For the second time in school history, Miles has been selected to participate in the NCAA Division II Football Championship.
The team gathered on campus to watch the Division II selection show Sunday afternoon and the room erupted when the Golden Bears saw they were selected. Miles is seeded seventh and will travel to No. 2 seed Lenoir-Rhyne in the first round. The two teams will play Saturday at noon. It will be the first-ever contest between the two schools.
“This is a big deal for our school, our program, everyone who works hard so we can be successful,” said Miles head coach Reginald Ruffin. “Our guys deserve this opportunity to compete for a national championship. So we’re going stay focused, prepare, and get locked in to face a good Lenoir-Rhyne team.”
Miles set a school record for victories in a single season, going 9-2 in the regular season and having won three straight, culminating this past Saturday with a 21-6 win over Albany State to secure the program’s second consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Golden Bears will make their first NCAA Playoff appearance since 2012, when they fell to West Alabama in the opening round. Lenoir-Rhyne enters the contest 11-0 and have won back-to-back South Atlantic Conference titles. The Bears have won 21 straight regular-season games and are making their fifth trip to the playoffs.
The game will feature two of the top defensive teams in Division II. Miles is 13th in total defense (275.7 yards per game) while Lenoir-Rhyne checks in at 23rd (292.8). Both teams know how to get to the quarterback as well, tied for fourth in the nation in sacks (40).
Courtesy: Miles Athletics
