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Anthony Wachal Jr. with a career-high 20 tackles against North Central College 11-5-2022
Kodiak Creative
68
Winner North Central (IL) NCC 9-0 , 8-0
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5-4 , 4-4
Winner
North Central (IL) NCC
9-0 , 8-0
68
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
5-4 , 4-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NCC North Central (IL) 14 34 14 6 68
IWU Ill. Wesleyan 0 3 0 0 3

Game Recap: Football |

Football Drops Senior Day Matchup to No. 1 North Central

Record sits at 5-4 entering season finale

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University football team took on No. 1 North Central College in a senior day, and a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin showdown inside of Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, Saturday, Nov. 5. Prior to kickoff, the Green and White honored its 18 senior student-athletes for their dedication and commitment to Illinois Wesleyan football. NCC welcomed a 68-3 victory to spoil senior day. With the win, the Cardinals jumped to 9-0 (8-0 CCIW), while IWU's record dipped to 5-4 (4-4 CCIW) as a result of the setback.

North Central produced 517 yards of total offense, compared to the Titans 148. The Green and White converted on 5-of-15 third downs, while NCC went 5-for-11. 

Defensively, senior Anthony Wachal Jr. (Elk Grove Village, Ill.-Conant) stepped up and produced a career-day for IWU. Wachal Jr. was credited with a career-best 20 tackles, including 14 solo. The Elk Grove Village, Ill. native's previous career-high was 16 tackles against WashU on Oct. 8 of this year. The defensive back also grabbed another interception in the third quarter for his third of the season. 

Sophomores Frank Roti (Orland Hills, Ill.-Andrew), Sam Schott (West Lafayette, Ind.-West Lafayette), and junior Joshua Klein (Glen Carbon, Ill.-Edwardsville) each notched five tackles on the afternoon. 

On the offensive side of the ball, sophomore quarterback Jay Lemenager (Clifton, Ill.-Clifton) connected on 10 of his 21 attempts, good for a total of 71 yards through the air that included a 16-yard pass to senior Charlie Hamilton (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart-Griffin). The sophomore accumulated 11 rushes, good for 47 yards.

In the running game, junior Seth Albin (Midlothian, Ill.-Oak Forest) paced the offense with his 13 attempts for 94 yards. The junior earned a 38-yard long which boosted his 7.2 yards per rush average.

Hamilton hauled in a game-high seven receptions for 67 yards. 

The Cardinals cracked the scoreboard on their opening drive with a two-yard rush to take a quick 7-0 with 11:44 remaining in the first. NCC would tack on another score in the opening frame to race out to the 14-0 cushion heading into the second. 

In the second, the top team in the nation tallied two touchdowns within eight seconds of game time with a 16-yard pass connection followed by a muffed snap on the Titans ensuing drive that NCC grabbed in the endzone for a gift touchdown. The score sat at 27-0 midway through the half. 

IWU's offense put together an impressive drive that resulted in a senior Andrew Stange (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) field goal. The field goal score marked the first time NCC has allowed a point since Oct. 1 whenever the team played Wheaton College, putting an end to the Cardinals four-game shutout streak where NCC outscored its opponents 228-0 during that span.

The scoring drive saw two big runs from Albin and Lemenager. Albin took a handoff and raced down the left side of the field for a big 38-yard run to set IWU up on the NCC 45. Lemenager utilized a timely fourth down quarterback draw and scampered for a 21-yard run and was eventually brought down at the Cardinal four. The visitors put together a strong defensive stand to set up Stange for a 24-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights. The score stood at 27-3. 

The Cardinals put together three straight scores in the final six minutes and five seconds to enjoy a 48-3 halftime lead. NCC rattled off 326 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes, compared to IWU's 50. North Central went a perfect three-for-three on fourth downs.

In the second half, NCC continued its strong running attack to tick away time on the clock that resulted in 20 second half points. 

The game ended in favor of the No. 1 Cardinals with a final score of 68-3. 

The Green and White will conclude its 2022 campaign against CCIW foe Elmhurst University, Saturday, Nov. 12. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside of Langhorst Field in Elmhurst, Ill.

 
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