CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park Football (3-5, 2-5) enters the final two game stretch of the 2025 season, hitting the road to take on the Washington University Bears (6-2, 5-2) this weekend on their senior day in St. Louis, Missouri. The Vikings got back in the win column after a barn burner last week against Carthage, where they came away with a 14-10 victory on a game winning touchdown pass to senior receiver Micah Catron from freshman quarterback Carson Lewis. WashU is coming off a win as well, beating Millikin last week 38-7 after falling to #20 Wheaton the week prior.
The Bears have been receiving votes in the national DIII rankings this season, something that has happened on a consistent basis for WashU in recent years. This season their offense is averaging 32 points per game with one of the best rushing attacks in the conference. At over 200 yards per game on the ground, WashU has two running backs with at least 490 yards in Fred Ware and Matthew Kinoshita, and a dual threat quarterback in Levi Moore who leads the CCIW in rushing touchdowns with 10. The three-headed monster running attack provides headaches for any defense while their passing game is middle of the pack in the CCIW, with Moore completing only 56% of his passes. However, they have found success through the air targeting receivers Makael Carter and Drew Bomar; Carter with 443 yards and 6 touchdowns, Bomar with 339 yards and 5 touchdowns. Defensively, the Bears are allowing 21 points per game, hanging their hat on applying pressure with their front seven forcing offenses into mistakes. They are led by defensive back Joy Chane and linebacker Brady Willmer, both players having a nose for the football as Chane is tied for second in the CCIW in interceptions with North Park's Sam Aguirre with 3, while Willmer is fourth in the CCIW in tackles for loss with 10.
North Park closes out the season with two strong opponents starting with the Bears this weekend, looking to ride the momentum built from their win over Carthage. Stopping WashU's run game and forcing Moore to throw, would allow for ball hawks like Ben Butler, Sam Aguirre, and Darrius Whiters to try and force a mistake out of Moore. As mentioned, Aguirre is tied for second in the CCIW with 3 interceptions but right behind him is Whiters with 2, good for third in the conference. Theo Smith, DJ Johnson and the rest of the Vikings' linebacker crew will have their hands full with the Bear run game, but will provide a good test for the young group. Johnson, a sophomore, currently sits at fifth in the CCIW in solo tackles with 37, making his case for an All-CCIW team so far.
From an offensive outlook, quarterback Carson Lewis faces his toughest defense so far this season, having only started the last two games against Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan. However, he is looking more and more comfortable with each game and can continue to have an impact moving the ball with his legs and his arm. Quick hitters like jet sweeps, hitches, and slants can be a way to get the ball out of Lewis' hands quick to alleviate some pressure from that WashU front seven. Getting the ball into playmaker's hands quickly will likely be the approach this week, getting receivers Jereme Ombogo, Wesley McCloud, Micah Catron, and company involved early will help to soften up the run game for the Vikings.
Kickoff is set for 12pm on Saturday, November 8th at Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis, Missouri.
