North Central Claims Third Division III National Championship

HOUSTON — In a thrilling showdown on Sunday night, Luke Lehnen led North Central to a 41-25 victory over Mount Union, clinching their third Division III national championship title.

The win marked a significant milestone for the Cardinals, who finished the season undefeated at 15-0 and made their fifth consecutive appearance in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Lehnen had a stellar performance, contributing five touchdowns to the game. He threw four touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Jacob Paradee, bringing Lehnen’s career touchdown total to 162. This figure places him in a tie with John Matocha from the Colorado School of Mines, who set the all-divisions record between 2019 and 2023.

The game started off with a surprising twist as Mount Union’s Tyler Echeverry dashed 29 yards for an untouched touchdown, marking the first time North Central had trailed all season. However, Lehnen quickly responded by throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Myles Walton, leveling the score at 7-7 with just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter. This touchdown moved Lehnen past Braxton Plunk’s D-III record, as he claimed his 159th career touchdown.

Significantly, after Mount Union’s unsuccessful fourth-down attempt deep in North Central territory, Lehnen capitalized on the opportunity, rushing for a 16-yard touchdown about halfway through the second quarter, which gave the Cardinals a 14-7 lead—a lead they maintained for the rest of the game.

Despite several attempts, Mount Union (14-1) was only able to score once during four consecutive possessions in the red zone, managing just a 30-yard field goal by Ivan Maric just before the end of the first half.

Both North Central and Mount Union have set their place in history, with a combined total of 122 consecutive regular season wins. Mount Union boasts an impressive record with 13 D-III championships from 23 title game appearances, while North Central has quickly risen to prominence after winning their first title in 2019—where they made history by appearing in their inaugural championship game—and defeating the Purple Raiders 28-21 in last year’s final.

Echeverry, who was a key player for Mount Union, had a strong start with 68 rushing yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. He concluded the game with 20 carries totaling 83 yards.