Wheaton, Ill. - The top-ranked Thunder football team continued its run of unblemished play on Saturday afternoon, earning a 52-0 shutout of Elmhurst University in the regular season home finale at McCully Stadium. Wheaton scored in all three phases of the game as the Thunder improved to 9-0 on the season and 7-0 in CCIW play. The victory was Wheaton's 13th-consecutive win over the Bluejays (1-8, 0-7 CCIW) and the sixth shutout recorded by Wheaton against Elmhurst in the last eight meetings.
With today's victory, the Thunder clinched a share of this year's CCIW Championship marking the 20th time in program history that Wheaton has held at least a share of the conference's top spot. This is Wheaton's first share of the conference title since 2019, which also marks the last time the Thunder finished the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record. Wheaton's 20 CCIW titles breaks a tie with North Central for the second-most title in conference history, one shy of Augustana's CCIW-best 21 conference championships
Wheaton dominated the statistical battle, rolling up 397 yards of total offense while allowing just 62 yards of offense. A balanced rushing attack for the Thunder saw 14 different players record at least one carry while rolling up 252 yards on the ground led by
Kenny Jager's 51 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns.
Luca Carbonaro led the Thunder through the air, completing 12-of-19 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Seth Kortenhoeven (64 yards) and
Caleb Titherington (44 yards) each caught five passes to lead the receivers. Kortenhoeven added three punt returns for 58 yards, setting a new single-season record for punt return yardage with 473 yards and breaking a record previously set by
Pete Ittersagen (464 yards) in 2008.
Brock Dieter paced the Thunder defense with six tackles as Wheaton held the Bluejays to negative-19 yards rushing on the day.
Rex Kroger (1.5 tfl) and
Luke Heggie each tallied five tackles and
Maxton Leathers recorded four tackles including three of Wheaton's nine tackles for loss.
Complimentary football set-up a short field right out of the gate for the Thunder with the defense forcing a three-and-out before
Colin Moore blocked the Elmhurst punt, setting Wheaton up on the Bluejay 38-yard line. Four plays later, Carbonaro found Kortenhoeven for a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Wheaton the early lead. Kroger and Leathers combined for a third down sack on the next drive to force another punt, which Kortenhoeven returned 19 yards to the Elmhurst 27-yard line. Five plays later,
Charlie Duck found the end zone on a one-yard plunge to make it 14-0.
Jager (PICTURED RIGHT) found the end zone early in the second quarter for the first of his two scores, capping a six-play, 50-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 22-0 after the two-point conversion.
Maison Haas ended a drive for both teams later in the second quarter, recovering a fumble caused by
David Harvin II to give Wheaton another short field and then drilling a 28-yard field goal to push the lead to 25-0.
Wheaton opened the second half with a three-yard scoring dive from Jager to cap a 70-yard drive and added to its lead on its next possession with a 17-yard touchdown run by
Finnley Doriot.
Colin Moore added to his day on the ensuing possession, picking off the pass from Bluejay quarterback Justin Carlson and returning it 52 yards for a touchdown, making it 45-0.
Malachi Williams capped the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to make it 52-0.Â
The Thunder will wrap up its regular season schedule next week with a 12 pm kickoff at Carthage in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Note Worthy: With his touchdown reception today,
Seth Kortenhoeven moved into a tie for fifth place in program history with 27 career touchdown receptions, equaling Alex Pokorny (2005-08)...with his 58 punt return yards, Kortenhoeven also becomes just the third player in program history with 1,000 career punt return yards, finishing with 1,024 career punt return yards...with four tackles today,
Zeke Harris moved past Greg McMillin (1998-2000) and into a tie for 20th in program history alongside Don Parrish (1986-89) with 209 career tackles.
