Two players from Lenoir-Rhyne’s regional finalist team, offensive lineman Jason Poe and defensive lineman Jaquan Artis (Kinston), were joined by punter Isaac Parks (Southern Guilford) from UNC-Pembroke on the AP First team while Winston-Salem State standout Daryus Skinner (Richmond) was named to the second team.



Former Forest Hills standout Jaleel McLaughlin was named first-team running back. The sophomore, a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, is Division II’s leading rusher with over 2300 yards and thirty touchdowns this season.

Jaleel McLaughlin leads all Division II rushers this season Photo Credit: Notre Dame College Athletics

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Roland Rivers III, senior, Slippery Rock.

Running backs — Nate Gunn, senior, Minnesota State; Jaleel McLaughlin, sophomore, Notre Dame (Ohio).

Linemen — Tyler Allison, senior, Ferris State; Evan Heim, senior, Minnesota State; Chris Larsen, senior, Slippery Rock; Jason Poe, junior, Lenoir-Rhyne; Grant Stewart, senior, Colorado School of Mines.

Tight end — Zach Davidson, junior, Central Missouri.

Receivers — Zimari Manning, senior, Tarleton State; Shane Zylstra, senior, Minnesota State.

All-purpose player — Dominique Ramsey, junior, Texas A&M-Commerce.

Kicker — Dante Brown, senior, Fort Hays State.



DEFENSE

Linemen — Jaquan Artis, senior, Lenoir-Rhyne; Austin Edwards., senior, Ferris State; Chris Garrett, junior, Concordia-St. Paul; B.J. Jefferson, senior, Tarleton State.

Linebackers — Chris Hoad, senior, Texas-Permian Basin; Rondrow Peebles, junior, Carson-Newman; Drew Seers, junior, Lindenwood.

Secondary — Nick Ciccio, sophomore, Colorado Mesa; Christopher Jefferson, sophomore, Findlay; Lamont McPhatter II, senior, California (Pa.); Prince Robinson, senior, Tarleton State.

Punter — Isaac Parks, junior, North Carolina Pembroke.



SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Brook Bolles, senior, Central Missouri.

Running backs — Daniel McCants, senior, Tarleton State; Al McKeller, junior, Indianapolis.

Linemen — Jeff Arnold, senior, Indiana (Pa.); Cori Gooseberry, senior, Ouachita Baptist; Brandon Kemp, senior, Valdosta State; Adonis Sealey, senior, Valdosta State; Amon Simon, junior, Texas A&M-Commerce

Tight end — Jack Pilkerton, senior, Kutztown.

Receivers — Henry Litwin, junior, Slippery Rock; Shae Wyatt, junior, Central Missouri.

All-purpose player — Tobias Harris, sophomore, West Texas A&M.

Kicker — Jordan Walters, senior, East Stroudsburg.



DEFENSE

Linemen — Chauncy Haney, senior, North Greenville; Chad Kuhn, junior, Slippery Rock; Spencer Phillips, senior, Northwest Missouri State; Sha’haun Williams, senior, Notre Dame (Ohio).

Linebackers — Damon Lloyd, senior, Indiana (Pa.); Maurice Wright Jr., senior, Northwestern Oklahoma State; Brad Zaffram, senior, Slippery Rock.

Secondary — James Caesar, senior, Ferris State; Desmond Fairell, senior, Carson-Newman; Michael Junker, senior, Bemidji State; Daryus Skinner, senior, Winston-Salem State.

Punter — JoseLuis Moreno, senior, Minot State.

Four FBS teams will go bowling this year while the last remaining playoff team in the state was defeated.



Won a Bowl Game…

Brevard (8-2) – The Division III Tornados won the Scotty Whitelaw Bowl in Pittsburgh against Carnegie Mellon, 42-28.



Going Bowling…

Appalachian State (12-1) – defeated Louisiana in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game, 45-38, to secure a trip to the New Orleans Bowl (CUSA).



Wake Forest (8-4) – finished the regular season in a three-way tie for third in the ACC Atlantic Division to earn a berth to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl to face Michigan State (6-6) of the Big Ten.



Charlotte (7-5) – accepted a bid to the Bahamas Bowl and will face Buffalo (7-5) out of the MAC. Charlotte will be making their first appearance in a bowl game in program history.



North Carolina (6-6) – The Tar Heels became bowl eligible with a 42-10 win over NC State this past Saturday and earned a berth in the Military Bowl where they will face Temple of the American Athletic Conference.



North Carolina A&T (8-3) – the Aggies secured a berth in the Celebration Bowl for the third straight year and fourth time overall in the bowl’s five-year history. NC A&T won the Celebration bowl in 2015, 2017, and 2018 and will face Alcorn State (9-3) of the SWAC in the 2019 edition of this game.



In the Playoffs…

No remaining North Carolina teams in any playoff



Staying Home During Bowl Season…

Duke (5-7)

ECU (4-8)

NC State (4-8)



Season Over…

Lenoir Rhyne (13-1) – lost against West Florida, 43-38, in Super Region 2 final.



Wingate (10-2) – lost against West Florida, 38-17, in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.



Not in the Playoffs…

FCS – No North Carolina FCS teams qualified for the FCS playoffs this season for the first time since 2015.

Campbell (6-5)

Davidson (8-4)

Elon (5-6)

Gardner-Webb (3-9)

North Carolina Central (4-8)

Western Carolina (3-9)



Division II

Catawba (1-10)

Chowan (3-7)

Elizabeth City State (2-9)

Fayetteville State (8-2) – Broncos won the CIAA South and were defeated in the CIAA championship game.

Johnson C. Smith (4-6)

Livingstone (4-6)

Mars Hill (5-6)

St. Augustine’s (2-8)

Shaw (6-4)

Pembroke (4-7)

Winston-Salem State (4-6)



Division III

Greensboro (1-9)

Guilford (2-8)

Methodist (4-6)

NC Wesleyan (6-4)

There are only three weeks remaining in the football season before the Division II playoffs begin and the playoff picture is beginning to develop. The first official poll of the super regions has been released and SAC rivals Lenoir-Rhyne, ranked 7th in the AFCA coaches poll, and 12th ranked Wingate are both listed in the initial Super Region 2 poll. Both teams are undefeated and will clash this Saturday in Hickory.



The last time the two teams met on the gridiron was one for the ages with a miracle play (in the video below) helping to set up a Lenoir-Rhyne win in the second round of the Division II playoffs last November.












SUPER REGION TWO

1	Valdosta St.	8-0	8-0
2	Lenoir-Rhyne	8-0	8-0
3	Bowie St.	7-0	8-0
4	Wingate	8-0	8-0
5	West Florida	5-1	5-1
6	Carson-Newman	5-2	5-2
7	Virginia St.	6-1	6-1
8	Mississippi Col.	4-2	4-2
9	Virginia Union	5-2	5-2
10	Albany St. (GA)	5-3	5-3

WINGATE – For the fifth consecutive season, the Wingate University Bulldogs have started a season 2-0. Wingate raced out to a 27-6 lead through three quarters en route to a 27-13 victory over visiting Fayetteville State University in NCAA Division II football action Saturday night at Irwin Belk Stadium. Wingate moves to 2-0 on the year, while the Broncos fall to 1-1 overall.



"Our defense played a tough physical game," head coach Joe Reich says. "I thought offensively we also did some good things. I would like to see us execute a little more consistently. It was a good win. It gives us a lot to learn from, but there were plenty of good performances as well. Fayetteville State was a much bigger, more physical team than what we faced last week. It was a step up in physicality, which will help us heading to next week's game."






In his second career start, redshirt freshman quarterback Shaw Crocker connected on 19-of-33 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, giving him five TD passes and a TD run through two games this season. His top target was All-American BJ Muckelvene, who hauled in seven catches for 122 yards and a score. J.T. Stokes had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Reigning SAC Offensive Player of the Week Domineke McNeill had 15 carries for 82 yards while adding three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown.



"I felt like Fayetteville State was a good, physical team," Reich says. "It was a good game and they gave us a good challenge. Shaw Crocker continues to take steps forward, both in practices and during games, which is good to see."



After shutting out Johnson C. Smith in the opening week, the Wingate defense nearly kept Fayetteville State out of the end zone in week two. The Broncos scored with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the first time a Bulldog opponent has found the end zone this season.



Joe Kelly led the defensive attack, piling up 13 tackles on the night, with Kendrick Hicks adding seven tackles. Cardell Rawlings again found himself in the offensive backfield throughout the night, with two of his six tackles going for sacks, while also adding a pair of QB hurries. Juan Pagan-Gonzalez had three tackles and an interception, with Matthew Ellis-White contributing six tackles and a pair of pass break-ups.



The Wingate special teams had another impressive outing. "Our punter was a difference maker," Reich says. "He got us out of jams. The kickers did a nice job as well. It was also good to see Ronnie Procopio break off a big return."



Reigning SAC Special Teams Player of the Week Chris Birozes averaged 44 yards on six punts, with a long of 55 and another punt downed at the two-yard line. McLean Robertson was two-for-two on field goals, connecting on a 31-yarder and 42-yarder while also going three-for-three in PATs. Procopio had a 48-yard kickoff return to start the third quarter.



Fayetteville State took the ball to start the game and capped a nine-play, 63-yard drive with a David Lamb 40-yard field goal.



Wingate answered by going 79 yards in 11 plays in its opening drive, capped by Muckelven's 24-yard TD reception from Crocker to put the 'Dogs on top 7-3. Stokes had three catches for 32 yards on the drive.



A Fayetteville State bad snap on a punt gave Wingate the ball at the FSU 12-yard line, but the 'Dogs would settle for a 31-yard Robertson field goal to take a 10-3 advantage through one quarter.



A Lamb 24-yard field goal got the Broncos within four early in the second quarter. The drive was setup by Jerome Bentley's interception, which he returned to the Wingate seven-yard line.



McNeill's 34-yard run highlighted a five-play 42-yard drive for the Bulldogs, which Robertson capped by connecting on a 42-yard field goal to make it 13-6. The Bulldogs got a chance to add to their lead with 2:40 left in the half and did not waste the opportunity, going 61 yards in seven plays. A 27-yard strike from Crocker to Stokes, followed by a 10-yard Crocker to Muckelvene connection got the 'Dogs in the red zone. Stokes found the end zone off another Shaw pass to make it 20-6 heading to halftime.



Wingate added to its lead in the opening drive of the second half, which started with Procopio's 48-yard return. McNeill went for 18 yards on the first two carries of the drive, then finished it off with an eight-yard TD reception to give the Bulldogs a 27-6 lead.



The Broncos cut the lead to 14 when Donshel Jetton scored on a 14-yard run with 2:52 to go. Jalen Brooks recovered the ensuing onside kick and the 'Dogs ran the clock out to preserve the victory.



Wingate is back in action next Saturday, hitting the road for the first time this season and opening league play, traveling to Carson-Newman, while Fayetteville State hosts Benedict.

Indianapolis – The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced today the field of 28 teams for the 2017 NCAA Division II Football Championship. South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate University (9-1 overall) qualifies for the NCAA post-season for the second time in school history. The Bulldogs will host the University of West Florida (7-3 overall) Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. The contest will be played at Irwin Belk Stadium and John R. Martin Field on the Wingate campus.



"We are very excited to be going back to the NCAA playoffs," Wingate head football coach Joe Reich says. "This is a great opportunity for our program. I want our guys to enjoy the moment and the experience."



Twelve first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, one team per super regional has earned a first-round bye. The first-round winners will all advance to the second round with games on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Seven teams selected per super regional make up the field of 28 teams.



Tickets for the Wingate versus West Florida game will go on sale Monday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m. Ticket prices will be announced on Monday at 11 a.m. Both general admission and reserved seating will be available for purchase at this link.



The first-round dates, sites, and pairings are:



November 18 at Shepherdstown, West Virginia

Findlay (9-2) at Shepherd (10-0)



November 18 at Worcester, Massachusetts

California (Pennsylvania) (9-2) at Assumption (9-1)



November 18 at Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

West Chester (8-3) at Shippensburg (10-1)



November 18 at Petersburg, Virginia

West Georgia (8-3) at Virginia State (9-0)



November 18 at Wingate, North Carolina

West Florida (7-3) at Wingate (9-1)



November 18 at Bowie State

Delta State (8-3) at Bowie State (9-1)



November 18 at Indianapolis, Indiana

Harding (8-3) at UIndy (11-0)



November 18 at Ashland, Ohio

Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at Ashland (10-1)



November 18 at Big Rapids, Michigan

Ouachita Baptist (9-2) at Ferris State (9-1)



November 18 at Mankato, Minnesota

Colorado State-Pueblo (9-2) at Minnesota State Mankato (11-0)



November 18 at Wichita Falls, Texas

Sioux Falls (9-2) at Midwestern State (9-0)



November 18 at Winona, Minnesota

Texas A&M-Commerce (9-1) at Winona State (10-1)



All contests are slated to start at 1 p.m. local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee. Northwest Missouri State defeated North Alabama 29-3 in the 2016 national championship game. The 2017 championship game will be played December 16, at 6 in Kansas City, Kansas and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com.

WINGATE – The 16th ranked Wingate Bulldogs (8-0, 5-0) rushed out to an early 21-0 1st quarter lead and never looked back, cruising to a 44-20 win over visiting Newberry (4-5, 2-3) on Saturday afternoon at Wingate's Irwin Belk Stadium. With the win, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the South Atlantic Conference title with a chance to win outright next weekend.



Wingate got on the board quickly with a 1-yard score by Lawrence Pittman (Mallard Creek). Pittman's score was set up by a quick defensive three-and-out to start the game and a 58-yard pass play from sophomore quarterback James Whitaker to BJ Muckelvene (Cuthbertson).



The defense stepped up again on the next Newberry drive as linebacker Zack Singleton (South Stokes) stepped in front of a pass near midfield and returned it 49 yards for the pick-six and a 14-0 Wingate lead less than five minutes into the game.

Wingate WR BJ Mucklevene (Photo Credit: Wingate Sports Information)

Showing excellence in all parts of the game, the Wingate special teams picked up the third score of the game as BJ Muckelvene returned a Newberry punt 85 yards to the house. Muckelvene added two more touchdowns in the second half on receptions of 21 and 45 yards. Mucklevene's three receptions of the day netted 124 yards, leading the Wingate offense.



Wingate senior running back Lawrence Pittman finished the game with 148 yards on 26 carries. With his third quarter 24-yard touchdown run, Pittman now holds the school record for touchdowns in a career.



Freddy McCollum (Southern Lee) was 5 of 6 on extra point tries and kicked a 21-yard field goal to close the scoring in the fourth quarter.

What the Coaches Are Saying

Wingate coach Joe Reich

"This was a great win for us against a very good team. I am proud of the way we battled from start to finish."

Notable North Carolinians

Cardell Rawlings (Cleveland) – redshirt junior had six tackles, a sack, and forced fumble

Zack Singleton (South Stokes) – had nine tackles in addition to interception returned for a touchdown

Lawrence Pittman (Mallard Creek) – now holds school record for touchdown runs

BJ Mucklevene (Cuthbertson) – had three touchdowns on the day

Next Week

Wingate hosts Limestone Saturday, Nov. 4 for Homecoming, Senior Day and Tailgating for the Troops. Kick-off is slated for 6 p.m. Newberry visits Catawba Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m.













Wingate Sports Information contributed to this story.