Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
CHICAGO (Sept. 19, 2026) - Opening the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin schedule on the road, No. 1 North Central College football scored 31 unanswered points to secure a 45-10 win over North Park University on Saturday at Holmgren Athletic Complex. The victory extends the Cardinals' league-record streak to 52 straight CCIW wins.
North Park struck first as Paul Palmer connected with running back Aidan Dellisi for a 50-yard touchdown. North Central answered with a steady drive to midfield before David Ballard III took an end around 47 yards to tie the game at 7-7 after a Sean Ryniec extra point.
The Cardinals' defense forced a three-and-out, and North Central took over at its own 23. Garret Wilson found Ballard III for a 50-yard gain, and Jordan Williams capped the possession with a three-yard run up the middle to give the Cardinals a 14-7 lead.
North Park responded with a 13-play, 70-yard drive, ending in a 21-yard field goal from Robert Kubon to pull within 14-10.
Three plays later, Wilson hit a wide-open Rummell for a 65-yard touchdown to extend the margin to 21-10. The Cardinals stopped a Vikings fourth-and-one attempt at midfield with just over a minute left in the half. Wilson then connected with Rummell for 21 yards and Charlie Lavery for 19 before finding Jake Vitel on a seven-yard pass to send North Central into halftime ahead 28-10.
Both defenses controlled the third quarter, with neither team scoring. Daito Watanabe and Graham Wight combined for a sack, and the Cardinals held North Park scoreless after a turnover deep in North Central territory. Kyler Green delivered a key tackle to force a turnover on downs.
Starting the fourth quarter at the Vikings' 12, Ryniec converted a 28-yard field goal to push the lead to 31-10. After another defensive stop, highlighted by a second Wight sack, Rummell closed the next drive with a 31-yard touchdown catch, his second of the day, stretching the advantage to 38-10.
North Central took over at its own 11 after a punt. Wilson hit Rummell for 22 yards, and Galashky Blaise followed with three straight carries for more than 10 yards to move into Vikings territory. On second-and-five from the eight, Blaise scored his first touchdown of the season to make it 45-10. The Cardinals' defense forced another punt to seal their 52nd consecutive CCIW victory.
Rummell posted a career-high 189 receiving yards, all from Wilson, who threw for a career-best 345 yards. Wilson finished 22 of 29 with three touchdowns, no sacks and 18 rushing yards. Rummell caught eight passes and averaged more than 23 yards per reception. Ballard III led the Cardinals on the ground with 61 yards on three carries and added 99 receiving yards.
Matt Janiak paced the defense with 10 tackles, followed by Phillip Carlton Jr with eight and a tackle for loss. Wight recorded two sacks, while Bobby Medina and Watanabe each tallied 1.5 tackles for loss.
