Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Nov. 19, 2022 - Extending its recent run of overpowering defense into the first round of the postseason, the North Central College football team walked over the Lake Forest College Foresters, 50-0, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The No. 1-ranked Cardinals (11-0) established a new single-game program record by allowing Lake Forest to gain just 66 yards of total offense. North Central set its previous single-game program standard of 81 yards on Sept. 24. The Cardinals gained 558 yards and enjoyed a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession.
After its first drive ended with a failed fourth-down conversion attempt, North Central opened the scoring on its second drive as Luke Lehnen rolled to his left to pass, but saw open field and ran six yards for a touchdown. Kicker Tanner Rains connected on his 76th extra-point kick on the ensuing play, setting a new single-season school record.
Lehnen doubled the lead to 14-0 with 3:50 left in the first period, uncorking a 33-yard scoring pass to DeAngelo Hardy, who made the catch over two defenders in the end zone. The Cardinals outgained Lake Forest, 202-0, in the first quarter.
Ethan Greenfield scored his 19th rushing touchdown of the season early in the second period, picking his way through the Lake Forest defense and scoring on a 27-yard run. With 6:41 left in the half, Lehnen threw a second touchdown pass, finding Alec Wolff alone in the back of the end zone for a three-yard score.
Lehnen tacked on a second rushing touchdown with just 3.7 seconds left before halftime, collecting a low snap from center and avoiding the Foresters' pass rush before running to his left for an eight-yard TD run, his 10th of the campaign.
Lehnen completed a third touchdown pass with 5:50 left in the third quarter, throwing a play-action pass over the middle to Matt Robinson for a two-yard scoring pass. The extra-point snap was low but collected by holder John Michael Scumaci, who raced to the right corner of the end zone for a successful two-point conversions, the Cardinals' first since 2016.
The game's final score came with 11:36 remaining, when Joe Sacco ran off right tackle 24 yards for his seventh touchdown of the season. The Cardinals finished with 30 first downs while allowing only three.
Lehnen completed 15 of 21 passes for 215 yards, finding Hardy six times for 127. Greenfield led the ground game with 131 yards on 18 carries. Sam Taviani finished with a team-high six tackles and two tackles for loss, Tyler Rich made two quarterback sacks and Jake Brock returned an interception 22 yards.
The Cardinals take on Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania), a 45-14 first-round winner over DePauw University (Indiana), in next week's second round. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 noon.
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