COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND RESULTS

After all the postponements last fall, NAIA football teams were finally able to finish regular season play over the past couple of months and moved on to the playoffs yesterday.

ROUND ONE: GAME ONE – The BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS hosted the OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS (should be the Purple Tigers). By Halftime in this shootout the score was knotted up at 24-24. The 3rd Quarter ended with the Tigers on top 41-38 but the Wildcats came from behind to win the game in the 4th. The final score was Baker U 59  Olivet Nazarene 54.

ROUND ONE: GAME TWO – This game pitted the NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS against the visiting DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS. The Red Raiders parlayed a 7-0 1st Quarter lead into a 17-7 advantage by the Half. After the break Northwestern College shut out the Blue Hawks while adding 14 more points of their own for an authoritative 31-7 triumph.

ROUND ONE: GAME THREE – Yesterday the CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS traveled to face the GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. It doesn’t feel like the NAIA postseason until the forever-overrated Tigers fall on their faces. The Cardinals led 14-0 in the opening Quarter and 21-0 at the midpoint of the game. Concordia U kept Georgetown College off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter as they notched a 21-7 road victory.

ROUND ONE: GAME FOUR – In this game the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS welcomed the BETHEL COLLEGE THRESHERS. This was a tale of two Halves. The Threshers were out in front of the Blue Raiders 3-0 to end the 1st Quarter but Lindsey Wilson College went on top 14-10 by Halftime. From there the Blue Raiders dominated, shutting out Bethel College and winning the game 42-10.

ROUND ONE: GAME FIVE – The GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (should be the Zebras) took the field against the visiting DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS on Saturday. A 10-10 tie at the Half became a beatdown after the break, as the Vikings led the Defenders 17-10 going into the 4th Quarter before ultimately winning out by a final score of 38-10.

ROUND ONE: GAME SIX – The KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS played host to the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. During the regular season this game would have fit my “one team was playing basketball” category. The Seahawks seized a commanding 32-0 lead in the 1st Quarter and never looked back. They led the Firestorm 49-7 at Halftime and won the game SIXTY-THREE to TWENTY-ONE.

ROUND ONE: GAME SEVEN – The 2-time defending National Champions, the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS, played the visiting CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS. The Mustangs achieved defensive perfection, leading the Fighting Saints 13-0 in the opening Quarter, 34-0 at the break and 48-0 in the 3rd Quarter before ending the 4th with a 55-0 shutout victory. 

ROUND ONE: GAME EIGHT – This game saw the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be the Rottweilers) welcome the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS. The 1st Quarter ended with the Knights on top 2-0 but by Halftime the Eagles led 14-2. That became 20-2 in the 3rd Quarter before an action-packed 4th ended in a 40-29 triumph for Reinhardt U.