Wheaton vs Carthage College

Wheaton beat Carthage College 25–14 at home in Wheaton, Ill. on Saturday, November 1, 1997. It was the seventh of nine games logged in 1997, and it left Wheaton at 3-4. It was the 34th meeting with Carthage College, after which Wheaton led the series 25-9. Mike Swider was in his second season as head coach.

Wheaton Football Holds Off Carthage Charge for 25-14 Win

(Wheaton, Ill./Nov. 1, 1997) -- In CCIW football action on Parent's Day, Saturday, Nov. 1, Wheaton College defeated Carthage College for the 10th consecutive season, 25-14, and has won 2 consecutive games. Wheaton led 14-6 at halftime, and after Carthage closed the gap to 17-14 with 10:54 left in the fourth quarter, Wheaton recovered a fumble and kept the ball for nearly 5 minutes, earning several key first downs, and and after driving 96 yards finally scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 1:40 left in the game to take a 25-14 lead.

Wheaton's records improved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in conference, and the Redmen fell to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in conference. Wheaton hosts North Park University for a CCIW game, Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1:00 PM, at McCully Field, and that game will be broadcast live on WETN-88.1 FM.

Wheaton totalled 431 yards of offense, 188 rushing and 243 passing, while its defense held Carthage to 101 passing and allowed 274 rushing for a total of 375. Junior quarterback Tim Hardy completed 15 of 28 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown, and junior halfback Bjorn Johnson, Wheaton's leading rusher this season, rushed 13 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore receiver Ben Peays caught 4 passes for 77 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown with 11:00 left in the first quarter that gave Wheaton a 7-0 lead.

Carthage quarterback Eric Corbett rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries but completed just 4 of 19 passes for 51 yards. Both Carthage touchdowns were rushing scores in the first and fourth quarters.

On the negative side, Wheaton was penalized 13 times for 105 yards and had a touchdown and 2 long-gain plays wiped out by holding or illegal block calls. Wheaton also fumbled 5 times but lost just one.

Peays capped a 45-yard drive for Wheaton's first series of the game with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hardy, and senior placekicker Paul Boehms kicked the extra point, giving Wheaton a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes left in the first quarter.

Corbett's 43-yard gain to the Wheaton one-yard line led to Carthage's tying touchdown with 3:18 left in the first quarter. Junior fullback Brian Kec hammered the ball home from 1 yard out, and Wheaton blocked the extra point.

Wheaton regained the lead in the next possession when Johnson capped a 57 yard drive with a 10-yard run. Boehms' extra point gave Wheaton a 14-6 lead with 14:55 left in the first half.

Boehms' 19-yard field goal, his 10th of the season, was the only score of the third quarter for either side, coming with 3:50 left and giving Wheaton a 17-6 lead. Wheaton reached the Carthage 2-yard line with 11 minutes left in the third quarter but Johnson was stuffed on a fourth-down play, giving the ball to Carthage which then gained just 3 yards on three plays and punted. Boehms then missed a 37-yard field goal with 7:20 left in the quarter, but Carthage gained just 4 yards on its next 3 plays and punted again.

Wheaton reached the Carthage 1-yard line during its next series but sophomore fullback Jeff Ford was thrown for a 1-yard loss on third down and goal, forcing the field goal attempt.

A 19-yard punt by Boehms into the wind rolled out of bounds at the Wheaton 43-yard line, and Carthage took advantage, driving 43 yards on 8 plays with junior tailback Kevin Burris running the final 4 yards for the touchdown and also scoring the two-point conversion to cut the Wheaton lead to 17-14 with 10:54 left in the game.

Wheaton could not move the ball on its next series, forcing Boehms to punt, and Carthage took possession at its own 47-yard line. A 20-yard screen pass from Corbett to Burris moved the ball to the Wheaton 33, and 3 rushes moved the ball to the Wheaton 4. On a second-down play, reserve fullback Guy Perna fumbled, and senior defensive tackle Jason Sennese recovered the ball at the four-yard line with 6:23 left in the contest.

Wheaton drove 96 yards on 12 plays, earning 4 key first downs to keep the drive alive. Wheaton also consumed 4:43 off the clock, and when Ford scored from 8 yards out, finishing with a superlative dive for the end-zone pylon, and then scored the two-point conversion, Wheaton led 25-14 with 1:40 left in the contest. Carthage began its last series at its own 25 and moved the ball to the Wheaton 44 before time ran out.

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