Nic Rummell Shines, Good Reads and Deep Posts in this week’s edition of Check the Tape with North Central coach Jeff Thorne.
First up on this week’s Check the Tape is an interception by sophomore defensive back Nic Rummell, who took advantage of a poorly placed pass to snag the turnover. Rummell has been an emerging star of this season so far for the Cardinals with two interceptions, three pass breakups and 10 solo tackles. A transfer from Iowa State his freshman year, Rummell spent his first two years on the roster as a wide receiver before he switched to defense where he has immediately excelled on plays like this one.
Next, it was clear in the first half that the Cardinals were looking to attack the middle of the field deep with the passing game. It was best exemplified by a long completions from Luke Lehnen to Andrew Kamienski and DeAngelo Hardy, the latter of which went for a 73 yard touchdown. Head coach Jeff Thorne said he and his staff had seen things on film from Carthage that made them believe these deep post routes would be effective and they were spot on with that game plan. Lehnen threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns on the day.
Finally, speaking of Lehnen, he showed his ability to step through his progression in this third play. After two long throws to Kamienski set up the Cardinals offense in the Red Zone, Lehnen again looked for his number one target to finish the job. However, with the senior covered and a Carthage defender jumping to try and block a would-be pass attempt, Lehen pulled the ball down and took off with some help from a block by running back Ethan Greenfield. Lehnen took it in for his 3rd rushing touchdown of the season and he would later add a fourth.
