Cwu, Findlay Thinking Big Teams Square Off For Naia Title In Small-Time Fiesta Bowl

Ray Long could tell from looking in the mirror in high school that he wasn’t headed to Ohio State and the Big Ten.

He was a 6-foot, 180-pound linebacker then. He had the desire to play major-college football; he just didn’t have the right size.

“I guess everybody thinks about being a Division I player when they come out of high school,” Long said. “But I’m happy how it turned out.”

Today, the 6-2, 223-pound linebacker leads the NAIA Division II’s top-ranked defense when Findlay of Ohio (10-1-1) plays Central Washington (10-3) for the national championship in the Tacoma Dome.

It isn’t the Fiesta Bowl. But these players, while lacking the brawn and speed of those at Nebraska and Florida, have NCAA D-I hearts.

Long, a first-team NAIA Division II All-American, leads a defense that gave up only 11 touchdowns with 141 tackles. He also has five interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

He’s one of the big reasons the Oilers are going after their third national title under 22-year coach Dick Strahm.

In 1992, Long was a reserve linebacker on the Findlay team that beat Linfield 26-13 in the national title game in Portland.

“For us small-college players, a game like this is like the Fiesta Bowl,” he said. “It really means a lot to us. To win this game would pretty much be the highlight of my career.”

Strahm agreed. “Everything is relative,” he said. “You’d have a hard time telling these 96 young men that this game isn’t as important as winning a bowl game.”

The Oilers started 0-1-1 and the Wildcats were 4-3 following a 19-16 loss to Western Washington Oct. 21. In the final NAIA Division II poll, Findlay was ranked No. 8 and Central Washington was 14th.