2019 North Central Cardinals football team

The 2019 North Central Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented North Central College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) during the 2019 NCAA Division III football season. The team played its home games at BenedettiÃ¢ÂÂWehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois.

In their fifth year under head coach Jeff Thorne, the team compiled a 14Ã¢ÂÂ1 record (8Ã¢ÂÂ1 against conference opponents) and finished second out of ten teams in the CCIW. The team advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs and defeated , 41Ã¢ÂÂ14, in the 2019 Stagg Bowl.

Senior quarterback Broc Rutter won the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded to the best player in NCAA Division III. Rutter finished just three votes ahead of Jackson Erdmann, the closest vote in the history of the award.

Preseason

The CCIW released it preseason coaches' prediction poll on August 8, 2019. The Cardinals were picked to win the conference and received seven of the ten first place votes.

Schedule

Rankings

Game summaries

At Christopher Newport

At No. 24 Washington (MO)

North Park

At No. 9 Wheaton (IL)

Augustana (IL)

At Carroll (WI)

Carthage

At Elmhurst

Illinois Wesleyan

At Millikin

Wabash (NCAA Division III First Round)

At No. 2 Mount Union (NCAA Division III Second Round)

No. 9 Delaware Valley (NCAA Division III Quarterfinal)

At No. 4 Muhlenberg (NCAA Division III Semifinal)

Vs. No. 7 WisconsinÃ¢ÂÂWhitewater (Stagg Bowl)

Personnel

Players

1 Julian Bell DB 5-7 146 So. Oswego, Ill. / Oswego Waubonsee CC 1 Khori Blair WR 6-1 179 Jr. Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest 2 Zach Greenberg DB 6-1 196 Sr. Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley 3 Zach Butler DB 5-9 196 Jr. Kingston, Ill. / Genoa-Kingston 3 Tommy Coates WR 6-3 183 Fr. Chicago, Ill. / De La Salle 3 Daniel Slaughter LB 5-9 212 Fr. Palm Harbor, Fla. / East Lake 4 Dakota Cremeens DB 5-8 180 Jr. Bloomington, Ill. / Normal Community 4 Matt Metz WR 6-1 184 Jr. Morton Grove, Ill. / Niles West 5 De'Angelo Roberson DB 5-10 174 Jr. Mount Prospect, Ill. / Wisconsin-Eau Claire 6 Michael Baumgardner LB 5-7 191 So. Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley 6 DeAngelo Hardy WR 6-1 190 Fr. Lake Villa, Ill. / Lakes 7 Bryan Beauchamp LB 6-0 221 Sr. Fairland, Ind. / Triton Central 7 Arek Kleniuk QB 6-0 164 Fr. Mount Prospect, Ill. / Rolling Meadows 8 Ethan Greenfield RB 5-9 195 So. Lindenhurst, Ill. / Lakes 8 Sean Jacobs LB 5-8 200 Fr. Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Buffalo Grove 9 Tommy Hyland DL 6-4 261 Jr. Lombard, Ill. / Montini Catholic Northwest Missouri State 9 Broc Rutter QB 6-2 204 Sr. Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley Indiana State 10 Talha Ayhan DL 5-10 222 Jr. Wheaton, Ill. / Glenbard South 11 Andrew Kamienski WR 6-0 181 Jr. Pingree Grove, Ill. / South Elgin 11 Tim Mayerhofer DB 6-0 183 Jr. Romeoville, Ill. / Plainfield East 12 Jake Johnson QB 6-1 187 Fr. Lake Villa, Ill. / Lakes 13 Cole Griffin DB 5-11 205 So. Tinley Park, Ill. / Andrew 13 Kevin Polaski QB 5-11 148 Fr. Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Conant 14 Sam Taviani DB 6-0 181 So. Downers Grove, Ill. / Downers Grove North 15 Jodeci Chappa WR 6-0 156 Fr. Immokalee, Fla. / Immokalee 16 Alec Wolff DB 6-3 190 So. Lombard, Ill. / Glenbard East 17 Eddie Villalobos RB 5-5 150 Fr. Rochelle, Ill. / Rochelle Twp. 17 Zach Witken DB 5-9 199 Sr. Riverside, Ill. / Riverside-Brookfield 18 Blake Williams WR 6-4 186 Jr. Aurora, Ill. / Metea Valley 19 Rob Simental QB 6-1 191 Fr. Chicago, Ill. / De La Salle 20 Ronin Gilbert RB 5-9 178 Fr. Tinley Park, Ill. / Tinley Park 20 Jared Hornbeck WR 6-0 181 So. Hampshire, Ill. / Hampshire Robert Morris 21 Jake Beesley DB 6-4 196 Jr. Champaign, Ill. / Champaign Central 22 Zach Garrett RB 5-8 196 Sr. Batavia, Ill. / Batavia 22 Daniel Morales DB 5-9 153 Fr. Whiting, Ind. / Mount Carmel 23 Darius Cook DB 5-8 177 Sr. Chicago, Ill. / Lindblom Academy 23 Conner Rush DB 5-10 150 Fr. Pekin, Ill. / Pekin 24 Armando Varela RB 5-7 169 Sr. San Ysidro, Calif. / San Ysidro Southwestern 25 Braden Lindmark DB 6-3 188 So. Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central 26 Rafael Rios RB 5-9 180 Fr. Highland, Ind. / Highland 27 Javon Lee DB 5-9 146 Fr. Glenwood, Ill. / Homewood-Flossmoor 28 Austin Ioerger RB 5-8 191 Fr. Metamora, Ill. / Metamora 28 Zach Weiss DB 5-11 164 Fr. Bolingbrook, Ill. / Neuqua Valley 29 Trevor Tesmond DB 5-11 179 So. Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley 30 Payton Voitik DB 6-2 189 Fr. Morris, Ill. / Morris Valparaiso 31 Garrett Fiduccia DB 6-0 185 So. Aurora, Ill. / Oswego East 31 Logan Graham LB 5-11 201 Fr. Dwight, Ill. / Dwight Twp. 32 John Daway LB 5-11 201 Fr. Tampa, Fla. / Blake 33 Ben Wong LB 6-0 215 Jr. Bloomington, Ill. / Normal Community 34 Joey Carrell DB 5-9 166 Fr. Schaumburg, Ill. / Conant 34 Drew Vasquez DB 5-7 173 Sr. Effingham, Ill. / Effingham 35 Jamauri Spivery LB 6-0 218 Jr. Chicago, Ill. / Perspectives Charter Trinity International Univ. 37 Eric Letterer LB 5-10 186 Jr. Dekalb, Ill. / Dekalb 38 Adam Maluchnik LB 5-10 208 Jr. Dyer, Ind. / Andrean 39 Dan Gilroy DL 6-3 230 So. Cary, Ill. / Cary-Grove 40 Braden Hasty LB 5-11 186 So. Effingham, Ill. / Effingham 40 Jake See LB 5-9 206 Fr. Hampshire, Ill. / Hampshire 41 Levi Doan RB 6-0 161 Fr. Edinburg, Ill. / Edinburg 41 Magnus Meyer K/P 6-0 187 Fr. Nesbru, Norway 42 Terrence Hill RB 5-10 173 So. Effingham, Ill. / Effingham 43 Mo Abuzir LB 5-9 193 Fr. Oak Forest, Ill. / Sandburg 43 Jordan Kraft LB 6-1 209 So. Hobart, Ind. / Hobart 44 Spenser Eversole DL 6-2 219 Jr. Pesotum, Ill. / Villa Grove Eastern Illinois Univ. 45 Storm Simmons LB 6-1 226 Jr. Bloomington, Ill. / Normal Community 46 Thomas Mitchell K/P 5-8 172 Fr. Wilmington, Ohio / Kings 46 Jared Roberts RB 6-1 236 Fr. Winnebago, Ill. / Winnebago 47 Miguel Delvalle LB 5-11 234 Fr. Kirkland, Ill. / Hiawatha 47 Adam Green LB 5-11 199 Fr. Oswego, Ill. / Oswego East 48 Gavin Bauknecht LB 5-9 217 Fr. Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township 48 Cameron Martin DL 6-3 259 Jr. Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North 49 Adam Haushahn LB 6-2 219 So. Glen Ellyn, Ill. / Glenbard South 49 Will Kettelkamp DB 6-3 198 Fr. Taylorville, Ill. / Taylorville 50 Griffin Paige LB 6-0 211 Jr. Effingham, Ill. / Effingham McKendree Univ. 52 Sean Gorman LB 5-11 206 So. Palatine, Ill. / Fremd 53 Nathan Gray OL 5-10 260 Jr. Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North 54 Jack Cooper DL 6-0 276 So. Oswego, Ill. / Oswego East 55 Sharmore Clarke OL 6-0 260 Jr. Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest 56 George Western DL 5-9 221 Fr. Steger, Ill. / St. Rita 57 Chance Roberts LB 6-0 197 Fr. Liberty, Miss. / Amite 57 Jordan Ryan OL 6-0 260 Jr. Streamwood, Ill. / Streamwood 58 Owen Henriques DL 6-0 200 Sr. Cary, Ill. / Cary-Grove 59 Colton Bauknecht OL 6-2 270 Sr. Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township 60 Vaughn Valone OL 6-2 265 So. Monee, Ill. / Peotone 61 Bobby Gannon OL 5-11 295 Sr. Downers Grove, Ill. / Montini Catholic 61 Cody Hardt OL 5-11 231 Fr. Hudson, Ill. / Normal West 62 Michael Hasenstab OL 6-4 269 So. Champaign, Ill. / Champaign Central 63 Brandon Greifelt DL 6-1 268 So. Mount Prospect, Ill. / Notre Dame Prep 64 Derek Bex OL 5-11 287 Fr. Batavia, Ill. / Batavia 64 Derek Murphy OL 6-4 273 So. Sandwich, Ill. / Sandwich 65 Will Jandak OL 6-2 289 Fr. Rochelle, Ill. / Rochelle Twp. 65 Ethan Kiley DL 6-1 236 Jr. Lake Villa, Ill. / Lakes 67 Zach Fortier OL 6-6 255 Fr. Oak Forest, Ill. / Sandburg 68 Isiah Ziegler DL 5-10 314 So. Carpentersville, Ill. / Dundee-Crown 69 Daniel Dusik OL 6-3 231 Fr. McHenry, Ill. / Marian Central Catholic 71 Jake Fiedler OL 6-3 271 Sr. Yorkville, Ill. / Yorkville 72 Will Ebert OL 6-2 272 So. Arlington Heights, Ill. / Hersey 74 Ryan Ohlsen DL 5-11 280 So. Evansville, Ind. / Reitz 74 Jarod Thornton OL 5-11 295 Fr. Homewood, Ill. / Homewood-Flossmoor 75 Jack Grupka OL 6-1 264 Fr. Lake Villa, Ill. / Lakes 75 Ricky Strba OL 6-4 286 Sr. Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Buffalo Grove 77 James Hart OL 6-2 334 Fr. Rochelle, Ill. / Rochelle Twp. 80 Rick Maziarka WR 5-11 159 Fr. Orland Park, Ill. / Sandburg 80 Axel Ponten WR 5-11 180 Jr. Uppsala, Sweden / International Univ. of Wyoming 81 Jake Robinson WR 6-1 169 Fr. Peoria, Ariz. / Liberty 82 Jonathon Joyce WR 5-10 151 Fr. Arcadia, Fla. / Evangelical Christian Academy 82 Austin Zavis WR 6-4 194 Sr. Frankfort, Ill. / Lincoln-Way East 83 Tyler Egan TE 6-4 235 Sr. Chicago, Ill. / Mt. Carmel 84 Alex Rose TE 6-3 235 Sr. Schiller Park, Ill. / East Leyden 85 Jarrett Crider WR 5-9 154 Fr. Morton, Ill. / Morton 85 Hunter Greve TE 6-2 211 So. Morris, Ill. / Seneca 85 Bryce Santarelli WR 6-2 190 Fr. Cape Coral, Fla. / Southwest Florida Christian Academy 86 Dana Anderson TE 6-0 223 Jr. Geneva, Ill. / Batavia 87 Joe Mohr TE 5-11 207 Fr. Carlock, Ill. / Normal West 88 Nic Rummell WR 6-0 157 Fr. Gilberts, Ill. / Hampshire Iowa State Univ. 88 Tomas Savickas TE 6-3 209 Fr. Minooka, Ill. / Minooka 89 Sam Russchenberg TE 6-2 208 Fr. Palatine, Ill. / Palatine 90 Steven Niemann OL 5-11 292 Fr. Highland, Ind. / Highland 92 Zach Hartman DL 6-2 213 Fr. Utica, Ill. / La Salle-Peru 97 Alex Debolt DL 6-0 237 Sr. Aurora, Ill. / West Aurora 98 Matt Quinn DL 6-2 221 Fr. Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley 99 Tyler Rich DL 6-4 236 So. Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township

Coaching staff

Head coach - Jeff Thorne
Assistant coaches

Brad Spencer (assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator)

Shane Dierking (defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach)

Tim Janecek (defensive line coach, strength coordinator)

Eric Stuedemann (offensive line coach)

Liam Crotty (kicking coach)

Mavolio Grier (defensive line coach)

John Howell (defensive backs coach)

Greg Jensik (tight ends coach)

Matt Sinclair (linebackers coach)

Dylan Warden (wide receivers coach)

Dan Starkey (running backs coach)

Don Sutherland (linebackers coach)