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football-season-preview-2023
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Football NWC Athletic Communications

SEASON PREVIEW: 2023 Red Raider Football

The defending national champions hit the gridiron on September 2 at Concordia

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The defending National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national champions Red Raider football team will look to defend their national title heading into the 2023 season, riding a 13-game winning streak to end last season, all under the direction of head coach Matt McCarty in his eighth season leading the program.
 
NAIA PRESEASON POLL
For the first time since records on the NAIA site began in 1999, the Northwestern football team occupies the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA. The NAIA announced the 2023 preseason coaches' poll on Monday, August 21 that saw the Red Raiders receive 17 of the possible 18 first-place votes.  
Three conference teams find themselves in the first edition of the 2023 polls with Morningside at No. 4 and the Dordt Defenders at No. 25.
 
GPAC PRESEASON POLL
For the first time in the McCarty era, the league's head coaches have picked the Red Raiders to win the 2023 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) title. Northwestern received eight of the possible 10 first-place votes (coaches could not vote for their own team) and landed with 98 team points.
 
Following just behind NWC, with three first-place votes, was the Morningside Mustangs with 93 total points. The Mustangs won the GPAC last year with their 10-0 record, advancing to the NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) Quarterfinal round, before falling to the eventual national runner-up in Keiser University (Fla.).
 
In a tightly contested No. 3 and No. 4 pick were two teams that also spent time in the NAIA top-25 last season in the Dordt Defenders (78 points) and the Midland Warriors (75 points). The rest of the preseason poll can be found linked above.
 
2022 YEAR-IN-REVIEW
The storied 2022 season ended the way the dream begins for all 99 NAIA football teams – winning the national championship. The Red Raiders were the final team standing in December last season after a 35-25 victory over the Keiser University (Fla.) Seahawks in Durham, North Carolina.  
The season began with a top-5 NAIA clash with the Morningside Mustangs, where the Red Raiders fell just short but that would not stop the determination of the squad. Erupting for 500+ yards of offense for the next four-straight games, Northwestern showed their dominance on the gridiron with victories over Dakota Wesleyan, Jamestown, Concordia (Neb.), and Mount Marty; a streak of its own that led to what would become a 13-game winning streak to end the season.
 
On October 15, Northwestern made the journey over to Sioux Center for the Battle of Sioux County, taking down arch-rival Dordt University, 23-0 at Open Space Park. The game saw Northwestern post their only shut out of the season, but on the same token Dordt held the Raiders to their season-low with just 23 points on the scoreboard.
 
The next two games saw NWC break the 50-point barrier twice with a 59-10 road win over Doane and a 56-7 dismantling of the Briar Cliff Chargers in Orange City, heading into the month of November with a 7-1 record.
 
Beginning the month of November, the Red Raiders hosted No. 15-ranked Midland in their second top-25 clash of the season. Northwestern had no problems in the 42-10 win over the Warriors, as they would go on to conclude the regular season with a 41-10 road victory over Hastings.
 
Heading into the NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS), the Red Raiders would down the Dickinson State (N.D.) Blue Hawks handedly with a 49-7 victory. For the second-straight season the Knights of Marian University (Ind.) would make the trek out to Orange City, where the Red Raiders would head into the month of December for back-to-back seasons after a 52-27 win.
 
Hosting an NAIA FCS Semifinal game for the first time since the 1983 season, the Red Raiders played host to their second-straight MSFA opponent in Indiana Wesleyan. IWU, making their first-ever appearance in the NAIA FCS Semifinals in just their fifth season of football, would run into the buzz saw that was Northwestern as the Red Raiders rolled into the championship game with a 38-7 victory.
 
THE SCHEDULE
Northwestern will open the season on the road in four of the first five weeks of the season, beginning with a road trip to Seward, Neb. on September 2.  
For the first time since 1997, Northwestern will play an NCAA opponent in Drake University on September 9 in Des Moines. The contest will mark the first NCAA opponent since Northwestern prevailed against Buena Vista University (NCAA Division III), 27-22. It also marks the first NCAA opponent in the McCarty era.  
The home opener is slated for September 16 when the Doane Tigers are set to visit Orange City for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. The date will also mark the day the Red Raiders will celebrate their senior class.
 
The Raiders will then once again hit the road for two straight weeks, playing Mount Marty on September 23 and Midland on September 30. Mount Marty will be the second, and last, night game of the season for Northwestern with the scheduled 7:00 p.m. kickoff in Yankton, South Dakota.
 
Homecoming at Northwestern College will ring in the month of October, as the Hastings College Broncos make the trek to Northwest Iowa for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff on October 7.
 
Following a trip to Briar Cliff on October 14, the month of October will be rounded out with a pair of rivalry games at De Valois Stadium. The Dordt Defenders will make the trip over from Sioux Center on October 21, while the Mustangs of Morningside will follow on October 28.
 
Northwestern will hit the road again to begin the month of November, making their second trip of the season into the state of South Dakota when they visit Mitchell, South Dakota for a clash with the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers on November 4.
 
The regular season ends on Veterans Day/Armistice Day (November 11) as the Jimmies of the University of Jamestown come to town.
 
EXPERIENCE RETURNING
Northwestern welcomes back 15 starters on all sides of the ball heading into the 2023 season. On offense, Jalyn Gramstad (Jr., Lester, Iowa) returns to lead what should continue to be a prolific offense. Gramstad returns both Michael Storey (Sr., Spencer, Iowa) and Tanner Schouten (Jr., Orange City, Iowa) in the receiving corps, as well as both running backs from the national championship team in Konner McQuillan (Sr., Leavenworth, Kan.) and Logan Meyer (Jr., Alvord, Iowa). The offensive line, while younger this season, will bring back a leader with a ton of experience in Jawan Grant (Sr., Kansas City, Mo.).
 
On defense, from a unit that was stout all season long a season ago, will bring back eight of the possible 11 starters for defensive coordinator Billy Kirch. The defensive line will be back with much depth as five guys return to that rotation in Morris Hofer (Sr., Onida, S.D.), Jessen Reinking (Jr., Kingsley, Iowa), Drake Harder (Sr., Bingham Lake, Minn.), Peyton Nieuwsma (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.), and Jacob Dragstra (Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa). At linebacker, both Ben Kingery (Jr., Casey, Iowa) and Ben Egli (So., Fort Dodge, Iowa) return, both of whom saw playing time throughout 2022. McCarty's defensive back group returns both Cody Moser (Jr., Rock Valley, Iowa) and Gavin Lorenzen (Jr., Larchwood, Iowa) who brought down a pair of interceptions combined last season.
 
Senior kicker Eli Stader (Cedar Grove, Wis.) returns for one more season already holding multiple career kicking records. Entering 2023, Stader already holds the program's career records in PAT kicks made (198) and field goals made (34), while sitting second in field goal percentage (69.4% – 34-for-49).
 
IMPACT NEWCOMERS
Newcomers to keep an eye on this fall from the coaching staff include athletes on both sides of the ball.
 
Offensively, wide receivers Blake Thompson (Fr., Tea, S.D.) and Austyn Gerard (Fr., Gilbert, Ariz.) look to replace the production of Cade Moser, while learning from the All-American Storey in his final year of eligibility. The coaching staff is also high on freshman offensive lineman Korver Hupke (Fr., Independence, Iowa), who could look to make some noise up front as Northwestern looks to replace four offensive linemen from the national championship team a season ago.
 
On the other side of the ball, Kylar Fritz (Fr., Sioux Center, Iowa) will look to disrupt opposing offenses from his defensive back slot, while Brady Lynott (Fr., Hawarden, Iowa) will look to make noise in stopping the run game and in the opponent's back field as a linebacker.
 
POSTSEASON SUCCESS
The pinnacle of postseason success was achieved last season as the Red Raiders hoisted the NAIA national championship trophy for the third time in program history, joining teams from the 1973 and 1983 seasons.
 
In program history, Northwestern has made 24 appearances in the NAIA postseason and holds a 30-21 record with three national titles and four national runner-up finishes.
 
COACHING STAFF CHANGES
For the second-straight season, the Raider offense will be led by a new offensive coordinator in Josh Fakkema. Fakkema enters his second season on staff, after spending last season as a graduate assistant, and he will work with the tight ends position group in 2023. Fakkema replaces Jake Menage who returned to his alma mater, South Dakota State, this past offseason.
 
Brett Moser, who was on staff the last two seasons as a GA, will transition into a new role being the program's Special Teams coordinator, while also continuing to work with the defensive line unit as his position group.
 
A member of the offensive line for the national championship season of 2022, Greg Will joins the staff this season as a graduate assistant and will work with the offensive line position group. Levi Letsche who worked with the offensive lineman the past few seasons, transitions to the head coaching role of Sheldon High School in 2023.
 
THE MCCARTY PROFILE
In 2022, head coach Matt McCarty became the second coach in program history to lead a Red Raider team to a national title. He joins legendary coach Larry 'Bub' Korver who led two teams to the top of the mountain. McCarty has now led the Red Raiders to at least the semifinal round of the FCS every year since 2020.
 
After winning the national title last season, McCarty was named the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and NAIA National Coach of the Year, while also winning the AFCA Region IV Coach of the Year for the first time outright (co-COY in 2017).
 
McCarty has led the program to six NAIA FCS appearances, doing so in the last six seasons. He has coached 29 All-Americans named to either the First-, Second-, or Third- teams of the respective outlet. He has coached eight GPAC Defensive Players of the Year and two GPAC Offensive Players of the Year.
 
He has also seen his athletes excel in the classroom as he has coached seven College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America selections and nine CSC All-District honorees.
 
FOLLOW THE RAIDERS
All home games at Korver Field at De Valois Stadium will be live streamed (free to watch) on nwcraiders.com and will also have live stats, powered by SIDEARM Sports. Links to the stream and stats can be found on the football schedule page (linked above). All road contests links can also be found on the football schedule page. Game notes, previews, and more can be found on the Media Center page (linked above).
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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Players Mentioned

Cade Moser

#1 Cade Moser

WR
6' 5"
Senior
Jacob Dragstra

#97 Jacob Dragstra

DL
5' 11"
Sophomore
Ben Egli

#34 Ben Egli

LB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Austyn Gerard

#7 Austyn Gerard

WR
5' 10"
Freshman
Jalyn Gramstad

#12 Jalyn Gramstad

QB
6' 0"
Junior
Jawan Grant

#54 Jawan Grant

OL
6' 0"
Senior
Drake Harder

#46 Drake Harder

DE
6' 4"
Senior
Morris Hofer

#23 Morris Hofer

DE
6' 2"
Senior
Ben Kingery

#38 Ben Kingery

LB
5' 11"
Junior
Gavin Lorenzen

#7 Gavin Lorenzen

DB
5' 9"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Cade Moser

#1 Cade Moser

6' 5"
Senior
WR
Jacob Dragstra

#97 Jacob Dragstra

5' 11"
Sophomore
DL
Ben Egli

#34 Ben Egli

6' 1"
Sophomore
LB
Austyn Gerard

#7 Austyn Gerard

5' 10"
Freshman
WR
Jalyn Gramstad

#12 Jalyn Gramstad

6' 0"
Junior
QB
Jawan Grant

#54 Jawan Grant

6' 0"
Senior
OL
Drake Harder

#46 Drake Harder

6' 4"
Senior
DE
Morris Hofer

#23 Morris Hofer

6' 2"
Senior
DE
Ben Kingery

#38 Ben Kingery

5' 11"
Junior
LB
Gavin Lorenzen

#7 Gavin Lorenzen

5' 9"
Junior
DB