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Rain Dampens Spirits as North Central Defeats Vikings
By Craig Pinley
CHICAGO, IL (October 13, 2002) - The raindrops that drizzled on the North Park
University (NPU) football players as they left Hedstrand Field Saturday
seemed appropriate.
A few minutes earlier, misfortune drenched the Vikings in a Homecoming
game
that went from overcast to sunny to downright gray and wet. A tipped
pass
turned into one North Central College touchdown late in the fourth
quarter
and the visiting Cardinals
turned an onside kick into a second score minutes later to complete a
28-14
victory over NPU.
The win moved North Central to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the College
Conference
of Illinois and Wisconsin. NPU fell to 1-4, 0-2 in the CCIW, as the
Vikings
prepare to host Augustana College at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Early in the final period, it appeared North Park was taking control of
the
contest. Trailing 14-7, the Vikings used a 54-yard Steve Eifred kickoff
return and a 15-yard scramble by quarterback Phil DeWald at the 12:44
mark
to tie the game at 14-all.
North Park denied North Central a first down on its next possession and
marched downfield on a 10-play drive, only to have kicker Ryan Johnson's
44-yard field goal attempt bounce off the crossbar with 6:35 remaining.
It
only got worse from that point for the Vikings.
North Central drove to North Park's 45-yard line and on a first-and-10
play, quarterback Adam Duerr threw a short slant pass that was deflected
by
NPU's Jackie Wayne 10 yards downfield. The ball bounced off Wayne's hand
and over his shoulder into the arms of wide receiver Chuck Earnest, who
raced untouched to the end zone, giving the Cardinals the lead again
with
4:12 remaining.
The visitors kicked off to NPU - that line drive kick deflected off a
Viking player and bounced back to North Central's kickoff team, which
recovered the ball at North Park's 45-yard line. Five plays later
running
back Steve Holden scored on a 5-yard run with
1:47 left as rain began to fall.
North Park opened the scoring with 14:14 left in the second period on a
1-yard run by DeWald that completed a 12-play, 75-yard drive. A 40-yard
pass from DeWald to Jon Harris put the Vikings into scoring position.
Harris had seven catches for 126 yards in the game as DeWald threw for
139
yards on 9-of-22 passing.
The NPU defense made the lead stand up at the half as the Vikings
stopped
Mims on a fourth down play at the NPU 1-yard line and Wayne's
interception
thwarted another Cardinals drive.
But, North Park's offense bogged down early in the second half, fumbling
the ball to North Central. The Cardinals narrowed the lead to 7-6 on a
Mims
6-yard run with 5:12 left in the third period. Duerr, the third North
Central quarterback of the game, completed passes of 9 and 14 yards to
set
up the score.
Mims scored his second touchdown on a 55-yard run and a two-point
conversion pass from Duerr to Earnest put North Central up 14-7 at the
14:07 mark of the fourth period before the Vikings offense revived to
tie
the game briefly.
Josh Gruenewald of North Park led all rushers with 97 yards on 22
carries.
Mims had 76 yards on nine rushes and Holden added 75 yards on 15 tries
for
North Central. Duerr completed 7 of 10 passes in the second half for 89
yards while Earnest caught four balls for 90 yards.
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