St. Norbert Favored to Win MWC North Division

From Sports Information Director, August 17, 2014 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GRINNELL, Iowa -- St. Norbert College head coach Steve Opgenorth steps into high expectations in his first season as the Green Knights are favored to win the Midwest Conference North Division, while Illinois College, led by veteran head coach Garrett Campbell, has been picked to win the south.

For the first time since 1997, the Midwest Conference will have divisional play in football. The North Division consists of Beloit College, Carroll University, Lawrence University, new affiliate member Macalester College, Ripon College, and St. Norbert, while the South Division is made up of Cornell College, Grinnell College, Illinois College, Knox College, Lake Forest College and Monmouth College.

The Green Knights earned eight first place votes and totaled 62 points to lead the North Division. Ripon scored 54 points and two first place votes to edge Carroll, who earned 50. Coming off a 4-6 2013 campaign as an independent, Macalester was slotted in fourth with 35 points, while Beloit and Lawrence checked in with 27 and 18 points, respectively.

Despite losing 2013 MWC Offensive Player of the Year Cecil Brimmage and 2013 MWC Defensive Player of the Year Kurt Frischman, the Blueboys have topped the South Division with 65 points. Lake Forest and Monmouth tied for second with 47 points each, and finished just ahead of fourth place Cornell who scored 45. Grinnell finished fifth with 26 points and Knox came in sixth with 16.

Divisional winners will meet in the Midwest Conference Championship Game on November 15 to decide the league's recipient of the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The rest of the institutions will play the school with the corresponding finish in the other division during Midwest Conference Championship Weekend, also November 15.

* - Courtesy of Midwest Conference