Steve Woltmann

Football Quarterfinal Postseason Preview: Bethel

Game Notes

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Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6529901

Setting the Scene:  In a battle of the only two remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division III, the No. 1/1 North Central College football team hosts No. 4/3 Bethel University (Minn.) for a quarterfinal matchup inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

Series History: Saturday marks the third all-time meeting between the two teams, all three of which have occurred in the postseason. The Cardinals beat the Royals, 41-17, in the 2013 NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. Bethel avenged the loss with a 27-24 win in the 2018 postseason, the last team to beat North Central in Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

North Central’s 2018 football season ended with a narrow 27-24 loss to Bethel. The Cardinals (10-2) led 10-7 at halftime behind Dominick Muoghalu’s one-yard score and a Derik Judka field goal, aided by Braden Lindmark’s interception. Bethel (11-1) seized control in the second half with two long drives capped by Jaran Roste touchdowns for a 20-10 lead. North Central rallied as Muoghalu scored again and Cameron Moore hauled in a 26-yard TD from Broc Rutter, but Bethel answered with a 43-yard strike to Drew Larsen and held defensively in the final minutes. Rutter threw for 264 yards, setting single-season records, while Moore had 106 receiving yards and current defensive line coach/strength coordinator DJ Warkenthien led with 13 tackles.

National Rankings:  North Central is ranked No. 1 nationally in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25 polls released by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

The defending national champion Cardinals earned all 25 first-place votes in the D3football.com poll and swept all 52 first-place votes in the AFCA rankings. North Central has now held the top spot in 44 consecutive AFCA polls and 53 of the last 55 D3football.com polls.

Bethel is ranked No. 3 in the AFCA Top 25 rankings and No. 4 in the D3football.com rankings.

Moment of Silence: Before kickoff on Saturday, there will be a moment of silence honoring former Cardinal football coach and North Central Hall of Fame member Jeff Thorne. Thorne coached for North Central from 2002 to 2021, leading the Cardinals to the program’s first Stagg Bowl victory in 2019. Read more about Jeff’s legacy HERE.

Jeff Thorn Passing Away

Scouting the Royals: Bethel enters Saturday with a 12-0 mark, outscoring opponents 595–115 and averaging 503.4 yards per game. Their postseason included a 51–26 win over Coe College and a 35–24 win over the University of Wisconsin–Platteville.

Quarterback Cooper Drews completed 256 of 376 passes for 3,050 yards and 41 touchdowns. The rushing game added 2,805 yards, led by Taye Manns (940 yards, 14 TD) and David Geebli (813 yards, 7 TD). Wide receiver Albert Rundell recorded 112 catches, 1,551 yards, and 21 touchdowns, with the offense totaling 6,041 yards.

The defense allowed 232.3 yards and 9.58 points per game, holding opponents to 1.8 yards per rush. They produced 37 sacks, 17 interceptions, and 12 fumble recoveries. Jake Borman led with 82 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks, while Devin Williams added 73 tackles and 3 interceptions.

Around the Bracket: The winner of North Central vs. Bethel faces the winner of John Carroll University and Berry University in the semifinals. The right side of the bracket sees the University of Wisconsin-River Falls play Wheaton College and Johns Hopkins University play Susquehanna University. See the full bracket HERE.

North Central in the NCAA Playoffs:  The Cardinals own a 38-13 overall record in the Division III Football Championship, including trips to the national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, each of the last five seasons. North Central is 25-4 in postseason home games.

North Central won the 2019, 2022 and 2024 national championships and finished as the national runner-up in 2021 and 2023. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.

Luke Lehnen
This Week in NCC History: Dec. 11 vs Mount Union - North Central improved to 13–0 and advanced to its second straight national championship by defeating Mount Union 26–13 in the national semifinal. The Cardinals controlled the game with 290 rushing yards and a 16-minute edge in time of possession, extending their winning streak to 24 games. After falling behind 7–0, North Central answered with a 71-yard scoring drive, then added a 34-yard touchdown pass from Luke Lehnen to Matt Robinson and a 42-yard field goal by Tanner Rains to take a 16–7 halftime lead. A blocked punt early in the second half set up Lehnen’s two-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the lead to 23–7. The Cardinals’ defense produced key stops, including a fourth-down sack by Jamauri Spivery and Cameron Martin that led to a 31-yard Rains field goal. Mount Union added a late score, but North Central closed out the win behind 190 rushing yards from Ethan Greenfield and nine tackles from Storm Simmons.

Postseason Honors: North Central continued its national prominence in 2025 as three Cardinals—Thomas Skokna, John Sullivan, and Aidan Ellison—earned AFCA Coaches’ All-America honors, marking the program’s sixth straight season with at least one selection. Skokna, a First Team honoree and Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist, leads all of Division III with 23 receiving touchdowns. He totaled 73 receptions for 1,143 yards, averaging 95.25 yards per game, and set a school record with five touchdown catches in the win over Millikin. His 206-yard performance in that game ranks fifth in program history.

Defensive lineman John Sullivan earned First Team recognition for the second consecutive year. He led North Central with 19.5 tackles for loss, ranking 21st nationally, and added 6.5 sacks while consistently drawing double teams. His production anchored a defensive front that remained one of the most disruptive units in Division III.

Kicker Aidan Ellison, a Second Team selection, delivered one of the strongest seasons ever by a North Central kicker. He made 13 of 14 field goals (92.9%), the second-best percentage in Division III, and hit the longest field goal in the nation in 2025 with a 57-yard make. He also connected from 51 and 50 yards, giving him three of the ten longest kicks in program history. Ellison’s performance earned him the Fred Mitchell Award, making him only the second Division III kicker to receive the honor. He was selected from more than 750 candidates across all non-FBS levels.

North Central assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Shane Dierking has been named a finalist for FootballScoop’s 2025 Division III Coach of the Year Award. He joins five other Division III finalists, with winners chosen in January by past honorees. Dierking previously won in 2022, when the Cardinals went undefeated and claimed a national title. This season, his 12-0 defense ranks among the nation’s best in categories such as scoring, total defense, red-zone defense, and defensive touchdowns. A former record-setting North Central player, Dierking joined the staff in 2018

 

Nation's Best: The Cardinals lead Division III in many offensive, defensive and special teams categories:

  • Scoring Offense - 51.3 points scored per game
  • Scoring Defense - 8.3 points allowed per game
  • Red Zone Defense - 50.0%
  • Team Passing Efficiency - 208.55
  • Winning Percentage - 1.000

 

  • Individual Passing Efficiency - Garret Wilson (212.5)
  • Punt Return Touchdowns - Jalen Johnson (2)
  • Receiving Touchdowns - Thomas Skokna (22)
  • Longest Field Goal - Aidan Ellison (57 yards)

A Look Back: View the postgame press conference from last week's 35-27 win over UW-La Crosse in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Broadcasting Note: All games from the first round through the semifinal round of the Division III Football Championship will be broadcast live exclusively on ESPN+. A subscription is required to view the broadcast. Visit plus.espn.com to learn about subscription options. 

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