FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis. (Oct. 17, 2009) - The North Central College football team continued its prolific scoring output on Saturday, and needed every point it could muster in a 63-48 victory over the Carthage College Red Men at Art Keller Field.

The Cardinals (5-1, 3-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) scored more than 50 points for the fifth straight game, allowing them to stay a step ahead of a Carthage team which ranked near the top of NCAA Division III in passing offense heading into the contest.

North Central posted the game's first score on the opening drive. Aaron Fanthorpe completed a 42-yard pass to Steve Hlavac and broke free for a 37-yard run before scoring on a three-yard scamper. An interception by Scott Skuteris paved the way for a five-yard TD run by Phillip Rossberg, and Josh McLeod blocked a punt which Nick Kukuc recovered and carried to the end zone, giving the visitors an early 18-0 lead.

Carthage quarterback Evan Jones led a seven-play, 65-yard scoring drive on the next possession, throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Koeneman with 2:41 left in the opening quarter. Pat Malek responded with a seven-yard TD run on the ensuing drive, and McLeod's interception yielded yet another Cardinal first-half score, as Fanthorpe threw a six-yard scoring strike to Hlavac with 10:45 to go before halftime.

A 60-yard pass from Jones to Nick Merchut jumpstarted the Red Men's next drive, which culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Rick Loisi. Erik Solis intercepted a North Central pass on the next drive and ran it back 91 yards to paydirt, narrowing the gap to 32-21 with 6:26 left in the second period.

An interception by Scott Hogan started the Cardinals' final scoring drive of the first half, as North Central ventured 97 yards in 11 plays. Passing for most of the yards gained on the drive, Fanthorpe tacked on another Cardinal score with just 18 seconds to spare, throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joe Antonacci to send North Central into the break ahead, 39-21.

Cardinal defensive end Peter Bulandr pounced on a fumble to end Carthage's first drive of the second half, and Morgan Sheridan booted a 27-yard field goal to boost North Central's lead to 42-21. Jones countered with a 14-yard TD pass to Merchut to leave the score at 42-28, and a nine-yard touchdown toss to Koeneman early in the fourth period left the hosts' deficit at just seven points.

Fanthorpe threw to Hank Johnston for a nine-yard score before Jones found Koeneman for an 11-yard TD, leaving the score at 49-42, and Johnston scored once again from nine yards out to expand the Cardinals' lead once again to 56-42. North Central's final score came with 1:40 left in the game, as Kyle Haste intercepted a pass and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown. It was the second-longest interception return in North Central history. Jones threw a six-yard TD pass to Loisi with 24 seconds remaining.

Fanthorpe completed 20 of 37 passes for 234 yards, throwing nine times to Hlavac for 117 yards. The Cardinals had two 100-yard rushers, as Malek gained 120 yards on 16 carries and Rossberg covered 113 yards on 17 attempts. Hogan made a team-high eight tackles.

Jones finished the evening 47 of 84 passing for 562 yards. Koeneman hauled in 15 passes for 140 yards, while Merchut made 12 grabs for 210 yards. Marcus Williams paced the Red Men's defense with 11 tackles.

North Central returns home to host Wheaton College on Saturday for Homecoming. Kickoff at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium is scheduled for 2 p.m.