Central jumps to No. 6 in final football rankings
PELLA—A deep NCAA playoff run vaulted Central College to No. 6 in the season’s final Division III football rankings by the American Football Coaches Association and by D3football.com.
It’s Central’s highest ranking of the year and the program’s loftiest final season ranking since 2007, when the Dutch also closed at No. 6 in both polls. Central was No. 13 in the preseason D3football.com rankings and No. 14 in the season’s first AFCA poll Sept. 20.
The top 10 teams are identical in both of this year’s final polls. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) (15-0) is No. 1 following its 57-24 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl victory over No. 2 North Central College (Ill.) (13-1) in the championship game Friday evening in Canton, Ohio.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1), which ended Central’s season in the quarterfinals Dec. 4, is No. 3 followed by the University of Mount Union (Ohio) (13-1).
Central (12-1) jumped four spots from No. 10 in the final regular-season AFCA poll and was up from No. 8 in the D3football.com rankings. The Dutch defeated a pair of ranked teams in the playoffs, outscoring No. 18 Bethel University (Minn.) (8-3) in the first round Nov. 20, 61-35 before rallying to win 30-28 on the game’s final play over No. 9 Wheaton College (Ill.) (10-2).
Led by quarterback Blaine Hawkins (5th-year, Ankeny), the Gagliardi Trophy winner as Division III’s most outstanding player, the Dutch posted a 10-0 regular-season mark, winning a record 32nd conference title and gaining a 22nd NCAA playoff berth. Coach Jeff McMartin was named the AFCA Region 5 Division III Coach of the Year.
