On a Roll!

The North Central College football team continued their recent dominance this past weekend with a 58-0 pounding of Millikin University. With a 42-0 lead at halftime and the defense allowing just 190 yards of offense, the Cardinals outplayed the Big Blue in every facet of the game for a complete team victory. Quick scoring and field position played key roles throughout the game as the Cardinals were able to score 42 points in only seven minutes and forty one seconds of possession in the first half. The defense and special teams provided the Cardinal offense with short field for most of the game.

Senior quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe turned out another impressive performance completing 12-19 tosses for 229 yards and six touchdowns. His six touchdown passes broke a school record for touchdown passes in a single game. The recipients of those passes were senior wide receiver Hank Johnston with two, junior tight end Jeff Grunwald with two, junior wide receiver Steve Hlavac and sophomore wide receiver Joe Antonacci.

On the ground the Cards had another solid outing, rushing for 191 yards on 35 carries. Freshman running back Nick Kukuc led the Cardinals with 69 yards on three carries, which included a 56 yard touchdown scamper.

Defensively, the Cardinals gave up only 190 yards of total offense on their way to a shutout of the Big Blue. Recently converted linebacker Joe Schneiderbauer led the Cardinals with eleven tackles. Junior defensive lineman Robert Champion pressured the Millikin quarterback all day and finished the game with 2.5 sacks. Sophomore linebacker Willie Hayes had an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown.

On Sunday, the Cardinals JV team completed the season sweep of Carthage with a 28-6 victory over the Red Men. This weekend, the Cardinals outscored their opponents 86-6 over two contests. With the victories, both squads improved their season records to 3-1. The team remains ranked 14th in the country in the D3Football.com Top 25 poll.

This Saturday, the Cardinals continue CCIW play and host the North Park University Vikings. Kickoff is set for 6 PM.