Carroll defeated in NAIA semis

Defending national champion Sioux Falls rolled over St. Xavier 48-6 and Lindenwood beat Carroll College 42-35 in a Montana snowstorm Saturday in the NAIA national semifinals at Helena.

Sioux Falls (14-0) will take on Lindenwood (13-0) in the championship game Dec. 19 in Rome, Ga. It will be Sioux Falls’ fourth consecutive appearance in the title game.

Sioux Falls, which will be playing in its sixth championship game since the merger to one division in 1999, won titles in 2006 and ’08. The Cougars beat Carroll 23-7 in last year’s championship game and lost to Carroll 17-9 in 2007.

The Cougars have won 28 straight games, including a victory over NCAA Division I FCS member North Dakota.

Lindenwood marched 88 yards in just over a minute to score the winning touchdown against the Saints with 55 seconds left. The Lions snapped Carroll’s 25-game home winning streak.

Linfield 31, St. Thomas 20

Simon Lamson ran for 85 yards and three touchdowns and Linfield defeated St. Thomas of Minnesota in an NCAA Division III quarterfinal game at McMinnville, Ore.

Aaron Boehme threw for 256 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats (12-0), who won the Division III title in 2004. Linfield, of the Northwest Conference, advances to face Wisconsin-Whitewater next Saturday in a semifinal game.

Dakota Tracy threw for 156 yards and two touchdowns for the Tommies (11-2).

The Wildcats are making their fifth appearance in the playoffs since joining the division 12 years ago.