ALLIANCE, Ohio – No. 1 ranked North Central defeated No. 4 ranked Mount Union 26-13 in the semifinals of the NCAA Football Playoffs on a blustery, rainy, Saturday at Mount Union Stadium.
While they may be named the Cardinals (13-0), North Central ran for 293 yards on 51 carries as it was the most rushing yards Mount Union (13-1) allowed in 48 games dating back to a 2017 playoff game against Washington & Lee (Va.).
Ethan Greenfield had a game-high 31 rushes for 190 yards while quarterback Luke Lehnen ran for 83 yards with a touchdown and completed eight-of-11 passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Mount Union scored on its first possession, but Raider offense did not find the end zone again until 6:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback
Braxton Plunk (Plant City, Fla.) competed 19-of-33 passes for two touchdowns, both to
Jaden Manley (Columbus / Bishop Hartley).
Josh Petruccelli (Perry) ran for 54 yards on seven carries.
Kordell Ford (Massillon / Massillon Washington) and
Mason McMillen (Wadsworth) each had 11 stops to lead the Raider defense.
After holding the Cardinals to a punt on their first possession, Mount Union took a 7-0 lead on a seven-play, 84-yard march that was finished with a Plunk to Manley eight-yard strike.
North Central came right back and answered with an 11-play, 71-yard, drive and Lehnen threw a four-yard pass to Deangelo Hardy but the extra point was missed and it was 7-6.
The Cardinals had all the points into the wind in the second quarter on a 34-yard pass from Lehnen to Matt Robinson and a 42-yard Tanner Rains field goal to lead 16-7 at the break.
Lehman had a two-yard rush in the third quarter to put North Central up 23-7.
Mount Union rallied but could only manage a single score in the fourth quarter as Plunk and Manley hooked up from 16 yards out, the two-point conversion was no good and it was 23-13 but could never get the ball back as the Cardinals ran out the clock.
North Central advances to next week's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl against either UW-Whitewater or Mary Hardin-Baylor next Friday, Dec. 17 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
