Wheaton escpaes Elmhurst with 28-24 win over the Bluejays (Boxscore)

LEFT: Senior

linebacker JD Leman made a game-saving interception and collected 15 total tackles

in Wheaton's 28-24 win at Elmhurst.

Elmhurst, Ill. (10/30)

- The Wheaton College football team (6-2/4-1 CCIW) played a solid third quarter

and created some big plays to gain a 28-24 win against CCIW Elmhurst College

(2-6/1-4 CCIW) this afternoon. Wheaton overcame five turnovers and rallied from

a 21-0 deficit midway through the first half by scoring 28 unanswered points.

Elmhurst mustered one last

attempt at a scoring drive as the Bluejays began a drive on their own two-yard

line with 2:15 left in the game and marched the ball all the way to the Wheaton

36-yard line. However, Wheaton linebacker JD Leman (Champaign, Ill./Central)

intercepted a pass by Bluejay quarterback Jaun Quesada at the Wheaton

18-yard line and returned it 73 yards to the Elmhurst nine-yard line to seal

the victory for the Thunder.

A Wheaton fumble on the

opening kickoff that was picked up by the Bluejays at the Wheaton 22-yard line

led to a one-yard touchdown run by Elmhurst's Rasand Hall. Hall's touchdown

scamper gave the hosts a 7-0 lead with 12:58 to play in the first quarter and

capped a five-play drive of 22-yards. With 7:40 left in the first quarter Elmhurst's

Dallas Till intercepted a Wheaton pass attempt that gave the Bluejays the

ball on the Thunder 14-yard line. Elmhurst capitalized on the Wheaton turnover

as running back Chris Welter ran for three yards into the end zone capping

a two-play drive of 14 yards that gave Elmhurst a 14-0 lead. With 10:26 left

in the second quarter Elmhurst quarterback Quesada ran for one-yard into the

end zone giving the hosts a 21-0 lead. Quesada's touchdown capped an eight-play

drive of 37 yards. With 5:29 left to play in the second quarter Wheaton's Brian

Pastermack (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island) blocked a Bluejay punt

attempt on the Elmhurst seven-yard line as Wheaton recorded a safety as the

ball rolled out of the end zone made it a 21-2 Elmhurst advantage. With 1:33

left in the first half Wheaton quarterback Neil Anderson (Clear Lake,

Texas/Clear Lake) ran three yards into the end zone and cutting the Elmhurst

lead to 21-9 for a score that would stick until halftime. Anderson's touchdown

run capped a methodical 10-play, run dominated drive of 54-yards.

Wheaton continued its scoring

burst to begin the third quarter when Chris Baughman 's (Fort Morgan,

Colo./Fort Morgan) kickoff to open the half did not touch a Bluejay player and

was recovered by the Thunder at the Elmhurst 21-yard line. Eight rushing plays

later Wheaton was in the end zone thanks to a two-yard touchdown run by Neil

Anderson that cut the Elmhurst lead to 21-16. Wheaton took the lead at 22-21

with 8:46 left in the third quarter when Neil Anderson found senior wide receiver

Jeremy Amos (Austin, Texas/Westlake) on an 18-yard touchdown pass. The

Wheaton touchdown was setup by a 26-yard punt return by sophomore Mike Whalen

(Wimberley, Texas/ Wimberley). Wheaton secured its lead at 28-21 with 8:26 left

to play in the game on a 19-yard touchdown run by Pastermack. Elmhurst cut the

guests lead to 28-24 with 4:48 left in the game thanks to a 35-yard field goal

by Mike Jacklin. Elmhurst's next drive was its final one of the game

that saw the Bluejays drive downfield, only to see Leman run back his third

interception of the year.

The

Wheaton offense ran for 153 yards on the day, while only passing for 72 yards

and 225 yards of total offense. Pastermack(PICTURED RIGHT), the reigning "CCIW

Offensive Player of the Week" ran for 100 on 19 carries with one touchdown run

and the important punt block that resulted in a safety. Neil Anderson was 6-11

passing for 72 yards with one interception and one touchdown toss.

The Wheaton defense held

Elmhurst to 218 yards of total offense with 86 rushing yards and 132 passing

yards. Leman was the leading tackler for the Thunder with 15 total tackles (six

solo) the 72-yard interception return, a pass broken up and one tackle for lost

yardage (-1 yard). Freshman defensive back Grant Tillotson (Wheaton,

Ill./North) recorded 10 total tackles (five solo) with two tackles for lost

yardage (-4 yards). Senior defensive end Darryn Wiebe (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere).

made eight total tackles (four solo) with four tackles for lost yardage (-29

yards) and 1 1/2 quarterback sacks (-23 yards).

Welter was the leading rusher

for the Bluejays with 51 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. Quesada was 9-23

passing with the one interception. The Bluejay defense was paced by Dallas Till

with 16 total tackles (seven solos), one interception, three tackles for lost

yardage (-5 yards) and one quarterback sack (-2 yards).