Belhaven football advances to NCAA Division III playoffs for first time in program history
Belhaven football made history last week.
The Blazers (9-1, 7-1 USA South Athletics Conference) defeated Brevard 46-19 at Belhaven Bowl Stadium to capture the conference championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs. It's their first time in the playoffs since jumping from the NAIA to the NCAA. Belhaven's nine wins are also a program record.
Belhaven, led by coach Blaine McCorkle, found out its opponent on Sunday and it's a challenging draw against top-ranked North Central.
North Central (10-0, 9-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) has made three consecutive trips to the national championship and won it all in 2019 and 2022 (the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic). The loss in the 2021 national championship was the last game North Central has dropped, putting its winning streak at 25 games across the last two seasons.
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The first-round matchup will be played Saturday at noon at North Central in Naperville, Illinois. The winner will face the survivor between Trinity (Texas) and Hardin-Simmons. The national championship game will be held Dec. 15 in Salem, Virginia.
Belhaven opened the season with seven straight wins before falling to Maryville in overtime on Oct. 28. The Blazers are led by graduate student Tim Johnson at quarterback and running back Kolbe Blunt, who broke the program's single-season rushing record with 1,230 yards.
Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Belhaven football advances to NCAA Division III playoffs for first time
