Lakeland (8-2 overall) overwhelmed Benedictine 46-22 last week to clinch the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference regular season title and a perfect run through the league. Michael Whitley (So.-Vidalia, La.) passed for 383 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for 137 yards and two more scores. The 520 yards of total offense set a new school single-game record and Lakeland avenged a loss to the Eagles in the regular season finale a year ago that cost it a trip to the playoffs. The Muskies defense also intercepted four passes, including a pair by Donte Rowell (So.-Chicago, Ill.) in the first half to halt Benedictine drives. Lakeland won its seventh straight game and clinched the 24th football conference championship in school history.

The Thunder had to fight back for a 17-3 win over Carthage in their season finale. The game was tied 3-3 entering the fourth quarter before Johnny Peltz completed a 20-yard TD pass to Zach Lindquist with 8:38 left, and Wheaton added an insurance score with a 24-yard TD run by Danny Puknaitis with less than two minutes left. The Thunder outgained the Red Men 395-156 and held a 20-8 advantage in first downs but went just 4 of 12 on third downs and missed a pair of field goal tries. Wheaton still completed its second consecutive undefeated regular season and held an opponent to 17 points or less for the ninth time in 10 games.

This is the second meeting ever Lakeland and Wheaton on the gridiron and the first in 73 years. Sept. 26, 1942 was the one and only prior time the two schools have played before, back when Wheaton was known as the Crusaders and Lakeland was known as Mission House College. Wheaton won that game 21-0 at Lakeland in the Muskies' season opener. Lakeland also carries a 9-24-1 all-time record against College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin schools. Its last win over a CCIW school was a 17-16 win at Carthage Sept. 13, 2003.