ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Four Central field goals spelled the difference this past Saturday, as Augustana dropped a 33-22 decision to the Dutch in Pella, Iowa. The Vikings, 0-2 on the season, hit the road again this week, visiting Waukesha, Wisconsin for their 2017 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener at Carroll.
 
Augustana has rushed for an average of 155.5 yards per game through the first two contests. Junior Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) leads the way with 195 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries, an average of 5.0 yards per attempt. Freshman Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.), the Vikings' backup quarterback, has 50 yards and three scores on 12 carries.
 
Junior quarterback Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) has completed 40 of 69 (58.0%) passes for 429 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Sophomore Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) and senior Riley Donald (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) have each caught 11 passes.  Jennings' have gone for 157 yards (14.3 per catch) and Riley's for 112 (10.2).
 
Sophomore safety Devin Haxby (Geneseo HS, Colona, Ill.) is Augustana's leading tackler with 18 total stops. Junior safety John Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) leads in solo tackles with 14 and senior defensive end Grant Burke (Hersey HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) has a team-best four tackles for loss.
 
Senior kicker Jacob Stytz (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) has converted all four of his point after attempts and both of his field goal tries (with a long of 38 yards) this year. Freshman Alex Bryan (Wethersfield HS, Kewanee, Ill.) is averaging 35.8 yards per punt and has put three of six kicks inside the 20.
 
Coach Mike Krzykowski's Carroll outfit dropped its season opener 43-29 at Lakeland on September 2. The Pioneers were idle this past week.
 
Senior running back J.J. Keels ran for 149 yards on 15 carries against Lakeland. Junior quarterback Colton Bahling had 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground and completed 12 of 25 passes for 182 yards and two additional scores. His top targets are senior Brandon Ehrke (3 rec, 99 yds, 1 TD) and junior Parker Zitzke (5-73-1). The two combined for 80 catches, 1,002 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago, when Ehrke (35-555-11) earned second team All-CCIW honors.
 
Leading the way for the Pioneers defensively at Lakeland was junior safety Cameron Cassaro, who recorded 10 solo tackles. Cassaro led Carroll with three interceptions in 2016.
 
 
09/09/17—CENTRAL 33, AUGUSTANA 22
 
Field goals the difference in 33-22 Viking setback at Central
                        
PELLA, Iowa – Jon Alberts kicked a school-record four field goals Saturday, including a 33-yard game-clincher with 1:05 remaining, to lift Central to a 33-22 victory over Augustana at Schipper Stadium. The Vikings fell to 0-2 on the year heading into next week's College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin opener at Carroll. The Dutch evened their record at 1-1.
 
After forcing a three-and-out on the game's opening possession, Central took the lead on its second play from scrimmage. P.J. Norem hauled in a short pass from Kohle Helle and raced down the left sideline for a 71-yard touchdown. Alberts' point after made it 7-0 barely two minutes in. On the Dutch's next possession, Alberts capped a 16-play, 83-yard drive with his first of three 30-yard field goals and the hosts led 10-0 after one period.
 
Another 30-yarder by Alberts finished off a 14-play, 77-yard march and put Central up 13-0 with 4:53 left in the half. Augustana responded by going 75 yards in 13 plays and 4:09 to get on the board. Junior Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) completed six straight passes for 78 yards on the drive and had two more completions erased by penalties. Freshman quarterback Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) came on and rushed three times for the final 11 yards, including a one-yard touchdown run 37 seconds before halftime. Jacob Stytz's (Minooka HS, Channahon, Ill.) kick made it 13-7 and that was the score as the teams went to the locker room.
 
The Vikings forced a Dutch punt on the opening possession of the second half and got the ball back with a chance to take their first lead. Fuller hit sophomore Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) for 45 yards to the Central 20-yard line and the march eventually reached the Dutch five. After a sack left Augustana with third-and-goal from the eight, Fuller threw a fade to Jennings in the back right corner of the end zone, but Danny Anderson made the interception to preserve the Dutch lead.
 
Following the touchback, Central went on a 67-yard drive in nine plays and Albers knocked through his third 30-yarder of the day to extend the advantage to 16-7. Augustana answered right back with a 10-play, 77-yard touchdown drive. Fuller connected on four passes for 40 yards and senior Austin Chausse (Nokomis HS, Nokomis, Ill.) rushed four times for 32 yards. Jacobs took it in from five yards out and Stytz's point after pulled the Vikings to within 16-14 with 3:54 left in the third quarter.
 
Helle hit Donny Groezinger with a four-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the fourth quarter and after an Augustana turnover, guided his team on a 10-play 50-yard touchdown drive with Groezinger rushing three yards for the score and a 30-14 Dutch lead.
 
Augustana came right back though. A pair of Central penalties kept a 13-play, 68-yard march alive and Jacobs eventually finished it off, beating the Central defense to the left pylon for a one-yard touchdown run. With a chance to make it a one-score difference with a two-point conversion, the Vikings were called for a pick and offensive interference on their first successful attempt. Pushed back to the 18-yard line for a second try, Fuller fired a strike to Jennings just inside the end zone for two points that cut the deficit to 30-22.
 
With 4:46 left to play, Coach Steve Bell decided against an onside kick and it appeared his defense had forced a Dutch punt with just under three minutes to play. However, on an incomplete third-and-four pass, Augustana was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Central drive continued. Alberts eventually finished it off with his fourth field goal, a 33-yarder with 1:05 remaining.
 
Fuller completed 24 of 37 passes on the day for 271 yards with two interceptions. Jennings caught eight passes for 114 yards and senior Riley Donald (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) seven for 74. Senior Ryan Pitra (Geneseo HS, Geneseo, Ill.) rushed 11 times for 45 yards and Chausse seven times for 41. Jacobs had 34 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Junior John Asquini (Buffalo Grove HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) led the Viking defense with 12 tackles and sophomores Devin Haxby (Geneseo HS, Colona, Ill.) and Sam Francis (Oak Park & River Forest HS, River Forest, Ill.) added 11 each.
 
Augustana opens CCIW play on Saturday, September 16 versus Carroll in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
 
 
2016 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS

DATE	OPPONENT		SITE	TIME/SCORE
September 2	Cortland State		Cortland, N.Y.	L, 32-34
September 9	Central		Pella, Iowa	L, 22-33
September 16	Carroll		Waukesha, Wis.	6:00 p.m.
September 23	Carthage	Family Weekend	HOME	6:00 p.m.
September 30	Elmhurst		Elmhurst, Ill.	1:00 p.m.
October 7	Illinois Wesleyan		HOME	1:00 p.m.
October 14	Millikin	Homecoming	HOME	1:00 p.m.
October 21	North Central		Naperville, Ill.	2:00 p.m.
October 28	North Park	Senior Day	HOME	1:00 p.m.
November 4	Wheaton		Wheaton, Ill.	1:00 p.m.

* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game
 
 
2017 CCIW STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Overall
Carthage	0-0	2-0
Illinois Wesleyan	0-0	2-0
Millikin	0-0	2-0
Wheaton	0-0	2-0
North Central	0-0	1-0
North Park	0-0	1-1
Carroll	0-0	0-1
Augustana	0-0	0-2
Elmhurst	0-0	0-2

LAST WEEK'S GAMES 
Saturday, September 9
Central 33, Augustana 22
Carthage 31, Bethel 0
Olivet 26, Elmhurst 20
Illinois Wesleyan 42, Nebraska Wesleyan 21
Midland 24, North Park 14