North Central Finishes On Top Of The Division III Coaches’ Poll
December 23, 2019
North Central (Ill.) made the most of their at-large selection into the Division III playoffs, outscoring its five opponents 227 to 109 en route to the program’s first NCAA Division III national championship. The Cardinals only close call was a barn burner against Mount Union in the second round, which ended 59-52. North Central completely dominated Wisconsin-Whitewater in the championship, winning 41-14, and ends the 2019 season at 14-1 and No. 1 in the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time. The Warhawks jumped up eight spots to finish at No. 2 with a 13-2 mark.
St. John’s (Minn.) made a run to the semifinals and rose five places to No. 3 in the final poll. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and Muhlenberg (Pa.) round out the Top 5. The next biggest mover behind Whitewater’s eight place jump was Central (Iowa), who moved from No. 23 to No. 17 after its second-round appearance in the playoffs. Brockport (N.Y.) is the only newcomer in the final poll. The Golden Eagles finished the season at 9-3 after losing in the first round to Muhlenberg, 42-0.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Final Poll – December 23, 2019
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 North Central (Ill.) (53) 14-1 1325 5 D. No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 41-14, in national championship Jeff Thorne
2 Wisconsin-Whitewater 13-2 1268 10 Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 41-14, in national championship Kevin Bullis
3 St. John’s (Minn.) 12-2 1165 8 Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 35-32, in semifinals Gary Fasching
4 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) 12-1 1079 1 Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 26-7, in quarterfinals Pete Fredenburg
5 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 13-1 1059 4 Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 45-14, in semifinals Nate Milne
6 Wheaton (Ill.) 12-1 1048 3 Lost to No. 8 St. John’s (Minn.), 34-33, in quarterfinals Mike Swider
7 Mount Union (Ohio) 11-1 1035 2 Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 59-52, in second round Vince Kehres
8 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 11-2 910 9 Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 31-14, in quarterfinals Duke Greco
9 Salisbury (Md.) 11-1 900 6 Lost to No. 4 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 24-8, in quarterfinals Sherman Wood
10 John Carroll (Ohio) 9-1 739 7 DNQ Playoffs Rick Finotti
11 Chapman (Calif.) 10-1 680 13 Lost to No. 8 St. John’s (Minn.), 55-26, in second round Bob Owens
12 Wesley (Del.) 10-2 653 11 Lost to No. 9 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 45-10, in second round Chip Knapp
13 Wartburg (Iowa) 10-2 622 17 Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 41-28, in second round Rick Willis
14 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 8-2 591 12 DNQ Playoffs Jesse Burleson
15 Union (N.Y.) 11-1 583 14 Lost to No. 6 Salisbury (Md.), 62-41, in second round Jeff Behrman
16 Linfield (Ore.) 8-2 467 15 Lost to No. 13 Chapman (Calif.), 68-65 3OT, in first round Joseph Smith
17 Central (Iowa) 10-2 449 23 Lost to No. 3 Wheaton (Ill.), 49-13, in second round Jeff McMartin
18 Susquehanna (Pa.) 10-1 421 16 D. Wilkes (Pa.), 88-24, in Centennial-MAC Bowl Series Tom Perkovich
19 St. Thomas (Minn.) 8-2 391 18 DNQ Playoffs Glenn Caruso
20 Bridgewater (Va.) 10-1 304 20 Lost to No. 9 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 30-22, in first round Michael Clark
21 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 8-3 291 21 Lost to No. 23 Central (Iowa), 38-37 OT, in first round Pat Cerroni
22 Redlands (Calif.) 9-2 249 22 Lost to No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 43-14, in first round Mike Maynard
23 Berry (Ga.) 9-2 227 19 Lost to Huntingdon (Ala.), 27-24, in first round Tony Kunczewski
24 Bethel (Minn.) 8-2 178 24 DNQ Playoffs Steve Johnson
25 Brockport (N.Y.) 9-3 114 NR Lost to No. 4 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 42-0, in second round Jason Mangone
Dropped Out: Case Western Reserve (Ohio) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 100; Aurora (Ill.), 83; Huntingdon (Ala.), 74; Wisconsin-La Crosse, 39; Texas Lutheran, 28; Hope (Mich.), 26; Wisconsin-Platteville, 26; Ithaca (N.Y.), 15; Middlebury (Vt.), 15; Western New England (Mass.), 12; Trinity (Tex.), 11; Cortland (N.Y.), 8; Hanover (Ind.), 8; Martin Luther (Minn.), 7; Hobart (N.Y.), 5; Randolph-Macon (Va.), 4; Framingham St. (Mass.), 3; Monmouth (Ill.), 3; Wabash (Ind.), 3; Wesleyan (Conn.), 3; Whitworth (Wash.), 3; WPI (Mass.), 1.
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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North Central (Ill.) made the most of their at-large selection into the Division III playoffs, outscoring its five opponents 227 to 109 en route to the program’s first NCAA Division III national championship. The Cardinals only close call was a barn burner against Mount Union in the second round, which ended 59-52. North Central completely dominated Wisconsin-Whitewater in the championship, winning 41-14, and ends the 2019 season at 14-1 and No. 1 in the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time. The Warhawks jumped up eight spots to finish at No. 2 with a 13-2 mark.
St. John’s (Minn.) made a run to the semifinals and rose five places to No. 3 in the final poll. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and Muhlenberg (Pa.) round out the Top 5. The next biggest mover behind Whitewater’s eight place jump was Central (Iowa), who moved from No. 23 to No. 17 after its second-round appearance in the playoffs. Brockport (N.Y.) is the only newcomer in the final poll. The Golden Eagles finished the season at 9-3 after losing in the first round to Muhlenberg, 42-0.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Final Poll – December 23, 2019
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (53) | 14-1 | 1325 | 5 | D. No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 41-14, in national championship | Jeff Thorne |
| 2 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 13-2 | 1268 | 10 | Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 41-14, in national championship | Kevin Bullis |
| 3 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 12-2 | 1165 | 8 | Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 35-32, in semifinals | Gary Fasching |
| 4 | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | 12-1 | 1079 | 1 | Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 26-7, in quarterfinals | Pete Fredenburg |
| 5 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 13-1 | 1059 | 4 | Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 45-14, in semifinals | Nate Milne |
| 6 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 12-1 | 1048 | 3 | Lost to No. 8 St. John’s (Minn.), 34-33, in quarterfinals | Mike Swider |
| 7 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 11-1 | 1035 | 2 | Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 59-52, in second round | Vince Kehres |
| 8 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 11-2 | 910 | 9 | Lost to No. 5 North Central (Ill.), 31-14, in quarterfinals | Duke Greco |
| 9 | Salisbury (Md.) | 11-1 | 900 | 6 | Lost to No. 4 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 24-8, in quarterfinals | Sherman Wood |
| 10 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 9-1 | 739 | 7 | DNQ Playoffs | Rick Finotti |
| 11 | Chapman (Calif.) | 10-1 | 680 | 13 | Lost to No. 8 St. John’s (Minn.), 55-26, in second round | Bob Owens |
| 12 | Wesley (Del.) | 10-2 | 653 | 11 | Lost to No. 9 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 45-10, in second round | Chip Knapp |
| 13 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 10-2 | 622 | 17 | Lost to No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 41-28, in second round | Rick Willis |
| 14 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 8-2 | 591 | 12 | DNQ Playoffs | Jesse Burleson |
| 15 | Union (N.Y.) | 11-1 | 583 | 14 | Lost to No. 6 Salisbury (Md.), 62-41, in second round | Jeff Behrman |
| 16 | Linfield (Ore.) | 8-2 | 467 | 15 | Lost to No. 13 Chapman (Calif.), 68-65 3OT, in first round | Joseph Smith |
| 17 | Central (Iowa) | 10-2 | 449 | 23 | Lost to No. 3 Wheaton (Ill.), 49-13, in second round | Jeff McMartin |
| 18 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 10-1 | 421 | 16 | D. Wilkes (Pa.), 88-24, in Centennial-MAC Bowl Series | Tom Perkovich |
| 19 | St. Thomas (Minn.) | 8-2 | 391 | 18 | DNQ Playoffs | Glenn Caruso |
| 20 | Bridgewater (Va.) | 10-1 | 304 | 20 | Lost to No. 9 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 30-22, in first round | Michael Clark |
| 21 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 8-3 | 291 | 21 | Lost to No. 23 Central (Iowa), 38-37 OT, in first round | Pat Cerroni |
| 22 | Redlands (Calif.) | 9-2 | 249 | 22 | Lost to No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 43-14, in first round | Mike Maynard |
| 23 | Berry (Ga.) | 9-2 | 227 | 19 | Lost to Huntingdon (Ala.), 27-24, in first round | Tony Kunczewski |
| 24 | Bethel (Minn.) | 8-2 | 178 | 24 | DNQ Playoffs | Steve Johnson |
| 25 | Brockport (N.Y.) | 9-3 | 114 | NR | Lost to No. 4 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 42-0, in second round | Jason Mangone |
Dropped Out: Case Western Reserve (Ohio) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Case Western Reserve (Ohio), 100; Aurora (Ill.), 83; Huntingdon (Ala.), 74; Wisconsin-La Crosse, 39; Texas Lutheran, 28; Hope (Mich.), 26; Wisconsin-Platteville, 26; Ithaca (N.Y.), 15; Middlebury (Vt.), 15; Western New England (Mass.), 12; Trinity (Tex.), 11; Cortland (N.Y.), 8; Hanover (Ind.), 8; Martin Luther (Minn.), 7; Hobart (N.Y.), 5; Randolph-Macon (Va.), 4; Framingham St. (Mass.), 3; Monmouth (Ill.), 3; Wabash (Ind.), 3; Wesleyan (Conn.), 3; Whitworth (Wash.), 3; WPI (Mass.), 1.
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.
