NAPERVILLE (Ill.) -- The Delaware Valley University football team's memorable 2019 season came to an end in Naperville, Illinois on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Playoffs as host North Central College held off a comeback charge from the Aggies to secure the 31-14 victory.

DelVal finished the year 11-2 overall and won its third straight Middle Atlantic Conference championship with a perfect 8-0 mark to earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Playoffs for the ninth time in program history. It is just the fourth time ever that the Aggies have reached the quarterfinal round, the furthest the program has ever gone.

For the four-year seniors it marks the end of many illustrious careers that achieved three MAC Championships, three NCAA berths, two quarterfinal showings, four postseason appearances, a MAC-Centennial bowl game championship, and a conference record 28 consecutive league victories. They graduate with an overall record of 41-7, tied for the most wins in any four-year stretch in program history.

DelVal trailed 17-0 after the first half, but came out in the second and scored two quick touchdowns as the defense came up with an interception to set up the second strike and make it a three-point game, 17-14.

The Cardinals countered with a touchdown on their next drive to take a 24-14 lead going into the third.

DelVal drove right back into the red zone on its next drive, but North Central forced a big fumble to end the threat. The Cardinals sealed the victory with a 12 play, 79 yard drive that spanned over six minutes and was aided by 35 yards of penalties against DelVal, and was capped by a short touchdown run.

North Central entered the game as the nation's number one offense that posted 53.15 points and 556.2 yards per game. The Aggies second ranked defense went toe-to-toe and held them to 365 yards on 71 plays and just 102 rushing yards.

To start the game, each team went 3-and-out and North Central began its second drive at the DelVal 39-yard line after a 23-yard return by Nate Rummell. Brock Rutter hit the nation's leading receiver Andrew Kamienski twice for 28 yards to set the Cardinals up in the red zone. The Aggies nearly had a goal line stand, but on 4^th-and-1 from the goal line, Ethan Greenfield punched in his 25^th touchdown of the year to make it 7-0.

On the next drive, DelVal had a first down negated by a penalty and punted the ball back to North Central. Rutter completed three passes for chunk yards of 25 and 16 before connecting with DeAngelo Hardy for a 40-yard touchdown on a go-route down the near sideline. The extra point made it 14-0 home team with 2:27 left in the first quarter.

The Aggies picked up a pair of first downs on their next drive but a fumble forced them backwards 10 yards and the drive stalled.

The Nobile brothers got the first sack of the game for DelVal on 3^rd-and-7 to force the Cardinals to punt, but Rutter, who also serves as the punter, booted a dribbler down to the Aggies 5-yard line. The offense moved the ball near midfield but eventually punted again.

The defense got off the field as it forced a turnover on downs, aided by a big hit for a pass break-up by Jamir Prevard, to set DelVal up near midfield. However, on the first play, Fontana tried a long pass to Aaron Nelson and it was intercepted and returned 29 yards to the Cardinal's 43-yard line by Dakota Cremeens.

The offense for North Central took over and marched 52 yards on 11 plays and converted a 22-yard field goal to take a 17-0 lead with just 22 seconds left in the first half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Rashiek Harvard nearly broke one loose as he weaved his way through the middle but was tripped up at the North Central 40-yard line after a 56-yard return. On second down, senior quarterback Anthony Fontana was sacked for an 11-yard loss and the half expired with the Aggies down, 17-0.

North Central outgained DelVal, 199-65 in the first half and had the lone turnover with the interception.

DelVal got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time getting on the board. The Aggies needed just eight plays to go 77 yards and into the end zone. They ran the ball for 40 yards, including a 24 yard spurt by senior Donte Simmons, and senior Ryan Norton caught the 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-7 early in the third quarter.

The Cardinals drove the ball back into Aggie territory, but the DelVal defense came up with one of its patented turnovers as senior Ryan Barrett snatched the ball out of the air after a dropped pass by Kamienski. Momentum seemed to shift to the Aggies, and on the second play Fontana went deep down the sideline for an 85-yard touchdown to his All-American tight end senior Dan Allen. Nick Restaino added the extra point and the Aggies were within three, 17-14.

North Central's top-ranked offense fired back with a nine play, 73 yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown reception by Kamienski, his 26^th of the year to regain the 10-point lead, 24-14, with 4:22 left in the third.

DelVal drove right back down the field as Fontana hit senior Juwan Manigo over the middle for 19 yards and then hit Allen for another 18 yards to get into the red zone. Then, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Fontana dumped a pass off to senior Mario Nigro but the ball was jarred lose and the Cardinals recovered to end the threat.

The defense forced another three-and-out to get the ball back to the offense inside North Central territory with 14 minutes left in regulation and still down by just ten, 24-14.

The Aggies marched right back into the red zone and faced a 3^rd-and-6 from the Cardinal's 16-yard line. A pass to Allen fell incomplete, and DelVal was whistled for offside on fourth down, forcing a 4^th-and-11 that the Aggies could not convert and North Central took over.

The Cardinals sealed their victory as they ate up 6:25 of game time and went 79 yards for another touchdown that made it 31-14. DelVal was flagged for two unsportsmanlike conducts on one play that resulted in 30 yards of penalties.

The Aggies final possession ended in a turnover on downs and the 2019 season was over.

Fontana finished his final collegiate game with 232 yards through the air on 21-of-36 passing and he ran four times for eight yards. Allen led the offense with six receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown and Simmons had 10 carries for 71 yards. Nigro toted the ball five times for 20 yards. Freshman Ezekial Ennis added five receptions for 30 yards, and four carries for another 16 yards.

Rutter was 23-for-33 for 263 yards and two touchdown passes with one interception. Greenfield had 28 carries for 95 yards and two short touchdown runs. Kamienski was held to 82 yards and seven receptions with one touchdown, but DeAngelo Hardy hauled in nine passes for 132 yards and a score.

Defensively, Anthony Tedesco, Blaine Netterman, and Dontae Mason had nine tackles apiece and Anthony Nobile finished with six tackles including two sacks and a forced fumble. Vincent DiLeo had five solo tackles and two tackles for loss.

Restaino, the senior kicker, was 2-for-2 on extra points and finished his career as the program's all-time leader in points by a kicker and extra points made, and broke the single-season record for extra points made.

North Central will advance to the national semi-finals to take on Muhlenberg College who defeated Salisbury University, 24-8. No. 7 University of Wisconsin – Whitewater defeated No. 2 Mary Hardin Baylor, 26-7, and will face No. 8 St. John's who got by No. 3 Wheaton, 34-33.