Linebacker Ben Adelsberger is Coe's leading tackler and also has 13.5 tackles for loss. Coe athletics photo

By Joe Sager
D3sports.com

Coe was just hoping for an invitation.

Now that the Kohawks have it, they’re ready to make the most of it.

Coe received one of the coveted at-large berths to the NCAA Division III playoffs. They trek to Aurora on Saturday, but just getting invited to participate was a relief for the squad, which finished the regular season with a 9-1 mark.

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After beating Loras, 54-14, the Kohawks weren’t sure whether to celebrate or reflect on their campaign. The victory secured second place in the American Rivers Conference and left their fate to the NCAA football committee.

They were pleasantly surprised to see their name appear on the bracket.

“It was a very exciting moment for us,” Coe senior quarterback Carter Maske said. “After the game on Saturday, not a lot of us thought we had a chance just by looking on Twitter and reading different stuff. We decided on having a little watch party anyway on Sunday. We’re glad we did because it was a very special thing seeing our name pop up. That instant reaction and everybody freaking out – it was awesome!”

“It was awesome. We have a few videos of us in our conference room and you can see we just went nuts,” added senior linebacker Ben Adelsberger. “It was electric. We were hoping for it, but not expecting anything. We’re so excited to get after it this week.”

While Coe understands it faces a formidable task playing at No. 12 Aurora (10-0), the team believes it’s starting to peak at the right time.

“Last game was one of the better games I’ve played. And, speaking for the offense, we’re playing well. We just have to ride that momentum,” Maske said. “This is a good time to get hot. This was the expectation before the year – to be in a position to be in the playoffs.”

Since the Kohawks enter the playoffs as an at-large team, they embrace the underdog role.

“I feel like that’s when you play your best, when you’re loose and having fun,” Maske said. “I don’t know if there’s a guy on our team that doesn’t think we can win this game. We’re just trying play loose.”

“We’ve been improving every week,” Adelsberger added. “We’re grinding and trying to be perfect each week. The only way to get after every single week is to try to go 1-0. That’s our mindset.”

The team’s lone loss came in a 27-21 setback to No. 3 Wartburg on Sept. 30. Since then, Coe won its next five games, including a come-from-behind 23-20 overtime thriller over Dubuque two weeks ago.

“I think toward the end of the year, we’ve been in a couple grinder games that we’ve learned to grow through,” Adelsberger said. “We’ve grown as a team and we’re playing stronger football than ever. Our mindset has been that we have a chance to really make a splash this year. Getting this at-large bid is really special for us. We’re able to step out and show everyone what Coe is all about.”

The Kohawks have been all about balance. They rank 10th in scoring defense (10.7 points allowed per game) and 22nd in scoring offense (41.7).

“We’re really solid. Our red-zone defense is really elite right now,” Adelsberger said. “Between that and our offense being able to put up some points and keep us in games we’ve needed them to and vice versa, it’s been great. It’s awesome we’ve been able to come together and be really strong all across the board.”

Coe ranks tied for fifth in red zone defense with a .500 percentage. The team has been able to maintain an elite level despite losing linebacker Jay Oostendorp to injury.

“We did lose one of our better outside linebackers, but we’ve been able to kind of overcome and adapt our play style a little bit,” Adelsberger said. “Each week, we come in thinking about being the best we can be and finding that perfect balance of how to play with each other and get after the quarterback more. We’re finding ways to really impact offenses.”

The Kohawks’ offense has been productive, too. Maske went over 2,000 yards passing on the year in last week’s win. He ranks 40^th nationally in passing efficiency (156.55). Ray Seidel (132 carries, 509 yards), Jacob Brecht (68-482) and Trenton Barnes (77-353) have seen the bulk of the carries. All three have six touchdowns apiece.

“This is the first year I’ve been able to start all of our games and it’s been fun being able to ride this out with this group of guys. The last couple games, I feel like I have been throwing it pretty well,” Maske said. “I feel like we’ve done a good job of being pretty balanced this year on offense. We’ve been able to throw it for a few touchdowns in a given week. Then, the next week, we’ll score six or seven rushing touchdowns like we did against Luther. That balance has been pretty good this year.

“Our defense has been huge, too. As a senior, I know they’ll always keep us in the ballgame. That’s always nice to have.”

No matter what, Coe is just happy to have another week together, at least.

“We’re excited to get to play this extra game of football,” Adelsberger said. “In November, it’s electric to be out on the football field still. You don’t get too many chances to do it. We’ll take advantage of this situation the best we can. We have a bunch of seniors on this team that are contributing a ton. We all have the same mindset. We have to nothing technically to prove but everything prove at the same time.”