Cedar Valley Alum Lead Wartburg Into D3 Football Quarterfinals

The #5 Wartburg Knights (12-0) prepare for their NCAA Elite Eight Division 3 playoff game.  The Knights travel to take on the top-ranked and defending Division 3 Football champions UW-Whitewater Warhawks (12-0).

More than just pride is on the line when these two powerhouses meet on Saturday, December 6, 2014.  A win catapults the Knights into the semifinals.  It also marks the first time in Wartburg football program history that they will face a number-one ranked team.

These two programs have met only one previous time.  It also was an Elite Eight matchup back in 2008.  The Warhawks bested the Knights that day, 34-17.

A pair of Cedar Valley Sports (#CVsports) alumni has helped Wartburg to get to this point in their 2014 season.

Junior Brandon Domeyer (West Delaware - Manchester) surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark on his second carry of the game last week. He is Wartburg's first running back to eclipse the century mark since Dan Hammes in 2006. Domeyer is the 16th 1,000 yard rusher in program history.  Domeyer leads the team on the ground with 1,101 yards and 18 TDs.

Junior Gunner Tranel (Vinton-Shellsburg - Vinton) leads the defense with 114 total tackles (66 solo and 48 assists). He also has a team-best 11 tackles for a loss of 37 yards.

Classmate Logan Schrader (Killdeer, Ill.) has thrown for 2,829 yards, is 179-288-5 with 29 TD passes. He broke Wartburg Athletics Hall of Fame quarterback, and current offensive coordinator, Matt Wheeler's mark of 28 set in 1999.

Senior Taylor Jacobsmeier (Wapello, IA) has a team-best 60 receptions for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Robbie Anstoetter (Farley, IA) has a team-best 10 TD catches.

The Knights won their opening round games, 37-31 over #20 St. Thomas in the First-round and 21-10 over #13 St. John's (Minn.) in the Second-round. In last week's win, the Orange and Black set a new school record for wins in a season with 12.

On Saturday, the Warhawks will put their 29-game winning streak on the line, which is the longest in all of college football regardless of division.  UW-Whitewater won its First-round game against Macalaster, 55-2 and won its Second-round game against #14 Wabash (IN), 38-14.

The Warhawks are second in Division III in scoring defense (8.5 pts/game), third in first downs offense (297), sixth in red zone defense (.545) and team passing efficiency (172.37), eighth in rushing defense (83.7 yds/game).

Kick-off is set for 12:00 PM-CDT at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater, WI.  Click here for the live video produced by UW-Whitewater.  Click here for the live stats.