Football Friday! NCAA Division II Playoffs
Twenty-eight DII teams entered the postseason. Seven of those teams had a total of 150 players from our area. Four teams remain in the DII semifinals. Seven local players are on one of those rosters
Be sure to get your free subscription, as I will be updating this information for all levels of NCAA football. You especially won’t want to miss my local talent bowl game review!
This year there were 993 MO and KS graduates who competed in DII football. They filled the rosters at 55 schools. Most stayed closer to home but some spread out to places like Western Oregon and Concord University in West Virginia. There are 28 teams that make the playoffs in DII. Below you will find detail on the 150 local grads who entered this year’s post season. I will start with the 7 who are in the DII semi-finals that will be played tomorrow.
‘No. 10 Colorado School of Mines will face No. 11 Shepherd College at 2:30 tomorrow in Golden, Colorado in a semi-final match up. The winner will play the winner of No. 5 Ferris State and No. 6 West Florida for the national championship. Colorado School of Mines got here with the help of seven local grads by defeating Colorado State-Pueblo, No. 19 Minnesota State, and No. 2 Angelo State.
No. 10 Colorado School of Mines
Eric Olson - RB - Junior RS - Blue Valley
Jack Lowery - RB - Junior RS - Liberty
Ethan Kremer - DL - Freshman RS - Mill Valley
Evan Foster - QB - Junior RS - Olathe South
Cameron Reller - DT - Senior RS - Rockhurst
Gabe Whipple - Punter - Junior RS - Rockhurst
Hayden Gregg - LB - Sophomore RS - Staley
The Miners got to the national semi’s by defeating Colorado State-Pueblo, No. 19 Minnesota State, and No. 2 Angelo State.
Colorado State-Pueblo
Antonio Espinosa - TE - Senior - Maize
Colorado State-Pueblo lost in the first round to No 10 Colorado School of Mines
No. 13 University of Indianapolis
Benjamin Hunnius - LB - Senior - Eureka-MO
Kellen Porter - RB - Sophomore - St. Louis Univ. High
Indy lost to No. 4 Pittsburg State in the first round.
No. 21 Davenport University
Gerald Lenoir - DL - Senior RS - Parkway Central
Davenport lost to No. 5 Ferris State in the first round.
No. 24 Notre Dame (OH)
Justin Wright - FB - Sophomore - Lathrop
Ty’zhauh Jackson - CB - Freshman RS - Manhattan
Notre Dame (OH) lost to No. 12 Ashland in the first round.
No. 8 Northwest Missouri State
The Bearcats defeated No. 3 Ouschita Baptist in the first round and then were defeated by No. 1 Grand Valley State in the second round.
See all 76 local Bearcats here:
No 4 Pittsburg State
The Gorillas defeated No. 13 Indianapolis in the first round and were defeated by No. 5 Ferris State in the second rond.
See all 61 local Gorillas here: