DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – The Vikings and the Keiser Seahawks are set to clash in a thrilling rematch, this time with the 69th Annual NAIA National Championship on the line. The showdown begins at 11:00 a.m. CST (12:00 p.m. EST) as both teams fight for glory on the season's biggest stage.  
VIKINGS PLAYOFF TIDBITS

• The Vikings are 18-11 in the NAIA FCS.
• Grand View is back in the title game for the 2nd time in four seasons.  
• A win would give Grand View their 19th postseason victory, moving the overall record to 18-11.
• The most points GVU has scored in a National Championship game was 32, which dates back to 2013 when they won their first title.   

DVP CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF!

• Junior Dalten Van Pelt has been a driving force behind the Vikings' playoff offense, setting multiple season highs in the semifinal win over Morningside.
• The Van Meter native racked up three rushing touchdowns against the Mustangs, gaining 53 yards on just nine carries.
• Van Pelt has surged to 709 rushing yards this season—423 more than his sophomore campaign—while doubling his touchdown tally to 12.
• He is averaging an impressive 59.1 rushing yards per game.

AB THE VET 

• Senior lineman Aaron Brown continues to rise to the occasion, anchoring the Vikings' defense in critical moments.
• While his impact may not always dominate the stat sheet, Brown remains the leader of the nation's top defensive unit.
• In the Quarterfinals, Brown delivered a standout performance, earning Defensive Player of the Game honors with 2.5 tackles for loss and a pivotal forced fumble that set up a key      scoring drive for Waring and the offense.
• A relentless force in pressuring the quarterback, Brown is one of the team's leading tacklers and disrupted the Mustangs' early scoring attempt, helping the Vikings hold a 21-7      lead at halftime.
• A seasoned veteran, Brown brings championship experience, having logged significant snaps as a true freshman in the 2021 National Championship.

ARGO A CLIFF-HARRIS FINALIST

• Viking LB John Argo was named one of the 36 finalists for the Cliff Harris Award, announced on Dec. 17.
• The Cliff Harris is awarded to small colleges' best defensive player annually.
• In 2023, Tristin Waugh, Viking standout, earned the award. 
• John Argo has shined in his first full season with the Vikings, being awarded the Heart of America Defensive Player of the Year and 1st team All-HOA. 
• Argo has recorded 34 tackles through the FCS series, with two double-digit performances. 
• The Davenport native leads the Vikings with 83 tackles through his Junior campaign. 

WARING THE DOUBLE THREAT 

• Quarterback Jackson Waring has been a dual-threat powerhouse for the Vikings, ranking as the team's second-leading rusher with 541 net yards, 13 touchdowns, and an average of 41.6 yards per game.
• Through the air, Waring has been equally impressive, completing 171 of 283 passes for 2,382 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just three interceptions.
• The Vikings' postseason offense has leaned on Waring's mobility, with the QB racking up 153 rushing yards on 41 carries, including a rushing touchdown in every playoff game.
• Alongside his stellar ground game, Waring has delivered some of his best passing performances during the playoffs, tallying 643 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

HEAD COACH WOODLEY 

• HC Joe Woodley was named the 2024 Heart of America Athletic Conference (HOA) Coach of the Year.
• He's won five HOA Coach of the Year honors at GVU (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, & 2024) out of six seasons as HC.
• Woodley leads the Conference of Heart of America Coach of the Year Awards.
• Woodley was named one of the ESPN 100 coaches to Define the Next Decade of College Football - the only NAIA coach to be featured. 
• This season, Woodley picked up his 51st straight career win at Grand View with the 52-28 win at (9-seeded in the FCS) Benedictine on September 14th.
• He has coached in 75 career games at Grand View.
• Mike Woodley, the founding coach of Grand View's football program, led the Vikings with remarkable success over 11 seasons, compiling an impressive 93-34 record. 
• Joe Woodley, son of Mike, who took the helm in 2019, has continued the legacy of excellence. With a stellar 70-5 career record as head coach, Joe snagged a career win of 70 with the Quarterfinal victory against the Red Raiders. 

STOUT DEFENSE 

• The Vikings posted their fourth shutout of the season after the Quarterfinal match-up.
• Grand View's defense is on pace to be one of the best defenses in NAIA history, only allowing 13 TDs this season. 
• GVU has stifled opponents in 3rd down conversion with an aching 22% conversion rate. 
• The defense ranks at the top in the nation in many categories: total yards (205.0), passing yards per game (136.9), points per game (8.5), and rushing yards per game (68.6). 
• The Vikings have twelve interceptions as a team, with seven different Vikings having one (Daviere Jones owns four of the 12).
• Prince Brown leads the Vikings with eight PBUs.
• Grand View's defense is so balanced that three members have 65+ tackles. 
• Jackson Filer leads the Vikings in TFL-YDS with 23 for 155 yards and is second in tackles with 65. 
• Cade Sheedy matches Filer's 65 tackle effort with 65 of his tackles this season to round out the defense.

GAME DAY WEATHER

• The high for Saturday in the bull city is 46, much warmer than the weather back in Des Moines! 
• Viking fans can sigh a sigh of relief with a 3% chance of precipitation in the forecast. 
• The forecast calls for ten mph winds from the NNW.