For the second straight season, the season ended one game short of the Division III national title game for the Wartburg football team and head coach Chris Winter.
Like last year, Winter, a New Hampton native, once again led the third-ranked Knights to a 13-0 record heading into the D3 final four, only to fall to defending national champion and number 1, North Central 34-27, Saturday (12.09) in Waverly.
It initially looked like a Cardinals rout after going up 20-0 on the Knights, but Wartburg rebounded to take a 27-26 lead early in the fourth quarter. But they would not score again and North Central came back for their 14th win in 14 games this season.
Despite the loss, Winter says the Knights had a special team.
Earlier in the week, Winter was named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Regional Coach of the Year, the first career honor for Winter, and first for the program since 2017.
With their win, North Central has now won 54 of their last 56 games, including 27 in a row.
