The Central State Marauders football team represents Central State University, located in Wilberforce, Ohio, in NCAA Division II college football. Under prior university names and nicknames, the team was previously known as the Wilberforce State Green Wave and the Central State Green Wave.
The Marauders, who began playing football in 1947, compete as members of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
History Central State experienced much success in Division II and NAIA during the 1980s through 1995 under then head football coaches, William "Billy" Joe (1981 to 1993) and Rick Comegy (1993 to 1996).
Under Billy Joe, the Marauders were NCAA Division II runners-up in 1983 and won the NAIA Football National Championship (Division I) in 1990 and 1992. Under Comegy, a former assistant coach under Joe, the Marauders won the NAIA Football National Championship (Division I) in 1995. The heyday of Central State football ended in the late 1990s when the university administration was forced to drop the football program in 1997 due to financial difficulties and a significant drop of enrollment. In 2005, under new administration leadership of president Dr. John W. Garland, Esq, (Class of 1971), the university reinstated the Central State Marauder football program.
Conferences 1947–1970: Midwest Athletic Association 1971–1986: NCAA Division II independent 1987–1996: NAIA independent 1997–2005: Discontinued 2005: NCAA Division II independent 2006–2009: Great Lakes Football Conference 2010–2011: NCAA Division II independent 2012: Great Midwest Athletic Conference 2013–present: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Championships National championships 1948 Black collegeGaston F. Lewis9–1–1 (3–0 MAA) — 1983 Billy Joe12–1 198710–1–1 198811–2 198910–3 1990 NAIA Division I 10–1Mesa StateW, 38–16 Black college — 1992 NAIA Division I 12–1Gardner–WebbW, 19–16 Black college — 1995 NAIA Division I Rick Comegy 10–1 Northeastern State W, 37–7
Postseason appearances NCAA Division II The Marauders have made four appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 3–4.
1983 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Southwest Texas StateNorth AlabamaNorth Dakota State W, 24–16W, 27–24L, 21–41 1984 Quarterfinals Troy State L, 21–31 1985 Quarterfinals South Dakota L, 10–13 1986 QuarterfinalsSemifinals Towson StateNorth Dakota State W, 31–0L, 12–35
NAIA The Marauders made nine appearances in the NAIA playoffs, with a combined record of 14–6 and three national championships.
1987 First Round Carson–Newman L, 13–26 1988 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals CatawbaHillsdaleCarson–Newman W, 24–10W, 14–7L, 0–13 1989 QuarterfinalsSemifinals Moorhead StateCarson–Newman W, 56–7L, 17–20 1990 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Fort Hays StateCarson–NewmanMesa State W, 48–10W, 41–14W, 10–9 1991 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship ShepherdWestern State (CO)Central Arkansas W, 34–22W, 20–13L, 16–19 1992 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship HardingCentral ArkansasGardner–Webb W, 34–0W, 30–23W, 19–16 1993 QuarterfinalsSemifinals Winona StateGlenville State W, 58–7L, 12–13 1994 Quarterfinals Arkansas–Pine Bluff L, 14–21 1995 SemifinalsNational Championship Montana WesternNortheastern State W, 49–21W, 37–7
Notable players Notable Marauder alumni who went on to play in the National Football League include: Vince Heflin Vince Buck Erik Williams Hugh Douglas Charles Hope Brandon Hayes Mel Lunsford Kerwin Waldroup Dayvon Ross
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