Even with students on winter break, the NCC campus is still buzzing. The football team has punched their ticket to the Division III National Championship at the Stagg Bowl in Shenandoah, Texas.
With a dominant 45-14 victory over fourth-ranked Muhlenberg College on Saturday, the North Central football team will appear in their first national championship in program history.
Screenshot by Madeleine O’Connell
This accomplishment is exciting for the NCC community. Alumnus Wayne Randazzo, ’07, shared his pride for the team on Twitter.
Their playoff run included knocking off Division III powerhouse Mount Union in a thrilling 59-52 win in the second round. They will now face UW-Whitewater, who is no stranger to the Stagg Bowl as they have made an appearance 10 times in the last 15 years.
More good news has showered the team this week as well. Quarterback Broc Rutter, ’20, was nominated as one of five finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which recognizes the best player in Division III football. Rutter has thrown for 4,135 yards with 49 touchdowns this season which ranks second amongst the entire NCAA. The winner will be announced prior to the game on Friday.
Screenshot by Madeleine O’Connell
Rutter was just one piece to their explosive offense that got them this far. Wide receiver Andrew Kamienski, ’21, has 1,882 yards receiving and 30 touchdowns this season, including four touchdowns in the semifinal game. Both will be key factors in the championship game.
In 2015, Jeff Thorne took over the job of coaching this team of Cardinals from his father, John Thorne. In response to a tweet by the CCIW, Thorne said how proud he is of how far the team has made it this season.
The Stagg Bowl will be Friday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. The game will also be televised on ESPNU.
