Check the Tape: Wheaton
North Central head coach Jeff Thorne reviews plays from the Cardinals big win over the Wheaton College Thunder in the Battle for the Little Brass Bell.
Lehnen’s Legs Lead the Way
On a first quarter drive, the Cardinals were able to pick up big yards on the ground via quarterback Luke Lehnen. First on two improvised runs on passing plays and then on a quarterback sweep that Thorne said the team had practiced that week, Lehnen left the Thunder in the dust.
Lehnen’s running ability appeared to catch Wheaton off guard, who appeared to expect running backs like Ethan Greenfield to lead the ground game. Instead, it was Lehnen who gained a team-high 93 yards rushing in the game. Greenfield did, however, score two more touchdowns to bring his season total to 5.
Dakota on Defense
While it was an outstanding group effort from the Cardinal defense, a handful of players did stand out by making multiple big plays. That included fifth-year senior defensive back Dakota Cremeens, with two particularly significant hits: one to stop a Thunder receiver in his tracks, the other a tackle-for-loss to break up a run in the backfield.
Cremeens has already shown off his variety of skills early in this season. He is able to cover ground like a safety, can run like a cornerback, and also hit like a linebacker. He certainly is a player who leads by example.
Kamienski Goes Deep
Fifth-year senior Andrew Kamienski is always a star of the show on offense for North Central, but in particular put himself in the spotlight against Wheaton. Gains of 23, 31 and 55 yards in the second, third and fourth quarters respectively highlighted a performance that made him more than worthy of being the man to claim the Brass Bell from the Wheaton sideline at the end of the game.
