Grove City Enters AFCA Top 25 for First Time Ever
October 2, 2023
After a gritty, 31-24 win over Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), the Grove City (Pa.) Wolverines have entered the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in the poll’s 24-year history. Grove City comes in ranked at No. 25 and moved its record to 5-0 while taking control of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The Wolverines entered the Top 25 thanks to Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s 37-21 loss to No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, which dropped the Titans out of the rankings. Oshkosh could not slow down the offense of Whitewater, surrendering 492 yards to the Warhawks.
The only other loss by a Top 25 team this week came from No. 1 North Central’s (Ill.) 54-35 win over then-No. 8 Wheaton (Ill.). The Thunder gave the top-ranked Cardinals their toughest test of the season, but North Central’s 35 first-half points propelled them to victory and dropped Wheaton to No. 13 in this week’s poll.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Last Week Next Game
1 North Central (Ill.) (48) 4-0 1224 1 D. No. 8 Wheaton (Ill.), 54-35 Oct. 7 vs. Carroll (Wis.)
2 Mount Union (Ohio) (1) 4-0 1168 2 D. Ohio Northern, 35-0 Oct. 7 at Heidelberg (Ohio)
3 Wisconsin-Whitewater 4-0 1128 3 D. No. 21 Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 37-21 Oct. 7 vs. No. 14 Wisconsin-La Crosse
4 Wartburg (Iowa) 5-0 1068 4 D. Coe (Iowa), 27-21 Oct. 7 at Luther (Iowa)
5 Wisconsin-River Falls 4-0 1017 5 D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 27-16 Oct. 7 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
6 Linfield (Ore.) 3-0 964 6 D. Willamette (Ore.), 70-14 Oct. 7 at Lewis & Clark (Ore.)
7 Trinity (Tex.) 4-1 904 7 D. Berry (Ga.), 46-37 Oct. 7 vs. Centre (Ky.)
8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 4-0 833 10 D. Rowan (N.J.), 55-20 Oct. 6 vs. Gettysburg (Pa.)
9 St. John’s (Minn.) 3-1 807 9 D. Augsburg (Minn.), 27-24 Oct. 7 vs. Concordia (Minn.)
10 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 4-0 773 11 D. Guilford (N.C.), 70-14 Oct. 7 vs. Averett (Va.)
11 Aurora (Ill.) 4-0 703 12 D. Eureka (Ill.), 70-10 Oct. 7 at Concordia (Ill.)
12 Susquehanna (Pa.) 5-0 660 13 D. Catholic (D.C.), 50-21 Oct. 7 at Keystone (Pa.)
13 Wheaton (Ill.) 3-1 573 8 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 54-35 Oct. 7 at Elmhurst (Ill.)
14 Wisconsin-La Crosse 3-1 555 14 D. Wisconsin-Stout, 45-40 Oct. 7 at No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater
15 Alma (Mich.) 5-0 549 15 D. Trine (Ind.), 70-30 Oct. 14 at Hope (Mich.)
16 John Carroll (Ohio) 3-1 473 16 D. Wilmington (Ohio), 59-7 Oct. 7 at Marietta (Ohio)
17 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 4-0 403 17 D. Ursinus (Pa.), 28-20 Oct. 7 vs. McDaniel (Md.)
18 Ithaca (N.Y.) 3-1 361 18 D. Hobart (N.Y.), 24-14 Oct. 7 at Rensselaer (N.Y.)
19 Cortland (N.Y.) 3-1 305 20 D. Morrisville St. (N.Y.), 52-15 Oct. 7 vs. No. 22 Utica (N.Y.)
20 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 3-1 271 19 D. Howard Payne (Tex.), 40-33 Oct. 7 at McMurry (Tex.)
21 Endicott (Mass.) 4-1 242 22 D. Hilbert (N.Y.), 66-0 Oct. 14 vs. Western New England (Mass.)
22 Utica (N.Y.) 5-0 170 23 D. Hartwick (N.Y.), 48-7 Oct. 7 at No. 19 Cortland (N.Y.)
23 DePauw (Ind.) 5-0 132 25 D. Oberlin (Ohio), 66-7 Oct. 7 vs. Denison (Ohio)
24 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 3-1 106 24 Idle Oct. 7 at Alvernia (Pa.)
25 Grove City (Pa.) 5-0 94 NR D. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 31-24 Oct. 7 at Geneva (Pa.)
Dropped Out: Wisconsin-Oshkosh (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 51; Washington (Mo.), 43; Albion (Mich.), 38; Lake Forest (Ill.), 36; Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 36; Union (N.Y.), 32; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 27; Whitworth (Wash.), 26; Coe (Iowa), 23; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 22; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), 20; Berry (Ga.), 18; Redlands (Calif.), 15; Belhaven (Miss.), 14; Wisconsin-Platteville, 14; Augustana (Ill.), 9; Howard Payne (Tex.), 4; Wabash (Ind.), 4; Bethel (Minn.), 3; Trinity (Conn.), 3; Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 2; Wisconsin-Stout, 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
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After a gritty, 31-24 win over Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), the Grove City (Pa.) Wolverines have entered the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in the poll’s 24-year history. Grove City comes in ranked at No. 25 and moved its record to 5-0 while taking control of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. The Wolverines entered the Top 25 thanks to Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s 37-21 loss to No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, which dropped the Titans out of the rankings. Oshkosh could not slow down the offense of Whitewater, surrendering 492 yards to the Warhawks.
The only other loss by a Top 25 team this week came from No. 1 North Central’s (Ill.) 54-35 win over then-No. 8 Wheaton (Ill.). The Thunder gave the top-ranked Cardinals their toughest test of the season, but North Central’s 35 first-half points propelled them to victory and dropped Wheaton to No. 13 in this week’s poll.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (48) | 4-0 | 1224 | 1 | D. No. 8 Wheaton (Ill.), 54-35 | Oct. 7 vs. Carroll (Wis.) | |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) (1) | 4-0 | 1168 | 2 | D. Ohio Northern, 35-0 | Oct. 7 at Heidelberg (Ohio) | |
| 3 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 4-0 | 1128 | 3 | D. No. 21 Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 37-21 | Oct. 7 vs. No. 14 Wisconsin-La Crosse | |
| 4 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 5-0 | 1068 | 4 | D. Coe (Iowa), 27-21 | Oct. 7 at Luther (Iowa) | |
| 5 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 4-0 | 1017 | 5 | D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 27-16 | Oct. 7 at Wisconsin-Eau Claire | |
| 6 | Linfield (Ore.) | 3-0 | 964 | 6 | D. Willamette (Ore.), 70-14 | Oct. 7 at Lewis & Clark (Ore.) | |
| 7 | Trinity (Tex.) | 4-1 | 904 | 7 | D. Berry (Ga.), 46-37 | Oct. 7 vs. Centre (Ky.) | |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 4-0 | 833 | 10 | D. Rowan (N.J.), 55-20 | Oct. 6 vs. Gettysburg (Pa.) | |
| 9 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 3-1 | 807 | 9 | D. Augsburg (Minn.), 27-24 | Oct. 7 vs. Concordia (Minn.) | |
| 10 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 4-0 | 773 | 11 | D. Guilford (N.C.), 70-14 | Oct. 7 vs. Averett (Va.) | |
| 11 | Aurora (Ill.) | 4-0 | 703 | 12 | D. Eureka (Ill.), 70-10 | Oct. 7 at Concordia (Ill.) | |
| 12 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 5-0 | 660 | 13 | D. Catholic (D.C.), 50-21 | Oct. 7 at Keystone (Pa.) | |
| 13 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 3-1 | 573 | 8 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 54-35 | Oct. 7 at Elmhurst (Ill.) | |
| 14 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 3-1 | 555 | 14 | D. Wisconsin-Stout, 45-40 | Oct. 7 at No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater | |
| 15 | Alma (Mich.) | 5-0 | 549 | 15 | D. Trine (Ind.), 70-30 | Oct. 14 at Hope (Mich.) | |
| 16 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 3-1 | 473 | 16 | D. Wilmington (Ohio), 59-7 | Oct. 7 at Marietta (Ohio) | |
| 17 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 4-0 | 403 | 17 | D. Ursinus (Pa.), 28-20 | Oct. 7 vs. McDaniel (Md.) | |
| 18 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 3-1 | 361 | 18 | D. Hobart (N.Y.), 24-14 | Oct. 7 at Rensselaer (N.Y.) | |
| 19 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 3-1 | 305 | 20 | D. Morrisville St. (N.Y.), 52-15 | Oct. 7 vs. No. 22 Utica (N.Y.) | |
| 20 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 3-1 | 271 | 19 | D. Howard Payne (Tex.), 40-33 | Oct. 7 at McMurry (Tex.) | |
| 21 | Endicott (Mass.) | 4-1 | 242 | 22 | D. Hilbert (N.Y.), 66-0 | Oct. 14 vs. Western New England (Mass.) | |
| 22 | Utica (N.Y.) | 5-0 | 170 | 23 | D. Hartwick (N.Y.), 48-7 | Oct. 7 at No. 19 Cortland (N.Y.) | |
| 23 | DePauw (Ind.) | 5-0 | 132 | 25 | D. Oberlin (Ohio), 66-7 | Oct. 7 vs. Denison (Ohio) | |
| 24 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 3-1 | 106 | 24 | Idle | Oct. 7 at Alvernia (Pa.) | |
| 25 | Grove City (Pa.) | 5-0 | 94 | NR | D. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 31-24 | Oct. 7 at Geneva (Pa.) | |
Dropped Out: Wisconsin-Oshkosh (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 51; Washington (Mo.), 43; Albion (Mich.), 38; Lake Forest (Ill.), 36; Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 36; Union (N.Y.), 32; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 27; Whitworth (Wash.), 26; Coe (Iowa), 23; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 22; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), 20; Berry (Ga.), 18; Redlands (Calif.), 15; Belhaven (Miss.), 14; Wisconsin-Platteville, 14; Augustana (Ill.), 9; Howard Payne (Tex.), 4; Wabash (Ind.), 4; Bethel (Minn.), 3; Trinity (Conn.), 3; Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 2; Wisconsin-Stout, 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
