Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Central exploded for 42 second-half points Saturday to spoil Augustana's 2016 home opener, downing the Vikings by a score of 45-17 at Lindberg Stadium. The Dutch improved to 2-0 on the year, while Augustana fell to 1-1.
 
The first half was dominated by the defenses, with each team managing just a first-quarter field goal. Central scored on its initial possession. After forcing a Viking three-and-out on the opening possession of the game, the Dutch drove 49 yards in 14 plays before their drive stalled. Kicker Aaron Marcellus was called on and with a stiff wind at his back, he knocked through a 40-yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead. They key play of the drive was a third-and-13 completion from Riley Gray to Sam Markham that went for 14 yards.
 
After the teams traded punts, the hosts drove 48 yards in 12 plays to get the equalizer. Sophomore Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) quarterback completed a 19-yard pass to classmate Ryan Hennessy (Oswego HS, Oswego, Ill.) on third-and-10 and kept the march alive later with a six-yard run on fourth-and-four. Junior Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) capped it off with a 35-yard field goal into the teeth of the wind with 54 seconds left in the period.
 
Both defense posted goose eggs in the second period. The best scoring opportunity came after a deflected punt gave the Dutch excellent field position at the Augustana 21. However, the Viking defense stiffened and Marcellus couldn't cut through the wind with his 30-yard attempt. The teams went to the break tied at 3-3.
 
The complexion of the contest changed entirely in the second half. After each team punted on its first two possessions, the Central scoring onslaught began. A short Viking punt into the wind set up a five-play, 33-yard Dutch scoring drive. Donny Groezinger finished it with a two-yard touchdown run. Marcellus' point after made it 10-3. A 32-yard Gray-to-Markham completion led to a 1-yard touchdown sneak by Gray on Central's next possession and a 17-3 Dutch lead.
 
Fuller completed passes of 26 and 43 yards to Danny Lattner (Fenwick HS, Riverside, Ill.) as Augustana answered with an eight-play 73-yard scoring drive. Fuller hit Hennessy with a three-yard touchdown pass to get the Vikings back within one score at 17-10.
 
Gray stayed on a roll however, hitting Markham with scoring strikes of 32 and 21 yards to put the Dutch up 31-10 early in the fourth. Groezinger added a seven-yard touchdown run and a 76-yard Zack Martinelli punt return for a score made it 45-10 with 8:14 to play.
 
A seven-yard Fuller-to-Hennessy touchdown pass with 4:34 remaining accounted for the final score.
 
Central piled up 500 total yards on 91 offensive snaps. Gray was 17 of 26 passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns and added 79 yards and a touchdown on eight rushing attempts. Markham finished with 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns and Groezinger carried 25 times for 88 yards and a pair of scores.
 
Fuller completed 19 of 40 pass attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns, but the Viking ground game produced just 34 yards on 33 attempts. Hennessy snared seven passes for 88 yards and two scores. Junior linebacker Danny Giffels (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) was credited with a team-high 12 tackles.
 
Augustana will be back at home on Saturday, September 17, hosting Carroll to start CCIW play. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is slated for 6:00 p.m.