For the fifth straight season, Ohio State Club Football will play for a national championship.
Standing in its way is first-year program and South Atlantic Conference champions, Clayton State, fresh off its 66-20 stomping of George Mason University in the NCFA Playoff Semifinals. The Lakers are led by head coach Kevin Adkins, who coached Gordon State to a 35-15 win over the Buckeyes in the 2022 NCFA National Championship Game.
Clayton State enters the game 7-3, with all three losses to National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) opponents. The Buckeyes enter 8-1, with their lone loss to NCAA JV opponent Wittenberg, 18-10 in the regular season finale.
Ohio State won its first two appearances in the NCFA National Championship Game, winning in 2019 and 2021 before dropping the 2022 and 2023 contests. The Buckeyes are 1-2 all-time against the South Atlantic Conference champs, defeating Columbus State in 2019, but falling to Gordon State in the 2022 title game and Central Georgia Tech last season.
This year’s matchup features a pair of freshman quarterbacks. For Clayton State, Sire Hardaway leads an air-raid offense that features speed and athleticism all over the field. Hardaway, who has at times split QB reps with fellow Lakers, has completed 61-of-108 passes for 889 yards and 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions on the year. He has also rushed 28 times for 246 yards and a pair of scores in seven games played. In the semifinals against George Mason, Hardaway starred, completing 14-of-20 passes for 192 yards and four touchdowns.
For the Buckeyes, Chris Atkins has stepped in for injured starter Niko Pappas and helped the Ohio State offense continue to play well. In just over three games, Atkins has completed 40-of-71 passes for 428 yards and five touchdowns to zero interceptions. He is coming off of his best performance of the year in which he completed 17-of-23 passes for 177 yards and three scores against Coppin State in the semifinals.
Both teams also feature talented running backs, with Tony Inge III leading the way for Clayton State. Inge has toted the ball 48 times for 292 yards and a pair of scores this season while David Ware has collected 22 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
Ohio State features four running backs, all of whom have posted more than 25 carries on the year. Senior Johnathan Thiele leads the way for the Buckeyes this season, toting the ball 56 times for 347 yards and five touchdowns. Ohio Wesleyan transfer Ethan Young has carried 57 times for 250 yards and five scores, while junior JR Burton has 233 yards on 33 carries. Sophomore Lucas Fenstermaker rounds out the unit with 25 carries for 159 yards and three scores.
At receiver, the Lakers feature arguably the best one-two punch in the NCFA. Matthew Faulkner leads the NCFA in receptions (33) and receiving yards (622) and has also hauled in five touchdowns. Savion West, arguably the league’s most versatile player, has caught 21 passes for 286 yards and four scores while also serving as the Lakers’ top kick returner, punt returner, kicker and punter. West also plays defense and has hauled in a pair of interceptions this season, returning both for touchdowns.
On the Ohio State side, Jalen Haley leads the Buckeyes in receptions with 26 for 297 yards and four touchdowns. He is also the NCFA league leader in kick return touchdowns with two, posting return scores of 85 and 82 yards. Tight end Aidan Donovan has posted 14 catches for 230 yards and a pair of scores while freshman wide receiver JP Naylor has caught 16 passes for 223 yards and a team-best five touchdowns.
Defensively, the two teams have combined for five shutouts on the year. Ohio State posted shutouts in wins over Toledo, UW-Milwaukee and Coppin State while the Lakers posted shutout wins against Columbus State and Southwest Florida Tech. Clayton State’s defense features the favorite for NCFA Defensive Player of the Year in defensive end Kenwan Felton, who has posted a whopping 15 sacks this season, including three in the semifinal win over George Mason. Defensive tackle Brandan Green has also been a disrupter in the middle, standing at 6’1, 330 points.
For the Buckeyes, Matthew Humphreys leads the way with 10 sacks on the season while freshman linebacker Ryan Keenan leads Ohio State in total tackles with 56. Seven different Buckeyes have hauled in an interception this season with Marcellas McLellan, Ryan Globokar and Naylor each having hauled in two picks this season.
The matchup between the NCFA’s top teams is set for Saturday, Dec. 7 at John F. Wiley Stadium on the campus of Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, PA. General admission tickets are $17 and must be purchased online. For those unable to attend, the game will be televised on CollClubSports.TV ($). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
For a comprehensive list of all the information pertaining to the 2024 NCFA National Championship Bowl Game, please visit the attached link.
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