ERST LESEN! » an Division and only three points back of the New

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Bobby Wallace has North Alabama on the brink of another Division II national title two decades and three head coaching jobs after building the Lions into the dominant team of the 1990s.North Alabama (11-1), which won three straight championships from 1993-95, will face current D-2 juggernaut Northwest Missouri State in the championship game Saturday in Kansas City, Kansas. The playoff regular is trying to return to the top in its first title game in 21 years.Back in the mid-90s, UNA was THE Division II team, and that was something that the university took pride in, Lions quarterback Jacob Tucker said. Its not like weve been down for the past 20 years. The programs still been good. Theres just been that playoff hump that a bunch of teams havent been able to get over.This isnt necessarily the North Alabama team even Wallace expected to clear those hurdles. The Lions had to replace three-year starting quarterback Luke Wingo and faced FCS power Jacksonville State and two ranked Division II teams in the first four games.They lost the opener against the Gamecocks but have won 11 straight since, with the Florida Tech game cancelled because of Hurricane Matthew.Tucker has emerged from a three-year role as North Alabamas backup to become a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, Division IIs equivalent of the Heisman. He has passed for 2,661 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 902 yards and 16 TDs.When we came into this season, our first five games were just a very, very difficult schedule, Wallace said. We were worried about coming out of those first five even with a winning record.Our offensive players just got better and better. Of course, everybody wondered how Jacob Tucker would be as the starting quarterback, even though we all knew he had talent. Hes done remarkable. Hes really the leader of the team. Hes been probably the surprise player in the nation this year, because some people werent really sure about him or didnt know about him.UNA fans certainly knew about Wallace when he returned in 2012. He had left the Florence, Alabama school after the 1997 season for Temple, where Wallace went 19-71 during eight seasons.He returned in 2007 to coach North Alabamas Gulf South Conference rival West Alabama for five much more successful seasons and then retired again before returning to Florence, Alabama after a season off.Wallace has led the Lions to four straight league championships since his return. Tucker and the rest of the senior class have gone 39-9.Wallace was determined to tweak the formula used by predecessor Terry Bowden, who had brought in some high-profile recruits who had been dismissed from programs like Florida State and Florida. His aim is to build the core of his team around prospects recruited and developed out of high school, though transfers like linebacker Darius Wright from East Carolina have played key roles.Wallace said he started to realize this teams potential after a 24-23 victory over then-No. 3 West Georgia on Oct. 1. The Lions scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally from a 23-10 deficit.The Lions have won the eight games since West Georgia by an average of nearly 33 points, advancing with a 23-13 semifinal win over Shepherd. And the northwest Alabama town of about 40,000 has something to celebrate in December again -- besides the holidays.With the small community that Florence has, a lot of people rally around UNA football, Tucker said. For us to be returning to the national championship, its got the birds buzzing. People are talking about it. People that I havent talked to all year are coming up to me and stopping me in the streets when Im going to get a bite to eat.They just want to talk about the game. And that makes it special.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25Yerry Mina Colombia Jersey .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Frank Fabra Colombia Jersey .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. 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Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Gaudreaus return provides boost: After breaking his finger on Nov. 15, Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau was expected to miss six weeks. It took him just three weeks to return, and he wasted no time in having an impact in his first game back, scoring a goal and adding an assist to help the Flames defeat the Anaheim Ducks 8-3 on Sunday. Gaudreau had missed 10 games but his teammates kept rolling during his absence, going 8-3-1 in their past 12 games. Any time a young player returns to the lineup after missing a significant amount of time, especially if hes respected by his teammates, it provides an immediate boost. Gaudreaus return was met with a scoring onslaught as the Flames scored five goals in a span of 6:06 in the second period en route to victory. Believe it or not, despite how they started, the Flames are only three points back of the top spot in the Pacific Division, and Gaudreaus return will help Calgary remain in the mix.Jackets pouring them in: If you shoot the puck, youre going to score. If you score, theres a better chance youll win. Thats exactly whats happening for the Columbus Blue Jacketts.dddddddddddd They set a franchise record with 60 shots during Saturdays 3-2 shootout win over the Arizona Coyotes. It was the Blue Jackets third straight win, and they improved to 8-1-2 in their past 11 games. The teams five regulation losses are the fewest in the league. Columbus ois third in the Metropolitan Division and only three points back of the New York Rangers for the top spot.Crawfords absence might be good: Not having goalie Corey Crawford, who had an appendectomy on Saturday and will miss two to three weeks, could actually help the Chicago Blackhawks. Their overall offensive numbers are solid, with 74 goals in 27 games. However, they have allowed 68 goals in that span. The Blackhawks rely on Crawford too much, and too often the outcome is on his shoulders. This season he is 12-6-2, has a 2.27 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. The Blackhawks now need to play better overall defense in front of backup Scott Darling while Crawford recovers. This will also be an opportunity for the Blackhawks to give goalie prospect Lars Johansson a look. He was recalled from the AHL, where he was 6-7-1 for Rockford. ' ' '