Greenville, Northwestern front-runners in UMAC Football conference title chase

8/31/2023 10:00:00 AM

ST. PAUL, MINN. – The past two regular season conference champions in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tied for the top spot in the 2023 preseason poll, as voted on by the UMAC head coaches. Greenville University, the 2021 conference champion, and the University of Northwestern, the 2022 title winner, each collected three first-place votes and 23 total points to pace the list of UMAC teams battling for conference bragging rights this fall. Last year’s conference title chase came down to the final two weeks of the regular season as the upcoming season likely will reflect the same once again with Minnesota Morris also poised to move into the top tier of the UMAC standings.

Institution	Total Number of Points	2022 UMAC Record	2022 Overall Record
Greenville University (3)	23 points	5-1	7-3
University of Northwestern (3)	23 points	6-0	6-5
University of Minnesota Morris	16 points	4-2	5-5
Crown College	11 points	3-3	3-7
Martin Luther College	11 points	2-4	2-8
Westminster College	6 points	1-5	1-9
(#) Number of First-Place Votes

Greenville University welcomes back a plethora of their top talent and performers from a season ago, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The Panthers led the UMAC in scoring last fall, racking up 42.2 points per game and 463.3 yards per contest in conference play and with key personnel in uniform again, Greenville will be tough to stop when they have the ball. Headlining the list of offensive playmakers is senior running back Paul Garrett, who was the 2022 UMAC Offensive Player of the Year, as he averaged 165.8 yards per game on the ground in conference play and pounded his way to 1,390 total rushing yards on the season along with 25 touchdowns. Greenville ranked 10th in the nation in NCAA Division III in rushing yards per game in 2022 as the Panthers chalked up 278.8 yards per game on the ground in conference contests.

Joining Garrett and the dangerous Greenville offense will be senior offensive lineman Derek Martinez-Delgado and senior wide receiver Delrey Crowder. Martinez-Delgado was selected as the 2022 UMAC Lineman of the Year and will be a five-year starter for the Panthers. Crowder was a first-team all-conference performer a year ago and ranked 5th in the UMAC in receiving. On the defensive side of the ball, Greenville will look to senior linebacker Dewayne Garrett to anchor a defensive unit that hopes to improve upon its third-place ranking last fall in the conference in scoring allowed. Garrett filled up the statistical box score each game and for the 2022 season accrued 48 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, and 3 interceptions.

The University of Northwestern has their compass dialed in on repeating as the UMAC champions as the Eagles aim to keep the trophy in St. Paul and represent the UMAC in the NCAA Division III post-season. Northwestern returns numerous key contributors from their 2022 squad as both their offense and defense will feature first-team all-conference standouts. The Eagle’s defense led the UMAC a year ago, giving up just 13.7 points per game in conference play. The duo of senior defensive back Luke Malamisuro and fifth-year senior linebacker Brad Kulinski should prove to be key contributors for the purple and gold as Malamisuro was a first team all-conference honoree in 2022 with 60 total tackles, 5 passes defended and 2 interceptions. Kulinski also was the recipient of first team all-conference accolades after he posted 73 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and 2 interceptions last season.

The Northwestern offense ranked second in the conference in both scoring (34.7) and in total yards per game (369.5) in their 2022 championship campaign and the Eagles line-up will include their top wide receiver and running back returning along with their standout starting quarterback. Sophomore play-caller Caden Cantrell picked up first-team all-conference recognition last fall with 1,983 passing yards on the season and 16 touchdowns total with a 63.5% completion percentage. His 11 passing touchdowns in UMAC contests only led the conference. Junior wide receiver Beau Birk ranked in the top five of nearly every receiving statistical category last year as his 792 yards on the season with 60 receptions and 5 touchdowns helped him earn first team all-conference accolades. Senior running back and first team all-conference honoree Jeremiah Staten was second in the UMAC in rushing in the 2022 season and looks to increase his numbers in 2023.

The University of Minnesota Morris was right in the conference title race until the final week of the season last year. Picked to finish third in the 2023 preseason poll, the Cougars have other thoughts in mind as they aim to secure the programs first UMAC championship since the 2006 season. With numerous all-conference players returning to both sides of the ball, the Cougars are set to move up the conference standings and take the next step for their program with an appearance in the NCAA Division III post-season. Junior running back Izayah Boss headlined a Morris rushing attack that ranked second in the UMAC (193.3 yards per game) and 24th in the entire nation in Division III. Boss was a first team all-conference selection with 825 total rushing yards on the season and 10 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. Senior quarterback Marcus Reeb and senior offensive lineman Christian Diederich also return for the Cougars to provide stability at key positions in the Cougar offensive attack. Reeb threw for over 1,200 yards in 2022 and tallied 10 touchdowns through the air while Diederich was recognized as a first team all-conference performer.

The Minnesota Morris defense provided great contributions a year ago as they ranked second in the UMAC in points allowed, giving up just 15.7 points per game in conference play. The 2022 UMAC Defensive Player of the Year in sophomore defensive end Chayce Meyer tops a trio of first team all-conference standouts back in uniform for the Cougars. Meyer was a beast for the maroon and gold as his 9.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for a loss, and 6 forced fumbles created all sorts of issues for opposing offenses. Junior defensive end Carter Maurice joins him on one of the top defensive line units in the UMAC as Maurice racked up 8.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and 3 fumble recoveries in his sophomore season and senior Hunter Infanger will anchor the back end of the Cougar defense after owning 98 total tackles and 2 interceptions last season.

Crown College and Martin Luther College tied for the fourth spot in the UMAC preseason poll though neither team plans to finish the season in that spot as they focus on moving up the conference standings in 2023. Crown posted a 3-3 UMAC record last season and continues to build its roster as the Polars hope to move into the top tier of the conference this fall. Two key players from the 2022 Crown team that expect to be major contributors again are junior wide receiver Terry Warner and junior defensive back Rudy Criner. Warner was a first team all-conference performer with 61 total receptions, 748 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns last season as his 85.0 receiving yards per game in conference contest was second in the UMAC. Criner also collected first team all-conference accolades after racking up 103 total tackles, 68 solo tackles, and 2 interceptions. He ranked third in the conference in tackles per game in conference action.

Martin Luther is dialed in on returning to the top of the UMAC after claiming back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019. The Knights will be led on the defensive side of the ball by junior linebacker Joey Ehlke, a first team all-conference honoree in 2022. Offensively, senior running back Carson Oestreich and senior wide receiver Mason Cox should provide significant production for Martin Luther. Both players have been key parts of the Knights offense during their careers and 2023 should be no different.

Westminster College completes the UMAC preseason poll as the Blue Jays were picked to finish sixth in the UMAC standings after their 2022 campaign produced a 1-5 conference mark. The Westminster football program welcomed four new members of the coaching staff joining during the offseason leading into the 2023 season and with a multitude of new, incoming players and transfers, the Blue Jays expect to improve their placement in the conference standings this fall. Headlining the list of returning standouts for Westminster is senior linebacker Dawson Brandt. Dawson was recognized as a first team all-conference selection in 2022 after ranking sixth in the UMAC in tackles and second in conference play in tackles for a loss.

The 2023 football season gets underway this coming weekend with non-conference action starting on Saturday, September 2, and conference contests commencing in week five at the end of September (Sept. 30).

Greenville University
Robbie Schomaker, Head Coach | 11th Season

2022 Season
5-1 UMAC, 7-3 Overall Record | 2nd in UMAC

Top Returners on Offense
Paul Garrett, SR, RB | UMAC OPOY| 1390 Rushing Yards, 25 TDs
Derek Martinez-Delgado, SR, OL | UMAC Lineman of the year | 5-year starter
Delrey Crowder, SR, WR | 1st Team All-Conference | 30 Catches 428 yards 5 TDs

Top Returners on Defense/Special Teams
Dewayne Garrett, SR, LB} 1st Team All-Conference | 48 Tackles 7 TFLs 3 INTs
Mitchell Schaeffer, JR, DL | 2nd Team All-Conference | 34 Tackles 8 TFLs 3.5 Sacks
Jair Nowlin, So, CB | 2nd Team All-Conference | 13 Tackles 2 INTs

Martin Luther College
Paul Huebner, Head Coach | 2nd Season

2022 Season
2-4 UMAC, 2-8 Overall Record | 5th in UMAC

Top Returners on Offense
Carson Oestreich, Senior, RB | 2021 UMAC All-Conference First Team Offense| Season-high: 1,113 yards rushing in 2021, 15 career rushing TD’s.
Mason Cox, Senior, WR| 2021, 2022 UMAC All-Conference Second Team Offense – 385 yards receiving in 2022, 40 career receptions.
Cole Broekhuizen, Senior, OL – 2021 UMAC All-Conference Second Team Offense

Top Returners on Defense/Special Teams
Joey Ehlke, Junior, LB | 2022 UMAC All-Conference| 2 Interceptions in 2022, 32 tackles in 2022
David Baumann, Junior, LB – 43 tackles in 2022
Jeremiah Stanton, Sophomore, DB

University of Northwestern
Matt Moore, Head Coach | 7th Season

2022 Season
6-0 UMAC, 6-5 Overall Record | 1st in UMAC
Postseason: Lost to No. 4/6 Saint John’s University in the First Round of the NCAA Championship.

Top Returners on Offense
Beau Burk, Jr., WR | 2x UMAC First Team All-Conference, 2x UMAC Player of the Week | 2022 Receiving Stats: 792 yards, 5 touchdowns, 60 receptions |
Caden Cantrell, So., QB | 2022 UMAC First Team All-Conference, UMAC Offensive Player of the Week | 2022 Passing Stats: 1,983 yards, 16 touchdowns, 63.5% completion percentage |
Jeremiah Staten, Sr., RB | 2022 UMAC First Team All-Conference, UMAC Offensive Player of the Week | 2022 Rushing Stats: 627 yards, 6 touchdowns, 3.8 yards per attempt |

Top Returners on Defense/Special Teams
Luke Malamisuro, Sr., DB | 2022 UMAC First Team All-Conference, 2021 UMAC Second Team All-Conference | 2022 Stats: 60 total tackles, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions |
Brad Kulinski, 5th, LB | 2022 UMAC First Team All-Conference, 2021 UMAC Second Team All-Conference | 2022 Stats: 73 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions |
Cole Uplegger, Gr., K | 2022 UMAC Special Teams Player of the Year, 2022 UMAC First Team All-Conference, 3x UMAC Special Teams Player of the Week | 2022 Stats: 7 made field goals, 2,448 kickoff yards, 51.0 yards per kickoff |

Westminster College
John Welty, Head Football Coach | 25th Season

2022 Season
1-5 UMAC, 1-9 Overall Record | 6th in UMAC

Top Returners on Offense
Jordan Kern, Senior, RB
Dante Billups, Junior, RB
Eli Skaw, Senior, OL

Top Returners on Defense/Special Teams
Dawson Brandt, Senior, LB
Garrett Burger, Junior LB
Devin Miller, Junior DL

Schedule

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

Conference Members

Conference Members

Greenville, Northwestern front-runners in UMAC Football conference title chase