Steve Woltmann

Football Week 8 Preview: Carroll

10/30/2025 4:00:00 PM

Setting the Scene: Kicking off its November slate on the road, the North Central College football team travels north to face Carroll University in a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin matchup at Schneider Stadium in Waukesha. The Cardinals aim to extend their perfect season to 8-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play.

Series History: Saturday marks the 61st meeting between North Central College and Carroll University, with the Pioneers holding a 34-24-2 edge in the all-time series. However, North Central has dominated the rivalry since Carroll rejoined the CCIW in 2016, winning all eight matchups.

Last season, the Cardinals cruised to a 56–3 victory over Carroll, securing their 40th consecutive CCIW win. North Central (8–0, 7–0 CCIW) posted a season-high 416 rushing yards and racked up 586 total yards of offense. Carroll (4–4, 3–4) was limited to just 161 yards and failed to convert any of its 10 third-down attempts.

Quarterback Luke Lehnen opened the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown run and added two passing touchdowns in the first half, connecting with Jacob Paradee and Thomas Skokna. Carroll’s lone score came via a 31-yard field goal from Matthew Swink. Lehnen responded with a shovel pass touchdown to Jordan Chisum and later found Skokna again before halftime, giving North Central a 28–3 lead.

In the third quarter, Chisum punched in a one-yard touchdown following three Carroll penalties. Lehnen added his second rushing touchdown of the game—his 10th of the season. Jordan Williams and Donovan McNeal capped the scoring with explosive runs of 57 and 87 yards, respectively, with McNeal’s sprint ranking as the fifth-longest in program history.

Lehnen finished 16-of-24 passing for 170 yards and rushed for 64. McNeal led the ground attack with 90 yards, while Coleman added 87. On defense, BJ Adamchik tallied eight tackles, John Sullivan recorded four tackles for loss and a forced fumble, and Myron Lewis recovered a fumble.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 1 nationally in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25 polls released by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

The defending national champion Cardinals earned 24 of 25 first-place votes in the D3football.com poll and swept all 52 first-place votes in the AFCA rankings. North Central has now held the top spot in 42 consecutive AFCA polls and 50 of the last 53 D3football.com polls.

Scouting the Pioneers: Carroll enters Saturday’s matchup with a 4–3 overall record and a 3–3 mark in CCIW play. The Pioneers average 24.6 points per game while allowing 28.0, and they generate 293.7 yards of offense per contest, including 135.7 through the air.

Quarterback Charlie King has thrown for 683 yards and four touchdowns, but has also been intercepted five times. Running back Mikey Coleman leads the rushing attack with 522 yards and five touchdowns. King's top target has been Reed Breckheimer, who has hauled in 31 passes for 314 yards and a score.

Defensively, Evan Griffiths leads the team with 63 tackles, followed by Braedon Curtin and Drake Emanuel with 48 apiece. Jakai Witt and Brayden Albee have each recorded 3.0 sacks, while Emanuel and Amarrion Bridges have notched two interceptions each.

A few players from the 1990 North Central College Football Team

1997 vs Elmhurst - North Central defeated Elmhurst 48-7, recording the second-highest rushing total in program history (502 yards) and a school-record 698 total offensive yards. The Cardinals opened with two passing touchdowns from quarterback Nick Yeager to Jeremy Gudauskas and Chris Rozanski before shifting to a ground-heavy attack, running the ball a team-record 87 times. Terrence Kennedy led with 122 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Yeager added 102 rushing yards and a score, completing 6 of 7 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Studnicka contributed 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and Jon Coleman added 60 rushing yards and led the team in receiving with 59 yards. The defense held Elmhurst to zero rushing yards, recorded seven sacks, and intercepted four passes. Norman Robinson and Dan Taylor each had five tackles and an interception; Jason Freewalt added his first career interception. Ryan Passaglia returned from injury to post four solo tackles, two for loss, a sack, and an interception. Dan Carpenter, Jeff Pettiford, and Brett Cihlar each had two sacks, while Brian Phelan and Davis Ruscitti added one apiece. Twenty Cardinals recorded defensive stats as the bench saw action. Head Coach Bill Mack called it the most complete game in his five-year tenure.

This Week in the CCIW: North Central enters Saturday as the CCIW’s only unbeaten team at 6–0, looking to continue its dominance after claiming the last four conference titles with perfect 9–0 records each season. Wheaton sits in second place with a 5-1 conference mark.

This week’s College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin schedule features a full slate of daytime games. North Park hosts Carthage, Elmhurst welcomes Wheaton, and Carroll takes on North Central at noon in Waukesha. Later in the day, Augustana hosts Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin faces WashU, with both matchups kicking off at 1 p.m.

Aidan Ellison watching kick go through the uprights

National Recognition: Kicking the longest field goal in NCAA Division III the past three seasons and setting a program record, North Central College kicker Aidan Ellison buried a 57-yard field goal on Saturday vs Augustana College to earn his spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week while John Sullivan led the Cardinals in tackles and tackles for loss to claim his spot on the national award.

Ellison's 57-yard kick put him atop the North Central record board, edging out Nick Dace's 56-yard field goal on Oct. 26, 2013, as the Cardinals beat Carthage on Homecoming, 72-10. Ellison's 48-yard kick into the wind was equally impressive as he went 2/2 on field goals and 7/7 on extra points. He now appears in the program record books three times for longest kicks, adding his 50-yard field goal vs Millikin University and his 49-yard kick vs Washington University in St. Louis.

Sullivan racked up six total tackles in the first half on Saturday, with 2.5 coming for a loss. He added a sack, bringing his season total up to four. He ranks second on the team in tackles (36), tackles for loss (9), and QB hurries (6).

This marks the fifth straight week a Cardinal has landed on the D3football.com Team of the Week as Ellison earned the honor in Week 4, followed by Bobby Medina (defensive end), Thomas Skokna (wide receiver), and David Ballard III (special teams). Sullivan was also named to the national list in Week 9 last season.

A Look Back: North Central College head football coach Brad Spencer, kicker Aidan Ellison, defensive lineman Eli Renick and running back Donovan McNeal respond to questions following the Cardinals' 76-14 victory over Augustana at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois.

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