Le Mars Community alum Aisea Toki will compete in the NAIA National Championship game this weekend with Grand View University. The Vikings advanced to the title game with a 36-13 win over Morningside University in Des Moines on Saturday.
For Toki, this is not the first national championship game he has been a part of. He was a member of the Iowa Western Community College team that won a national title in 2022. He says being in that moment previously helped him prepare his teammates for that moment this year.
In the semifinal matchup with Morningside, Toki earned offensive player of the game. He brought in six catches for a whopping 145 yards and the game-sealing touchdown. He says he put his trust in his teammates and coaches to allow him to have success.
Toki, a 2020 graduate of Le Mars, was an all-state football player his senior year for the Bulldogs. He recorded nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns while also running an interception back for a touchdown on defense. He holds just about every receiving record at LCHS. With all of that success, Toki says the college game was bit of a wake-up call after being the main guy in high school.
Thankfully, he prepared well for the ins and outs of football in high school. Toki credits the time spent with quarterback Tate Westhoff and his dad as preparing him to play the game at a high level.
For Toki, the opportunity to represent his hometown on a big stage is not lost on him. He says he is grateful for all the support he gets from his hometown.
Grand View will take on Keiser University on Saturday, December 21 in Durham, North Carolina. Kickoff is 11:00 AM.
