Box Score

ST. PAUL -- Northwestern College flew out of the gate and never looked back in Saturday afternoon' s homecoming football game against the University of Minnesota Morris. The Eagles quickly built up a 28-0 lead before settling on a 38-14 final score to improve to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play.

While the NWC offense had a solid day, the Eagles' success started with the defense, who forced Morris into a three-and-out on the Cougars' first possession. Northwestern needed just 2:40 to find the end zone, using seven plays to travel 55 yards en route to a Chris Simon-Wallace (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) touchdown that ultimately gave the home team a 7-0 early edge. The defense came up big again in Morris' next possession, with Joey Bauman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven Murdock Sunburg) intercepting Derrick Foss's pass over the middle. Northwestern capitalized again, using less time and fewer plays to find pay dirt again as Brian Lecheler (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) hauled in a 10-yard fade pass from Josh Balzer (Shorview, Minn./Mounds View). Ethan Zepp (Grimes, Iowa/Des Moines Christian)'s successful point-after attempt put the Eagles up 14-0 before 10 minutes had ticked away.

Fast forward into the second quarter, where Chris Simon-Wallace (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) capped off a lengthy 17-play, 99-yard drive that chewed 8:35 off the clock. Kendall Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) picked up a Morris fumble on the ensuing kickoff that gave Northwestern the ball right back. After Balzer took a sack on first down, the senior hooked up with Lecheler for a 47-yard connection for six points on the next play, and NWC found itself leading 28-0. Lecheler, who will enter Week 6 of the 2012 schedule averaging over 100 yards per game, has caught at least one pass for 35 yards or longer in each contest this season.

After the Cougars got on the board on a 16-yard scoring pass, Zepp wrapped up one of the Eagles' best halves of the season, kicking the team's first field goal of the year through the uprights from 23 yards out, boosting NWC's lead to 31-7 on a 51-second drive.

Northwestern held a 133-36 advantage in total rushing yards at the half, showing how well the Eagles were moving the ball on the ground while the defense was holding up its end of the deal too. NWC's first four offensive plays of the game -- and seven of the first eight -- were all running calls.

Josh Sinnen (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) put the icing on his 92-yard day with an eight-yard TD with 6:09 to play in the third quarter, wrapping up the Eagles' 38-point performance. Morris snuck into the end zone one more time as Dan Garrigan found Dalton DeGraffenreid for a 19-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

The final tally of yardage finished with Northwestern on top 374-360, but the gap was significantly wider until the fourth quarter when many second- and third-string Eagles players saw the field. NWC averaged 4.9 yards per rush, finishing with 262 total yards on the ground.

Balzer's finished nine of 19 for 154 yards and two touchdowns, with the quarterback going without an interception for the third time this year. Lecheler was Balzer's leading target, catching four passes for 97 yards and both scores. Sinnen was the Eagles' leading rusher with 92 yards and a score on 16 carries. Simon-Wallace carried the ball nine times for 81 yards and two more touchdowns.

On defense, freshman Luke Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area ) recorded a career-high 13 tackles. Josh Swore (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) continued his streak of sacks and tackles for a loss, taking credit for two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss amidst eight total tackles. Kendall Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) contributed seven tackles from his linebacker position.

Leandro Dower led Minnesota Morris on the ground with 109 yards on 17 carries. Garrigan threw for both of the Cougars' scores, hitting four receivers three times apiece.

After getting comfortable on its home turf of Reynolds Field for the last two weeks, Northwestern will take its now-four game winning streak on the road next Saturday, Oct. 6, as the Eagles take on the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. (East High School) at 4 p.m. The Saints defeated MacMurray College 43-6 in Jacksonville, Ill. on Saturday afternoon.