Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Broc Rutter threw three first-half touchdown passes Saturday as sixth-ranked North Central remained unbeaten on the season with a 42-21 win over Augustana at Lindberg Stadium. The Cardinals improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the league, while the Vikings dropped to 2-6 and 1-5, respectively.
 
North Central took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Facing fourth-and-six from the Augustana 32-yard line, Rutter dumped a short pass to Ryan Kuhl, who took it down the left sideline and into the end zone. Liam Crotty's point after made it 7-0 Cardinals.
 
The visitors extended their advantage to 14-0 with 3:54 left in the first quarter. After a 28-yard punt return by Pat Cravens, North Central went 51 yards in four plays for another touchdown. The last three plays were Austin Breunig rushes for 13, eight and 14 yards, with the latter reaching pay dirt.
 
Breunig's one-yard touchdown burst with 8:46 remaining in the half made it 21-0.
 
On the Cardinals' next possession, sophomore safety John Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) picked off Rutter and the Vikings responded with a drive that eventually reached the North Central 14-yard line. However, a pair of sacks ended the Augustana threat and the Cardinals answered with a score. On third-and-six from his own 36, Rutter dropped a screen pass to Will Konneck, who took it 64 yards to the end zone. Crotty's PAT made it 28-0.
 
A Justin Stuursma interception of Luke Bleyer (Williamsville HS, Springfield, Ill.) led to the final score of the half, a three-yard Rutter-to-Nolan Brannick touchdown pass with 31 seconds on the clock.
 
The Vikings opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Bleyer started the march with a 14-yard keeper and finished it off with an 11-yard scoring strike to sophomore Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.).
 
Midway through the third, junior Grant Burke (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) forced a North Central fumble which he recovered at the North Central 10-yard line. However, the Cardinals got the ball right back when Augustana mishandled an option pitch on its first play.
 
The Vikings did convert their next takeaway into a touchdown. With 4:28 eft in the third, North Central muffed a Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) punt and senior Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) fell on it at the Cardinal three. Sophomore Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) carried it in on the first play and Stytz's extra point made it 35-14.
 
Konneck's 38-yard return of the ensuing kickoff gave the visitors excellent field position and they capitalized. Backup quarterback Justin Hunniford's eight-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Warden capped a 41-yard, eight-play drive that put North Central up 42-14 late in the third.
 
The game's final touchdown was set up with a 29-yard pass from Jack Copher (Immaculate Conception HS, Northlake, Ill.) to senior Andrew Garcia (West Leyden HS, Melrose Park, Ill.) off a double reverse. That put Augustana at the North Central four and sophomore Zachary Fuller capped a two-play drive with a touchdown pass to Hennessy on the next play.
 
The Vikings recovered the onside kick and drove to the Cardinal 22 before being stopped on downs. Augustana's final drive lasted 14 plays and went 66 yards to the North Central two-yard line with a Fuller toss falling incomplete as time expired.
 
The Vikings attempted 57 passes, with Bleyer completing 22 of 37 for 203 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Freshman Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) was Augustana's leading ground gainer with 51 yards on nine carries. Senior Danny Lattner caught nine balls for 95 yards. Jack Asquini was credited with a game-high 12 tackles, including two for loss. Sophomore linebacker Cassin Wolfe (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) was in on nine stops in addition to breaking up three passes.
 
On Saturday, October 29, the Vikings visit Chicago, Illinois to face their namesakes from North Park. Kickoff at Holmgren
Athletic Complex is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.