Identities can’t always be chosen. They are earned over the course of time. The journey to gaining the reputation as one of the best football programs in division III wasn’t overnight for the North Central Cardinals, but the school’s rise to dominance has proven to be every bit worth the wait.
As wild as it may sound to current students, there was a time when North Central was just another small school with a football team that was barely worth noting. That all changed when John Thorne was named head coach in 2002. In his first year at the helm, Thorne led the Cardinals to their first winning season since 1997. Thorne’s tenure as head coach marked the turnaround of North Central football. In his 12 years as head coach, the Cardinals never finished with a losing season and won eight straight CCIW championships.
Thorne’s time at North Central completely changed the culture of the school’s football team and paved the way for his son Jeff to hit the ground running when he took as the Cardinals coach. North Central continued to dominate in CCIW play and was a regular playoff contender but was still not getting the same national respect as traditional powers. Once again, identities must be earned, never given. In 2019 the Cardinals did just that. After suffering an early season loss to Wheaton, the Cardinals barely made the playoff field, but once they were in, they couldn’t be stopped. Of its five playoff wins, four came by double digits, including a 41-14 blowout over Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl to claim the program’s first-ever national championship.
Since then, the Cardinals have shown that 2019 was far from a fluke. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, North Central put together another run to the Stagg Bowl, where they fell to Mary-Hardin Baylor. In 2022, they once again are ranked near the top of division three football. Now under first-year head coach Brad Spencer, we are seeing that the Cardinals’ dominance is no longer dependent on one coach or player or recruiting class. North Central football’s identity has been over 20 years in the making, but it’s not just about reaching the top; it’s about staying there. The quest for perfection is a never-ending battle and one that has continued to keep the Cardinals hungry despite all their success. For all the great moments North Central football has experienced in recent years, there is reason to think the best may be yet to come.
