John Carroll’s Shane Lindstrom makes a one-handed touchdown catch against Mount Union’s Jaeson Anderson to tie the playoff game at 7-7 in the third quarter. Lindstrom is a South Range High School graduate. (Morning Journal/Ron Firth)

ALLIANCE — The smallest football player stood the tallest Saturday.

John Carroll junior Shane Lindstrom’s one-handed touchdown catch propelled the Blue Streaks past Mount Union, 10-7, in a double-overtime thriller in NCAA Division III third-round playoff action.

Lindstrom had a collegiate-high 10 catches for 144 yards and a 29-yard touchdown catch from Nick Semptimphelter to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:58 left in the third quarter.

Lindstrom was the leading receiver on South Range’s 2022 state championship team.

Both teams are 11-1, the 30th straight season Mount Union has won at least 11 games.

But John Carroll will be playing again as the Blue Streaks travels to Georgia to take on the Berry College Vikings (11-1) in a national quarterfinal at noon Saturday. Berry’s only loss at Carnegie Mellon, 17-9, on Sept. 20.

“We know (Mount Union’s) history and what they’ve done over the years. Hats off to them, they’ve had a phenomenal season … I’m really proud of our team,” John Carroll coach Jeff Behrman. “I’m proud of our players, staff, and their resolve. That was not an easy game and we didn’t think it would be. You learn a lot about yourself in games like this.”

Mount Union scored on its first offensive play, on Nick Turner’s 85-yard bomb from Mikey Maloney, but was blanked the rest of the way. The Purple Raiders haven’t been shut out since 1980.

It was the fourth time in 46 games that John Carroll beat Mount Union and just the second in the last 35 years.

Mount Union had plenty of chances, missing three field goals, being turned away on fourth down twice after electing not to try field goals and fumbling at the John Carroll 6-yard line.

In the first overtime, Mount Union had a 37-yard field goal blocked and John Carroll’s 18-yard field goal attempt bounced off the upright.

John Carroll’s Colin Schuler kicked a 39-yard field goal to give the Blue Streaks a 10-7 lead to open the second overtime.

Then Mount Union got the 4-yard line. On fourth-and-2, Maloney was stopped at the 3-yard line on a quarterback draw to end the game.

Semptimphelter finished 25-of-40 passing for 264 yards and the touchdown to Lindstrom.