Football | 9/10/2014 11:38:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Sep. 13: North Central College Cardinals (0-0) at St. Norbert College Green Knights (1-0)

Kickoff: 1 p.m., Schneider Stadium.
Live Video: client.stretchinternet.com/client/snc.portal#
Radio: 89.1-FM WONC.
Live Stats: www.snc.edu/athletics/teamfiles/livestats/xlive.htm
Game Updates: www.twitter.com/NCC_Athletics
Series History: 1-0, North Central.

Setting the Scene: The Cardinals prepare to open the season on the road for the fifth time in six seasons as they make their first-ever trip to De Pere for matchup of defending conference champions.

Series History: This is the second football meeting between the two schools.

North Central and St. Norbert squared off in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship on the Cardinals' home field, and North Central rolled to a 57-7 victory. The Cardinals averaged nearly 10 yards per play and totaled 612 yards, their most ever in a postseason game. St. Norbert was held scoreless until just 35 seconds remained, when quarterback Rob Berger plunged across the goal line for a one-yard touchdown run.

Spencer Stanek completed 12 of 14 passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns for the Cardinals, who saw nine different players catch at least one pass. Manny Juarez caught a team-high four passes and Jordan Tassio paced the running game with 87 yards on 10 attempts.

Prior to that matchup, North Central had not played a Midwest Conference opponent since a 44-0 victory over Beloit in 1983. The Cardinals hold an all-time record of 12-26-1 against the Midwest Conference.

Prior to its matchup with the Cardinals, St. Norbert had not played a CCIW team since a 39-32 loss to Augustana in the first round of the 1999 playoffs. The Green Knights opened this season last week against CCIW representative Carthage, winning by a score of 25-13.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 6 in the D3football.com Preseason National Top 25 poll. The Cardinals were ranked ninth in the Sporting News Preseason Top 25 and the USA Today Preseason Top 10 while sitting 10th in the Preseason Top 25 released by Lindy's Sports Annuals.

Scouting the Green Knights: St. Norbert trailed, 13-0, in the first half of its season opener at Carthage last week before scoring 25 unanswered points to secure the first career victory for new head coach Steve Opgenorth.

The Green Knights were outgained on offense by Carthage, 308-282, but got excellent field position on a pair of special-teams returns by freshman running back Elijah Fort, who scored on a 72-yard punt return in the third period.

Sophomore wide receiver Zach Reeves caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter before running 29 yards on a reverse to put St. Norbert in front for the first time with 1:33 left in the third period. Backup quarterback J.T. Crosby sealed the win with a two-yard touchdown run with 2:30 remaining.
Reeves was St. Norbert's top receiver with six catches for 65 yards, while Fort gained a team-high 53 rushing yards on nine attempts. Starting signal-caller James Tringali completed 18 of 28 passes for 146 yards and threw one interception.

Senior defensive end Austin Prusha recorded six tackles for loss, including three quarterback sacks, for the Green Knights, while senior cornerback Dan Egan intercepted a pass. After allowing touchdowns on Carthage's first two drives, St. Norbert forced the Red Men to punt on six of the next seven possessions.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central brings a blend of youth and experience into the 2014 season as it prepares to open a campaign in Wisconsin for the first time since a 28-7 win at Concordia University Wisconsin in 2007.

The Cardinals return two of their most prolific offensive weapons in wide receiver Peter Sorenson and running back Ryan Kent. Sorenson caught 80 passes for 1,109 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns in 2013, while Kent gained 1,186 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground.

North Central also returns running backs Matt Randolph, Zack Pattat and Oshayne Brown, each of whom gained more than 300 yards a year ago. Left tackle Pat Bolger, center Marc DesLauriers and right guard Eric Knaperek return as starters for a veteran offensive line.

Starting at quarterback will be sophomore Dylan Warden, a dual threat as a runner and passer who saw action in six varsity games as a freshman. Other new offensive starters include left guard John Hosey, right tackle Danny Pawlus, tight end McLean Funk and wide receivers Demarco Tillman and Alex Ulmer.

Defensive tackle Peter Mann returns after missing the 2013 season due to injury and is slated to start alongside sophomore transfer Jimmy Pelnarsh. Brian Wilson, a starter at defensive tackle last season, moves to defensive end with freshman Brad Kuchenbecker, who also missed 2013 due to injury, starting on the other side of the line.

The Cardinals' leading returning tackler, Michael Monterrubio, is slated to miss this week's game due to injury. Nick Samuelson is set to start at middle linebacker for North Central with Steve Liaromatis and newcomer Justin Stuursma at the outside positions. Cornerback Jordan Dean and safety Trey Hartema return as starters in the defensive backfield, with Jeremy Niklos stepping in at the other corner and Richard Zirngibl lining up at the opposite safety position.

Hartema intercepted four passes a year ago while Dean broke up six passes and intercepted another.

Transfer Dom Zavaglia figures to handle the kicking and punting duties for the Cardinals this season.

CCIW Preseason Poll: North Central has been selected as the favorite to win the CCIW Championship in football for the ninth consecutive season, as the Cardinals received the No. 1 spot in the CCIW's annual preseason poll of the conference's eight head coaches.

North Central received seven first-place votes and totaled the maximum 49 points in the voting, while Wheaton received 43 points and the remaining first-place vote. Illinois Wesleyan showed up third with 36 points, followed by Augustana (27), North Park (26), Elmhurst (21), Millikin (12) and Carthage (10).

The Cardinals have gone 52-4 in CCIW play and 75-15 overall in the past eight seasons, going undefeated in conference games four times.

Preseason All-Americans:  Sorenson and Kent have been named as selections to the 26th annual USA College Football Preseason All-America Teams.

Sorenson is one of 18 wide receivers selected to the First Team, while Kent, a running back, was named to the Honorable Mention list. A total of 674 players were selected for Preseason All-America honors among the 244 NCAA Division III football-playing institutions.

Warden was also projected as the Division III Newcomer of the Year by Lindy's Sports.

North Central Career Rankings: Sorenson enters the 2014 campaign ranked third all-time at North Central in touchdown receptions (21), fourth in receptions (108), fifth in receiving yards (1,513) and tied for ninth with Kent in total touchdowns (21).

Kent, meanwhile, ranks eighth in rushing touchdowns (20) and ninth in rushing yards (1,791) and all-purpose yards (2,312). Tyler Dicken sits 10th in career touchdown passes (12).

Also posting a new single-season record was Dean, who averaged 34.3 yards per kickoff return.

Around the CCIW: The CCIW is in the first year of a two-year scheduling agreement with the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, with St. Norbert serving as the eighth MIAA institution. All eight games in this year's agreement are being played this week with the CCIW teams on the road. All CCIW teams will host those games in 2015, with matchups still to be determined.

Other games Saturday feature Augustana at Hope, Illinois Wesleyan at Albion, Wheaton at Kalamazoo, Carthage at Adrian, Elmhurst at Olivet, North Park at Alma and Millikin at Trine.

'Red Zone' Returns in 2014 - Once again, fans of North Central College football can get an insider's look at the Cardinals' football program, as 'The Red Zone' highlight show returns for its seventh season on Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.

The show airs each Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and midnight, Friday at 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m., Saturday at 8:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. It will feature interviews with coaches and players, highlights of the previous week's game, and a look ahead to the upcoming opponent.

Each show is viewable online at nctv17.com and is archived at youtube.com/northcentralsports.