Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Despite boasting a matchup of a pair of two-time CCIW Offensive Players of the Week, Saturday's league opener between Augustana and Elmhurst featured very few offensive fireworks, as the host Vikings held on for a 9-3 win at Lindberg Stadium. The Augustana defense held down Bluejay star Josh Williams, forced six turnovers and came up with two huge fourth-down stops deep in its own territory to preserve the win. Coach Steve Bell's club improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the CCIW, while Elmhurst suffered its first loss in four outings this year.
 
After a scoreless first quarter, the Vikings drew first blood with 11:49 left in the second. Sam Frasco (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) found Sean Fitzgerald (Providence Catholic HS, Manhattan, Ill.) down the middle and the senior took it into the end zone for a 34-yard scoring strike. Jacob Stytz's (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) point after made it 7-0.
 
A Daniel Watson (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.) interception with just over four minutes to play in the half set Augustana up in good field position at the Bluejay 46. The Vikings looked to be going in for another score, but a Frasco fumble at the Elmhurst one ended the threat. However, on the ensuing play, Erik Johnson (Warren HS, Gurnee, Ill.) and Nathan Magiera (Wauconda HS, Island Lake, Ill.) stuffed Elmhurst quarterback Drew Domino in the end zone for safety and a 9-0 lead. Augustana took the free kick and eventually reached the Bluejay 33, but Stytz's 50-yard field goal attempt was wide left shortly before halftime.
 
A Johnson interception and a Brandon Stiers (Deer Creek Mackinaw HS, Mackinaw, Ill.) fumble recovery thwarted the first two Elmhurst possessions of the second half, but the Bluejays finally got on the board on Brett Bayer's 45-yard field goal with 1:33 to go in the third period.
 
While the offense struggled to get anything going after halftime, the Viking defense continued to come up big. Early in the fourth quarter, junior linebacker Jack Asqiuni (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) picked off a Domino pass and returned it 16 yards to the Elmhurst 25. After a false start and three plays for zero yards, Stytz's 47-yard field goal attempt came up short.
 
On their final two possessions of the game, the Bluejays got to the Augustana 22 and 17-yard lines, respectively, but came away empty both times. On the first, freshman linebacker Cassin Wolfe (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) stuffed Williams for a yard loss on fourth-and-one. On the second, Domino's fourth-and-10 pass into the end zone was tipped by junior John Bastian (V. Sue Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho, N.M.) and corralled by Watson for his second interception of the night.
 
Both defenses were able to slow the opposition's star. Frasco, who came into the game averaging a national-best 465.7 total yards per game, was limited to 212. The nation's leading scorer (20.0 ppg) and second-leading rusher (212.0 ypg), he finished with 69 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 17 carries. Williams, who was averaging 183.0 yards per game on the ground, had just 50 yards on 20 carries.
 
Several players stood out for the Vikings on defense. Senior Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights) returned from an injury to lead the team with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops. He also had a pair of pass breakups. Johnson (eight tackles, 1½ for loss, interception), Asquini (eight tackles, interception), Stiers (eight tackles, fumble recovery), Watson (five tackles, two interceptions) and freshman Christian Chavez (Willowbrook HS, Lombard, Ill.) (6 tackles, interception) all had big nights. Bastian broke up a team-high three passes.
 
Augustana is on the road on Saturday, October 10, facing CCIW preseason favorite Wheaton at 1:00 p.m.