The NAIA Football Championship Series continues Saturday as the Heart of America Athletic Conference is guaranteed to play for the 2025 NAIA National Championship.
The trip to the Semifinals for (5) Benedictine and (1) Grand View is a rematch of a Sept. 6 meeting that the Vikings earned a 27-24 win over the Ravens. Kickoff between the Ravens and the Vikings is set for Noon from Grand View's Duke Williams Stadium on campus – a different location than the Sept. 6 meeting.
Match up: (1) Grand View (12-0) vs. (5) Benedictine | Noon | Duke Williams Stadium | Des Moines, Iowa | NAIA FCS Semifinals
Watch (courtesy of Grand View & UEN):Â https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/7909
Listen (courtesy of KAIR 93.7 FM):Â https://us7.maindigitalstream.com/3765/
Tickets:Â https://events.hometownticketing.com/boxoffice/grandview
Live Stats:Â https://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2025-26/boxscores/20251213_wywx.xml
About Grand View: Grand View is riding a 26-game winning streak, having last lost in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 NAIA FCS, 31-17, to The College of Idaho. … Grand View has 4 of the 9 featured NAIA All-America selection playing in the game. For Grand View quarterback Jackson Waring (1st TM), defensive lineman Jackson Filer (2nd TM), linebacker John Argo (2nd TM), and offensive lineman James Wartick (3rd TM) earned honors. ... Grand View is led by Heart North Player of the Year Jackson Waring, Defensive Player of the Year John Argo and Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year Tyler Martin. The honors are the third straight for Waring and second straight for Argo. … Jackson Waring enters the game with Benedictine ranked sixth in the NAIA in passing touchdowns with 32. Among the NAIA leaders in passing touchdowns, he ranks fifth in efficiency at 168.4. In 269 attempts, he has completed 57.2 percent of his passes with just 3 interceptions – second fewest among qualifying quarterbacks. … The Vikings currently rank second in the NAIA in scoring defense, holding opponents to 12.7 points over 12 games this season. They are tied for second in the NAIA in interceptions with 20 and have recorded 24 sacks – which includes 2 interceptions and 1 sack in the first game against the Ravens.
About Benedictine: Benedictine is playing its second straight NAIA FCS Semifinal on the road. Last year, Keiser (Fla.) earned a 42-38 comeback win over the Ravens. … The Ravens are battling a conference opponent in the playoffs for the first time since 2001 when they beat former Heart opponent Evangel, 34-30, in the Quarterfinals. That game was a rematch from a regular-season loss (28-21 EU in week 6). …. For Benedictine, 5 Ravens earned All-America honors in defensive back Isaiah Hasten (1st TM), tight end Tanner Zimmerman (2nd TM), quarterback Jackson Dooley (3rd TM), running back Xavier Ugorji (3rd TM), offensive lineman Rashad Beckham (3rd TM) earned honors. … Benedictine's Titan Osburn and Tanner Zimmerman have been consistent targets for quarterback Jackson Dooley this season. Osborn leads the Ravens at 22.03 yards per catch while Zimmerman is close behind at 20.5. In the first meeting with Grand View, Zimmerman finished the game at 19.4 yards per catch with 2 touchdowns that included a 60-yard catch that pulled the Ravens within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. … Benedictine's Xavier Ugorji has quietly stacked up a solid year rushing the ball. Through 13 games, he now has 1,310 yards rushing with 16 rushing touchdowns. He has scored a rushing touchdown in 11 of the 13 games this season, which includes a 1-yard second-quarter touchdown in the first meeting with Grand View on Sept. 6. … Isaiah Hasten currently has 8 interceptions, which ties him for second in the NAIA this season. His next interception will tie the Ravens program record for single-season interceptions. That record is held by Shem Johnson during the 1995 season. … With 75 PATs this season, Christian Klobe has set a new single-season record for the Ravens. The previous record stood at 71 and was held by Harry Balke (2024) and Jacob Young (2017). For the season, Klobe has accounted for 105 points for the Ravens –ranking him second in the NAIA in kick scoring this season.
Up Next: Saturday's winner advances to the 70th annual NAIA National Championship Game against the winner of the other FCS Semifinal game between (2) Keiser (Fla.) and (8) College of Idaho. This year's Championship Game moves to Fort Worth, Texas and the Crowley ISD Stadium – home field to Texas Wesleyan University. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
www.ravenathletics.com | #UnleashGreatness | www.benedictine.edu
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