Strong students who have encountered as many physical road blocks as has Craig Rosenstengle since graduating from Free State High would have left the football field behind and concentrated on academics.

Not Rosenstengle. Maybe he’s too tough to quit.

A month after graduating, Rosenstengle suffered a knee injury during a practice in advance of an all-star game. Rosenstengle, who succeeded Ryan Murphy and preceded Camren Torneden as Free State’s quarterback, tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus, putting his plans for a college football career on hold.

He enrolled at Butler County Community College in January of 2009, participated in spring football practices, red-shirted the following year and started this season as a wide receiver for the Grizzlies. His season was interrupted for three games when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis and pneumonia. He said he lost a lot of weight from the illness, but that didn’t keep him from returning to the team.

Today, Rosenstengle will play for a national championship. He, former Lawrence High standout lineman Chebon Dawes and their teammates will take on Navarro (Texas) in the National Junior College Association of America championship game. Kickoff at Carnie Smith Stadium on the campus of Pittsburg State University is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Butler County (11-0) defeated Navarro, 16-10, at Cessna Stadium in Wichita in the season-opener, Navarro’s lone loss in 11 games.

“They take football real seriously here,” Rosenstengle said of Butler County as he relaxed in his hotel room while watching college football on TV. “The community has a lot of support for us and it’s a lot of fun.”

Rosenstengle caught two passes, one for a touchdown, in the Region VI championship game, a 48-0 victory against Hutchinson, on Nov. 14.

Rosenstengle is on course to receive his associate’s degree after taking his finals later this month. He has one year of eligibility remaining at Butler, but said he will move onto a four-year school next semester.

“I’d like to go to medical school, so I’m working on a Biology degree,” Rosenstengle said. “I hope the opportunity to keep playing is there, but getting my degree is my first priority.”

Dawes, who has seen limited action in a handful of games as an offensive lineman, also is a second-year freshman at Butler.

“If I’m not getting too many looks (from four-year schools), I might come back for a third season,” Dawes said. “If I do, I’m going to go all out and make something out of myself before hanging up my jersey.”

Dawes said he wants to major in a sports medicine field.

“I’m looking at being a trainer or an athletic therapist, something so that I can be around sports,” Dawes said.

During a celebrated three-sport career at LHS, Dawes played through a painful hand injury in football, played for the basketball team that was the state runner-up and won the state title in the shot put.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, playing for the No. 1 team in the nation and playing for a national title,” Dawes said of today’s game.