Iowa Western Football National Championships
2012 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (12-0)
In only the fourth year of the program, #1 Iowa Western capped off an undefeated 12-0 season by defeating #2 Butler Community College 27-7 in the 2012 Graphic Edge Bowl for the NJCAA National Championship at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA. Wide receiver Deon Long was named the game's Offensive MVP after catching 14 balls for 136 yards.
One of the most prolific offenses in NJCAA history, the team put up 7,181 yards of total offense led by the 2012 NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback, Jake Waters. Waters threw for 4,033 yards and 39 touchdowns, setting the NJCAA record for completion percentage (73.0) along the way. Deon Long caught an NJCAA record 100 receptions for 1,626 yards and 25 touchdowns, also an NJCAA record.
Head Coach Scott Strohmeier's squad saw the Reivers outscore their opponents 753-153, averaging an astounding 62.8 points per game. The team was inducted into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Iowa Western Hall of Fame in 2022.
2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (10-2)
Defense wins championships. Ten years after the program's first national title, Iowa Western and Head Coach Scott Strohmeier again reached the pinnacle of Junior College Football this time on the backs of their "Darkside" defense.
The Reiver "D" held their 2022 opponents to just 10.6 points per game, 40.9 yards per game rushing, and 144.1 yards per game passing. The squad also set the school record for sacks in a season with 56.0. Defensive End Jackson Filer was named the NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year after leading the country in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (28.0), both of which are IW records for a season. He also set the school mark for career sacks (27.0), TFL's (46.0), fumble recoveries (5), and forced fumbles (5).
The 2022 season saw the Reivers fall in their final two games of the regular season to #8 Coffeyville CC and #1 Hutchinson CC. Iowa Western found themselves as the #3 team in the final rankings and faced #2 Northwest Mississippi in the second-ever NJCAA playoff. The Reivers defeated the Rangers in Senatobia, MS, and set up a rematch against top-ranked Hutchinson, who beat #4 Coffeyville in the other semi-final game.
Iowa Western defeated the Blue Dragons 31-0 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AR. The "Darkside" defense held the nation's top offense to just 159 total offensive yards including just 12 yards on the ground. Defensive Tackle Quientrail Jamison-Travis was named the game's MVP after recording four tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
A full recap can be found here.
2023 National Champions (12-1)
For the second year in a row, Iowa Western found themselves at the pinnacle of junior college football, defeating #4 East Mississippi 61-14 in the national championship game. The "Darkside" defense was outstanding once again, setting the school mark for sacks in a season with 62, breaking the record set the previous season. Mike Blackbourn's squad held their opponents under 240 yards per game, taking the ball away 38 times tying the school record set in 2013 & 2014. The Reiver "D" also held #3 Kilgore, the top offense in the nation, to just seven points in the NJCAA semi-final game.
It was the offense that showed up and showed out in the final two games of the year, putting up a combined 108 points and 948 yards against the Rangers and the Lions. The 61 points against EMCC in the national championship game was the most against a Division 1 full scholarship opponent in the history of the NJCAA and the 2nd most overall (Northwest Mississippi 66 points vs Rochester CTC in 2015).
Quarterback Hunter Watson was named the game MVP, going 17-26 through the air for 204 yards and three touchdowns and adding 108 yards and two scores on the ground.
Iowa Western joined 1995-96 Blinn, 1998-99 Butler, 2013-14, and 2017-18 East Mississippi as the only schools to go back-to-back in NJCAA history.
A full recap of the 2023 National Championship can be found here.
