CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Ripon College Red Hawks came to town to take on the Vikings in an evening home opener at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. Looking to build on the program's best season in 60 years, the Vikings looked to come out strong and get a win against an out of conference foe in week 1.
In what was a back-and-forth game that kept the whole stadium on edge, the Vikings opened the game with a rushing touchdown from senior running back Marcel Love, followed by a successful extra point kick from senior kicker Michael Messersmith III making it 7-0.
The Red Hawks responded well with two touchdowns before the end of the first quarter, making it 14-7 at the end of one.
The Vikings marched down the field to start the second quarter and got inside the 15-yard line. A nifty misdirection screen pass from the 12-yard line resulted in a touchdown for junior tight end Mason Wilson, making it a 14-13 game in Ripon's favor due to a blocked extra point attempt.
After a Red Hawk touchdown in response, the Vikings scored on back-to-back possessions within two minutes. Both touchdowns were strikes that were delivered by senior quarterback Matt Eck that ended in two 40+ yard scores for junior wide receiver Jereme Ombogo. The Vikings went into halftime up 27-21, looking to extend their lead.
Coming out of halftime, North Park did just that as quarterback Matt Eck connected with junior receiver Wesley McCloud for a 42-yard touchdown, stretching their lead to 34-21.
For most of the 3rd quarter, the Viking defense seemed to have the Ripon offense's number, led by linebackers Jaydin Miller with 9 tackles and 1 pass break up, Juan Nieves with 9 tackles, and Mo Carter with 7 tackles. Most of Ripon's damage came on the ground as the Viking secondary had a strong showing as well. Defensive back Ben Butler and Samuel Aguirre both had pass break ups and a handful of tackles each. However, the Red Hawks would not go away as they racked up two touchdowns to take a one-point lead 35-34. Those two touchdowns came with three minutes left in the 3rd quarter and three minutes left in the 4th.
The Vikings offense orchestrated a perfect two-minute drill at the end of the 4th quarter, with some fortuitous penalties against Ripon, quarterback Matt Eck connected with receiver Wesley McCloud on a deep slant from inside the 20-yard line on the left side for his second receiving touchdown of the game.
As North Park went for the 2-pt conversion, Eck went right back to McCloud on the left side on a slant-out route combination and converted to put the Vikings up 42-35.
With one minute to go in the game, Ripon, also with some fortuitous North Park penalties, got all the way to the 1-yard line where they scored on a quarterback sneak, getting the game to 42-41 in North Park's favor. Instead of going for the tie, the Red Hawks elected to go for gold as they kept the offense on the field to go for the 2-pt conversion. The ball was snapped, and Ripon decided to pass when their quarterback was swamped by a wall of Viking defensive linemen and lofted a ball to the back of the endzone. The ball was caught, but fortunately for the Vikings, the receiver was out of bounds and the crowd erupted as they could feel the North Park week 1 win looming.
The Red Hawks went for the onside kick, kicking it to the last person they should've kicked to - receiver Wesley McCloud. The offense went back on the field with 14 seconds left on the clock, lining up in the best formation in football - the victory formation. The Vikings squeaked by with a 42-41 win to open their season, now able to exhale as they go into their week 2 bye.
Standout Players
Matt Eck – 25/42 passing, 329 yards, 5 passing TDs
Jereme Ombogo – 7 catches, 135 yards, 2 TDs
Wesley McCloud – 9 catches, 144 yards, 2 TDS
Marcel Love – 11 carries, 1 TD
Mason Wilson – 1 TD
Jaydin Miller – 5 solo, 4 assisted, 1 PBU
Juan Nieves – 8 solo, 4 kick returns for 72 yards
Mo Carter – 5 solo, 2 assisted
Ben Butler – 4 solo, 1 PBU
Samuel Aguirre – 1 PBU
What's Next?
North Park (1-0) will host the Millikin University Big Blue on Saturday, September 21st at 1 p.m. to open up their CCIW schedule.
