DECEMBER 16, 2024 | written by STEVE ULRICH

News and notes on the largest and best Division in the NCAA. #whyD3
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What A Football Weekend. Down to the final four.

Headlines
🏈 Football Semifinals Set
❓️ What D3 Parents Want to Know?
⏰ NCAA Scholarship Deadline Approaching
🎆 Plays of the Weekend

🗓️ What’s Happening This Week. The DIII Championships Committee meets virtually on Tuesday, while the Membership Committee does the same on Thursday.

📰 Holiday Specials. You can give the gift of D3Playbook to your staff. Get daily access for the spring semester for just $29.99 through December 30. Thanks for your support.

TOP STORY
1. Football Semifinals Set

Thrillers in the Keystone State while defenses showed the way for perennial powers as the Division III football championship whittled its field from eight to four.

Next weekend’s national semifinals will feature Susquehanna at North Central and Johns Hopkins at Mount Union.

Susquehanna d. Bethel, 24-21

QB Josh Ehrlich scored from one-yard out with :38 remaining to lift the River Hawks past the Royals. Bethel scored an apparent winning TD as time expired but was penalized for holding to nullify the score. | Game Recap | Box Score

North Central d, Springfield, 27-3

The Cardinal defense held the Price to just 260 total yards and three points in advancing to the semis. QB Luke Lehnen threw a pair of TD passes while RB Sean Allen ran for 94 yards and a score. | Game Recap | Box Score

Johns Hopkins d. Mary Hardin-Baylor, 17-10

The Blue Jays jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead and held off a late Crusader rally to reach the NCAA semifinals for the second time in program history. QB James Rinello threw for 312 yards and two scores. | Game Recap | Box Score

Mount Union d. Salisbury, 38-17

QB TJ DeShields threw for 295 yards and three TDs as the Purple Raiders moved into the final four for the 27th time in the last 29 years. RB Tyler Echeverry also ran for two scores and the defense held the Sea Gills to just 117 rushing and 276 total yards. | Game Recap |  Box Score

» Go Deeper

RECRUITING
2. What Do D3 Parents Want to Know

by D3Direct

“Today, we are answering an ‘Ask D3Direct’ mailbag question from one of our longtime subscribers who is now a first-year D3 Parent.

The Topic: Adjusting to college, especially once a student’s first season of D3 Athletics starts.

“Are you aware of any mentorship programs for new DIII student-athletes that connect them with recent graduates or current upperclassmen?

I ask because I have watched my own son having to really work hard to navigate the initial experience of a high-academic school and all the demands of playing college basketball. For the most part, he is doing very well, but he is kind of on his own because there is only so much help parents can provide. Most of us haven’t been there, or haven’t been there in 30 years, and the experience is profoundly different.”

» The Bottom Line. “There are no two ways around it: The first year for a D3 student-athlete is usually a big adjustment. In an ideal world, every D3 school would have a big enough budget to provide formal mentorship programs to new athletes. But in reality that just isn’t possible.”

» Yes, But. “Here’s why that is actually a good thing.”

» Continue Reading

NEWS YOU CAN USE
3. NCAA Scholarship Deadline Approaching

The NCAA needs your help in sharing scholarship opportunities with your student-athletes. These scholarships, totaling $2.6 million, provide financial support to over 350 individuals annually. They are crucial for student-athletes pursuing further education after their athletics-related financial aid has been exhausted.

• Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship: One male and one female student-athlete awarded $24,000 for outstanding academic achievement and potential for future leadership.

• Jim McKay Graduate Scholarship: One male and one female student or student-athlete awarded $10,000 for excellence in sports communication or public relations.

• Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship: $10,000 awarded to 13 ethnic minorities and 13 female graduates entering sports administration or related fields.

• Postgraduate Scholarship: $10,000 awarded three times a year for each sport season. Each sport season, there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.

For the Jim McKay, Walter Byers and Postgraduate scholarships, student-athletes must be nominated by their faculty athletics representative. Those interested in the Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship must apply themselves.

Applications for the Walter Byers, Jim McKay and Postgraduate scholarships close Jan. 10. The Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship application window closes Feb. 3.

AROUND THE NATION
4. Lightning Round ⚡️ 

🗞️ News. Former Gettysburg volleyball standout Megan Wargo-Kearney was named head women’s volleyball coach at North Carolina State.

🏀 Basketball (M). Dario Biaggi scored the game-winning layup as time expired to lift Illinois Tech past No. 6 Wisconsin-Lutheran, 63-62, handing the Warriors their first loss of the season.

🏒 Ice Hockey (W). Tip of the cap to MSOE first-year goalkeeper Laura Melizza who made a program-record 61 saves in a scoreless draw with No. 4 Adrian on Saturday. The Raiders fell in a shootout, 1-0.

TRANSACTIONS
5. Comings and Goings

• FRANKLIN - Mike Leonard named head football coach

• HIRAM - Xavier Dupree named head football coach

• JOHN CARROLL - Pete Moran will step away as head men’s basketball coach to address a personal health matter. Dave Wojciechowski named interim head coach

• MONTCLAIR STATE - Announced addition of women’s flag football in fall 2025 and transitioning of men’s and women’s lacrosse to club status

• NORWICH - Announced addition of women’s wrestling as a varsity sport in 2025-26. Connor Keating named head coach

• SHENANDOAH - Announced addition of men’s volleyball as a varsity sport in 2025-26

• TRANSYLVANIA - Tora Carter named head STUNT coach

1 THING
6. Plays of the Week

Others to Watch

• Blair For The Win!

• Forcing Extra Time

• Back-to-Back Braylen

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