Cardinals charge into 1st

Ordinarily, losing your team's leading rusher in the first quarter of a conference game isn't exactly a recipe for success.

Dominic Sulo, North Central College's top running back, left his team's battle against Illinois Wesleyan in the first quarter Saturday after aggravating an ankle injury suffered earlier in the season.

The Cardinals' ground attack overcame Sulo's absence, however, and the defense held Illinois Wesleyan to just 7 points as North Central pulled away late for a 23-7 victory in Naperville.

Sophomore Phillip Rossberg answered the call in Sulo's stead, rushing 12 times for 52 yards, showing the depth of talent on the Cardinals' sideline.

"We got depth, and the guys that we got depth with know what they're doing," sophomore quarterback Aaron Fanthorpe said. "They're always focused and ready to go, and they helped us out a lot and did their job."

North Central (7-2, 5-1 College of Illinois & Wisconsin) grabbed a 10-0 lead just before halftime, marching 80 yards in 3:20 to make it a two-possession game. On third-and-inches from the Titans' 10-yard line, Rossberg scampered right and found the end zone for the Cardinals' lone rushing score of the afternoon.

Illinois Wesleyan (6-3, 5-1) answered on its first possession of the second half, propelled by quarterback Kraig Ladd's arm, to cut the North Central lead to 10-7. The 6-foot-4 sophomore completed all four of his pass attempts on the drive, connecting with Elk Grove product Tom Almanzo for a 5-yard touchdown.

Almanzo's touchdown would be the only time the Titans crossed the goal line, as North Central's defense refused to break.

"The defensive kids really played awesome today," Cardinals coach John Thorne said. "Seven points against this team -- that was a great defensive effort.

"I can't say enough great things about how hard they played."

North Central earned some breathing room in the fourth quarter when Fanthorpe found Scott Hogan on a fly route for a 53-yard touchdown and a 20-7 advantage.

Thanks to a Wheaton College loss to Carthage, North Central now sits atop the CCIW in a three-way tie with Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan. A Cardinals win, coupled with a Thunder loss in the closing week of regular-season play next weekend, would give North Central its second conference crown in as many years.

To earn it the Cardinals will have to travel to Wisconsin and do what Wheaton College couldn't -- beat Carthage.

"We've just got to go to their place next week and beat them," a smiling Fanthorpe said. "They're going to be tough, but I think we can do it."