- Iowa Western football is back in the NJCAA Division-I National Championship game for the third year in a row
- The Reivers won the title last year and in 2012
- Second-ranked Iowa Western will play fourth-ranked East Mississippi in Arkansas on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU
Broadcast Transcript:
A national championship game is a familiar spot for Iowa Western football.
The Reivers have made it each of the last two years, including winning it all last year.
On Wednesday they’ll make their third appearance in a row and are looking to go back to back… and bring a third NJCAA title to Council Bluffs.
One final practice at home before hitting the road for the biggest game of the year.
It’s nothing new for Iowa Western coach Scott Strohmeier.
This will be his fifth trip to the national title game since 2012.
"We lost pretty much everybody off of last year’s team," Strohmeier said, "and for these guys to come back and answer the bell every single week is pretty impressive.
"At this level sometimes it’s challenging because you have so many new faces every single year. So the camaraderie that we’ve got... I mean starting in july when they came for the summer time, that’s really our time to get the team together. They clicked right from the beginning."
"It’s a long process but it’s paying off," sophomore wide receiver L.J. Fitzpatrick said. "We got the game to pay it off so we gotta do what we gotta do."
That long process includes an 11-and-1 record; their only loss coming in the regular season finale against top-ranked Hutchinson.
"It really gave us a reality check and helped us lock back in," redshirt sophomore quarterback Hunter Watson said. "We came out for Kilgore and we were ready. We were ready to execute and I think we’ll be ready this week."
"We learned that we gotta pick it up and we can’t take nobody for granted for sure," sophomore defensive lineman Jaylen Pettus said. "I think we needed it but I’m glad to be where we are now."
Hutchinson lost in the national semifinals, so there won’t be a season rematch nor a repeat of last year’s championship.
"Not gonna lie I wanted Hutch," Fitzpatrick said. "We wanted to play Hutch, we wanted that get back. But we’re back in the game. We don’t really care who’s across from us. Just going to play football."
"It’s just fun to be able to make it there twice and see all these new guys that have came in and earned it themselves to get there," Pettus said.
"To be able to play in a national championship is hard. "Any level, any sport," Strohmeier said. "We’re gonna enjoy it, but it’s gonna be more of a business-like trip. I want these guys to enjoy this experience, but at the same time I want them to know we have one more game to play. We’re not just satisfied with getting there."
"There’s only about three or four national championships across all levels," Pettus said. "That’s something not everyone gets to play in. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The second-seed Reivers face fourth-seed East Mississippi Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central.
The game will air on ESPNU.
