Decatur, Ill. – The sixth-ranked Wheaton Thunder football team closed out its regular season on Saturday with a 49-7 victory at Millikin (3-7, 3-6 CCIW). Wheaton is now 9-1 on the season. Wheaton is a strong candidate to earn an at-large bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Football Playoffs when the brackets are announced tomorrow. The NCAA Playoff brackets will be announced on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. (CST) on NCAA.com.
 
The Thunder led 28-0 at halftime this afternoon. Runningback Giovanni Weeks scored on three rushing touchdowns in the first half and quarterback Luke Anthony connected with tight end Spencer Peterson on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
 
Weeks reached the endzone for a fourth touchdown run on a 53-yard scamper in the third quarter. The touchdown was his 19^th rushing touchdown of the season, tying the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season. He is tied with Chuck Schoenherr who ran for 19 TD's in 1945. Weeks completes the regular season with 1,191 yards, ending the season with the CCIW's rushing title. His 1,191 yards this year ranks fifth on Wheaton's single-season rushing charts.

Anthony connected with Matthew Tucker on a 28-yard touchdown pass for Wheaton's second touchdown of the third quarter. The touchdown pass gave Wheaton a 42-0 lead with 4:01 remaining in the third quarter.

Jack Allen reached the end zone on a five-yard touchdown run with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter to increase Wheaton's lead to 49-0. Millikin scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter. For the 49-7 final score.

Weeks ran for 114 yards on 16 carries, averaging 7.1 yards per carry with the four touchdown runs. Weeks also caught four passes for 103 yards.

Luke Anthony completed 15 of his 18 passing attempts on the day with 268 yards through the air and two touchdown passes. Peterson caught five passes for 74 yards with one touchdown catch. Matthew Tucker had four receptions for 60 yards.

Linebacker Ryan Schwartz led the Thunder with eight total tackles, including one tackle for loss (-1 yard). River Shindledecker (PICTURED LEFT) made six total tackles. He registered six tackles for loss (-6 yards), including one sack (-5 yards). Dallas McRae recorded three tackles for loss (-20 yards), including quarterback sacks (-17 yards). Brayden Anthony registered two sacks (-10 yards). McRae made five total tackles, with four tackles apiece for Brayden Anthony, Caleb Egbert and Josh Shaffley.

The Thunder offense accumulated 453 total yards today, with 274 passing yards and 179 rushing yards. Millikin ran for 88 yards, with 132 rushing yards.