CLEVELAND, Ohio — John Carroll 10, Mount Union 7.
That’s the final score of last week’s Division III playoff game between the two schools.
John Carroll 10, Mount Union 7. Double overtime.
For John Carroll fans, it’s fun to see that score twice — especially because the game was played at Mount Union.
“A win like this has eluded us for so long,” said Blue Streaks coach Jeff Behrman. “I graduated from John Carroll in 1995 (and played quarterback). I know how important this is to the school and the alumni.”
Or as JCU Athletic Director Brian Polian said: “Mount has been the standard for more than 30 years. Until Saturday, we had beaten them only three times in our history.”
That victory made JCU’s all-time record vs. Mount Union 4-40-2.
Some John Carroll fans really did have tears in their eyes when the Blue Streaks not only won, but beat the D-III powerhouse on the 13-time national champions’ home field in Alliance.
“People come up to me, and they are emotional,” said John Carroll quarterback Nick Semptimphelter. “Really emotional. They keep saying how much the game means to them.”
As the John Carroll team boarded the bus and drove away from Kehres Stadium, the JCU fans were there to cheer. It is a football moment those connected to the team will treasure.
Mount Union has dominated all its opponents in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The last time Mount Union lost a regular season OAC game was in 2016. It was to John Carroll.
In the last 30 years, Mount Union has lost only twice in the regular season to an OAC team.
John Carroll Blue Streaks kicker Colin Schuler kicks the game wining field goal against Mount Union Purple Raiders in overtime of the NCAA division III football playoffs. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Climbing the mountain
“We have enormous respect for Mount Union,” said Dean Paul, JCU’s defensive coordinator. “What they have done is amazing.”
Paul played for Mount Union from 1986-90. Those were the early years of the Larry Kehres regime. Kehres won 11 national titles, the first in 1993. His overall record was 332-24-3. He coached more years (27) than he had losses (24).
In 2005, Paul was the head coach of Ohio Northern. His team beat Mount Union, ending the Purple Raiders 110-game winning streak. Paul was the head coach at Ohio Northern for 20 years before joining JCU in 2024.
“They always have tremendous talent,” said Paul. “You can have a very good team, and suddenly, the momentum goes against you – and you can get embarrassed. We’ve seen that.”
Which is why last Saturday’s victory over Mount Union was so impressive.
The Purple Raiders’ first play from scrimmage was an 85-yard TD pass from Mikey Maloney to Davion Grant.
Paul mentioned how you can be hit with “an avalanche” after something like that.
The Blue Streaks also had a recent Mount Union memory. They lost to Mount 37-31 in a 2024 regular season game. They faced Mount again in the 2024 playoffs, and were wiped out 42-7.
“It can feel like the weight of the world is on you when you play them,” said Behrman. “We had to get past that. We had to stay with the ”next play mentality,” and not get hung up on what had happened in the past.”
John Carroll Blue Streaks quarterback Nick Semptimphelter has completed 79% of his passs this season.
Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
How they prevailed
JCU slightly stumbled, but never fell. Nor did it panic.
Mount Union never scored another point in the game.
This was Mount Union’s lowest scoring output in game since Dec. 20, 2003. That was a 24-6 loss to St. John’s of Minnesota in the Stagg Bowl.
JCU’s defense ended the game when Kenny Grobolsek (Brookside High) tackled Mount QB Maloney on the 3-yard line.
JCU’s defense dominated. Davon Badley (Harvey) had 12 tackles. Defensive lineman Tommy Wasinski (St. Ignatius) had six and is a first-team all-region selection. Senior Ben Day (Brecksville) blocked a field goal.
Colin Schuler made a 38-yard field goal for what turned out to be the margin of victory for JCU.
“When you look at Mount’s record, it can be daunting,” said Semptimphelter, JCU’s QB. “But from the beginning of this season, we believed it would be different. We believed we’d go to the playoffs and if we faced them – we’d beat them.”
John Carroll Blue Streaks players celebrate after defeating the Mount Union Purple Raiders in overtime of the NCAA division III football playoffs. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Finding a quarterback
Semptimphelter is from Tennessee. He once went to Tom Arth’s football camp. Arth was the head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga. He also is a former JCU quarterback who later became their head coach.
Arth raved about his alma mater. At the time, Semptimphelter was aiming higher than D-III. He was recruited by Bucknell, a member of the Patriot League and the Football Championship Subdivision. That’s the old NCAA Division I-AA.
Semptimphelter started eight games in his four years at the school. He graduated and entered the transfer portal.
JCU spotted his name, checked him out and began to recruit him. This is D-3, so no athletic scholarship. Semptimphelter is an excellent student with a 3.7 grade point average in business. He’s working toward an MBA.
In his two seasons, Semptimphelter is 20-4 as a starter. He has completed an eye-popping 79% of his passes in 2025, 31 TDs vs. three interceptions as JCU is 11-1 this season. He’s been nominated for the Gagliardi trophy as the D-III Player of the Year.
Semptimphelter has a sensational receiver in Tyren Montgomery, who set a school record with 100 receptions this season. Like Semptimphelter, he’s a first-team all-region selection. Several NFL teams have sent scouts to JCU to check out the 6-foot-1 receiver. He is likely to receive an invitation to try out for an NFL team.
Fellow receiver Shane Lindstrom caught 10 passes for 144 yards in the victory over Mount. That included a 29-yard TD toss from Semptimphelter.
“I love everything about coming to Carroll,” said Semptimphelter. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s been an honor for me to wear the gold helmet. This has been a tremendous experience for me.”
He’ll leave JCU with great memories of playing football along with his Masters in Business.
“Nick is an other-centered person,” said Behrman. “He does a great job of being there for his teammates. He’s extremely smart. He’s an accurate passer. When we were recruiting him, we thought he’d be an impact player.”
John Carroll Blue Streaks players celebrate after defeating the Mount Union Purple Raiders in overtime of the NCAA division III football playoffs. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Changing conferences
JCU switched from the OAC to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 2025.
“There is this uneducated narrative based entirely on football that we moved to get away from Mount Union,” said Polian, the school athletic director.
Polian mentioned that “in the last five years, there have been 40, four-year colleges that have closed. There are 35 others who have merged. We believe the NCAC gives us more of a national footprint, a better brand to attract students from places such as Atlanta, Austin and Charlotte.”
Polian talked about NCAC schools such as Denison, Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan being able to attract students from across the country,
“This is strategic thinking, not running away from Mount,” said Polian. “In the playoffs, we’ll end up facing them anyway like what happened this year.”
Polian talks about JCU winning a national football title.
“We have a great football coach,” he said. “Jeff is special. He understands this place.”
Behrman graduated from JCU in 1995. Polian is a 1997 JCU graduate. They were teammates on the football team.
“We can become a top 10 team and a national contender every year,” said Polian. “That’s our goal. This season is a step in that direction.”
In the D-III quarterfinals, JCU will face Berry College on Saturday at noon at Mount Berry, Ga.
