After sweating out Selection Sunday to become, by all accounts, the final team admitted into the NCAA Division III Football Championship, the North Central College Cardinals completed a five-week barnstorming tour of the nation's top programs on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, kicking in the door to what had been a highly exclusive party and overwhelming the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 41-14, to claim the program's first national title at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah, Texas.
The championship game wound up containing far less drama than the initial tournament selections, as the Cardinals racked up the game's first 34 points and were never threatened as they eclipsed the 40-point mark for the 13th time in 15 games. In the process, North Central became the first team other than Wisconsin-Whitewater, the University of Mount Union (Ohio) or the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) to win a Division III national title since 2004.
"I'm just thrilled with the way these guys played," said North Central head coach
Jeff Thorne. "They played their ever-living tails off all year long. To be here in this position is beyond description, I'm just so grateful.
"It's a dream that was launched in 2002 when my dad (John Thorne) took this program over, and so many people have put so much into this, from the administration to our players, alums, parents, to see it to completion and be able to hand that trophy to my dad tonight was very special."
The Cardinals' championship journey began Nov. 23 with a 51-15 victory over Wabash College (Indiana) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. For the second round, North Central ventured to Alliance, Ohio to take on the Mount Union Purple Raiders, who had advanced to at least the national semifinals each year since 1994. Trailing, 38-28, to begin the second half, North Central outscored the Raiders, 31-14, over the final two quarters to secure a 59-52 victory which made headlines nationwide.
"We came in with the mindset that it was going to be a multi-round battle and we just had to keep going one drive at a time," said senior quarterback Broc Rutter, who would go on to be named the D3football.com National Offensive Player of the Year and the winner of the 27th annual Gagliardi Trophy, the premier individual award in Division III football. "There was never a moment where we flinched. The whole team came out and fought all day long, and there was not one ounce of doubt that we could come here and compete."
The Cardinals returned home for the national quarterfinals, defeating Delaware Valley University (Pennsylvania), 31-14, before winning their first-ever national semifinal, 45-14, at Muhlenberg College (Pennsylvania).
Sophomore running back Ethan Greenfield was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship game, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and was one of five Cardinals, joining Rutter, junior defensive back Jake Beesley, junior offensive lineman Sharmore Clarke and junior wide receiver Andrew Kamienski, to earn All-America honors. Thorne was named the D3football.com National Coach of the Year.
