The Central College football team has already clinched a share of the school’s 32nd American Rivers Conference championship.  Today, they can claim it all for themselves with a win at home against Dubuque.

The 9th-ranked Dutch are 8-0 overall and 6-0 in league play, two games ahead of the Spartans, Wartburg, Coe and Buena Vista with two games remaining for each team.  Central shared the 2019 league crown with Wartburg, and hasn’t won it outright since 2009.  Coach Jeff McMartin says that winning it is always a special thing.

“You’re playing like opponents that you compete against every year, home and away, that you recruit against every year, that you have a history with, and they know you and you know them.  You have to go through the gamut of everybody, every year, and it’s the same.  So when you’ve beaten enough teams to be conference champion, that’s special.”

Dubuque is the last team to beat the Dutch in the regular season, a 28-7 decision in Pella in 2019.  Central has won 15 straight regular season games since then.

As the Dutch close in on a conference championship, fifth year senior quarterback Blaine Hawkins continues to pile up the records and milestones.  He passed the 10,000 passing yard mark for his career last week, and is just three touchdown passes away from setting the single-season American Rivers Conference record.  He’s number one in the country, across all NCAA divisions, in touchdown passes, pass efficiency and points responsible for.

Kickoff today between Central and Dubuque is scheduled for 1:00 at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium in Pella.  Trevor Castle and George Wares will call the action on 92.1 KRLS, with audio commentary also available with video at CentralDutchNetwork.com.