Thunder gain 35-3 win at North Park (Boxscore)

Chicago,

Ill. (11/3) - The Wheaton Thunder football team improved to

5-4 overall and 4-2 in CCIW action with a 35-3 win at North Park (2-7/0-6

CCIW) this afternoon. Wheaton used a heavy dose of rushing in the game as

the guests ran for 237 yards on 51 carries with all five Thunder touchdowns

on the ground. On the game Wheaton totaled 395 yards of total offense on 70

plays for an average of 5.6 yards per play. The Thunder will conclude the

season next Saturday against Augustana at McCully Field in a 1 PM kickoff.

Augustana will come to Wheaton with a 9-0 record and a 6-0 mark in CCIW play.

Augustana has claimed at least a share of the CCIW Championship and has secured

the CCIW's automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs.

Fullback

Matt Harris gave Wheaton a 7-0 lead with 12:29 to play in the game

with a 22-yard touchdown run. Fellow fullback Corey Noonan (PICTURED

LEFT) gave the guests a 14-0 lead with 6:18 to play in the first quarter on

a two-yard touchdown run. North Park got on the scoreboard with 14:16 left

in the first half when Jason Reynolds booted a 21-yard field goal.

Junior tailback Mike Whalen, the reigning CCIW "Offensive Player of

the Week", ran for an eight-yard touchdown scamper with 4:42 to play in the

second quarter. With 8:38 to play in the third quarter Whalen gave Wheaton

a 28-3 lead with a six-yard touchdown run. Wheaton made it 35-3 when freshman

Drew Thornfeldt scored his first collegiate touchdown with a four-yard

scamper into the end zone with 4:48 to play in the fourth quarter.

Whalen ran

for 100 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns and an average of 6.7 yard

per carry. Thornfeldt played well with 39 yards on nine carries with one touchdown.

Noonan and Harris each scored touchdowns, as Wheaton's fullbacks in Thornfeldt,

Harris and Noonan ran for 94 yards on 13 carries for 7.2 yards per carry with

three touchdowns. Sophomore Andrew King had a team-best five catches

for 36 yards, while J on Wills had four receptions for 70 yards.

Junior linebacker

Kevin Sellers led a solid effort by the Wheaton defense with seven

total tackles (five solo) with one tackle for lost yardage. Sophomore linebacker

Jeff Mumm and senior linebacker Mike Coddington each made five

total tackles with three solo tackles. Sophomore defensive back Grant Tillotson

picked off one interception for the Thunder.