Box Score

KENOSHA, Wis.— Augustana held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by Carthage Saturday, defeating the Red Men 31-26 at Art Keller Field. With the victory, Coach Rob Cushman's Vikings win their second in a row, improve to 3-4 on the year and even their CCIW mark at 2-2. Carthage drops to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the league.
 
Augustana jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter on a pair of Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) touchdown runs. A one-yard burst by the junior quarterback capped off the game's opening drive, which covered 66 yards in 11 plays. Then, after the Viking defense forced a three-and-out, junior Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic HS, Manhattan, Ill.) returned Elliott Stahler's punt 26 yards into Red Men territory. Frasco busted off a 44-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage to put Augustana up 14-0 with Conner Murray's (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) point after.
 
After another defensive stop, the Vikings had a chance to extend the lead early in the second quarter. However, after they drove to the Carthage 21-yard line, sophomore running back Brandon Price (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.) was dropped for a loss on fourth-and-one. On Augustana's next possession, Murray's career-long 48-yard field goal pushed the lead to 17-0.
 
Red Man Jamahl Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the Viking 20-yard line and six plays later, Derek Bellamy took it in from a yard out to get Carthage on the board. Thomas Brannen's PAT made it 17-7 Vikings. Murray added field goals of 33 and 42 yards and Augustana took a 23-7 advantage to halftime.
 
On their second possession of the second half, the Vikings found themselves pinned at their own one-yard line. Price rushed for three yards on the first play, then broke off a 71-yarder on the next one. Augustana was penalized 10 yards at the end of the play for an illegal block, but Frasco and company were in business at the Carthage 35. He rushed for 20 yards on the next play and four plays later, went three yards into the end zone for his third touchdown of the day. The drive covered 99 yards in seven plays and Frasco then hit senior Kyle Frake (Central HS, Clifton, Ill.) for the two-point conversion and a 31-7 lead.
 
Carthage, which had been held in check all day by the Viking defense, answered with its first sustained drive of the afternoon. Nick Anzelmo connected with tight end Robert Anderson from two yards out to cap a 70-yard, 15-play march. The two-point conversion attempt failed and the Red Men trailed 31-13 with 13:48 left in the game.
 
The teams traded quick possession before Augustana lost a fumble at its own 45-yard line with 7:24 to play. It took Carthage just seven plays to find the end zone again, this time on a 10-yard Anzelmo-to-Javier Rhodes touchdown pass. The point after attempt failed, but the Red Men were within 31-19.
 
Augustana failed to corral the ensuing onside kick and Carthage was on the attack again. The Red Men drove to the Viking six-yard line, but on fourth-and-goal, Anzelmo was stopped two yards short of the goal line with 2:44 to play. On its first play from scrimmage, however, Augustana coughed up the football and Terrance Allen recovered in the end zone for a Carthage touchdown. Brannen converted the point after and the Viking lead was trimmed to 31-26.
 
After forcing an Augustana three-and-out, the Red Men had one final chance. They reached the Viking 37-yard line before Anzelmo was sacked for a 19-yard loss back into Carthage territory. His final pass fell incomplete.
 
The Augustana running game, behind 146 yards from Frasco and 95 more from Price, produced a season-high 325 yards. Frasco was just 4 of 16 through the air for 50 yards. Frake had two catches for 34 yards. The Viking defense limited Carthage to just 96 rushing yards on 34 attempts (2.8 per carry) and although Anzelmo threw for 251 yards, he completed just 24 of 56 attempts. Senior corner Ben Fornek (Batavia HS, Batavia, Ill.) led the way on defense with 13 tackles—all solo stops. Sophomore linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) was in double figures as well, with 10 tackles.
 
The Vikings will look to continue their winning streak when North Park visits Lindberg Stadium next Saturday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m.