Wheaton Thunder Football 2005 Game Stories Football season ends with a 28-7 loss to Augustana

Wheaton, Ill. (11/12) The Wheaton football team ended its season on Saturday with a 28-7 loss (Boxscore) to CCIW Champion Augustana at McCully Field. The Thunder end the season with a 7-3 overall record, marking the program's eighth consecutive winning season and 14 out of the last 15 with a winning record. Wheaton concludes conference play with a 4-3 record in league action. Augustana is 9-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play and the Vikings have won the CCIW Championship outright and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, that begin next Saturday.

The Wheaton defense played well today holding the Vikings to 203 yards of total offense, all on the ground. Wheaton recorded 212 yards of offense, with 148 rushing yards and 64 passing yards. A key to today's game was six Thunder turnovers. The Vikings capitalized with three of Augustana's four touchdowns coming as the result of a Wheaton turnover.

Junior tailback Chaz Black led the Thunder offense with 12 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown run. Senior Luke Bazacas (LEFT) returned from injury to record 35 rushing yards on nine carries in his final collegiate game. Senior quarterback Frank Andrews completed five of his 18 passing attempts for 54 yards and he ran for 47 yards on 12 carries.

Senior safety Todd Travis (RIGHT) led the Thunder offense with 15 total tackles. Senior defensive tackle Geoff Kirkendall recorded eight tackles. Freshman Pete Ittersagen and Jeff Grandy each made seven tackles. Ittersagen made 2-1/2 tackles for lost yardage of minus-10 yards.

Augustana's Greg Cozzi carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards and Mike Guzman also recorded 59 rushing yards on 14 carries. Running back Matt Roe ran the ball 12 times for 58 yards with one touchdown run.

Viking defensive back Tom Anthony recorded three interceptions. Dave Winston recorded 14 tackles and Tom Schaults added 10 total tackles. Joe Youngbauer made seven tackles, with a quarterback sack (-3 yards) and an interception. Brad Monier made six total tackles and he recovered a fumble and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Travis Shea made five total tackles and had an interception return of 76 yards.

The Vikings scored on their first offensive drive of the game, taking a 7-0 lead with 5:20 remaining in the first quarter. An impressive 15-play drive of 82 rushing yards was capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by J.J. McDowell. With 8:00 remaining in the first half Cozzi broke past the Wheaton defense at the Thunder 32-yard line and appeared headed for the end zone when he pitched the ball to offensive lineman Mike Zeifert who took the ball to the end zone for the final five yards and a touchdown that increased the Vikings lead to 14-0. On the ensuing drive Wheaton prepared to punt when a fumble occurred and Augustana's Brad Monier picked it up and returned it for a touchdown and a 21-0 Viking lead with 4:49 left in the first half. Wheaton 's touchdown came with 39-seconds remaining in the first half when Black scored on a three-yard touchdown run to curt the Vikings' advantage to 21-7. Roe gave Augustana a 28-7 lead that would become the final score when he reached the end zone on a 10-yard touchdown run with 5:24 left in the third quarter.