ALMA — In 2023, the Alma College football team once again set a new standard of excellence for the program.

For the second consecutive year, the Scots finished the regular season undefeated, going 10-0 and winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship. But unlike in the 2022 season, when Alma was knocked out of the NCAA Division III playoffs in the second round, the Scots kept playing.

Thanks to an incredible, come-from-behind victory on the road against highly favored Mount Union (Ohio) University, Alma reached the third round of the playoffs for the first time in program history. It was the first time football had been played in December in the history of Alma’s Bahlke Field.

Although the Scots ultimately fell to a talented SUNY Cortland squad in that game, the impact of this past season will not soon be forgotten. The team was covered by every major media outlet in the state; including the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and MLive. Bahlke Field was packed with screaming students and alumni who braved the cold to cheer on their team. A livestream of the game, broadcast on the Alma College Athletics YouTube page, set records for most people watching.

“I had an alum message me from Kansas City (Mo.), who planned to come to the game with three teammates from his 1972 team,” head coach Jason Couch said prior to the matchup against SUNY Cortland. “To see that kind of love the football team can inspire with its alumni base — that’s special.

“This team is incredibly special. It’s an honor to coach them.”

In 2023, the Scots simply excelled in all facets of the game. During the regular season, Alma averaged more than 50 points per game. Quarterback Carter St. John was named the MIAA Offensive Most Valuable Player. The defense was incredible, too, leading all of Division III in forced turnovers.

In total, 11 players were named to the All-MIAA First Team: St. John, Devon Frenchko, Nate Webb, Reese Townsend, Jerome Roberson, Hunter Sanderson, Eli Jackson, Odin Soffredine, Drew Humm, Bryce Fredenburg and Zach Poff. Five more were named to the Second Team: Eddie Williams, JB Couch, Maddox Mozal, Gage Nelson and Josh Hernandez.

Jason Couch picked up accolades, too. The 1997 Alma College graduate and three-year starting center, won the MIAA 2023 Football Coach of the Year award.

To learn more about Athletics at Alma College, visit almascots.com. If you are interested in playing for the Scots, visit our Prospective Students page.