Fight, fight, fight with all your might and bring home a Cardinal win... from Georgia!
Announced on Sunday, November 11, 2018, the Concordia University Ann Arbor football team has secured a spot in the NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) First Round for the second consecutive year and second time in school history.
As one of sixteen teams in the nation to join the playoff field, Concordia will once again make the 672 mile trek south to Waleska, Georgia to face the Reinhardt University Eagles on Saturday, November 17; the same team the Cardinals faced in the 2017 for their first-ever appearance in the NAIA FCS.
“Our football program’s achievement of making the NAIA playoffs for a second consecutive year is an outstanding achievement,” said Athletic Director Lonnie Pries. “The team’s success, in what is arguably the toughest NAIA football conference, is a testament to the staff and players’ commitment to each other, their program’s mission, and the mission of our athletic department.”
The entire CUAA campus has rallied around the success of the football team not only because of the team’s ability to defeat highly ranked opponents and achieve numerous conference awards, but the program has demonstrated an extraordinary drive for success.
They are compelled.
Compelled, the team theme since 2017, was chosen with intent.
“We talk to our guys about 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, how Christ’s love compels us. We really stress to the guys that we want to love each other because of what Christ has done for us,” said Head Football Coach Joshua Schumacher. “We also want to think about His sacrifice for us and sacrificing for each other and we really believe that encompasses what we want in our team: sacrifice, commitment, competitiveness and relationships.
Schumacher says that emphasizing playing, practicing, and living as compelled members of the Concordia Cardinals football team is how the program has built a team culture that is able to overcome adversity to get them to where they are today.
“We talk to our guys about 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, how Christ’s love compels us. We really stress to the guys that we want to love each other because of what Christ has done for us,” said Head Football Coach Joshua Schumacher.
Senior defensive linebacker Andrew O’Hara shares what it was like to see Concordia’s name flash on the screen during Sunday’s live selection show announcing the sixteen NAIA teams that will be competing for the national championship title.
“Last year when we made the playoffs, it was almost like that was enough to be satisfied with our season. This year, is different,” said O’Hara. “All of our hard work to get us to this point is what is going to propel us deep into the playoffs.”
On Monday, O’Hara was named defensive player of the week for the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) as well as the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Teammate running back Joe Conner was also named offensive player of the week for both associations. Both players’ performances helped the Cardinals clinch their playoff spot with a 21-10 victory over conference rival Siena Heights University on Saturday, November 10.
Kick-off for the Concordia Cardinals verses the Reinhardt Eagles will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 17 at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. Click here for the livestream link and follow along with more game notes at details at www.concordiacardinals.com and @CUAAcardinals and @CUAA_football on Twitter.
— Rachel Thoms served on Concordia University's Strategic Communications team from 2015-2022. Any inquiries about this story can be sent to news@cuaa.edu.
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