Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Oct. 10, 2026 - Ending a 53-game conference winning streak, the No. 1 North Central College football team allowed 11 points in the final four minutes as No. 2 Wheaton College earned a hard-fought 13-10 victory before a packed Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on Saturday night.
The Thunder defense forced a punt on the Cardinals' opening possession. An errant snap then sailed through the back of the end zone for a safety, giving Wheaton an early 2-0 lead.
North Central's defense answered the call, forcing a turnover on downs to give the offense favorable field position. A promising drive, highlighted by a 21-yard catch from Jack Rummell, stalled after two negative plays pushed the Cardinals out of rhythm. A special teams miscue on a field goal attempt resulted in another turnover on downs.
Phillip Carlton Jr. and Bobby Medina stopped the Thunder for a three-yard loss on 4th-and-1, putting the ball back in the hands of the Cardinals.
Wheaton threatened early in the second quarter, moving to the North Central 28-yard line. On fourth down, the Thunder appeared to convert with a completion beyond the sticks. After head coach Brad Spencer challenged the ruling, officials overturned the call to an incomplete pass, giving possession back to the Cardinals.
Neither team threatened the rest of the half as four consecutive punts sent the teams into the locker room with Wheaton holding a 2-0 advantage.
The Thunder opened the second half with a seven-play, 42-yard drive, but Janiak and Graham Wight delivered key stops to force another punt.
The Cardinal offense then assembled its best drive of the game to that point. Garret Wilson scrambled 23 yards on 3rd-and-10 to move into Wheaton territory before David Ballard III added a 13-yard run to set up Sean Ryniec's 32-yard field goal. Ryniec's kick gave North Central its first lead of the night, 3-2, with 3:07 remaining in the third quarter.
After both teams traded punts, Mark Forcucci's pass was intercepted by Ethan-Micah Enriquez at the North Central 18-yard line, preserving the Cardinals' lead.
That play sparked the North Central offense. Wilson connected with Rummell for a 22-yard gain into Wheaton territory before Rummell capped a four-catch drive with a 14-yard touchdown reception, extending the lead to 10-2.
Wheaton quickly answered, marching down the field behind a pair of completions of at least 25 yards before Matt Crider scored on a four-yard run. The Thunder converted the ensuing two-point attempt on another Crider rush, tying the game at 10-10.
Following a Cardinal punt, Wheaton elected to go for it on 4th-and-11 from the North Central 30-yard line. An incomplete pass gave possession back to the Cardinals, but the Thunder came up with a key interception on a deflected pass with 1:05 remaining.
Forcucci found Seth Kortenhoeven for 34 yards on the next play to move Wheaton into scoring position. Ethan Groark and Kyler Green stopped Crider at the goal line on consecutive plays, forcing a field goal attempt. Caleb Ryan converted from 18 yards out to put the Thunder ahead 13-10 with four seconds to play.
North Central's final hook-and-ladder attempt never developed as Caleb Barclay was tackled before a lateral could be made, sealing the victory for Wheaton.
Rummell led all receivers with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Wilson completed 12 of 22 passes for 129 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Ballard III led the rushing attack with 34 yards on 11 carries.
Janiak and Carlton Jr. paced the defense with nine tackles each, while Brayden Garrigan added eight. As a team, the Cardinals held Wheaton to 82 rushing yards and less than three yards per carry.
Forcucci finished 18 of 33 passing for 272 yards with one interception and also led the Thunder on the ground with 36 rushing yards. Zeke Harris totaled 18 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss, and added an interception.
North Central turns its attention to Elmhurst University next Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Langhorst Field. The Cardinals have won 26 straight meetings against the Bluejays.
