Keiser football defeats Northwestern College in 2023 NAIA National Championship game

Seahawks 31, Red Raiders 21

Seahawks 31, Red Raiders 21

Started this program from the, from the ground up. I mean, it's *** great feeling. It's obviously, you know, the, the vision of the university and, and bringing this all together and, and having *** vision and it all starts with alignment and great people, you know, we've talked from the, from the start, we got to get the right people in the building. We gotta have great alignment. We talk *** lot about people plus our process equals winning. And obviously, you know what we did today is *** tribute to that started off 75 yard rush to kick things off, Jaden Meisinger, the offensive player of the game again. What does he mean to this program? I mean, he means everything. I mean, he's really at, at the, at the pinnacle of what we want this thing to stand for. You know, just he number one, he's *** great kid. He's *** great human being. He's *** hard worker, he's gonna graduate here soon. He's an elite student. Uh he's got elite work ethic, he's got elite toughness. Um I mean, he's at the, at the foundation of what we're trying to do. You know, if, if there's *** Kaiser Seahawk, that's really what the profile looks like. Team on the other side was no, no slouches. They, they gave us their best shot had, seemed to have the momentum late. But then, uh, you know, Trey Lubin with that 77 yard kick return, like, how important is the thing? I mean, it was, we're sitting there talking about our offense and then all of *** sudden that was *** huge swing because it was *** three point game now back to *** 10 point game and, you know, this team doesn't flinch, you know, our guys just play the next and that's really what that was. You know, we, we think that any time those guys in the back end can get *** touch, uh, with our kickoff return team, our guys are dangerous. Our guys know how to execute at *** high level and you saw it right there, Rafi Van Gates, you know, I think block two guys on the play was unbelievable. Uh, lastly first, uh, Gatorade slash slash water bath here. I love it. I love it for it again. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, we're back to work next week.

Keiser football defeats Northwestern College in 2023 NAIA National Championship game

Seahawks 31, Red Raiders 21

History was made by the Keiser University (Fla.) football team Monday afternoon as the Seahawks defeated the Northwestern College Red Raiders (Iowa) 31-21 in the 2023 NAIA Football Championship Series National Championship game at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.The win gave Keiser (12-2) its first football national championship in program history.It was not without a battle for the Seahawks against the Red Raiders (14-1). Keiser held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter.Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.Northwestern quarterback Jalyn Gramstad connected with Konner McQuillan for a 53-yard touchdown pass to cut the Keiser lead to 24-14.The Red Raiders executed an onside kick and recovered the football. Northwestern added a McQuillan touchdown run to trim the deficit to 24-21 with seven minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.The Seahawks got some breathing room on the ensuing kickoff as Louis Lubin III of Orlando returned the kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown to extend Keiser’s lead to 31-21.Northwestern had a chance to trim the lead late in the game, but Keiser’s Lubin made an interception in the end zone with 5:02 remaining to end the Red Raiders drive.The final minutes of the game belonged to the Keiser offensive line and running backs, as the Seahawks were able to keep the football away from the Red Raiders.Jaden Meizinger, from Port St. Lucie, and quarterback Justin Wake, from West Palm Beach, broke runs to keep the clock moving. Meizinger finished with 22 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown to be named the game’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, while Andrew Burnette from Jensen Beach posted 18 rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown.Wake completed 10 of 15 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.With the win, Keiser ended Northwestern College’s 27-game winning streak that dated back to Week 2 of the 2022 season.Maurico Porcha from Port St. Lucie led Keiser's wide receivers with two catches for 45 yards and one receiving touchdown.Maddox Aprile led Keiser with six total tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble to be named the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.Trevon Copper recovered a fumble for the Seahawks. Gramstad led Northwestern with 287 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and an interception.The Seahawks began the national championship game with a bang on their first offensive possession as Meizinger sliced through the Northwestern defense for a 75-yard touchdown run to give Keiser an early touchdown and six points.Nico Cavanillas made his first of four point-after-touchdown kicks to give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead with 14:49 remaining in the first quarter.Cavanillas added a 31-yard field goal with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter to up the Keiser lead to 10-0.With 4:55 remaining in the second quarter, Burnette capped a 4-play 14-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Keiser took a 17-0 lead late in the first half.No. 1 seed Northwestern responded late in the second quarter as Gramstad threw a pass to Austyn Gerard for a touchdown. Eli Stader added the point-after-touchdown kick to trim the Keiser advantage to 17-7 with 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter.The third-seeded Keiser held a 17-7 lead at halftime.The 2023 NAIA national championship game was a rematch of last season’s title game between the two teams, as Northwestern won the 2022 NAIA Football Championship Series National Championship with a 35-25 win over Keiser.En route to the championship and the "Red Banner," Keiser did not lose a game to an NAIA team during the 2023 season as it posted 12 wins and zero losses. The Seahawks' only losses were against NCAA Division II programs Mississippi College and Valdosta State University.The latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 News

DURHAM, N.C. —

The win gave Keiser (12-2) its first football national championship in program history.

It was not without a battle for the Seahawks against the Red Raiders (14-1). Keiser held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter.

Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Northwestern quarterback Jalyn Gramstad connected with Konner McQuillan for a 53-yard touchdown pass to cut the Keiser lead to 24-14.

The Red Raiders executed an onside kick and recovered the football. Northwestern added a McQuillan touchdown run to trim the deficit to 24-21 with seven minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks got some breathing room on the ensuing kickoff as Louis Lubin III of Orlando returned the kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown to extend Keiser’s lead to 31-21.

Northwestern had a chance to trim the lead late in the game, but Keiser’s Lubin made an interception in the end zone with 5:02 remaining to end the Red Raiders drive.

The final minutes of the game belonged to the Keiser offensive line and running backs, as the Seahawks were able to keep the football away from the Red Raiders.

Jaden Meizinger, from Port St. Lucie, and quarterback Justin Wake, from West Palm Beach, broke runs to keep the clock moving.

Meizinger finished with 22 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown to be named the game’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, while Andrew Burnette from Jensen Beach posted 18 rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Wake completed 10 of 15 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

With the win, Keiser ended Northwestern College’s 27-game winning streak that dated back to Week 2 of the 2022 season.

Maurico Porcha from Port St. Lucie led Keiser's wide receivers with two catches for 45 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Maddox Aprile led Keiser with six total tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble to be named the game’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Trevon Copper recovered a fumble for the Seahawks. Gramstad led Northwestern with 287 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and an interception.

The Seahawks began the national championship game with a bang on their first offensive possession as Meizinger sliced through the Northwestern defense for a 75-yard touchdown run to give Keiser an early touchdown and six points.

Nico Cavanillas made his first of four point-after-touchdown kicks to give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead with 14:49 remaining in the first quarter.

Cavanillas added a 31-yard field goal with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter to up the Keiser lead to 10-0.

With 4:55 remaining in the second quarter, Burnette capped a 4-play 14-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Keiser took a 17-0 lead late in the first half.

No. 1 seed Northwestern responded late in the second quarter as Gramstad threw a pass to Austyn Gerard for a touchdown.

Eli Stader added the point-after-touchdown kick to trim the Keiser advantage to 17-7 with 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The third-seeded Keiser held a 17-7 lead at halftime.

The 2023 NAIA national championship game was a rematch of last season’s title game between the two teams, as Northwestern won the 2022 NAIA Football Championship Series National Championship with a 35-25 win over Keiser.

En route to the championship and the "Red Banner," Keiser did not lose a game to an NAIA team during the 2023 season as it posted 12 wins and zero losses. The Seahawks' only losses were against NCAA Division II programs Mississippi College and Valdosta State University.

The latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 News

Keiser football defeats Northwestern College in 2023 NAIA National Championship game

Seahawks 31, Red Raiders 21

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