NCAA Football Playoffs. Will We Have a National Champion?
FCS, DII, and DIII are nearing the culmination of the season. Eight games yesterday, five more to play. Four local grads saw their season end. Twenty continue their quest to be a National Champion.
Three of the four NCAA football divisions determine their national champion with a postseason playoff. Missouri and Kansas were will represented with local players filling out many rosters coast to coast in all divisions. One division is down to four teams while two divisions are down to two. Here are the potential national champions.
The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as NCAA DI-AA, determines its National Champion with a 24 team postseason playoff. There were 9 of those teams with a total of 57 local players. The quarterfinals were played yesterday, reducing the pool to four teams. Only one local player saw his season end. During his senior year, Tyler Purdy (MICDS/Holy Cross) carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards. He was also a mainstay on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll throughout his collegiate career. The 13 local players who continue to seek National Championship status are:
South Dakota State
Quinton Hicks - DE - Senior - Campus High
Amar Johnson - RB - Sophomore - Chaminade
Jalen B. Lee - CB - Freshman - Fort Zumwalt North
Isaiah Davis - RB - Junior - Joplin
Daeton McGaughy - LB - Junior - Lafayette-St. Joseph
Trevor Scott - LB - Freshman - Platte County
Brody Gormley - TE - Freshman - Seaman
South Dakota State will play Montana State on December 17 at 3:00 in a semifinal game.
North Dakota State
Braden Rucker - OL - Freshman - Eureka-KS
Reggie King - S - Freshman RS - Grandview
Logan Koop - LB - Freshman - Lindbergh
Jalen Sundell - OL - Senior - Maryville
Jayden Price - CB - Senior - Mulvane
Javier Derritt - DT - Junior - St. Thomas Aquinas
North Dakota State will play the Univesity of Incarnate Word on December 16 at 6:00 in a semifinal game.
Yes, Missouri and Kansas could have 13 graduates in the FCS Championship game.
NCAA Division II determines its champion with a 28 team playoff. There are 150 local players on 7 of those rosters. The semifinal games were played yesterday. No local player saw his season ended. There are 7 who will play for the NCAA Division II National Championship next week. They are:
Colorado School of Mines
Evan Foster - QB - Junior RS - Olathe South
Hayden Gregg - ILB - Sophomore RS - Staley
Ethan Kremer - NT - Freshman RS - Mill Valley
Jack Lowery - RB - Junior RS - Liberty
Eric Olson - RB - Junior RS - Blue Valley
Cameron Reller - DT - Senior RS - Rockhurst
Gabe Whipple - P - Junior RS - Rockhurst
The Colorado School of Mines Miners will play Ferris State on December 17 at 12:00 Noon for the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
NCAA Division III determines its National Champion with a 32 team postseason playoff. Seven of those teams had a total of 14 local players on their rosters. The semifinals were played yesterday. Unfortunately, the 4 remaining local players saw their great seasons end one game short of the championship game. They are:
No. 10 Wartburg College
DJ Witt - DB - Sophomore - Carthage
Levi Matthews - DL - Sophomore - Greenfield
Trent Polley - LB - Freshman - Brookfield
No. 10 Wartburg had a great playoff upsetting No. 7 Wisconsin-LaCrosse and No. 6 St. Johns (MN) before defeating Aurora in the quarterfinals. They lost to No. 2 Mount Vernon yesterday in the semifinals, 34 to 31. Mount Union scored a TD with :31 remaining to prevent yet another Wartbug postseason upset win. Congratualtions to the Knights!
No, 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor
RJ Haberer - TE - Junior - Sylvan-Lucas
Mary Hardin-Baylor defeated No. 19 Huntingdon, No. 5 Trinity (TX), and No. 20 Bethel (MN) before losing yesterday in the semifinals to No. 1 North Central (IL) 49 to 14.