Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324 

Nov. 18, 2023 - Achieving its largest margin of victory ever in a postseason contest, the North Central College football team opened the 2023 NCAA Division III Football Championship with a bang Saturday with a 65-0 bludgeoning of Belhaven University (Mississippi) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The No. 1-ranked Cardinals (11-0) won their 14th consecutive first-round contest and posted their third playoff shutout. North Central rolled up 575 yards of total offense while allowing just 125, marking its second-lowest yardage total ever permitted in the postseason.

"We wanted to play a disciplined football game," said North Central head coach Brad Spencer '04. "We thought that was something we could take advantage of in all three phases, and I think our guys did a great job of doing that." (click HERE to watch the Cardinals' full postgame press conference)

Quarterback Luke Lehnen got the hosts' offensive attack started with a 55-yard run on their second play from scrimmage before DeAngelo Hardy threw his second touchdown pass in as many weeks. Hardy's three-yard toss to Charles Coleman gave North Central a lead it would not part with after less than four minutes of play. Hardy caught a 37-yard pass on the Cardinals' next drive to advance into the red zone before Lehnen found him again for a nine-yard scoring pass to double the lead to 14-0.

A fumble by Belhaven quarterback Tim Johnson was recovered by Zack Orr at the Blazers' 40-yard line on the first play of the second period. Just four plays later, the score stood at 21-0 as Lehnen darted to his left for a 13-yard touchdown run, the junior's 10th of the season, with 12:59 to play in the half. The ensuing kickoff was mishandled by the visitors and recovered by North Central's Gunnar Lobdell at the Belhaven 28. Lehnen extended the Cardinals' advantage to 28-0 with 12:06 on the clock, connecting with Bobby Behmer, who dove for the corner of the end zone to score on an 18-yard pass. It is the first touchdown of Behmer's collegiate career.

North Central's next scoring drive came after Jahron Williams ended a Belhaven possession with an interception at the Cardinals' 22-yard line. A 17-yard run by Joe Sacco and runs of 14 and 18 yards by Charles Coleman got the hosts down the field quickly before Lehnen notched his third TD pass of the half, this time a 14-yarder to Joey Lombardi to leave the score at 35-0, where it would stand until the end of the period. The Cardinals gained 328 yards in the first half, 215 of which came on the ground, while allowing only 31 total yards.

(Belhaven's) identity coming in was their running game," said linebacker BJ Adamchik, who finished with six tackles. "Coach (Shane Dierking) said our goal was to hold them under two yards per carry, and it's nice to know we were able to do that."

North Central received the opening kickoff of the second half and celebrated another touchdown just 14 seconds later as Joey Lombardi took the return 93 yards to the end zone. It is Lombardi's third kickoff return touchdown in only eight attempts this season, joining Alma College's Zach Poff as the only NCAA Division III players with three touchdown returns. 

Sean Allen scored on an 18-yard run with 9:49 left in the third period before Sacco ran 46 yards to the end zone with 3:50 on the clock, giving the home team a 56-0 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Dom Scalera kicked a 23-yard field goal with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter before Darius Byrd capped the scoring with a nine-yard touchdown run with 3:19 to go.

"(The running backs) all have a great relationship on and off the field," Sacco said. "We all want to see each other succeed. If I score, it's a win, if someone else scores, it's a win, it doesn't matter. It's so much fun to see everyone going out there and running to the best of their ability and make all the hard work throughout the week pay off."

The Cardinals gained 433 yards from their running game, their second-highest rushing total of the season, paced by Sacco's career-high 141 yards on 15 carries, while Lehnen gained 82 yards on five carries and Allen ran for 80 yards on seven attempts. Lehnen completed 12 of 17 passes for 139 yards, linking up with Hardy four times for 47 yards. Zack Orr was North Central's leading tackler with seven stops, while BJ Adamchik finished with six. 

North Central advances to the second round of the championship to take on Trinity University (Texas). The sixth-ranked Tigers (10-1) defeated Hardin-Simmons University (Texas), 20-6, in their first-round game Saturday. Kickoff is set for 12:00 noon and the site of the contest will be announced Sunday.

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