Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Sept. 10, 2022) - Setting the tone early and closing out the affair with authority, the North Central College football team began the 2022 season with vigor Saturday with a 56-12 conquest of Wabash College at Little Giants Stadium.
The victory is North Central's 17th consecutive in regular season play and the first career win for head coach Brad Spencer '04.
The Cardinals found little resistance in the first period, traveling 73 yards on 12 plays on the game's first drive to score the first of three first-quarter touchdowns. Facing third down and five from the Wabash 10-yard line, quarterback Luke Lehnen connected with wideout Deangelo Hardy on a crossing route and the junior won a footrace to the right corner of the end zone for the team's first touchdown of the season.
Defensive end Tyler Rich derailed the Little Giants' opening possession with a tackle for a nine-yard loss and the hosts were forced to punt. Lehnen made North Central's second scoring drive a quick one, firing a deep ball to Joey Lombardi for 45 yards down to the two-yard line. Ethan Greenfield, the leading NCAA Division III rusher in the nation the last two seasons, covered the remaining distance for the first of three touchdowns on the day.
Lehnen went deep for 47 yards, this time to Hardy, late in the first period to set up another score before handing off to Hardy sweeping left for a 12-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left in the period. The Cardinals extended their lead to 28-0 with 10:30 left in the second quarter as Lombardi hauled in a 23-yard pass before Greenfield again scored from two yards away.
Flagged for seven penalties for 85 yards in the second quarter, the Cardinals saw their progress slowed and Wabash (1-1) was able to score twice before the teams broke for halftime. The hosts went deep into the playbook for their first touchdown as receiver Heisman Skeens passed to tailback Donovan Snyder for a 16-yard score. Quarterback Liam Thompson threw a four-yard TD pass to Penn Stoller with 3:57 on the clock to close the gap to 28-12.
North Central accumulated 338 yards of offense in the first half, which ended with the blocked attempt of a Tanner Rains field goal.
Wabash opened the second half poised to reduce its deficit further, advancing to the Cardinals' 29-yard line before Julian Bell leaped to knock the ball away from receiver Derek Allen, Jr. on fourth down. Two plays later, Lehnen went deep to Hardy, who shrugged off a pass interference penalty to make a 41-yard catch. The visitors covered the rest of the distance on the ground and Greenfield's one-yard TD run, his third of the day, made it a 35-12 game with 7:14 left in the third period.
Taking possession following a Wabash punt at their own four-yard line, the Cardinals traveled 96 yards in 15 plays, eating up more than five minutes of game time and extending their lead to 42-12 on Lehnen's 19-yard pass over the middle to Hardy.
North Central tacked on a one-yard touchdown run by Jordan Chisum and, after a 68-yard interception return by linebacker Danny Nuccio quelled the Little Giants' final scoring threat, got a one-yard scoring plunge by Darius Byrd.
The Cardinals finished with 542 yards of total offense, 301 coming through the air as Lehnen completed 22 of 28 passes. Hardy made eight catches for 139 yards, while Lombardi gained 83 yards on three grabs. Greenfield gained 132 yards on 21 rushing attempts while also catching four passes for 33 yards.
Linebacker BJ Adamchik paced the North Central defense with 12 tackles (11 solo), while Brandon Greifelt made eight including two for loss and combined with cornerback Antwain Walker to sack Thompson on fourth down to end a third-quarter drive.
Thompson completed 16 of 29 passes for 161 yards and led Wabash in rushing with 32 yards on 12 carries. Ben Netting, Sebastian Ringer and Gavin Ruppert each made eight tackles.
The Cardinals travel to Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wisconsin Saturday to face Carthage College in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) opener for both teams. The Firebirds (0-1) lost their opener last week to Albion College (Michigan), 52-0. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
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