December 27, 2024
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College update: Ayize Martin, Drew Harp teams play for national championships

College of DuPage wins NJCAA Div. 3 title, North Central College advances to NCAA Div. 3 finals

By Kevin Hieronymus
Princeton's Drew Harp (left) plays for North Central College while Bureau Valley's Ayize Martin is a member of the College of DuPage Chaparrals.

Princeton's Drew Harp (left) plays for North Central College while Bureau Valley's Ayize Martin is a member of the College of DuPage Chaparrals. (Photos provided)

One Bureau County player saw his team win a National football championship and another player’s team will play for one.

Ayize Martin, a sophomore defensive linemen from Walnut (Bureau Valley), is a member of the College of DuPage Chaparrals program, which won the NJCAA Division 3 national championship, defeating Louisburg College 31-14 on Dec. 14 in the Red Grange Bowl in Glen Ellyn.

Martin, a 310-pound defensive lineman, took a redshirt this season. He appeared in all 12 games last season, including the 2023 championship game, with 13 tackles, including a sack and interception.

Drew Harp, a junior linebacker from Princeton, plays for North Central College, which seeks its second NCAA Div. 3 National championship in three years on Sunday, Jan. 7 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Tex.

Harp. who had 10 tackles in eight games for the Cardinals, left the Nov. 9 Elmhurst University game with ankle injury and has not played since.

The Cardinals (14-0) will face the University of Mount Union at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 in a battle of undefeated teams for the national title in the Stagg Bowl that will be nationally televised on ESPN.

North Central blasted Susquehanna University 66-0 in the Div. 3 semifinals on Dec. 21 to punch its ticket back to the championship game, having won it in 2022 and 2019.

The Cardinals have cruised in the playoffs, defeating Whitworth University 42-17 in the second round, Hope College 41-21 in the third round, Springfield College 27-3 in the quarterfinals before blasting Susquehanna University in the semifinals.