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-Top25 Custom Cardinals T-shirts . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Custom Cardinals Jerseys . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-ozzie-smith-jersey-large-71q.html . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Cheap Cardinals Jerseys . LOUIS -- St. Custom Cardinals Jersey China . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Wednesday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CLEVELAND -- Trevor Bauer didnt get out of the first inning of his last start when his pinkie wouldnt stop bleeding. The right-hander will try to give the Indians a 2-0 lead in the World Series as they host the Chicago Cubs, blanked in their first Series game since 1945. Game starts 7:08 p.m.- CLEVELAND -- Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred talks before Game 2.- ORLANDO, Fla. -- Survivors and first responders of the Pulse nightclub shooting will be honored before the Orlando Magics season opener, and the 49 victims of the mass shooting will be remembered in an elaborate pregame tribute.- FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Dak Prescott and Philadelphias Carson Wentz enjoyed a week together at the Senior Bowl, likely not considering they might soon be rival rookie quarterbacks starting a key NFC East game. Through distinctly different circumstances, they will meet Sunday night.- Pro Picks is slumping. The last two weeks, weve looked like the Browns, which means lots of losses. Maybe Week 8 will bring us some prosperity.- Ohio State fans need to root for Michigan. Seriously. The Buckeyes loss last Saturday to Penn State has created this somewhat uncomfortable situation for their fans to have to root for their most intense rival for tiebreaker purposes in the Big Ten East.- With Baylor and West Virginia still undefeated before the first CFP rankings, there could still be playoff hopes for the Big 12. And could there be a potential path for two-loss Oklahoma to get back in contention for a return to the playoff?- FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Across the Southeastern Conference, players like Alabamas Eddie Jackson weigh the benefits and risks of leaving school early after each season. Andd theres not always a right or wrong answer to whether they should stay or go, even with hindsight.dddddddddddd- Four ACC teams rank 8th to 11th nationally in FBS total defense with Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech ranked and thinking about winning the conference. Several other schools have been impressive as well, helping to show the conference is about more than dynamic quarterbacks such as Louisvilles Lamar Jackson and Clemsons Deshaun Watson.- Season previews for mens basketball teams in the Big 12, Pac-12.- CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After a four-year Final Four drought, the Atlantic Coast Conference is building off a strong two-year run of postseason success that includes winning one national title, playing for another and posting three Final Four teams. Now its up to the league to prove it can keep that roll going, including when it comes to deepening its roster of NCAA Tournament bids.- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yes, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors took a 29-point beating at home on opening night at the hands of Kawhi Leonard and San Antonio. And it might be the best start the Warriors could have asked for as they find themselves before hitting the road where they certainly will now be villains instead of fan favorites.- SHANGHAI -- The eve of the final World Golf Championship of the year was a reminder to Rory McIlroy that golf is up for grabs, different from the days when Tiger Woods ruled these WGC events -- and golf.- SINGAPORE -- Svetlana Kuznetsova closes in on a spot in the semifinals of the WTA Finals, beating Karolina Pliskova 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6). Kuznetsova will qualify if Agnieszka Radwanska defeats Garbine Muguruza in the second match. ' ' '