Game #8 In a word, "Unbelievable" Elmhurst scores 22 unanswered points to stun Crusaders CLICK HERE FOR BOX SCORE AND PLAY-BY-PLAY

Elmhurst, Ill. (11/6/99)- Wheaton's hopes for an undefeated

season were dashed today when the 1-6 Elmhurst Bluejays staged an incredible

second-half comeback to hand the 11th-ranked Crusaders their first loss of

the season, 22-16. It was the first time Elmhurst has defeated Wheaton since

1987, when the Bluejays won 31-14 in Elmhurst. Wheaton is now 7-1 overall

and 5-1 in the CCIW

Wheaton's next game is a home tilt with Augustana, also 5-1

in conference play, with the CCIW championship on the line.

A 13-yard pass to Rasand Hall from Derek Bonaparte,

in his first-ever collegiate start, proved to be Wheaton's Waterloo. Hall

amassed 92 yards on four spectacular catches to lead all receivers, and Bonaparte

was 13-21 passing for 208 yards.

The Crusaders put points on the board on their second possession

of the game when junior Chris Baughman (Fort Morgan, Colo./Fort Morgan)

booted a 37-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the first quarter to cap an

11-play, 55-yard drive. Baughman now has 10 field goals on the season, one

short of the Crusader single-season record set by Bob Unruh in 1977. That

figure also ties him for the CCIW single-season record (since all his field

goals have come in conference play) with Unruh and Elmhurst's Tom Foote.

Wheaton turned over the ball on its next two possessions, but

the Crusader defense limited the Bluejays to only 22 yards on three possessions

to keep them at bay.

Sophomore J.E. McKissic (Arlington, Texas/Martin) almost

single-handedly increased the Crusader lead to 9-0, running for 57 yards during

a 12-play, 88-yard drive. He culminated the drive by punching the ball in

on a five-yard run with 4:35 left in the first half for his second touchdown

of the season. Baughman's extra point attempt was blocked, and Wheaton took

the nine-point advantage into halftime. McKissic ran for 101 yards on eight

carries in the first half.

The Crusaders made it a three-possession game when quarterback

Mitch Slater (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) hit wide receiver Ben Peays

(Austin, Texas/Westlake) for a 35-yard score with 8:54 left in the third quarter.

It did not take long for the Bluejays to get those three possessions,

however. After the kickoff, Bonaparte orchestrated a nine-play, 79-yard drive

ending with an eight-yard touchdown scramble by Chris Welter, who carried

the ball 29 times for 107 yards on the afternoon. Bonaparte hit Andrew

Thompson for the two-point conversion.

On Wheaton's next drive, Elmhurst's Eduardo Cepero returned

an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, but Bonaparte's pass failed and

the score remained 16-14. In the fourth quarter, Wheaton again turned the

ball over, this time on a fumble by running back Brian Pastermack (Merritt

Island, Fla./Merritt Island). Seven plays and 63 yards later, Bonaparte hit

Hall for the touchdown and the two-point conversion, and the Bluejays hit

pay dirt.

Despite stifling Elmhurst defense, Wheaton mounted one more

scoring opportunity, but Peays fumbled a lateral from junior Jeremy Amos

(Austin, Texas/Westlake) with 1:40 left and Elmhurst ran out the clock.

Slater finished 18-35 for 197 yards on the day with two interceptions

and a touchdown. McKissic led all rushers with 111 yards on 11 carries for

a 10.1 average per rush. Pastermack carried 14 times for 88 yards. Peays led

the receiving corps with five catches for 79 yards, and senior Jay Westra

(Wheaton, Ill./North) hauled in five catches for 50 yards. Greg McMillin

(Nampa, Idaho/Nampa Senior) paced the defense with 17 tackles; Kevin

Sampson (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South), starting in place of the injured

J.D. Leman (Champaign, Ill./Central), recorded 12 tackles. John

Peays (Austin, Texas/Westlake) returned an interception for 23 yards.

The Crusaders' next game will be at Wheaton's McCully Field

against Augustana on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. The winner will be the CCIW champion.

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