Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – After seeing a 21-3 lead evaporate Saturday, Carthage bounced back to score the game's final two touchdowns and defeat Augustana 39-27 at Lindberg Stadium. The Red Men improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the CCIW, while the Vikings dropped to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the league.
 
Augustana trailed 21-3 with less than six minutes to play in the first half when a Carthage muffed punt set up a Viking scoring opportunity. Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) came out of the pile with the ball to give his team possession at the Red Men 19. Five plays later, senior quarterback Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) scored from five yards out and Jacob Stytz's (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) points after cut the deficit to 21-10.
 
Carthage's Lance Unland finished the next possession with a 42-yard field goal with just six seconds left in the half to give the Red Men a 24-10 lead going into the locker room.
 
The Vikings took the second half kickoff and promptly scored to get within a touchdown. Again, it was Frasco finishing off a five-play, 63-yard march with a 29-yard scoring run. Another key play on the drive was a 33-yard Frasco to Ryan Hennessey (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) completion on third-and-11. Stytz's PAT made it 24-17, Carthage.
 
Stytz further cut into the margin, nailing a 26-yard field goal with 5:38 to play in the third quarter and Augustana grabbed its first lead early in the fourth. The Vikings took over at their own 26 following a Red Men punt and went 74 yards in nine plays for the go-ahead score. Frasco had a 34-yard completion to junior Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) and a pair of 13-yard runs before hitting senior Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic HS, Manhattan, Ill.) with a three-yard touchdown pass with 12:59 left in the game.
 
Carthage answered emphatically however, sandwiching touchdown drives of 63 and 65 yards around an Augustana three-and-out. Sam Calderaro regained the lead for the Red Men, taking a pass from Ethan Olles into the end zone from 34 yards out with 9:30 to play. Tristan Peterson added important insurance with a one-yard scoring burst with 2:41 on the clock. Connor Calvert intercepted Frasco in the Carthage end zone to end the Viking's final possession.
 
A muffed punt by Augustana set up the first Red Men score. Peterson finished off a 10-play, 44-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Carthage lead at 5:13 of the opening quarter. A bad Viking punt snap less than two minutes later led to the next Red Men touchdown. It took just three plays for Carthage to go 10 yards. Olles hit James Cobbs from nine yards out go up 14-0.
 
Stytz got the hosts on the scoreboard with a 25-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter, but Olles responded by leading his team on a five-play,  61-yard scoring drive. Javier Rhoades hauled in a tipped ball for a 36-yard touchdown pass to finish off the march.
 
Frasco finished with 82 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He completed 13 of 25 passes for 188 yards and another score. Fitzgerald caught six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. Junior linebacker Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) led the way defensively with a season-high 16 tackles. Senior safety Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and freshman linebacker Cassin Wolfe (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) chipped in with 14 and 10, respectively. Sophomore corner Travon Aldridge (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) broke up four passes.
 
Next Saturday, October 31, Augustana travels to Chicago, Illinois to face North Park at 1:00 p.m.