Football: Local Players Square Off Against Each Other in NCAA Division II Playoffs This Weekend

Mike Charmo: One of three Loudoun players
that helped IUP win the PSAC title this year.

(Nov. 14, 2012) - Four Loudoun athletes will take the field this Saturday -- three as key defensive players and one as an offensive starter -- in the NCAA Division II playoffs when Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) hosts Shepherd University.

Suiting up for IUP will be linebackers Joe Walter (Broad Run High School/Ashburn) and Alex Berdahl (Bishop O'Connell/Ashburn) and offensive right guard Mike Charmo (Loudoun Valley/Hamilton), and for Shepherd will be defensive linemen Robert Hayes (Park View/Sterling).

Hayes is a defensive tackle for the WVIAC Champion Rams (8-2, ranked 25th in nation) which feature the NCAA's No. 1 ranked run defense. Walther and Berdahl play linebacker for the PSAC Champion Crimson Hawks (10-1, ranked 11th nationally) with Berdahl the leading tackler on the the nation's No. 1 ranked total defense.

Hayes and Berdahl are both first team all conference performers and both have been selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District ® Football Team which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

There are more Loudoun connections as Park View grad Ryan Plowman is a freshman ILB for Shepherd.

There are a total of 24 teams in the D2 football tournament with the following match-ups Nov. 17:

Bloomsburg (10-1) at Shippensburg (10-1)
Shepherd (8-2) at IUP (10-1)
Midwestern State (9-1) at Indianapolis (9-2)
West Texas A&M (9-2) at Chadron State (9-2)
Miles (8-2) at West Alabama (8-3)
Fort Valley State (8-3) at Lenior-Rhyne (8-2)
Harding (9-1) at Northwest Missouri State (9-2)
Minnesota Duluth (10-1) at Missouri Western State (10-1)

Teams with byes:
Super Regional 1: Winston-Salem (11-0), New Haven (10-0)
Super Regional 2: Valdosta State (8-2), Carson-Newman (8-2)
Super Regional 3: Minnesota State-Mankato (11-0), Henderson State (10-0)
Super Regional 4: Colorado State-Pueblo (11-0), Ashland (11-0)