The Carthage College Firebirds saw their road schedule come to an abrupt end on Saturday afternoon when they were defeated 37-0 by the Augustana Vikings at the Austin E. Knowlton Complex in Rock Island, Illinois. The loss drops Carthage to a 3-7 overall record and 2-6 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), while Augustana improves to 6-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
Game Summary
Augustana struck first early in the first quarter, connecting on a 3‑yard touchdown pass at the 10:22 mark. They added a second score three minutes later with a 2‑yard rushing touchdown, establishing a 14‑0 lead before the quarter ended.
The Vikings continued to build momentum in the second quarter. At 13:33, a 2‑yard touchdown reception extended the lead, and a late‑half 8‑yard pass with 42 seconds remaining pushed the margin to 27‑0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Augustana added a 33‑yard field goal with 3:16 left, making the score 30‑0. The final points came early in the fourth quarter when a 2‑yard rushing touchdown was recorded at 13:35, sealing a 37‑0 victory.
Individual Performances
For Carthage, running back Haiden Janke led the ground attack with 53 yards on 13 carries. Jordan Hardiman contributed 20 rushing yards on three attempts, and Chase Nurczyk added another 20 yards on six carries.
In the receiving game, Luke Carter caught two passes for 18 yards, while Connor Wade also recorded two receptions for 11 yards.
Defensively, senior linebacker Landon Paige topped the unit with 15 total tackles, including 12 solo stops and one tackle for loss. Austin Alexander and Jeremy Rowlett each added six tackles, with Rowlett also recording a sack, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. Matthew Burnette contributed five tackles and two tackles for loss.
Special teams saw punter Matt Grzyb kick five times for a total of 183 yards, averaging 36.6 yards per punt.
Looking Ahead
The Firebirds will return home next week for Senior Day, hosting Wheaton College at noon. Head coach acknowledged the challenges ahead while praising the effort of his young squad: “Credit to Augustana; there were some positive moments with our young team that the scoreboard doesn’t reflect. We will continue to work and get better.”
Full game coverage and statistics are available through Carthage College Athletics.
Original reporting: Kenosha.com — read the source article.
