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.