No. 4 North Central ends Pioneer Football's playoff run
The UW-Platteville football team’s great 2013 season came to an end on Saturday as the seventh-ranked Pioneers fell to fourth-ranked North Central, 52-24, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#9 Wis.-Platteville
(10-2)
|
3 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
|
#5 North Central (Ill.)
(12-0)
|
21 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 52 |
Team Stats
#5 North Central (Ill.)
| Game Statistics | #9 Wis.-Platteville | #5 North Central (Ill.) |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 307 | 274 |
| Rushing Yards | 125 | 322 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 32:13 | 27:47 |
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team's great 2013 season came to an end on Saturday as the seventh-ranked Pioneers fell to fourth-ranked North Central, 52-24, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The Pioneers end the year with a 10-2 record, tying the program win's record. Unbeaten North Central (12-0) moves onto the national quarterfinal where the Cardinals will face off with sixth-ranked Bethel.
"For our program, from where we were five years ago, to be in this position, to be talked about as a playoff team; I think it's a great accomplishment for our football players and for our team," said head coach Mike Emendorfer.
UW-Platteville's John Kelly completed 21 of his 37 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Trevor Whitewater caught seven passes for 72 yards, while Quinn Buschbacher, Ryley Bailey and Russell Martin each tallied four receptions. Bailey caught both of the Kelly's touchdown passes.
On the ground, junior Andy Puccini led the team with 51 yards on nine rushes. Senior Lee Vlasak had seven carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. Kelly added 34 yards rushing as the Pioneers recorded 432 yards of total offense. The Pioneers were the first team to tally over 400 yards of offense on the Cardinals and the second team to score over 20 points.
"We knew we could move the football, and we just had to take advantage of every opportunity," said Emendorfer.
NC's Ryan Kent led the team with 257 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Spencer Stanek completed 19-for-24 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Chad O'Kane caught all three of Stanek's touchdown passes and registered 132 receiving yards.
Both teams came into Saturday's game known for their high-powered offenses and the Cardinal offense proved to be too much for the Pioneers. North Central recorded 416 yards of total offense in the first half and took a 35-17 lead into halftime.
"We missed fired once or twice that kept us from being within reach, and we kept on fighting to get a little closer but they seemed to respond to our touchdowns, said Emendorfer."
The Cardinals forced the Pioneers to go three and out in UW-Platteville's opening drive of the second half and used a five play 38-yard drive to take a 42-17 lead. The Pioneers responded with a 10-play 65-yard touchdown drive that ended with a eight-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Bailey. NC scored the only points of the fourth quarter, earning the 52-24 victory.
"We proved to be a team that is capable of winning in the playoffs with last week and I would like to think we will be back in 2014 or in the future," said Emendorfer.