Chicago, Ill. – The fifth-ranked Wheaton football team earned a 63-0 victory at North Park University (0-4, 0-3 CCIW) on Saturday. Wheaton improves to 5-0 overall and 4-0 in CCIW play with today's win.
Wheaton amassed 479 yards of total offense with 249 passing yards and 230 rushing yards. The Vikings totaled 99 yards of offense with 106 passing yards and minus-7 rushing yards.
Quarterback
Luke Anthony was 8-of-10 passing in the game, with 131 yards through the air.
Jeremiah Tucker completed seven of his 11 passing attempts with 188 passing yards. Tucker also ran for 90 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown run.
Phillip Nichols had eight receptions for 95 yards.
Daniel Herber led Wheaton's defensive effort with seven total tackles, including 1-1/2 tackles for loss.
Dallas McRae had four tackles, all for lost yardage.
Jake Holaday had 2-1/2 tackles for loss.
River Shindledecker had a quarterback sack.
Wheaton led the Vikings 14-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a pair of Thunder touchdown runs. T.J. Williams scored on a 29-yard run with 9:45 left in the opening quarter. Williams' touchdown capped a six-play drive of 79 yards.
Stone Watson scored on a three-yard touchdown run on Wheaton's next drive to extend the guests' lead to 14-0 with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Wheaton scored three times in the second quarter. Offensive lineman
Jake Hibben scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 14:23 left in the first half to increase Wheaton's lead to 21-0. Hibben's touchdown capped a five-play drive of 27 yards. Tucker connected with
Adam Terrini on a five-yard touchdown pass with 11:31 left in the second quarter to extend the Thunder lead to 28-0.
River Shindledecker registered a quarterback sack at the North Park six-yard line. The Vikings fumbled on the play, with a recovery by Wheaton's
Ryan Schwartz and returned six-yards for a touchdown. Schwartz's touchdown increased Wheaton's lead to 35-0 with 4:49 remaining in the game.
The Thunder scored three times in the third quarter. Watson tallied his second touchdown of the day on a 16-yard touchdown in the opening drive of the second half. Watson's touchdown with 14:14 remaining in the third quarter moved Wheaton's lead to 42-0. Quarterback
Jeremiah Tucker scored on a 16-yard touchdown run with 10:36 left in the third quarter for a 49-0 Thunder lead.
Jeremiah Tucker connected with his brother
Matthew Tucker on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 3:17 left in the third quarter to increase Wheaton's lead to 56-0.
Wheaton's first touchdown of the fourth quarter was a 33-yard touchdown pass from
Jeremiah Tucker to
Caleb Brink with 14:54 remaining in the game. Brink's touchdown was the final score of the game as it accounted for the 63-0 final score.
PLEASE NOTE: There will be updates to this story throughout the evening.
