NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Dec. 6, 2025) – Advancing to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals for the sixth straight season, the North Central College football team used a 21-point second quarter, thanks to a Rahmareon Roby pick-six with 32 seconds left in the half, to beat the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 35-27, on Saturday inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The Eagles used a 12-play, 81-yard opening drive as Kyle Haas found Marko Rajkovic for a 19-yard touchdown, giving UW-La Crosse a 7-0 lead. Both teams punted on their next drives, with North Central taking over at their own 40-yard line.
Running back Donovan McNeal found a crease up the middle for a 28-yard run to move the ball into Eagles territory. The Cardinals methodically drove down the field as McNeal capped off the 60-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown to even the contest at 7-7.
UW-La Crosse answered quickly by moving the ball into Cardinal territory. On second and 3 from the Cardinals' 28, Haas fired a shot into the end zone, which Roby undercut for his first interception of the game, keeping the teams knotted at seven.
On the ensuing possession, quarterback Garret Wilson connected with wide receiver Grant McAtee for a 27-yard completion. A few plays later, Wilson hit wide receiver Thomas Skokna over the middle before he tiptoed along the sideline for nearly 10 yards on the backend of a 42-yard touchdown reception. After an Aidan Ellison extra point, the Cardinals took a 14-7 advantage.
Following an Eagles punt, McNeal broke open a 46-yard run to begin an eight-play, 85-yard drive, which Wilson capped off with a 14-yard rushing touchdown to add to the North Central lead, 21-7.
With time running down in the first half, UW-La Crosse drove down to midfield and was threatening to score, moving into Cardinal territory. Haas rolled to his left, throwing against his body into the middle of the field, where Roby captured his second interception of the day and returned it 59 yards for a pick six to give the Cardinals a 28-7 lead at the break.
"That is why he is a captain," head coach Brad Spencer said. "The interception before the half was a huge play. You're looking at potentially a 14-point swing if UW-La Crosse scores on that possession."
"I am grateful to be able to make a play for my teammates," said Roby. "We picked the offense up when they need it and they pick the defense up when we need it."
Following a North Central punt on the first drive of the second half, UW-La Crosse marched down the field to the Cardinals' 1-yard line. On fourth and goal from the 3-yard line, Haas hit Rajkovic for their second touchdown connection of the day.
Back-to-back three-and-outs pushed the game into the fourth quarter. Wilson found Skokna three times before running back Sean Allen scored a 6-yard rushing touchdown to extend the hosts' advantage to 21, 35-14.
UW-La Crosse responded with an 11-play, 88-yard scoring drive as Rajkovic scored his third touchdown of the game on a 22-yard pass from Haas. The Eagles' onside kick spun just past the 45-yard line as the UW-La Crosse fell on top of the football to regain possession.
North Central's defense stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs following the successful onside kick. The Cardinals chewed up the clock, but punted to give the ball back to the Eagles.
UW-La Crosse drove down the field, scoring on the final play to cut their deficit to eight, but it wasn't enough as North Central secured the 35-27 victory to advance to the Division III Quarterfinal.
"We came into the game wanting to win on third down and in the red zone, and we did that," Spencer said. That is usually going to equal wins in December."
McNeal led all rushers with 149 yards on just 12 carries, scoring North Central's first touchdown of the game. Allen added 49 yards on the ground with a score. Wilson finished the day 16-of-26 for 168 yards and a touchdown. His top target Thomas Skokna racked up 103 yards on nine catches for one touchdown.
John Sullivan led the Cardinals with nine tackles, including two tackles for a loss and a sack. Roby tallied two interceptions, highlighted by his pick-six near the end of the second quarter.
"This was our toughest test this season," said Sullivan. "Credit to the UW-La Crosse offensive line and coaching staff."
Hass threw for 308 yards on 34-of-58 passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Rajkovic caught a career-high four touchdowns on the day for 100 yards. Aaron Winters led the Eagles with 13 total tackles.
The Cardinals host No. 4/3 Bethel University in the quarterfinals, the last team to beat North Central at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in 2018. Kickoff is set for noon as the Cardinals hope to earn a spot in the semifinals for a sixth consecutive season.
"We are excited to have seven more days with this group," Spencer said. "Bethel is well-coached and is a good football team. We have had some wild matchups with them in 2013 and 2018. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Cardinals hold off UW-La Crosse in third round, 35-27
/seasons/2025/boxscores/20251206_t8r2.xml
2025
UW-La Crosse
27
North Central (Ill.)
35
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 UW-La Crosse (8-3) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
| No. 1 North Central (Ill.) (12-0) | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
Dec 06, 2025