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  Eight Golden Rings!

Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl - Division III National Championship

Raiders win their eighth national title

     SALEM, Va. - Everything was perfect.

     The natural grass surface at Salem Stadium may have had a few divots, but that’s what Mount Union expected - in a national championship game in December.

     The challenge Wisconsin-Whitewater threw at the Purple Raiders may have been steep, but again, that’s what Mount Union anticipated - in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl XXXIII.

     And nevermind that blemish on their regular-season record.

     Just pay attention Saturday’s final score - Mount Union 35, Wisconsin Whitewater 28 - and the title of 2005 national champions.

     Everything was perfect.

     “This is one of the top games one of my teams has ever played in terms of 60 minutes and it was against the best opponent we’ve faced this season,” said Purple Raiders head coach Larry Kehres. “We struggled midway through the season and we’ve heard a lot about our one loss. We bounced back from that and look what we accomplished.”

     With Saturday’s victory, Mount Union is once again atop the small-college football world with its eighth NCAA Division III national title in 13 years. The fact that they did it with all first-year offensive skill players makes it that much more satisfying.

     “This team has really maxed out on its potential,” said Kehres. “This is a great team.”

     The Raiders (14-1) were a phenomenal all-around team against Wisconsin-Whitewater (14-1), making plays on both sides of the ball to notch the program’s first title in two years.

     That was especially true at crunch time when a 21-point lead had dwindled down to the margin of a touchdown.

     Warhawk quarterback Justin Jacobs threw two quick touchdown passes to Jim Leszczynski and Pete Schmitt to put his team within 28-21 with 8:37 remaining.

     That’s when the Raiders mounted a 12-play, 71-yard drive that chewed up 5:39 of the clock. Quarterback Mike Jorris went 5-for-5 on the drive which ended on a 15-yard scamper by freshman running back Nate Kmic, who was later named the Stagg Bowl’s Most Outstanding Player. Following a PAT by Mike Zimmerman, who was a perfect 5-of-5 on the day, Mount Union was back on top with a 35-21 lead with a little under three minutes to play.

     Whitewater managed to score once more on a Jacobs’ 1-yard plunge, but the Warhawks had to convert two fourth-down situations and were slowed by a sack from Mount Union defensive lineman Jesse Wells and two stops of running back Justin Beaver right at the goal line by Wells and Robert McDavid.

     It left the Warhawks with just two seconds to try an onside kick that was recovered by Mount Union’s Matt Kostelnik.

     Then the chants of “Eight” were heard from the Mount Union side of the field and the Raiders charged the field in celebration.

     “This was a championship-caliber game between two championship-caliber teams,” said Kehres, whose team held a slim 439-438 advantage in total offense.

     Warhawks coach Bob Berezowitz wished he could have the third quarter back when it was all said and done.

     Whitewater had trailed 14-7 at halftime after Jorris, who ended the day with an efficient 20-of-28 with 246 yards, connected with Pierre Garcon on passes of 63 and 12 yards, while the Raider defense had forced two incomplete passes on fourth-down situations inside their own territory and held the Warhawks to a field goal attempt just prior to the intermission.

     However, the Warhawks surrendered two touchdowns in that third frame, including a Stagg Bowl- and school-record 95-yard scamper by Kmic.

     “The defense overflowed and I just took off,” said Kmic, who ended the day with 185 yards to had outduel Division III’s leading rusher Justin Beaver, who finished with 125 yards and a 2-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.

     The long run followed a goal line stand by Mount Union, who held the Warhawks from scoring on three straight plays from the 1-yard line.

     “That was the turning point,” said Berezowitz. “They beat us on the line of scrimmage and we didn’t make the plays that we usually do. That hurt us in two ways because they come back and go the distance.”

     Later, Raider defensive back Cameron Rose picked off Jacobs in the end zone and returned it to the 20 where Mount Union started a drive that went 80 yards in 10 plays and was capped by a Kmic 2-yard run that put the Raiders ahead 28-7.

     “This just feels great,” said Garcon, who caught seven passes for 107 yards. “This is why you come to Mount Union to play hard and win championships.”

Mount Union 35       Wis-Whitewater 28

Scoring

Individual Statistics

Rushing - Mount Union, Kmic 28-185, Garcon 1-9, Jorris 4-6, Team 1-(-2);  Whitewater, Beaver 30-125, Leszczynski 1-3, Mrkvicka 1-3, Jacobs 7-(-3).

Passing - Mount Union, Jorris 20-28-1-246;  Whitewater, Jacobs 22-47-1-310.

Receiving - Mount Union, Garcon 7-107, Kmic 7-61, Campbell 3-40, Boehm 2-29, Casto 1-9;  Whitewater, Stanley 7-99, Leszczynski 5-93, Schmitt 4-65, Reuland 3-36, Douglas 2-5, Mrkvicka 1-12.

  *By Jack R. Weber Jr.  Appeared in The Alliance Review 12-19-05; photos by Gayle Stickley.