From ncaa.com:

The Cortland Red Dragons are the DIII football champions for the first time in program history. A back-and-forth scoring match ended with one victor, as Cortland [State University of New York at Cortland] defeated [defending champion] North Central (IL) 38-37 to win the title.

Editor’s note: The Stagg Bowl returned to Salem, Virginia, for its 50th anniversary game. The game had previously been played there for 25 years. A report on fans coming from all over because of the anniversary, including from schools that weren’t even playing, may be found here. UW-Whitewater has won the bowl six times.

In Friday’s matchup, both teams were tied 31 a piece with 7:16 left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Cortland’s Cole Burgess’ second TD of the night came on a 21-yard pass from junior QB Zac Boyes with 1:41 left. North Central (IL) QB Luke Lehnen’s 60-yard TD pass to DeAngelo Hardy gave the Cardinals a possibility to win their fourth Stagg Bowl in a row, but a failed two-point conversion fell incomplete to close out the game.

Boyes accounted for 472 of Cortland’s 503 offensive yards, 349 through the air and 154 on the ground.

Cortland finishes its first national championship-winning season 14-1 overall.

Here is the schedule of the 2023 NCAA Division III football tournament:

2023 NCAA Division III football tournament schedule, scores

Opening Round: Saturday, Nov. 18

• Mount Union 56, Alfred State 14 
• Alma 32, DePauw 17
• Cortland 28, Endicott 17
• Grove City 21, Susquehanna 20
• Johns Hopkins 62, Western Connecticut State 20
• Union (NY) 24, Delaware Valley 16
• Ithaca 21, Springfield 7
• Randolph-Macon 28, Christopher Newport 20
• Wisconsin-La Crosse 62, Minnesota-Morris 7
• Aurora 20, Coe 7
• Trinity (TX) 20, Hardin-Simmons 6 
• North Central (IL) 65, Belhaven 0
• Wartburg 49, Illinois College 14
• Wheaton (IL) 41, Mount St. Joseph 34 
• Wisconsin-Whitewater 42, Bethel (MN) 14
• Whitworth 42, Chapman 28

Second Round: Saturday, Nov. 25

• Cortland 25, Grove City 24
• Randolph-Macon 46, Ithaca 0
• Johns Hopkins 39, Union (NY), 17
• Alma 24, Mount Union 20
• North Central (IL) 71, Trinity (TX) 28
• Wartburg 42, Whitworth 20
• Wisconsin-Whitewater 49, Wheaton (IL) 42
•  Wisconsin-La Crosse 56, Aurora 35

Quarterfinals: Saturday, Dec. 2

• Cortland 58, Alma 41
• Randolph-Macon 39, Johns Hopkins 36
• Wartburg 31, Wisconsin-Whitewater 28
• North Central (IL) 55, Wisconsin-La Crosse 42

Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 9

• North Central (IL) 34, Wartburg 27
• Cortland 49, Randolph-Macon 14

Championship: Friday, December 15

• Cortland 38, North Central (IL) 37

Updated 12/16 @ 4 p.m. to add the game score and the previous record holder Hugh Gnatzig’s reported graduation year.

Sophomore Casey Lyon broke the school record Friday night, December 15, for single-game scoring in a Boys’ Basketball Game at Whitewater High School. Casey made 18 of 19 free throws and seven 3-pointers.

Not only did Lyon score 47 points to surpass Hugh Gnatzig [per the Jefferson County Daily Union, a ’70 grad] for a single game, but the Whippets got their first win [84-76] over East Troy since the 2004-2005 season! History was made on a cold Friday night in Whitewater!

Article Submitted by Shane Cullian
Whitewater High School Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach
scullian@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Waco, Texas — University of Wisconsin-Whitewater senior defensive back Egon Hein has earned First Team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association for his performance on the gridiron this season. 

Attached Photos: Egon Hein defending against Wheaton in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs; Egon Hein returns an interception against Wheaton in the second round of NCAA Playoffs (Courtesy of Larry Radloff, d3photo)

Hein returned from injury to play in seven contests this season. A 2023 First Team All-Region and First Team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree, Hein is a lockdown defender frequently tasked with shutting down top receivers. During the 2023 campaign, Hein registered 36 tackles, tallied three interceptions and broke up nine passes. 

The senior is a semifinalist for the 2023 Gagliardi Trophy given to the top football player in Division III. Hein was also a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy awarded to the football player with the best combination of academics, community service and on-field performance. 

The AFCA All-America Teams are determined by a selection committee made up of head coaches representing each conference in the AFCA’s seven districts.