CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park football put together a complete performance on Saturday evening, rolling past the Elmhurst Bluejays 34-6 in their College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) home opener at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. Big plays in all three phases of the game propelled the Vikings to their first conference victory of the season.
The tone was set early when senior defensive back Ben Butler turned defense into instant offense. After Elmhurst's opening drive stalled deep in North Park territory, Butler blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt, scooped up the loose ball, and raced 85 yards for a touchdown. Freshman kicker Drayden Wilcox added the extra point, and the Vikings were off and running with a 7–0 lead.
North Park doubled its advantage later in the first quarter. Sophomore quarterback Cailix Dillon capped an efficient six-play, 80-yard drive by finding junior wide receiver Levi Sheehan for a 16-yard touchdown strike, giving the Vikings a 14-0 cushion.
Elmhurst responded midway through the second quarter when freshman running back Jeffery Elms broke free for an 83-yard touchdown sprint, trimming the deficit to 14-6. However, the point-after attempt was blocked and Butler struck again, this time returning the blocked kick all the way for two points. The PAT was blocked by junior defensive back Amare Johnson, scooped up and lateraled by senior defensive lineman Isaac Chandler over to Butler who took it to the house from there.
The rare defensive conversion stretched the lead to 16-6, where it remained at halftime.
After the break, North Park's offense went back to work. Wilcox capped a sustained drive with a 26-yard field goal, the first of his career, extending the margin to 19-6 in the third quarter.
The Vikings put the game out of reach in the fourth. Sophomore running back Aidan Delisi powered in from one yard out to finish an eight-play drive, and on the conversion, sophomore tight end Christian Bryce hauled in a successful two-point pass to make it 27-6. Minutes later, Delisi struck again, this time breaking tackles for a 7-yard score to push the advantage to 34-6 with 9:09 remaining.
North Park's defense slammed the door the rest of the way, highlighted by interceptions from sophomore linebacker Armando Martinez and Butler, along with consistent pressure up front led by senior lineman Isaac Chandler, who recorded a sack.
The Vikings dominated statistically, piling up 429 yards of offense behind a balanced attack. Delisi led the ground game with 99 yards and two touchdowns, while Dillon passed for 189 yards and a score. Sheehan paced the receiving corps with 52 yards and a touchdown.
What's Next?
North Park (2-1, 1-1 CCIW) returns to action next Saturday, October 4 against Augustana College. Kickoff at the Holmgren Athletic Complex for the Vikings' Homecoming game, is set for 1:00 PM CT.
