ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana rolled to a 71-0 win over North Park at Lindberg Stadium this past Saturday, coming within one point of the school single-game scoring record in the process. Coach Steve Bell's defense had six takeaways and limited its guests to 90 yards of total offense. Now 4-2 on the season and 3-2 in the CCIW, the Vikings face a considerably taller task on Saturday, October 26, when they travel to Wheaton to face the fifth-ranked Thunder. Kickoff at McCully Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
Through six contests, Augustana ranks third in the CCIW in scoring (15.5 ppg), total (290.3 ypg) and passing defense (200.2 ypg) and fourth in rushing defense (90.2 ypg). The Vikings' 19 takeaways, 13 interceptions and six fumbles recoveries are all league highs. They rank 10th in the nation in takeaways (3.17 per game) and fourth in turnover margin (+2.33).
 
Individually, junior safety John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) leads the CCIW and is tied for third nationally with five interceptions. He's also the league's top punt returner with an average of 18.0 yards per return. Seniors J.J. Cervino (Libertyville HS, Libertyville, Ill.) and Luke Phelan (Joliet Catholic HS, Shorewood, Ill.) are tied for second in the conference with three interceptions apiece. Senior end Xavier Holley (Bettendorf HS, Davenport, Iowa) leads the league in tackles for loss (13½) and is second in sacks (eight), figures that both rank fourth in the nation. Holley's two forced fumbles are also tied for the CCIW lead. Senior linebacker Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) continues to lead the team in tackles with 32 solo and 51 total stops.
 
On the other side of the ball, Augustana ranks third in the CCIW in scoring (39.7 ppg), rushing (183.7 ypg) and total offense (430.0 ypg) and sixth in passing offense (246.3 ypg). The Vikings have lost just five turnovers this season, tied for fewest in the conference.
 
Senior Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) is the CCIW's third-leading rusher with 590 yards and six touchdowns on 118 carries. He's also third in all-purpose yards (126.8 ypg).
 
Senior quarterback Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) has completed 95 of 156 passes (60.9%) for 1,274 yards and 15 touchdowns with just one interception. He is third in the league in passing efficiency with a rating of 159.95. Senior Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) leads five Vikings with at least 16 receptions. His 23 catches for 433 yards and six touchdowns are all team bests.
 
Junior kicker Owen Ennis (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) is perfect on six field goal and 24 extra point attempts this year and behind his average of 54.6 yards, Augustana leads the CCIW in net kickoff coverage.
 
Wheaton has been dominant in rolling to records of 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the CCIW. Coach Mike Swider's Thunder lead the conference in every major defensive category. They've allowed averages of just 7.3 points (2nd in the nation), 174.2 total yards (1st in the nation), 42.5 rushing yards (2nd in the nation) and 131.7 passing yards (9th in the nation) per contest. The offense isn't far behind, ranking first in rushing (246.2 ypg), second in scoring (45.7 ppg) and total yards (509.7 ypg—8th in the nation) and third in passing (263.5 ypg).
 
Linebacker Ryan Schwartz is Wheaton's leading tackler with 33 solo and 45 total stops. Tackle Dallas McRae has a team-high 12 tackles for loss and shares the sack lead (five) with returning All-CCIW first team end Patrick O'Connell. Corner Spencer Rowland and free safety Corey Kennedy share the team lead in interceptions with two each. McRae and Kennedy were both second team All-CCIW selections a year ago.
 
Thunder running back T.J. Williams is the league's leading rusher with 703 yards and five touchdowns on 102 carries. Quarterback Luke Anthony leads the CCIW in passing efficiency with a rating of 187.2 (10th in the nation). He's completed 87 of 126 throws (69.0%) for 1,286 yards and 13 touchdowns and has been intercepted just once. Phillip Nichols—who was first team All-CCIW in 2018 as a kick returner and second team as a receiver—has been Anthony's top target with 40 catches for 615 yards and six touchdowns. Adam Terrini (25-439-7) ranks seventh in the conference in receiving yards per game (73.2).
 
Wheaton has won the last 12 meetings and leads the all-time series by a margin of 32-29-2.
  
 
10/19/19—AUGUSTANA 71, NORTH PARK 0
 
Vikings roll to 71-0 win over North Park
 
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana scored four touchdowns in the first quarter Saturday and cruised to a 71-0 win over North Park at Lindberg Stadium. The Vikings' point total was just one off the school record of 72, set in a shutout of Hedding College during the 1920 season. Coach Steve Bell's squad improved to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the CCIW, while the visiting Vikings fell to 0-6 on the year and 0-5 in the league.
 
After forcing a North Park three-and-out on the game's opening possession, Augustana went 27 yards in five plays for its first score. Bobby Jarosz (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect, Ill.) took it in from the one for his first of three rushing touchdowns on the day. Owen Ennis (Evanston HS, Evanston, Ill.) added the point after to make it 7-0 less than three minutes in.
 
Midway through the first period, Zachary Fuller (St. Patrick HS, Schiller Park, Ill.) found Patrick Byrne (St. Patrick HS, Chicago, Ill.) behind the NPU secondary for a 50-yard scoring strike and on the Vikings' next series, dropped a beautiful throw into the arms of Max Uranich (La Salle-Peru HS, La Salle, Ill.) in the back right corner of the end zone from 23 yards out. Ennis added the kick after Byrne's TD, but a run failed following Uranich's score and it was 20-0 with 2:20 left in the first.
 
A defense that forced six North Park turnovers gave the offense plenty of short fields to work with and a 39-yard Luke Phelan (Joliet Catholic HS, Shorewood, Ill.) interception return set up the shortest on Augustana's next possession. Jarosz went in from the one on the first play and Ennis' kick made 27-0 after one period.
 
After an Ennis 27-yard field goal upped the margin to 30-0 early in the second quarter, a 49-yard punt return by John Kappel (Wheeling HS, Wheeling, Ill.) set up the next Viking touchdown. Jarosz carried five straight times for 43 yards, finishing the drive with a five-yard scoring burst. Ennis added a 26-yard field goal and the final score of the half came when backup quarterback Alek Jacobs (Rock Island HS, Rock Island, Ill.) engineered a five-play, 50-yard, 58-second march just before halftime. Jacobs completed five consecutive passes with the last one going 10 yards to Byrne for the touchdown. Ennis' kick made it 47-0 at the half.
 
Fuller guided the hosts 69 yards in five plays for a touchdown on the first series of the second half before the regulars got the rest of the afternoon off. His 38-yard pass down the left sideline to Tom Dolis (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) capped the drive and backup kicker Sidney Maroon (Notre Dame HS, Peoria, Ill.) added the point-after to make it 54-0.
 
A pair of takeaways set up Augustana's next two touchdowns. Midway through the third, a Xavier Holley (Bettendorf HS, Davenport, Ill.) sack-and-strip led to a fumble recovery at the North Park four-yard line and two plays later, Jacobs went in from the one. Devin Haxby's (Geneseo HS, Colona, Ill.) fumble recovery at the NPU 35 gave the offense another short field and on the fourth play of the drive, Antonio Cannon (Oak Park River Forest HS, River Forest, Ill.) rushed 18 yards for a touchdown. Maroon's kick made it 68-0 after three quarters.
 
The Vikings kept it on the ground and ran clock in the fourth quarter. The only pass was a 14-yard completion from Jacob Wehr (Bettendorf HS, Bettendorf, Iowa) to Noah Patterson (Mattoon HS, Mattoon, Ill.) on a third-and-nine play early in the period. Maroon drilled a 26-yard field goal with 9:22 left to account for the final. Augustana's final drive went 44 yards in eight plays—all on rushes by Travor Spicer (North Lawndale HS, Chicago, Ill.) and Matt Albers (Rochelle HS, Rochelle, Ill.)—reaching the North Park three before Wehr took a knee twice to run out the clock.
 
The defense limited NPU to 25 rushing yards on 33 carries and just 90 total yards in the contest. The visitors breached Augustana territory just twice in 17 series. Luke Sawicki (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville, Ill.) led the way with eight tackles, including two for loss. David Lane (Civic Memorial HS, Bethalto, Ill.) had six stops and an interception.
 
Fuller completed 15 of 22 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns and Jarosz led the rushing attack with 91 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Ethan Jennings (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) had a team-high six catches, while Byrne had bests of 79 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs. The offense produced 537 yards on 77 snaps.
 
On Saturday, October 26, the Vikings travel to Wheaton to face the fifth-ranked Thunder in a 1:00 p.m. contest at McCully Stadium.
 
 
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	W, 71-0
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	5-0	6-0
North Central	4-1	5-1
Illinois Wesleyan	4-1	4-2
AUGUSTANA	3-2	4-2
Washington U.	3-2	4-2
Carthage	3-2	3-3
Millikin	2-3	3-3
Elmhurst	1-4	1-5
Carroll	0-5	1-5
North Park	0-5	0-6