Wheaton defeats North Central on final play

A local rivalry, with both college football teams ranked nationally, first place in the CCIW on the line, battling for a playoff berth - sounds like a recipe for a game that is won on the final play.

No. 11-ranked Wheaton College claimed the Little Brass Bell from archrival North Central, ranked 12th, when Sam Cote split the uprights with a 29-yard field goal as time expired on Saturday night's 34-31 Wheaton victory. The teams' 93rd meeting was played in front of 4,552 fans at Wheaton's McCully Stadium.

"We knew it was going to be a war," said Wheaton coach Mike Swider. "My gosh, people don't realize how good small college football is at this level, and they don't realize what it takes sometimes. I mean, this was a war with some good football teams, good players, well-coached. I mean these guys are coached. And to do what we did today, it's unbelievable. It really is."

"They're a really great team, and we knew it was going to be a huge battle," added North Central coach John Thorne, who will retire after this season. "Their players played really hard, and their coaches had a great scheme tonight. We had to really battle for every yard we got, and we had to really battle to try to stop them. I love these ballgames. I wish they were all like this."

The teams traded the lead three times after North Central scored on its opening drive, a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Kuhl from quarterback Dylan Warden. Wheaton (7-0, 4-0) led 17-16 at halftime and remained ahead until North Central (5-2, 3-1) tied the game with 4:53 to play on Warden's 59-yard TD pass to Alex Ulmer on a fourth-and-8 play.

Wheaton marched right back down the field, going 56 yards in 13 plays, winding down the clock and setting up Cote for the game-winner.

"Our offensive line absolutely dominated," Swider said. "That's the bottom line. You can say anything you want. Our offensive line kicked their butt. Period. ... And that was the difference in the football game was our offensive line."

Still, North Central almost forced the game to overtime.

"We touched that field goal, but it wasn't enough of a touch to keep it from going through," Thorne said. "You can't get much closer than that, I guess."

The loss all but ended North Central's playoff hopes after the Cardinals went to the Division III semifinals last year.

Wheaton can take control of the CCIW race when it travels next weekend to fellow league-unbeaten Elmhurst College.