Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill.—Junior quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) accounted for five touchdowns and senior safety Tim Maroder (Burlington Central HS, Elgin, Ill.) set a school record with four interceptions Saturday as Augustana defeated Loras 34-17 in the second annual Knowlton Kickoff Classic at Lindberg Stadium. Both teams are now 1-2 on the year.
 
Frasco threw a career-high four touchdown passes and rushed for another and Maroder broke the previous record of three picks set a dozen times, most recently by Ben Hall in 2010. Sophomore linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) was another standout for a Viking defense that forced nine turnovers, recording a game-high 15 tackles (11 solo) and a pair of fumble recoveries.
 
The first six possessions of the game yielded three punts, an Augustana interception and two Loras fumbles. The second Duhawk turnover came on a Sean McIntyre (Genoa-Kingston HS, Genoa, Ill.) sack that separated quarterback Dyan Jones from the football. Thomas Enke (Millard West HS, Omaha, Neb.) fell on it at the Loras 22 and two plays later, Frasco connected with senior Antonio Owens (Naperville North HS, Chicago, Ill.) on a 16-yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 Viking lead. The point after attempt was blocked.
 
Mason Quigley's 38-yard field goal finished off a 14-play, 54-yard march and got the Duhawks to within 6-3. He missed a 42-yard attempt wide left with 6:35 left in the half which would have tied the game.
 
With 55 seconds left in the half, Frasco hooked up with senior Kyle Frake (Central HS, Clifton, Ill.) for a 28-yard touchdown pass that, with Conner Murray's (Conifer HS, Morrison, Colo.) point after, gave the hosts a 13-3 lead going into halftime. That score was set up by another Loras turnover. The Duhawks muffed a Murray punt at the Augustana 35-yard line and Asquini was there to recover. It took the Vikings eight plays to cover the 65 yards.
 
Loras took the second half kickoff and drove 80 yards in eight plays for its first touchdown. Jones passed 13 yards to Josh Shulte, who made an outstanding catch to cap the march. The Duhawks' two-point conversion attempt failed and Augustana maintained a 13-9 lead.
 
The next two Vikings possessions resulted in long touchdown passes by Frasco. First, he hit Frake from 42 yards out to finish off a seven-play, 64-yard drive. Then, after a Loras three-and-out, he connected with junior Sean Fitzgerald (Providence HS, Manhattan, Ill.) on a 33-yard scoring strike, capping a four-play, 49-yard drive and giving his team a 27-9 lead.
 
Jones and Nate Even teamed up twice to get the Duhawks within 27-17 after three quarters. First, Jones connected with Even on a seven-yard scoring strike. Then, on the point after, it was Even taking a handoff on a reverse and finding Jones in the end zone for two points.
 
Three different Vikings had interceptions to thwart Loras' first three drives of the fourth quarter. Sophomore John Bastian (V. Sue Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho, NM) came up with the first, two plays after he had another pick nullified by a penalty. Maroder's second interception of the game stopped the Duhawks' next drive and senior Ben Fornek (Batavia HS, Batavia, Ill.) got one that set up the final score of the night, a five-yard burst by Frasco. A key play on the four-play, 31-yard drive was a 23-yard Frasco-to-Robert French (St. Edward HS, Elgin, Ill.) completion.
 
Maroder picked off his third and fourth passes of the night on Loras' final three possessions, with the fourth coming on the final play of the game.
 
Frasco finished the night 18-of-28 through the air for 209 yards and four scores. He was intercepted twice. The Duhawks limited Augustana's ground game to 73 yards on 39 attempts, an average of just 1.9 yards per carry. Loras rushed for just 101 yards on 36 carries and required 74 pass attempts to accumulate 362 yards via the air. Sophomore linebacker Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) joined Asquini in double figures with 11 tackles, including 10 solo stops. Sophomore corner Daniel Watson (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.) recorded nine solo tackles and a pass breakup.
 
After a week off, the Vikings open CCIW play with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Elmhurst on October 4.