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Wearing down a well-prepared opponent and delivering some of its biggest plays in crunch time, the North Central College football team advanced to its fifth straight NCAA Division III national quarterfinal Saturday with a 41-21 victory over Hope College (Michigan) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The No. 1-ranked Cardinals (12-0) and the 14th/16th-ranked Flying Dutchmen (11-1) played to a scoreless standstill after the first quarter and were still tied at 7-7 late in the second. North Central scored twice in the final 3:26 of the first half to take control and wound up scoring on all four of its second-half possessions against a Hope team that was playing in the round of 16 for the first time.

"We knew Hope was going to be a good team, and it was a battle the whole game," said North Central head coach Brad Spencer after the Cardinals' 12th straight postseason home win. "Some key plays were the difference to change momentum and go into halftime with a lead, and then in the second half we tried to pull away...the guys have done their job, and bought another seven days of football."

The Dutchmen had an opportunity to post the first score of the day midway through the first period, but kicker Caden Balkon missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt. Taking possession near the end of the quarter, North Central's Luke Lehnen ran 15 yards for a first down and completed a 42-yard pass to Thomas Skokna to get the hosts into the red zone. Charles Coleman ran for the final four plays of the drive, scoring his 10th rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard plunge with 12:27 to play in the first half.

Hope took the ensuing possession 75 yards in 12 plays, leveling the score at 7-7 on quarterback Ben Wellman's one-yard scoring run with 6:50 on the clock. Lehnen moved the sticks on third down with an 11-yard pass to Jack Rummell, then threw deep to Skokna for 27 more yards before Joe Sacco ran across the goal line from six yards out to extend the lead to 14-7. Rahmareon Roby ended the Dutchmen's next possession with a leaping interception at the North Central 38-yard line, giving the hosts another opportunity to score before halftime. 

"(Defensive coordinator Shane Dierking) always puts us in the right position to succeed," Roby said. "It's all about executing, and I was put in a position where I could execute."

A 35-yard pass from Lehnen to Jacob Paradee and a 25-yard run by Sacco brought the Cardinals to the doorstep, and Lehnen lofted a three-yard TD pass to Skokna with 25 seconds on the clock to increase their advantage to 21-7 at the break.

"We know we're a good offense, and we know we can do what we want to do if we stay discplined, make the right reads and use technique," Lehnen said. "(Skokna) and I have a great relationship, and he's fast enough to make plays. I love having him out there."

The Dutchmen took the ball first in the second half but turned the ball over just three plays in, as Wellman fumbled and Danny Nuccio made the recovery at the Hope 32. Andre Casas, North Central's primary kickoff specialist, was brought on for a 30-yard field-goal attempt with 9:47 left in the third quarter and split the uprights, extending the lead to 24-7. Wellman broke free for a 28-yard run on the next drive before hitting receiver Grant Holtzer for a 22-yard touchdown pass, leaving the guests with a 24-14 deficit.

Lehnen opened North Central's next possession with a 31-yard run, and two plays later, ran left and stayed just inside the sideline for a 26-yard touchdown scamper. The Cardinals took over after a punt less than a minute later and got a 40-yard rush from Sacco before Casas came on again, this time from 41 yards away, and knocked the ball stiff to grow the Cardinals' lead to 34-14 with 1:25 to go in the third quarter.

Hope threatened to score again early in the fourth period but Wellman's pass to the end zone was intercepted by Jahmar Daniel. Taking possession at their own 20, the Cardinals marched 80 yards in 13 plays, consuming nearly eight minutes of game time, and scored on Lehnen's two-yard play-action pass to tight end Bobby Behmer. 

The Cardinals owned a nearly six-minute advantage in time of possession and outgained Hope, 486-334, holding the nation's third-ranked rushing offense more than 100 yards under its per-game average. Sacco broke the 100-yard barrier in rushing yards for the second straight week, gaining 120 yards on 19 carries to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier (1,017) for the second straight season. Lehnen ran for 93 yards on 10 attempts while completing 13 of 18 passes for 234 yards, throwing to Skokna four times for 119 yards.

North Central's defense was paced by safety Brayden Garrigan, who made nine total tackles, while Daniel and Martin Egbo each finished with five. 

The Cardinals host Springfield College (Massachusetts) next Saturday in a national quarterfinal. The Pride (12-0) advanced with a 40-28 third-round win at No. 2-ranked Cortland (New York). Kickoff is set for 12:00 noon.