Central. Joe Sacco added 159 yards rushing, including his 20th rushing touchdown of the season, to reach the 100-yard mark for the 11th time this season. Hardy made five catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.
Boyes became the second quarterback in school history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100. Burgess finished with 11 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns for Cortland. Joe Iadevaio also had two touchdown grabs and 95 yards. JJ Laap made two catches for 75 yards and a score.
North Central’s third made field goal of the season — in three attempts — came with 3:16 left in the third quarter to tie it at 17-all.
Christopher Newport: 2022-23 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Champions
FORT WAYNE, IN. - Christopher Newport University's first trip to the National Championship game will be remembered as a classic, as junior Trey Barber scored on a driving layup as time expired to give the Captains a 74-72 victory over Mount Union. CNU finished the year with a 30-3 record, and the remarkable victory in the title game was the 15th straight for the Captains.
Barber led four Christopher Newport players in double figures, scoring 25 points on ten-of-15 shooting. Barber also topped the team with ten rebounds, and was selected the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four. Junior Jahn Hines was also selected to the All-Tournament squad, scoring 18 points and pulling down six rebounds with four assists. Fifth-year senior Matthew Brodie and sophomore Caleb Furr also reached double digits, scoring 12 points in the title game.
"This is about our program and all the people who are a part of it, and have been a part of it in the past," Head Coach John Krikorian said during the post-game celebration. "We have a rich history and so many have contributed to it. I was thinking so much about our long-time coach C.J. Woollum, who hired me, and I heard from our program's first coach, Bev Vaughan, today. It was like they were both with us on our bench tonight. We had so many of our former players with us here tonight. I can't tell you how much this means."
The Captains found themselves behind for much of the game and had to mount yet another comeback to claim the championship. CNU trailed at halftime in nine games this season, and came from behind to win them all, including Saturday's Championship game. The Purple Raiders went on a 9-0 run in the opening minutes to take a 9-2 lead and then stretched their advantage to as many as 14 with 5:10 to play in the first half, 26-12. CNU used a 14-3 run to close out the half, and trailed by just three at the break, 29-26. The second half saw Mount Union push the lead to as many as ten, 45-35, with 13:55 to play.
Christopher Newport would then begin a stretch that saw them out-score the Raiders, 39-27, the rest of the way, culminating with Barber's buzzer-beater for the victory. CNU took its first lead of the second half when Barber knocked down a free throw with 8:38 remaining to put the Captains up, 50-49. CNU would extend the lead to as many as seven, 65-58, on a Barber layup with 3:58 to go. The Purple Raiders would not go away, and would briefly jump back in front, 70-69, with 17 seconds remaining on a layup from All-American Christian Parker. The Captains answered quickly when sophomore Ty Henderson scored on a fastbreak jumper in the lane, and was fouled in the process. His free throw to complete the three-point play gave Christopher Newport a 72-70 edge.
The final possession for each team resulted in a fantastic conclusion to the hard-fought battle. Mount Union tied the game with four seconds left on the clock when Parker scored on a jumper in the paint to even things at 72-72. But in the waning seconds after Mount Union had pulled even, Barber rumbled down the court and provided the spectacular finish by scoring on a driving layup to end the game.
"I really don't remember what happened," Barber admitted. "They had scored and I got the ball and saw the rim and went to it. It's an amazing feeling." Barber and Hines, who both had been named All-American earlier in the day by D3hoops.com, combined to score 43 points and pull down 16 rebounds.
The buzzer-beating shot by Braber to end the game was reviewed by the officiating crew to verify it had come before the horn sounded.
"Trey and Jahn were just amazing again," Krikorian continued. "But we had a lot of guys come through in big moments. Caleb Furr hit some really big threes for us, and Matt Brody was big in the second half. Our defense was key as it usually is, and we did just enough to win the game. I really feel for Mount Union, they're a great team and competed at such a high level all season."
Mount Union finished the year with the same record as the Captains, 30-3, and Saturday's battle was the first meeting ever of the programs. Parker, also named All-American Saturday by D3hoops.com, led the Purple Raiders with 31 points and 14 rebounds. The Captains out-rebounded the Raiders, 47-41, and committed just nine turnovers. In two games at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, the Captains turned the ball over just 13 times.
"This is such a unique group of guys," Krikorian said. "They love to play the game and get after it. Most of the time, I tried to stay out of their way, and give them what they needed to succeed as best I could. They took what had happened in the past, like losing last year at Marietta in the Elite 8, and losing at Randolph-Macon this year and they learned from it and remembered it and used it to their advantage. Their hard work paid off and I'm so happy for them."
North Central: 2022 NCAA Division III College Football National Champions
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Dec. 17, 2022) - Finishing off one of the most historically dominant campaigns in the 49-year history of the NCAA's split into three divisions, the North Central College football team claimed its second Division III national title in three seasons with a 28-21 victory over the University of Mount Union (Ohio) Friday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Cardinals completed an unblemished 15-0 season, establishing a new program record for single-season victories while also setting a new all-time Division III standard for rushing yards in a single season (5,325).
Facing off against the Purple Raiders (14-1) for the third straight postseason, North Central used its power running game to gain 44 yards on the first five plays of the evening before Luke Lehnen dropped back and uncorked a pass to Ethan Greenfield, who got behind the Mount Union coverage for a 28-yard touchdown reception with less than four minutes elapsed.
The Cardinals missed on a 32-yard field goal attempt late in the opening period but were able to double their lead in spectacular fashion midway through the second quarter. Taking over at its own six-yard line after Mount Union's fourth punt of the first half, Lehnen delivered a strike down the middle to Deangelo Hardy. The wideout made the catch near midfield and won a footrace with three Purple Raider defenders to the end zone. The 94-yard completion is the longest in the Cardinals' history.
Mount Union opened the second half on offense and put together an 18-play, 70-yard drive which consumed nearly nine minutes but still did not result in any points. Facing fourth down-and-one at the Cardinals' 10-yard line, the Raiders attempted to convert via the run, but Julian Bell and Angelo Cusumano broke through the line to bring down running back Lance Mitchell three yards behind the line of scrimmage and end the drive.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Greenfield broke loose for a 58-yard run to the Raiders' 26-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Greenfield took a direct snap and ran off left end for his second score of the evening. With 14:56 to play, the Cardinals owned a 21-0 advantage.
Mount Union got on the board with a nine-yard scoring run by quarterback Braxton Plunk, and narrowed the gap further to 21-14 after Plunk's three-yard TD pass to Wayne Ruby.
Lehnen, who became the first North Central quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season (1,034), ran 42 yards on the ensuing drive to move the Cardinals into Raider territory. Three plays later, Hardy hauled in a three-yard scoring pass from Lehnen which was ruled an incompletion initially before being overturned on a replay review.
Trailing, 28-14, Mount Union brought itself back within one score as Plunk completed a 41-yard pass to Ruby before a four-yard scoring pass to Edwin Reed with just 30 seconds to play. The Raiders attempted an onside kick but Zack Orr recovered to put an end to the contest.
Greenfield was named the game's Most Outstanding Player, a distinction he also received in North Central's 2019 Stagg Bowl victory, ran for 119 yards on 25 carries. Lehnen ran 10 times for 98 yards while Hardy caught three passes for a game-high 107 yards.
Sam Taviani paced the Cardinals' defense with nine tackles (eight solo), while Cusumano finished with seven.
Randolph-Macon: 2021-22 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball National Champions
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The road was long, but the destination proved unforgettable.
No. 1 Randolph-Macon topped Elmhurst in the Division III national championship game Saturday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 75-45, delivering the school its first NCAA title in any sport and completing the work started three years ago, before the pandemic began.
“To be able to cut down the nets, it’s been a journey we’re really proud of,” coach Josh Merkel said after the most lopsided championship game in D-III history.
Junior guard Josh Talbert scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds and national player of the year Buzz Anthony added 14 points to lead a balanced offensive attack that delivered the Yellow Jackets the championship in the same dominating fashion they rolled through this year’s NCAA tournament.
Elmhurst went up 18-17 with 8 minutes to go in the half on a basket by Wesley Hooker, putting R-MC (33-1) behind for the first time since 5 minutes into its quarterfinal win over WPI on March 12. The Yellow Jackets responded with a 10-0 run.
“I think we were just feeling it out early on,” said junior forward Miles Mallory, who had 10 points and nine rebounds. “They came out physical. They brought the intensity, so we had to bring it back.”
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Anthony and senior Ian Robertson put Macon ahead 35-23 with 2:18 left in the half, and it went to the locker room up 38-23.
Before 3 minutes had come off the clock in the second half, the Yellow Jackets’ lead had swelled to 44-27. Elmhurst (27-7) never really threatened Macon the rest of the way as it capped a nearly perfect season in the perfect way.
“I thought today was just a culmination of the past three years,” said Anthony, a fifth-year senior guard who came back to R-MC for this moment. “We’ve just had guys step up and step up.”
If not for a single point, a 77-76 overtime loss to Christopher Newport in November, the Yellow Jackets would have been undefeated this season. But Saturday night, no one was lamenting that lone tally, nor were they bemoaning the back-to-back title opportunities wiped out by the pandemic or the bus-flight-flight-bus travel odyssey that got them to Fort Wayne.
This night was all about finishing the job.
The Yellow Jackets have been one of the nation’s top programs for the past three seasons, but the D-III tournament was canceled in 2020 and 2021, first due to the spread of COVID-19 and then because of low participation among schools the second season.
That meant a wait of over two years to show how they could stack up on the national stage. And Macon did not disappoint.
R-MC went 16-0 in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play, breezed through the league tournament and blistered the field in the NCAA draw. Merkel talked to his team this month about “finishing like a buzzsaw,” and it did.
The Yellow Jackets had won each of their first five NCAA games by double figures, advancing to the championship game by an average margin of 23.8 points.
That included Friday night’s dismantling of No. 2 Marietta, an 81-63 win that put the Jackets in their first-ever D-III title game, positioning them to become the first Virginia team to win the title since Virginia Wesleyan in 2006.
“I do think we were a bit of a buzz saw,” said Merkel. “And so no matter what we were going to see today, I think our guys were ready.”
To travel to the Final Four, the Yellow Jackets bussed to Washington, D.C., flew to Chicago and then Toledo, then bussed to Fort Wayne — two hours northeast of Indianapolis — where the tournament’s final weekend was sharing a complex with a national alpaca show and a gun show.
The championship used to be held in Salem — from 1996-2012 and again in 2014 and 2018 — but moved to Fort Wayne the next year. That made for an easier trip — about 200 miles from Elmhurst, Ill. — for the Blue Jays fans and for a decidedly hostile environment for R-MC.
But the Macon fans, most of whom drove the more than 10 hours to Indiana, made their presence felt, too, from the opening introductions to the joyous on-court celebration when time ran out, reveling in the school’s first national title and the completion of a journey.
“I love it for all the athletes at Randolph-Macon,” said Merkel. “Because I think it shows, with hard work and a commitment and that daily, consistent approach, disciplined approach, that you can do anything. You can get here, and it’s a special feeling when you do.”
Mary Hardin-Baylor: 2021 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
Mary Hardin-Baylor is the 2021 NCAA DIII football national champion. The Crusaders defeated North Central (IL) 50-24 to win the Stagg Bowl, completing a 15-0 season and winning their second national championship since 2018.
Mary Hardin-Baylor gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown to begin the game then took over. The Crusaders went up 9-7 minutes later and only trailed once more in the game: for about two minutes late in the first half before kicking a field goal to go into halftime with a 19-17 lead.
Quarterback Kyle King and linebacker Mikkah Hackett both had monster games to deliver their team the title. King threw for a program single-game record 436 yards, finishing 22-29 passing with 3 touchdowns.
Hackett was unreal on defense, totaling 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. He nearly ran back his first interception for a touchdown. Hackett was named the Stagg Bowl's Most Outstanding Player.
Two Crusaders wide receivers had 9 catches each. Brenton Martin went for 170 yards and a touchdown, and K.J. Miller went for 149 yards and a touchdown. Running back Aphonso Thomas added a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
Another standout UMHB wideout, Brandon Jordan, caught a touchdown pass in the first half. That catch was Jordan's 17th touchdown reception of the season, setting a school record.
Mary Hardin-Baylor also won the national title in 2016. Since there was no 2020 tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Crusaders have now lifted the trophy in three of the last five seasons.
North Central: 2019 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
North Central College made the most of its first trip to the NCAA Division III championship game, starting fast and never looking back.
Ethan Greenfield ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns, Broc Rutter threw for 263 yards and two scores and North Central routed Wisconsin-Whitewater 41-14 on Friday night for its first Division III championship.
North Central, located in Naperville, was making its first appearance in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Cardinals’ previous best finish in the Division III playoffs was a semifinal loss in 2013.
“Just thrilled with the way these guys played,” North Central coach Jeff Thorne said. “These guys played their ever-living tails off like they have all year long. To be here in this position is just beyond description. Just so grateful.”
Rutter was 17 of 26 passing and ran for another touchdown, Andrew Kamienski caught nine passes for 134 yards and a score, and Julian Bell had two interceptions.
“We came out, we were ready to play,” Rutter said. “We couldn’t wait all day. We came out and executed the game plan.”
Thorne gave credit to his players and coaches for the win, but also credited his father, John Thorne, who took over the program in 2002 before he succeeded him in 2015.
“It’s been an incredible run for us,” Jeff Thorne said. “I’m grateful for everything that’s come our way. We’ve had to work for it, which makes it more rewarding. What it means is a dream that was launched in 2002 when my dad took this thing over and so many people put so much into this thing. … To see it to completion means the world to me and to be able to hand the trophy to my dad tonight was very special.”
Rutter broke the Division III record for career passing yards with his final touchdown pass, giving him 14,265 yards and surpassing Alex Tanney, who played at Monmouth College in Illinois. Tanney threw for 14,249 yards.
Rutter gave credit to his team and coaches for the record.
“I had no clue,” Rutter said of the record. “It’s a pretty cool accomplishment. … I’ve been doing this for four years, and it’s the best four years of my life. Time of my life. To get that is a nice reward to cap things off, but this national championship means so much more to me than that ever could.”
The Cardinals (14-1) outgained the Warhawks (13-2) 436-390 en route to its 11th straight victory.
Greenfield scored on a 5-yard run less than three minutes into the game and capped a 13-play, 74-yard drive with a 2-yard scoring run with 1:49 left in the second quarter. Greenfield added a 38-yarder midway through the third quarter to make it 34-0.
In between Greenfield’s two first-half scores, Rutter found Blake Williams for a 31-yard touchdown strike late in the first quarter before Rutter had a 1-yard scoring with 10 minutes left in the second.
“They jumped on us right off the bat, and that was ultimately the story of the game,” Whitewater coach Kevin Bullis said. “We missed on some opportunities in the first half. They took advantage of their opportunities.”
Max Meylor was 25 of 42 for 183 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 104 yards for Whitewater, and Alex Peete ran for 79 yards and a score. The Warhawks were making their 10th appearance in the championship game in the last 15 years. They last won the title in 2014, capping a string of six titles in eight years.
“They knew where I was throwing at times,” Meylor said. “They took away some of our receivers which was tough. We hadn’t seen that all year. My decision-making has to be better. I have to get the ball on guys and let our athletes run instead of taking chances.”
Meylor got the Warhawks on the board with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jared Zausch with five minutes remaining in the third. Peete scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 9 1/2 minutes left.
Mary Hardin-Baylor: 2018 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
SHENANDOAH, Texas -- After falling to Mount Union last season in the Division III championship game, Mary Hardin-Baylor not only wanted to get back to the title game -- it wanted to beat the Purple Raiders.
The Crusaders did that Friday night.
Jase Hammack threw for 147 yards and two touchdowns, Markeith Miller rushed for 90 yards and a score and Mary Hardin-Baylor won its second title in three years, beating Mount Union 24-16.
Hammack rebounded after losing a fumble in the first quarter that led to the Purple Raiders' lone touchdown by completing 11 of 19 passes and rallying the Crusaders (15-0) from a 10-0 deficit. T.J. Josey caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown for Mary Hardin-Baylor, which lost to the Raiders (14-1) 12-0 last season in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
"The goal since the beginning of fall camp was to get back here and have a shot at Mount Union just because of the way last year ended," Mary Hardin-Baylor coach Pete Fredenburg said. "I think it says an awful lot about these players and coaches that kept pushing and kept driving. It's incredible."
D'Angelo Fulford was 18-of-37 for 194 yards and rushed for 45 yards, and had a 1-yard touchdown run to put Mount Union up 10-0 -- the first time the Crusaders have trailed this season -- with 3½ minutes left in the first quarter. Josh Petruccelli added 57 rushing yards and Justin Hill caught five passes for 71 yards for the Raiders. Both teams finished with 303 yards.
"I thought we were fortunate to get some points on the board early," Mount Union coach Vince Kehres said. "We took advantage of the turnover there and extended a drive with the fake punt. They have a great defense. Nobody's scoring a lot of points on that defense. They executed pretty well down the stretch, and we couldn't quite finish a couple of plays."
Trailing 24-13, the Raiders cut the lead to eight on Cory Barnett's third field goal with 7 minutes left. After stopping Mary Hardin-Baylor a yard short on a fourth-and-2 at the Crusaders' 40, Mount Union's drive stalled at the Mary Hardin-Baylor 16 with consecutive incompletions with a minute left.
Following a three-and-out by Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mount Union had one last chance, but Fulford was sacked by Khevon Shepard and injured on third-and-10. Mount Union's lateral play on fourth down failed.
Hammack found Josey for a 36-yard touchdown pass, which Josey caught falling into the end zone with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter. Miller gave the Crusaders a 14-13 lead with a 2-yard touchdown run right before halftime.
"We always felt like that when you get into a game like this with so much significance, the key thing was to maintain the confidence level that we have, don't panic," Fredenburg said. "Everything is going to take care of itself. We felt like we could play with Mount Union. We felt like our team was a team of destiny."
After Anthony Avila's field goal in the third quarter, Hammack upped the lead to 24-13 midway through the fourth, finding K.J. Miller for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Mount Union: 2017 NCAA Division III Football National Champions
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mount Union Purple Raiders capped a memorable season by winning the NCAA Division III football national championship on Friday with a 12-0 victory over defending champion Mary Hardin-Baylor in the final Stagg Bowl game in Salem, Virginia.
The championship was the 13th for Mount Union in 20 Stagg Bowl championship appearances. So winning the final in Salem was special to the Raiders.
"It's really special," Mount Union coach Vince Kehres said after the game. "The people down here are so good to us. ... They're so friendly, so welcoming. This place does a great job of making it special for the teams here."
It was the second national title for Kehres, who took over for his father, Larry Kehres, five seasons ago.
Vince Kehres is now 70-4 since 2013 and led the Raiders to the national title game four times in his five seasons. No college coach has won more games since 2013 than the 70 by Kehres. He has been part of 12 of Mount Union's 13 national titles as either a player, assistant coach or head coach.
Making the season even more special, Larry Kehres was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last week in New York after leading Mount to 11 national championships. Kehres had a 332-24-3 overall record with 23 OAC championships and his .929 winning percentage is the best among coaches at all levels of college football.
And earlier this week four Raiders were named to the Associated Press Little All-America Division III team: senior center Cole Parrish, senior linebacker Charlie Dear, senior defensive lineman Elijah Berry and sophomore wide receiver Justin Hill.
The Raiders finish the season at 15-0 and now own a 99-16 record in NCAA Playoff games. They have been in the tournament a record 29 times, including 26 consecutive years.
The loss snapped a 29-game winning streak for Mary Hardin-Baylor and evened the series with Mount at 2-2.
Mount Union tallied eight sacks and two interceptions while limiting the Crusaders (14-1) to 144 yards, 75 of which came in the first quarter.
Alex Louthan booted a 31-yard field goal, quarterback D'Angelo Fulford found Hill for a 42-yard touchdown pass and Nick Brish added a late safety for the Purple Raiders on Friday. Brish was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
"Really hats off all around on defense," Brish said. "We have outstanding defensive linemen, who made it easy on me because they were putting so much pressure on the guy, keeping them in the cage, keeping our landmarks and our pass rushes."
Among those offering congratulations to the Raiders was Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, the Massillon native and Mount Union alum who is getting praised for his work with the Cyclones after four successful seasons at Toledo.
Mary Hardin-Baylor: 2016 NCAA Division III Football Champions
SALEM, Va. -- Blake Jackson knew that, more than usual, Mary Hardin-Baylor's fortunes were going to be in his control with the NCAA Division III title at stake.
The dual-threat quarterback embraced it, running for 119 yards and a touchdown and leading the Crusaders to a 10-7 victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Friday night for their first football national championship.
"I like the pressure. I like the challenge," the senior said. "Thank you to the coaches for believing in me."
Jackson carried 28 times for the Crusaders (15-0), and completed 16 of 27 passes for 171 yards with an interception. The Crusaders virtually ignored running back Markeith Miller, who arrived with nearly 1,500 yards rushing, but gained just 11 on nine carries.
"We had trouble running the ball," coach Pete Fredenburg, who started the Crusaders' program 19 years ago, said. "Blake took up the slack. We felt like he was going to have to be the catalyst for our offense."
Jackson's touchdown came on a 1-yard run with 3:16 left in the second quarter, and was the final score of the game.
"There was a ton of athletes out there tonight on both sides of the ball," Titans coach Pat Cerroni said. "Great athletes, but No. 7 (Jackson) was exceptional."
Dylan Hecker ran 2 yards to give the Titans (13-2) a 7-0 lead after just 6:22, but Oshkosh could never find that rhythm again. The Titans drove to the Crusaders 35 in the final minute, but Matt Cody intercepted Brett Kasper's fourth-and-10 pass from the 35 to clinch the victory.
"Don't drop it," Cody said he thought as the clinching play came spiraling toward him.
Kasper finished 20 for 33 for 185 yards with two interceptions. The Titans were held to 30 rushing yards on 29 attempts.
The Titans were playing in the championship game for the first time. Mary Hardin-Baylor lost in its only previous appearance in 2004.
THE TAKEAWAY
Mary Hardin-Baylor: Jackson and the offense get the credit for scoring points, but the Crusaders' defense held the Titans scoreless after the offense turned it over three times -- at midfield, at the Crusaders 27 and at the Titans 6 while looking for a cushion touchdown. The defense also stopped Oshkosh three times on fourth down -- twice inside the Crusaders 30 and then on the game's penultimate play.
Wis.-Oshkosh: The Titans run a modified 3-4 defense, with virtually no pass rush, and it backfired on them in the first quarter when the Crusaders used a 20-play, 66-yard drive to get their first points on a 22-yard field goal by John Mowery. On the drive, Jackson ran around behind the line unchallenged, at times finding receivers downfield and other times running through gaps for yardage. The Crusaders converted their first five third downs on the drive before settling for the field goal.
BIG KICK
John Mowery's 22-yard field goal was the difference, and he seemed like a liability to the Crusaders coming in.
He's made just 8 of 15 field goal tries on the season, with a long of 42, but was true when a 20-play drive stalled at the Titans 5.
Mowery later missed a 19-yard try, while Oshkosh, whose kicker Eli Wettstein was 16 for 22 on the season with a long of 50, was left on the sidelines for the Titans' final play. A field goal try would have been a career-best 52-yarder.
MISCELLANY
Jaedon Johnson's interception for Mary Hardin-Baylor was their 33rd of the season. Cody's was their 34th. ... Hecker's touchdown run was his 17th of the season, but he finished with just 29 yards on 13 carries. ... Miller's first touch for the Crusaders came on their 22nd play from scrimmage, and he was stopped without a gain. ... In a game that tied for the second-lowest scoring in Stagg Bowl history, the Crusaders finished 11 for 18 on third down and the Titans were 8 for 17.
St. Thomas Tommies: 2015-16 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Champions
Taylor Montero and Ryan Saarela made sure their final college basketball games were memorable ones.
The St. Thomas senior forward and center combined for 53 points and 21 boards and propelled No. 8-ranked Tommies to an NCAA Division III championship with Saturday's 82-76 win over previously-unbeaten Benedictine (Ill.) in Salem, Va.
The Tommies (30-3) won their second national crown in six years but first under fifth-year head coach John Tauer.
UST built a double-digit lead in each of their contests during a 6-0 run through the Division III playoffs. St. Thomas eliminated the Nos. 18, 11, 1, 4 and 2 ranked teams over the last 15 days.
In Saturday's victory, St. Thomas sank 50 percent from the floor, had only seven turnovers, knocked down 27 of 36 free throws and had a 36-32 rebunding edge. That offset Benedictine's 24-3 advantage in 3-point scoring.
Taylor Montero scored a season-high 27 points -- one off his career high -- and added 11 rebounds while logging 37 minutes.
Ryan Saarela's 26 points were his career high, and he added 10 rebounds for his 13th double double of the season. UST went 23-0 in games this season when Saarela scored in double figures.
Junior guard Grant Shaeffer added 14 points and played all 40 minutes.
The Tommies led 37-32 at halftime and built the advantage to 12 points during the second half. Benedictine (31-1) pulled as close as 73-71 with 1:33 to go on Lucas Johnson's dunk.
Montero answered at the other end with a layup, then rebounded a missed BU shot. UST sank 7-of-10 free throws in the final 42 seconds to secure the NCAA title.
St. Thomas made only three field goals in the last 8:30 but held off Benedictine with nine points at the foul line.
Johnson led Benedictine with 21 points and 11 boatds. BU, playing in its first Final Four, shot 48 percent from the floor and had only 10 turnovers.
The victory is St. Thomas' 16th national team championship, including two in men's hoops. In the 2000s alone (last 17 seasons), St. Thomas has two NCAA crowns each in the sports of men's basketball, baseball and softball, plus one in volleyball.
Mount Union: 2015 NCAA Division III Football Champions
SALEM, Va. (AP) — Mount Union is back on top of Division III football, and coach Vince Kehres finally has one of his own.
Taurice Scott threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score and Mount Union won its NCAA-best 12th football title, beating St. Thomas of Minnesota 49-35 on Friday night in the Division III championship game.
It was the Purple Raiders' 11th consecutive appearance in the game, but the first time in the last three years with Kehres as the coach that they came out on top.
"It means a lot," Kehres said after adding to the family lore that saw his father, Larry, guide the Purple Raiders to the first 11 titles. "I had the great mentor and a lot of mentors to get to this point. ... I think it feels great for a lot of us."
Logan Nemeth ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns for Mount Union (15-0), which took over by scoring 21 unanswered points in the third quarter, turning a 21-14 deficit into a 35-21 lead in a span of just over five minutes. And they did it while working against a wind that had limited them to 30 yards in the first quarter.
"The offensive staff wanted to be able to run the football in the third quarter going into that wind," said Kehres, who was part of 10 titles as a player and assistant coach under his father.
They did it with a fast-paced approach, something they haven't used much in the playoffs.
Jordan Roberts ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns for St. Thomas (14-1), which was appearing in the game for only the second time. The Tommies also played for the title in 2012, losing 28-10 to Mount Union.
"I've said it now for many years," coach Glenn Caruso said. "They are the standard in Division III."
The Purple Raiders took command with three four-play touchdown drives sandwiched around a turnover and a three-and-out by the Tommies. St. Thomas rallied with a fluky touchdown, but the Tommies had no answer for the big-play capabilities of the Purple Raiders.
"Three of the four times that we scored, they came right back and scored," Caruso said. "That's the sign of a championship team."
In the 21-0 third-quarter burst, Scott hit Roman Namdar for 63 yards to highlight the first drive, a fumble recovery set up the second, and Nemeth had a 42-yard run on the third drive before Scott's 18-yard scoring run.
St. Thomas got within 35-28 when Nick Waldvogel fumbled on run up the middle, and the ball bounced sideways and into the hands of quarterback John Gould, who outran the defense 55 yards.
Mount Union let Nemeth do most of the heavy lifting in the final quarter as it chewed time off the clock.
Unable to generate any offense moving into the stiff wind in the first quarter, Mount Union scored on its first two possessions of the second quarter with the wind at its back. Nemeth set up the first score with a 40-yard run, and Scott hit Lane Clark from 7 yards out for the touchdown. It was the 42nd touchdown pass of the season for Scott. He later hit Clark for another, from 13 yards, to make it 21-all.
After a three-and-out for the Tommies, Nemeth had runs of 15 and 3 yards, and Scott hit Namdar for 29 yards and the touchdown, his 20th scoring catch of the season.
The Tommies got help from a pass-interference call in converting a fourth-and-6 play from the Mount Union 30. After a holding call, Gould hit Charlie Dowdle for 25 yards. Dowdle initially bobbled the ball as he passed through the end zone, but a review ruled he gained possession in time for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
It was the largest deficit the Purple Raiders have faced this season, and the Tommies doubled it in the second quarter, again with help. It came in the form of a fake punt by Mount Union that failed, giving St. Thomas the ball at the Purple Raiders 34. Eight runs later, Jordan Roberts ran it in on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
It was Roberts' 33rd rushing touchdown, tops among NCAA players at all levels this season.
Wisconsin-Whitewater: 2014-15 NCAA Division III Football Champions
SALEM, Va. -- Matt Behrendt was the overshadowed quarterback again. Until they played the game.
The Wisconsin-Whitewater senior threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns, and the Warhawks continued their mastery of Mount Union in the NCAA Division III championship game with a 43-34 victory Friday night.
The Warhawks (15-0) extended their winning streak to 32 games, the longest in the nation, and beat the Purple Raiders for the sixth time in the past seven meetings -- all in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Behrendt finished 26-for-38 with two interceptions and was named the most outstanding player for the second year in a row, both times after outplaying Kevin Burke, the Purple Raiders' two-time Gagliardi Trophy- winning quarterback.
"I love it," Behrendt said about getting championships over player of the year awards. "Especially for the team to have these two national championships. You can't ever take them away. There's nothing more important than that."
Behrendt had plenty of help. Jake Kumerow caught eight passes for 130 yards and a score, Jordan Ratliffe ran for 116 yards on 24 carries, and Dennis Moore ran for 74 yards and caught two passes for 108 and a critical touchdown.
Mount Union (14-1), the winner of 11 national titles, was appearing in the game for the 10th consecutive season and arrived having changed up some things up on defense after a 52-14 loss to the Warhawks last year in the title game.
On the field, however, Whitewater trailed for only one play all night, at 31-30 in the third quarter.
On the first play after falling behind, Behrendt hit Moore with a screen pass, and Moore found his blockers, cut back across the field and took it 75 yards for a touchdown, restoring the Warhawks' lead to 37-31.
"We had a lot of good blocking downfield," Moore said. "We took advantage of it, called it at the perfect time, had a lot of good blocking and the rest is history."
It was fun to watch, Behrendt said, after dumping the ball off.
"That was the difference-maker," he said. "That play was huge."
The defense had a big hand in things, too.
Burke was 25-for-47 for 323 yards and three touchdowns, but after he arrived at his final college game with 49 touchdown passes and just five interceptions through 14 games, the Warhawks' defense picked him off four times.
"It's football," Purple Raiders safety Alex Kocheff said. "Somebody's got to step up and make a play, and they made a play and we didn't."
The victory sent coach Lance Leipold out in style. He has accepted the job at Buffalo, and finishes eight years with the Warhawks with a 109-6 record and, remarkably, as many national championships as losses in his career.
Mount Union coach Vince Kehres fell to 28-2 as a coach, both losses to the Warhawks in the Stagg Bowl.
"Every time you lose it hurts," he said.
Trailing 30-14 at halftime, Mount Union came out looking more like the team that averaged better than 60 points this season, and Burke looked more like the first two-time player of the year.
He led a 67-yard drive finished off with a 29-yard scoring pass to Roman Namdar and, when the Warhawks couldn't get anything going, a 79-yard drive capped by Logan Nemeth's 3-yard run that made it 30-28.
Behrendt hit Kumerow in the hands on the next drive, and the ball went through his hands and into those of cornerback Tre Jones, who returned it to the 17. The defense held from there, and Edward Ruhnke kicked a 29-yard field goal.
Before halftime, Mount Union made mistakes it hadn't made all year.
For the second year in a row, Brady Grayvold intercepted Burke's pass and returned it for a touchdown, making it 20-7.
That made it 20-7, and Mount Union answered quickly. Burke led the team on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that he finished off with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Taurice Scott, Burke's 51st TD pass of the season.
Just as quickly as he seemed to have righted the ship, the Purple Raiders unraveled.
With less than two minutes left in the half, Mount Union called timeout and forced a punt. The Purple Riders took over at their 10, and on the first play, Burke threw to Scott, who was stripped of the ball by Marcus McLin, who also recovered at the 17. One play later, Behrendt hit Kumerow for a sliding touchdown.
Undaunted, the Purple Raiders had Burke throw deep after the ensuing kickoff, and McLin intercepted it and returned it 26 yards to the 28. Four plays later, Lake Bacher's 23-yard field goal made it 30-14.
Behrendt led touchdown drives on the Warhawks' first two possessions. He hit Justin Howard from 12 yards and Ricky Finco from 7 to make it 13-0 with 2:55 to play in the opening quarter.
Wisconsin-Whitewater: 2013 NCAA Division III Champions
SALEM -- O, my!
UW-Whitewater’s offense channeled near perfection on Division III’s biggest stage Friday evening, and Mount Union discovered just how unforgiving Warhawk momentum can be.
Stagg Bowl XLI closed 52-14, the most lopsided national championship game in more than a decade, and Whitewater re-established itself as the top of the pantheon just one year after a 7-3 season and missing the playoffs.
The Warhawks have spent the postseason defying opponents with its defense, yet it was the offense that set the tone early, marching 75 yards on seven plays in the game’s first drive of the game. Capping it was a 17-yard touchdown pass to All-American Jake Kumerow.
“The goal is to win a national championship. And there’s no better feeling,” said Warhawk quarterback Matt Behrendt, who finished Friday by throwing four touchdowns and 40 total on the season. He has just one interception in 15 games.
Perhaps markedly different than previous offensive outings – especially in the postseason, which was labored by some slow starts by UW-W – was Behrendt’s legwork: Coming into the Stagg Bowl, he had minus-69 rushing yards on the year. Friday, he ran for 56 yards, which coupled with 249 passing yards, earning him the game’s most outstanding player honor.
“I saw some holes, and they were trying to double coverage our guys, and that opened up lanes for me,” Behrendt said.
Whitewater was making its eighth Stagg Bowl appearance, each of them being against Mount Union, starting in 2005. Friday night’s victory was the fifth championship in that span, the last coming in 2011.
The team capped the season beating Linfield, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Mount Union, the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 1 teams in the Top 25 poll, respectively.
“It feels better than it did in 2011 because it’s right now,” said defensive end Lou Minett after the game.
Players and coaches often say that they learn more from a loss than they do from a win. Minett said UW-W wouldn’t have made it to Salem this year if the struggles of 2012 never existed.
UW-W coach Lance Leipold is quick to say that from his 94-6 record over the past seven season, his losses stand out much more than his wins. It’s clear, though, that some wins deep in December make an impact.
“When you can play a game like that against a great program like Mount Union,” Leipold said, “that’s a pretty significant exclamation point on a very exciting season.”
And this season offered no guarantees.
“When we broke camp back in August,” he said, “I never thought we’d probably be sitting here. We were fighting our way back after last season, and this group was proud and determined.”
Wide receiver Tyler Huber was coming off a broken leg from last year, and doubts about the team from outsiders were certainly present.
Toward the end of the season, Leipold said he was particularly happy to have Kumerow and Huber on the field at the same time. They combined for 168 yards Friday and all four UW-W receiving touchdowns. Perhaps one of the most dramatic moments of the night was a touchdown grab by Kumerow, dragging his toes as he pulled in the pass nearly out of bounds in the front corner of the end zone.
Over the course of the evening, the tide also turned on interceptions. Brady Grayvold set a program record with his ninth interception, including a pick-6 that wrapped up the game’s scoring midway through the fourth quarter.
Both Whitewater and Mount Union had fumble recoveries that gave them great field position and on which they both used to reach the end zone.
The Whitewater defense consistently snuffed any momentum that Mount Union attempted to build, including a forced fumble by Marshall Rutherford in the first minute of the third quarter. Rutherford ripped the ball from Mount Union running back Bradley Mitchell’s arms and gave Mount little opportunity to put its halftime adjustments into play.
Whitewater poured it on from there, turning a 21-14 score at the break into the 38 point lead behind five scoring efforts that gave us the final. It was a dominating performance that showed how far a team can climb over 12 months. And it earned Leipold D3football.com Coach of the Year honors.
“I think what it really shows,” Leipold said, “is some of the things that were accomplished before and again today. You have to go out and earn it … and we didn’t earn it last year.
This year, they certainly did.
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