In arguably one of the most competitive NCAA Division III football conferences in the country, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), a perennial national-championship contender resides and is one of the remaining two teams left dancing in the playoffs. North Central College from Naperville, Illinois, has been the top-ranked squad in all of Division III since week 2. They bring an unblemished 14-0 into this weekend’s national final with Mount Union.
FAMILIAR OPPONENTS GIVE INSIGHT INTO NCC’S CHANCES
The head coach of one of NCC’s conference foes, Carthage College, feels the Cardinals are well-suited to regain the national championship they earned in 2019. Dustin Hass is very familiar with North Central, having faced them every year since he became the top man in Kenosha five years ago. The two teams faced off in the 2022 conference opener, North Central winning 59-7.
Hass believes that the Cardinals’ big boys up front set them apart from other teams. “North Central is a very talented football team on both sides of the ball,” said Hass. “I think what separates them from a lot of other teams is their O/D lines. They have some dudes up front that control the line of scrimmage.”
CARDINALS’ POWERHOUSE OFFENSE
NCC’s offense has racked up 758 points over their first 14 games, averaging a whopping 54.1 points per game. Added Hass, “They are hard to plan for on defense because they can beat you in so many different ways. They have a little bit of a 3-headed monster with (quarterback Luke)Lehnen, (wide receiver DeAngelo)Hardy, and (running back Ethan)Greenfield, and some good complimentary players around them where if you focus too much on trying to take one away they can beat you with the other two.”
Greenfield, the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, was named a finalist for the 2022 Gagliardi Trophy, which is Division III’s version of the Heisman.
Carroll University, located in Waukesha, is also a member of the CCIW and played North Central this year. Pioneer head coach Mike Budziszewski echoed Hass’ opinions on the Cardinals’ explosive offense, saying that “North Central is one of the best football teams I have ever seen. They are well-coached and have playmakers at almost every position on the field. Their offense is electric and explosive.”
NORTH CENTRAL’S STINGY DEFENSE
NCC’s defense has given up just 79 points this season in 14 games (5.6 ppg). They had four straight shutouts in October. Coach Hass ran Carthage’s offense and had to game plan for their miserly defense. “Their defense is extremely fast and very fundamentally strong. They play hard and do a great job rallying to the football. All three levels of that defense have some ultra-talented players, but that D line is nasty and makes a ton of plays for them.”
Game time for Friday’s game is set for 6 pm in Annapolis, Maryland.
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