Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Wheaton's Andrew Bowers threw for two touchdowns and backup Johnny Peltz for another Saturday, as the 12th-ranked Thunder posted a 37-14 win over Augustana on Senior Day at Lindberg Stadium. Wheaton improved to 8-1 on the year and 6-1 in the CCIW, while the Vikings' 2016 season comes to an end with a 3-7 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the league.
 
On the game's first play from scrimmage, Bowers hit slot receiver Trey Hanley for a 57-yard gain to the Augustana 18-yard line. Four plays later, he connected with Tyler Pace for a seven-yard touchdown toss and Stefan Knoerr's point after gave the Thunder a 7-0 with less than two minutes gone.
 
After the teams traded punts, the Vikings put together a threat. Sophomore quarterback Luke Bleyer (Williamsville HS, Springfield, Ill.) hit senior Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) down the right sideline for 55 yards to set his team up first-and-goal at the Wheaton three-yard line. An incomplete pass and four-yard rushing loss made it third-and-goal from the seven and Bleyer, under a heavy pass rush, had his pass attempt picked off by Tyler Sigler.
 
Bowers responded by leading the Thunder on a 94-yard, 13 play drive that consumed 6:50. He capped the march with a seven-yard scoring toss to Chase White. Knoerr's kick made it 14-0 with 12:58 left in the second quarter.
 
Knoerr added a 28-yard field goal midway through the second and the visitors took a 17-0 lead to the halftime break.
 
Augustana took the second-half kickoff and drove 84 yards in 14 plays to get on the scoreboard. Freshman Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) took a Bleyer screen pass and went 39 yards down the left sideline to the Wheaton four. Two plays later, he bowled his way in from the one and junior Jacob Stytz's (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) PAT cut the deficit to 17-7 with 7:15 to play in the third.
 
Wheaton answered right back with two scores, however. First, Sola Olateju capped an eight-play, 82-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Knoerr's extra point attempt was no good. Then, after stopping the Vikings on downs, the Thunder went 59 yards in six plays, with Peltz finding White on a 23-yard scoring strike that gave the visitors a 30-7 lead with 13:44 remaining.
 
Wheaton scored on its third straight possession of the second half when Jackson Fain hit pay dirt from four yards out, capping a 14-play, 75-yard march. Sophomore Zach Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.), in relief of Bleyer, led the Vikings on their final scoring drive. He completed six passes for 70 yards to five different receivers, with the last going to sophomore Clayton Sommers (Saydel HS, Des Moines, Iowa) for 16 yards and a touchdown.
 
Bleyer completed 17 of 30 passes for 227 yards with one interception before exiting. Fuller was six of nine for 70 yards and a touchdown. Senior Andrew Garcia (West Leyden HS, Melrose Park, Ill.) caught six passes for 80 yards and sophomore Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) six for 41. Hennessy's 55 catches this season were second-most in school history and Lattner, with three receptions for 75 yards, fell just six yards short of Paul Ander's 1968 school record (880) for single-season receiving yards. The Wheaton defense held Augustana to -12 yards rushing, due in large part, to six sacks. Jarosz finished with 12 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
 
Seniors Jack Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Frank Kalble (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.)—as they have all year—led the Vikings in tackles with 11 and eight, respectively. Two of Asquini's stops came behind the line of scrimmage. Senior Michael Daniels (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) had Augustana's only sack and junior Travon Aldridge (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) had a pair of pass breakups.
 
Bowers finished 17 of 22 for 237 yards and two touchdowns and Olateju rushed for 60 yards and one score on 15 carries.
 
In addition to Lattner, Garcia, Asquini, Kalble and Daniels, 15 more Vikings were honored on Senior Day. That list includes Brandon Price (Providence Catholic HS, Plainfield, Ill.), Daniel Watson (Peoria HS, Peoria, Ill.), Tyson Powers (Amboy HS, Amboy, Ill.), Robert Martin (Strake Jesuit HS, Houston, Texas), John Bastian (V. Sue Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho, N.M.), Colin Skinner (Loyola Academy, Mt, Prospect, Ill.), Justin Bishop (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.), Erik Johnson (Warren HS, Gurnee, Ill.), Jesse Gruneisen (Westminster Christian HS, St. Louis, Mo.), David Lowe (Wauconda HS, Wauconda, Ill.), Matt Zimmerman (Mercer County HS, New Boston, Ill.), Tommy Wilson (St. Charles East HS, St. Charles, Ill.), Ryan McCarthy (Wheaton Warrenville South HS, Wheaton, Ill.), Jonas Robbins (Rock Falls HS, Rock Falls, Ill.) and Douglas Williams (Milledgeville HS, Milledgeville, Ill.).