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Reinhardt Heads To Championship In Memory Of A Fallen Coach
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GPB's Taylor Gantt reports on Reinhardt's run to the NAIA Championship
In just two weeks, the University of Georgia will face Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl for a chance to play in the NCAA National Championship.
But another Georgia school, just north of Atlanta, will play for a national title tomorrow: the Eagles of Reinhardt University.
Based in Waleska, Georgia, the school has only had a football team for five years, but they've already created some memorable moments, including a double overtime win against Southern Oregon to punch their ticket to the championship game.
The NAIA, which is a smaller coalition of school compared to the larger NCAA, will host its championship game in Daytona Beach on Saturday.
The Eagles, who have gone a perfect 12-0 under new coach James Miller, could become the fastest school to win a national title in the association’s history with a victory tomorrow.
The team is made up mostly of home-grown student athletes on partial scholarships who wanted to extend their football careers past high school. Two-thirds of the team have at least a 3.0 G.P.A.
It’s been a season to remember for the team on the field, but the year started with an untimely tragedy.
Former UGA player and Reinhardt defensive line coach Quentin Moses died in February while attempting to save a mother and her child in a burning building.
The loss shook the team, but Miller said his players wanted to dedicate the upcoming season to their fallen coach.
“He really was able to connect with these kids on a level that a lot of these coaches can’t,” Miller said.
"(Moses) meant so much to us this season, we’ve dedicated this whole season to him…it’s a big deal, him being in our thoughts and prayers every single day.”
Tomorrow, Reinhardt will try to complete its dream season against the University of Saint Francis, the team that beat them in the playoffs last year.
The championship game will be streamed live on ESPN 3.
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