The final week of the regular season is over. The playoffs and bowl games await a few select Iowa College teams. What a fun regular season it was for small college football in the state of Iowa.
Star Students of the Week
Dordt A+: you go down the road 11 miles to Orange City as the slight favorite in a game of top 15 NAIA teams, and you absolutely crush your rivals from Northwestern College 66-21. Pure domination, and you secure a very hard-to-get NAIA playoff bid (at large).
Wartburg A+: In the A-R-C Championship game against Coe College (also undefeated in the conference) you win 21-10 and take your 5th straight conference crown and the automatic NCAA D3 playoff bid.
Luther A+: The Norse went to Grinnell and came away with a hard-fought 24-10 victory in a game of two of the most improved teams in Iowa this year. Seven wins for Luther is more games than they had won in the previous 6 football seasons combined. What a turnaround in Decorah this fall.
Top of the Class Performances
Central A: The Dutch lost some key skill players early this year including their starting QB to injuries, but battled and closed with a strong victory against rival Simpson. The Dutch were 6-4 on the year and 4th in the A-R-C at 4-3.
U of Dubuque A: The Spartans won their cross-town trophy (Key City Trophy) from Loras. For the 15th year in row UD vanquished Loras and sent them home (the schools are six blocks apart) with the loss. The Spartans are waiting to see if they are going bowling next week.
William Penn A: 41-27 win over St. Ambrose. William Penn with a strong close to a fine season. 8-3 this year on the bubble for the playoffs, but likely not going to be in the NAIA FB playoffs. The last two years with 19 wins is the best 2 year win record in WPU history and they have been playing Football in Osky for over 130 years. Huge kudos to Statesmen on a fine season.
Grand View A: The two-time defending NAIA National Champions showed why they are a top contender for a three-peat with a 75-point beatdown of Mount Mercy. The Vikings are going to be a force in the NAIA playoffs once again.
Morningside A: A 70-14 win over cross-town rival Briar Cliff in Sioux City. The top-10 Mustangs are going to be a force in the NAIA playoffs and a National Title contender once again next week.
Graceland A: Closed out the season with a 42-33 victory over Clarke with another offensive explosion to go 3-4 in conference this year.
Grinnell C-: The Pioneers fought hard to tie the game with Luther at 10-10 in the second half but ran out of gas and lost the game in the 4th quarter. The best season in Grinnell in many years but a tough close loss to end it.
Coe College C-: The Kohawks gave Wartburg everything that they could handle in the championship game, but fell short by 11 points and finished in second place in the conference race. A likely bowl invitation awaits, but a NCAA playoff bid for a 4th straight year was missed.
All D+’s Simpson, Mt. Mercy, Clarke, St. Ambrose, Buena Vista, Northwestern College, Briar Cliff, Upper Iowa, Drake, UNI, and Loras all had rough closes to their seasons.
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