ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana fell 42-14 this past Saturday at ninth-ranked North Central. The Vikings are now 3-2 on the season and 2-2 in the CCIW heading into a home date versus North Park on Saturday, October 19. Kickoff at Lindberg Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
At the season's midway point, Coach Steve Bell's offense has produced averages of 33.4 points and 408.6 yards of total offense per game.
 
Senior quarterback Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) has completed 80 of 134 passes (59.7%) for 1,034 yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception. Five Vikings have caught at least a dozen passes, led by senior Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.), who has team highs of 20 receptions, 372 yards and five touchdowns.
 
Behind an all-senior offensive line consisting of tackles Chaz Williams (Princeton HS, Princeton, Ill.) and Andrew Anderson (Marengo HS, Marengo, Ill.), guards James Cousin (Oak Park & River Forest HS, Oak Park, Ill.) and Tommy Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) and center Matt McKay (Mount Carmel Chicago, Chicago, Ill.), Augustana quarterbacks have been sacked a conference-low three times in 158 drop-backs this year. The same group has paved the way for the league's third-best rushing attack (176.6 ypg), led by senior Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.). Jarosz has rushed for 499 yards and three touchdowns on 103 carries.
 
On defense, junior safety John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) and senior linebacker J.J. Cervino (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) rank first and second in the CCIW in interceptions with five and three, respectively. Kappel's total is still tied for tops in the nation. Senior end Xavier Holley (Bettendorf HS, Davenport, Iowa) leads the league in tackles for loss (12) and ranks second in sacks (6½). Senior linebacker Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) is the conference's second-leading tackler with 43 stops.
 
Led by first-year Head Coach Kyle Rooker, North Park will bring records of 0-5 overall and 0-4 in the CCIW to Lindberg Stadium on Saturday.
 
NPU quarterback Grant Borsch has completed 74 of 150 passes (49.3%) for 791 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. Malik Powell has been his top target, with 16 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown. A.J. Harris is the team's leading rusher with 78 yards. Guard George Tafau, a second team All-CCIW selection in 2018, anchors the Viking offensive line.
 
Linebacker Uluao Letuli leads the North Park defense with 39 tackles. End Uati Pati has team highs of 8½ tackles for loss and two sacks.
 
 
10/12/19—NORTH CENTRAL 42, AUGUSTANA 14
 
Vikings fall at ninth-ranked North Central
 
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Ninth-ranked North Central jumped on Augustana early Saturday and rolled to a 42-14 win at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. The Vikings fell to 3-2 on the season and 2-2 in the CCIW, while the host Cardinals improved to 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
 
It took North Central just 2:23 to go 81 yards in eight plays for a touchdown on the opening series. Quarterback Broc Rutter connected on a 40-yard strike to Blake Williams, setting up a two-yard scoring run by Ethan Greenfield. Milan Dezelich added the point after.
 
After forcing an Augustana three-and-out, the Cardinals had a long Nic Rummell punt return nullified by a penalty. They went right back to work though, driving 65 yards in nine plays for another score. On a fourth-and-13 play, Rutter found Andrew Kamienski in a seam down the middle for 30 yards and a touchdown. Dezelich's kick made it 14-0 with 6:51 left in the first quarter. North Central recovered the ensuing onside kick, but a holding call and three incompletions forced the Cardinals to punt. Later in the period, Rummell had a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown wiped out by a running into the kicker infraction.
 
With 1:40 left in the first, the Vikings took over at the North Central 42-yard line following a punt. On the second play, quarterback Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) found Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) down the left side and Dolis made nice grab in the end zone for his fifth TD reception of the season. The play covered 39 yards and Owen Ennis' (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) kick cut the deficit to 14-7 after one quarter.
 
Augustana forced another punt on the Cardinals' next possession, but found itself pinned at its own one-yard line. A Fuller sneak netted three yards to get some breathing room, but on third down, the Vikings mishandled the snap and North Central's Isaiah Ziegler recovered at the two. Greenfield went into the end zone on the first play and Dezelich's extra point put the hosts up 21-7 early in the second.
 
Rutter added scoring strikes of 32 and six yards to Kamienski in the period and the Cardinals took a 35-7 advantage to the locker room.
 
On its second series of the third quarter, Augustana drove 58 yards to the North Central 10, but couldn't convert on fourth-and-two. The Cardinals answered with a 12-play, 90-yard march that Greenfield capped with his third rushing touchdown of the day. Dezelich added the kick after Greenfield's three-yard burst and it was 42-7 North Central after three quarters.
 
Another Viking drive reached the Cardinal six, but Dakota Cremeens picked off an Alec Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock island, Ill.) pass in the end zone. On its next possession, Augustana found paydirt. Jacobs completed a pair of passes on a six-play, 53-yard drive and capped it with a 15-yard touchdown run. Ennis' point after accounted for the final.
 
Behind 69 yards by senior Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.), the Vikings managed to run for 160 yards against the nations' eighth-ranked rushing defense. Jacobs finished with 40 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. North Central limited the Vikings to 137 yards through the air. Fuller was 7-for-19 for 89 yards and a touchdown and Jacobs 4-for-8 for 48 yards and one interception. Dolis had two catches for 55 yards and a score.
 
Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) and John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) each finished with a game-high 10 tackles for Augustana. Senior J.J. Cervino (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) had an interception and a fumble recovery.
 
Rutter connected on 25 of 37 passes for 291 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Kamienski snared 11 passes for 135 yards and three scores. Greenfield ran for 138 yards and three TDs on 27 carries.
 
Augustana is back at Lindberg Stadium on Saturday, October 19, taking on its Viking namesakes from North Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.


2019 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS

DATE	OPPONENT		SITE	TIME/SCORE
September 7	Coe	Knowlton Kickoff Classic	HOME	W, 41-3
September 21	Elmhurst*	Family Weekend	HOME	W, 55-13
September 28	Illinois Wesleyan*		Bloomington, Ill.	L, 17-21
October 5	Millikin*	Homecoming	HOME	W, 40-14
October 12	North Central*		Naperville, Ill.	L, 14-42
October 19	North Park*		HOME	1:00 p.m.
October 26	Wheaton*		Wheaton, Ill.	1:00 p.m.
November 2	Washington U.*		St. Louis, Mo.	1:00 p.m.
November 9	Carroll*	Senior Day	HOME	1:00 p.m.
November 16	Carthage*		Kenosha, Wis.	1:00 p.m.

* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game
 
 
2019 CCIW STANDINGS

School	CCIW	Overall
Wheaton	4-0	5-0
North Central	3-1	4-1
Washington U.	3-1	4-1
Illinois Wesleyan	3-1	3-2
AUGUSTANA	2-2	3-2
Millikin	2-2	3-2
Carthage	2-2	2-3
Elmhurst	1-3	1-4
Carroll	0-4	1-4
North Park	0-4	0-5