WAVERLY, Iowa – The 2022 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) champion No. 12/12-ranked Wartburg College Knights (13-0) football team advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 45-17 victory over unranked Aurora University (11-2) at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa this afternoon. The Spartans got off to a 10-0 start over the Knights, before Wartburg took over en route to a 45-17 victory to advance to the next round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
 
Next up for head coach Chris Winter and his Wartburg Knights are the No. 2-ranked Mount Union Raiders (13-0) next Saturday, December 10^th at a site to be announced tomorrow. The Raiders defeated No. 8-ranked Delaware Valley 22-6 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania this afternoon in another quarterfinal matchup.
 
Wartburg recorded 340 yards of total offense, passing 136 yards while rushing for 204 yards. Quarterback Nile McLaughlin had 12 completions for 136 yards including two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Thor Maakestad recorded 49 yards on five receptions with one touchdown, while Hunter Clasen had two receptions for 26 yards and one passing touchdown. Clasen didn’t let up as he recorded 167 yards on the ground and had three rushing touchdowns.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, Owen Grover led the Knights with 10 tackles, including five solo stops and assisted on one for a loss. Parker Rochford had another successful game recording six total tackles in addition to his two interceptions which he returned for a combined 83 yards. Wartburg’s kicker, Cael O’Neill had a 22-yard field goal, while averaging 50.3 yards per kickoff in this afternoon’s quarterfinal game.
 
The Wartburg Knights claimed the school’s 18^th conference crown to earn their place in this year’s 32-team Division III playoff field as the A-R-C’s automatic qualifier. It marks the 15^th time in program history that Wartburg is in the NCAA playoffs and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in program history.