Lindsey Wilson wins first national championship following most successful season
COLUMBIA, Ky. (BVM) — When the clock hit triple zeros during the NAIA Football National Championship on Tuesday, it marked a comeback of epic proportions, but not one that happened during the game. In 2010, Lindsey Wilson College relaunched its football program after not having a team since 1935, and with it, the Blue Raiders also brought on head coach Chris Oliver, the only head man the program has known since its relaunch. When the clock ran out, Oliver and his Blue Raiders celebrated their first NAIA national championship after defeating Northwestern College (Iowa) in convincing fashion, 45-13.
“It’s pretty amazing, it’s still surreal,” Oliver said after the game. “I’m so excited. That’s the understatement of all time. I’m just really proud of our kids, the stuff they dealt with, the adversity and they stayed positive. I’m really proud of them.”
HANG THAT BANNER!!!!
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, YOUR LINDSEY WILSON BLUE RAIDERS ARE NAIA CHAMPIONS!!! pic.twitter.com/JjK6p3eqa8
— LWC Football (@LWC_Football) May 11, 2021
This win brings the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders football team full circle. During the 2019 season, the team had its best season in program history with a 12-1 record, including going 7-0 in the Mid-South Conference becoming the eventual champions, and its first appearance in the NAIA semifinals.
Though the team was expected to be just as strong the next year, returning All-American running back Jaylen Boyd and Mid-South Bluegrass Division Player of the Year and NAIA All-American honorable mention quarterback Cameron Dukes, the team was dealt a difficult hand as the world was sent influx due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the season was uncertain, the team remained dedicated to its ultimate goal adopting the mantra “Make A Way.”
Two teams.
60 minutes.
One Red Banner.Let's go 1-0 for one final time!#BlueRaid #1and0 #MakeAWay pic.twitter.com/HrrziHvQMv
— LWC Football (@LWC_Football) May 10, 2021
When the NAIA football season was reinstated with a spring start, the Blue Raiders were ready. Lindsey Wilson would start the year with a strong 49-0 win over the Pikeville Bears for the program’s eighth straight season-opening win on Feb. 12.
The Blue Raiders would dominate their schedule, scoring over 35 points in each game, winning by more than 21 points in each game and having no opponent score more than 27 points en route to a perfect 11-0 record. By season’s end, the Mid-South Conference and national champions would be near the top in nearly every significant statistical category including finishing No. 2 in total scoring offense, No. 2 in scoring offense per game, No. 5 in total sacks, No. 5 in total pass offense, No. 6 in scoring defense per game, No. 8 in rush defense per game, No. 9 in total rushing offense and No. 10 in total offense per game.
A number of Blue Raiders received national recognition for their exploits as well. Dukes would earn second-team American Football Coaches Association-NAIA Coaches’ All-America honors while sophomore wide receivers Joshua Lewis and Terrill Cole, and junior linebacker Luke Bowman would earn honorable mention All-American. For his work leading the team, Oliver would also be tabbed as the AFCA-NAIA National Football Coach of the Year.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected for this award from the AFCA,” Oliver said in a school press release. “Head coaches get a lot of credit when things are going well, but awards like this happen due to the hard work and sacrifice of players and assistant coaches. Our guys have sacrificed and invested more than ever to meet the unique challenges of this season. This is a team award, and I’m very blessed to lead this team.”
No one deserves it more. https://t.co/KcTxe2qvTW
— LWC Football (@LWC_Football) May 10, 2021
The championship game was the icing on top for the Blue Raiders as it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were more than deserving NAIA national champions. Dukes led the offensive side of the game as he went 18-of-24 through the air for 157 yards while producing three rushing touchdowns on the ground earning the Offensive Player of the Game honors. On defense, junior defensive back Michael Leslie claimed the Defensive Player of the Game after he contributed nine total tackles with half a sack and half a tackle for loss.
Lindsey Wilson outgained Northwestern on offense in yards at 347-to-231 as the Blue Raiders defense forced five punts, turned over Northwestern three times on downs and held the Red Raiders to a season-low in yards and points.
For the Blue Raiders, this moment was a long time coming. It may have taken nearly a century without football, a decade without a trophy and an uncertain season due to a global pandemic, but Lindsey Wilson College is at the top of the NAIA football world. That cannot be taken away from them and will be remembered long after the team is gone.
That winning feeling 🏈🏆📸 pic.twitter.com/OR6LMpdB7E
— NAIA (@NAIA) May 11, 2021
