Two of the top football teams in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) will meet on Sunday, November 11 at St. Cloud State University to compete for the 2018 Minnesota College Athletic Conference Football State Championship and the NJCAA Region XIII title.
North Dakota State College of Science, currently No. 18 in the NJCAA Top 20 poll and Northland Community & Technical College, winners of five of their last six games, will kickoff at noon in Husky Stadium to decide the state championship.
Northland CTC features one of the most prolific NJCAA offenses in the country, led by quarterback Craig Wells, who is averaging over 290 yards a game in passing offense and is one of the top two QB's in touchdown passes nationwide. Two NCTC receivers, Devonaire Clarington and Kalel Grant, are in the top five in receiving yards among MCAC pass-catchers, with Clarington averaging 93.9 yards a contest and Grant clocking in at 77 a game. Defensively, Northland has held four opponents to 14 points or less in 2018 and is paced by Tristan Murrin, who averages over 13 tackles per game and Hunter Roller who has collected 10 sacks on the year. Northland won the 2017 MCAC State Championship over Mesabi Range College 68-35 and advanced to the opening game of the Graphic Edge Bowl, where they lost to Ellsworth Community College (3-8 overall), 55-14.
NDSCS has the best record of any MCAC team so far in 2018, sitting at 9-1 overall. Their lone loss came at the hands of the Pioneers on October 13, a 14-7 setback in Wahpeton. Sunday's rematch will pit the MCAC's leading defense against the top offense, as the Wildcats lead the MCAC in giving up only 11.6 points per game and have allowed the fewest points of any team (116 total). North Dakota State College of Science also leads the league with the lowest passing yards allowed per game (147.6) and has allowed the lowest rushing yards against per contest (63.5). On offense, the Wildcats are paced by Kingston Myles and Jay-Len Brown, a running-back tandem that has over 1,100 yards on the ground this season. With the game on Sunday, NDSCS has participated in three of the last four MCAC State Championships, losing to Central Lakes in 2016, 36-28 and falling to Rochester CTC in 2015, 45-41.
Two key sponsors help with the production of the 2018 MCAC Football State Championship; the U.S. Marine Corps and Visit Greater St. Cloud have pitched in to be a part of this year's contest. For preferred hotels in the St. Cloud area, please click here.
Stay tuned to www.MCACSPORTS.org and our social media feeds at Twitter and Facebook.
For more on St. Cloud State University and Husky Stadium, including directions, important facility information and more, click here or go to: https://scsuhuskies.com/sports/2014/9/4/FB_0904143901.aspx
CLICK HERE for the MCAC Football home page.
For MCAC statistical leaders, go to: http://www.mcacsports.org/sports/fball/2018-19/leaders
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.