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

Box Score

Sept. 26, 2009 - Unleashing an offensive barrage not seen from its program in a half-century, the North Central College football team completed a two-game blitzkreig of a homestand on Saturday, overwhelming the Olivet College (Mich.) Comets, 69-18, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The Cardinals' point total was their highest since a 70-6 victory over Elmhurst College in 1959. The outburst followed a 55-0 blanking of Benedictine University in North Central's previous game, and the 124 points totaled in the two contests represent the most since the Cardinals scored 138 points in consecutive wins over Aurora University and Wheaton College in 1914.

North Central (2-1) needed less than two minutes to jump in front, traveling 63 yards in six plays on the first possession of the game. Dominic Sulo ran across the goal line from two yards out for the game's initial touchdown. Jeff Grunwald scored on a 24-yard pass from Aaron Fanthorpe and Phillip Rossberg ran for a 13-yard TD before Olivet kicker Graham Lockwood put his team on the board with a 43-yard field goal. Fanthorpe tacked on a three-yard touchdown run before the first period ended with the hosts on top, 28-3.

Sulo scored on a pair of one-yard runs in the second period, giving him three rushing touchdowns for the third straight game. Grunwald scored the final touchdown of the opening half, hauling in a four-yard pass from Fanthorpe and sending the Cardinals into the break ahead, 49-3.

North Central's second offensive unit appeared on its way to a score early in the third quarter before the Comets' Matt Goodman picked off a pass and ran 98 yards for an Olivet touchdown. The Cardinals responded with a TD of their own on the ensuing drive, as quarterback Spencer Stanek capped off an 11-play, 54-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Lockwood connected on a 29-yard field goal late in the quarter, and the Cardinals carried a 56-12 advantage into the final stanza.

Pat Malek scampered 65 yards for a TD to open the scoring in the fourth quarter. Olivet signal-caller C.J. Gregory guided the visitors on a 10-play, 48-yard scoring drive that ate up nearly six minutes and culminated with his one-yard scoring plunge, though Kevin Pashakarnis blocked the extra-point attempt. Tom McGinnis capped off the scoring for the evening, catching a 16-yard pass from Alex Haan.

The Cardinals rolled up 618 yards of total offense, the third-highest total in school history, including 342 yards on the ground. Sulo led the way with 127 yards on 16 attempts, while Malek ran for 97 yards on eight carries. Fanthorpe completed 14 of 16 passes for 226 yards, breaking his own single-game school record by completing 87.5 percent of his throws. Joe Antonacci was North Central's top receiver with three receptions for 71 yards.

Willie Hayes finished with a team-high seven tackles for North Central, while Joe Michals added six and Stewart Charles tallied five. Robert Champion, Nick Smith and Luke Mattioda each recorded a quarterback sack.

The Cardinals open College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play on Saturday, traveling to Millikin University. Action at Lindsay Field is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.