Grant Lucas – Sports editor. As the 2009 Division III football season winds down, 10 teams find themselves among the elite in the nation. All intend to claim the Stagg Bowl champion title.
Along with top 25 rankings, d3football.com also created standings for each region: North, South, East and West.
Here’s where things get interesting. Of the six West Region teams in the top 10, three stand among the five best teams in the nation, providing an argument that this region is dominant in D-III football. Let’s break down the top West Region teams.
St. John’s University sits atop the region with an 8-0 overall record and a 6-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record, but is there anything else that earns it such a high ranking?
The Johnnies may sit fourth in the nation, but, statistically, they don’t match up with any other team. Unranked programs put up more points and total offense than St. John’s, which begs the question: Should top 25 rankings be based solely on records?
The second-best team in the West Region is the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which is ranked second in the nation. The Warhawks, unlike the Johnnies, deserve respect. They’re ranked sixth in the country in total offense with 3,892 total yards, 44 touchdowns and 486.5 average yards per game.
UW-Whitewater is also eighth in D-III football in scoring offense and sixth in the nation in total defense. The Warhawks have allowed only 1,784 total yards, 223 yards per game and seven touchdowns.
Leading the Warhawk attack is senior quarterback Jeff Donovan, who is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency. Donovan has completed more than 72 percent of his passes, throwing only three interceptions in 191 pass attempts and recording a 182.9 efficiency rating.
Sophomore running back Levell Coppage is another Warhawk weapon. In eight games, Coppage has run for 16 touchdowns and racked up more than 1,000 rushing yards on 164 carries. He’s also fourth in the nation with 135.1 rushing yards per game.
Rounding out the nation’s top five and ranked third in the West Region is Linfield College. The Wildcats are 13th in the country in scoring offense, as they average 39.6 points per game. Although they aren’t recognized for their defensive effort, the ’Cats lead the Northwest Conference in total defense, allowing fewer than 295 yards per game.
Senior quarterback Aaron Boehme has passed for more yards per game than anyone else in the conference with about 247. He has also thrown for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns. Not only that, but Boehme also is ranked 25th in D-III in total offense with more than 2,200 total yards and 27 total touchdowns.
Helping out the Wildcat offense is sophomore running back Aaron Williams. With eight touchdowns, 76.9 rushing yards per game and 538 rushing yards, Williams leads the NWC in each respective category.
Senior wide receiver Trevor Patterson also stands out for Linfield, ranking second in the country and first in the conference with 12 receiving touchdowns.
Although the West Region is highlighted in this article, that isn’t to say other regions don’t produce phenomenal teams. For example, in the North Region sits the top-ranked team in the nation: Mount Union College.
The Purple Raiders have top-five rankings in several categories and are led by prolific senior quarterback Kurt Rocco, who holds the best pass efficiency rating in all of D-III football with 205.7. This region, however, has yet to produce another top-10 team.
Wesley College hails from the South Region and is ranked third in the nation. The Wolverines are ninth in the country in total defense, allowing fewer than 1,900 yards and eight touchdowns. But, again, no other team from the elite comes from the region.
With six teams ranking in the top 10, the West Region seems to dominate D-III football. However, with three weeks remaining in regular season play, any West Region team can be knocked out of Stagg Bowl contention. Some may say it’s too soon for this assumption. That’s fine. When the final week comes to a close, take a look at the final top-10 rankings. I guarantee four will remain.