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  February 22, 2018 12:53 AM PST

  MONTGOMERY, Ala. Louis Lipps Jersey . -- 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 James Conner Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ryan Shazier Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-donnie-shell-jersey . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. NEW YORK -- Pitchers Angelo Almonte of Arizona, Jean Peralta of the New York Yankees and Jose Pinales of the Chicago White Sox have been suspended for 72 games under baseballs minor league drug program, and Baltimore pitcher Wally Vrolijk has been banned 50 games.Almonte, Peralta and Jose Pinales tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, the commissioners office said Wednesday. Vroolijk tested positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexanamine. Cheap Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys. All four players are on the roster of Dominican Summer League teams.There have been 61 suspensions this year under the minor league drug program and 13 under the major league program. ' ' '