The North Central College football team is in the final stages of preparation before hitting the road for the team’s fourth consecutive Stagg Bowl appearance and the chance to win back-to-back National Championships on Friday night.
Fourth consecutive Stagg Bowl for North Central College
In last year’s Division III Championship game, the Cardinals defeated Mount Union 28-21, earning North Central its second Stagg Bowl victory in three seasons. For head coach Brad Spencer, this is his second Stagg Bowl as head coach and his fourth straight Stagg Bowl with the program. Spencer has a perfect 29-0 record since taking over the program in 2022.
“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of it now four times and it gets harder. It never gets any easier, but certainly, it helps to have some experience. You know? You understand you’re gonna be on a short week. You understand how to prepare for that and how to alter game plans so that your guys can be confident in what they’re doing on Friday night,” said Spencer.
A challenging semi-final for the Cardinals
In the semifinals, the Cardinals traveled to Waverly, Iowa for a matchup against undefeated Wartburg College. In what would be the toughest game of the season the Cardinals walked away victorious 34-27, but for the first time this season, the defending champions trailed during the game. But a fourth-quarter interception from Zach Orr set up a 54-yard pass from Luke Lehnen to Joey Lombardi, followed by the go-ahead touchdown run from Joe Sacco.
“Everybody was still together. We were still a team just supporting each other, offense supporting defense, the defense supporting offense. And it’s just good to see how our guys responded. Obviously, you don’t like to be trailing in the game, but it is a good experience just to see how your guys will react to that,” said quarterback Luke Lehnen.
DeAngelo Hardy has the chance to cap off his collegiate career with another record
The Cardinals have already had a record-setting season, but wide receiver and fifth-year senior, DeAngelo Hardy, has the chance to add to his impressive list of accomplishments. If Hardy scores one receiving touchdown, he will become North Central’s all-time receiving touchdown record holder.
“I mean, it means the world, just like winning a national championship would. But just trying to figure out how to get the X’s and O’s right just so we can get ready for Friday. And yeah, if we end up winning without a touchdown, I would be just as happy. But if I would have another touchdown that’s the cherry on top,” said Hardy.
North Central College football with a new opponent in the 50th edition of the Stagg Bowl
Hardy’s quarterback also has a chance to make history for NCC. Luke Lehnen is one of five finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which will be announced on December 14th, the night before the Championship. North Central running backs coach Ethan Greenfield won the award last season.
The Cardinal’s opponent in the 50th edition of the Stagg Bowl is Cortland University, a program making its first appearance in the National Championship game.
“I mean, number one, they’re they’re playing some great football here the last couple of weeks. They’re winning games by a lot of scores. Their quarterback is as good as it gets at this level. They have receivers that are as good as it gets, so they’re extremely explosive. We’re gonna have to do a great job on defense, making them work,” said Spencer.
The quest for a third Stagg Bowl trophy will kick off on Friday night at 6 pm in Salem, Virginia between the Cardinals and the Red Dragons. The game will be live on ESPNU and can be heard on WONC radio 89.1 FM.
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