Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score
ST. LOUIS (Nov. 6, 2021) - Meeting the opportunity to claim a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) with a champion's effort, the North Central College football team came out firing on all cylinders at Francis Olympic Field Saturday. The Cardinals scored the game's first 49 points and cruised to a 59-20 win over the homestanding Bears to claim at least a share of the CCIW Championship.
The conference title is the 15th overall and the 12th in the last 15 years for No. 1-ranked North Central (9-0, 8-0 CCIW). The Cardinals have clinched the CCIW's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship and have now won 20 consecutive games dating back to 2019.
North Central racked up 21 points in the first period, scoring touchdowns on runs of one and 17 yards by quarterback Luke Lehnen before Andrew Kamienski returned a WashU punt 77 yards for a score. Kamienski's return is the longest by any Cardinal since 2012.
In the second period, the Cardinals took advantage of a trio of short-field opportunities to put three more touchdowns on the board. A short WashU punt left the visitors with just 37 yards to cover on the first North Central possession of the quarter, and six plays later Ethan Greenfield scored from 11 yards away. The Cardinals' next scoring drive took just one play, as Lehnen completed a 55-yard TD pass to Kamienski.
The final touchdown of the period was set up on defense, as De'Angelo Roberson stepped in front of a pass to secure his team-leading third interception of the campaign. Greenfield scored from six yards out two plays later, sending North Central into halftime with a 42-0 advantage.
The Cardinals' show of force continued into the second half, as they blocked a WashU field goal on the first possession of the third period. Lehnen uncorked a 50-yard touchdown strike to DeAngelo Hardy four plays later. North Central's fourth-quarter scoring consisted of a 23-yard field goal by Magnus Meyer and a six-yard touchdown run by Darius Byrd.
Lehnen completed 10 of 18 passes for 246 yards, connecting with Kamienski four times for 95 yards. Greenfield gained 94 yards on 14 rushing attempts and Ben Wong paced the defense with seven tackles, moving into 10th place on the Cardinals' all-time list (221).
North Central hosts North Park University (2-7, 2-6) in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Senior Day festivities will be observed prior to kickoff at noon. Click HERE for live coverage options.
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