Sophomore Lucas Blumenthal scores last week against Elmhurst. (Bobby Kaplan | Contributing Photographer)

Heartbreak has become somewhat of a recurring theme in the WashU football team’s recent battles with No. 20 Wheaton College. In 2023, WashU appeared poised for a statement win, holding a 35–28 lead with seconds remaining before Wheaton completed a stunning 34-yard Hail Mary as time expired and converted a two-point attempt to steal a 36–35 victory. Last season, the story was much the same: despite a late WashU rally from down 20-0, Wheaton held on for a 27–20 win.

This year, heartbreak struck again. Even though it had the ball with seconds left in prime field position, WashU lost to Wheaton for the sixth consecutive time, falling 28-24. 

The Bears beat Wheaton in 2018, their first season as members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). That 17-10 victory is the only time WashU has defeated the Thunder. Still, at the beginning of every season, head coach Aaron Keen and his squad circle the Wheaton game on their calendars.   

“We put a lot of preparation into this game over the course of a year,” Keen said. “It’s something we look forward to, and we’ve been awfully close for a number of years.”

Those losses set the stage for this year’s clash, with the Bears eager to overcome their conference rival and avenge two seasons’ worth of narrow defeats in their final season in the CCIW.

The first quarter featured an offensive clinic from both sides, with the Thunder getting on the board first. After an early three-and-out from the Bears, Wheaton drove down the field and connected for a 34-yard touchdown pass, securing an early 7-0 lead. 

However, junior quarterback Levi Moore immediately responded. Starting from the 25-yard line, Moore threw for completions of 13, 19, and 8 yards to reach the Wheaton half of the field. He then showcased his running abilities as a dual-threat quarterback, running for three consecutive plays and ultimately a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

In only four plays, Wheaton responded on its next drive. With two minutes left in the first quarter, the Thunder advanced to their 47-yard line. With two chunk passing plays of 21 and 29 yards, the Bears scored to shrink the Wheaton advantage to seven.

On its next drive, WashU turned to its running back duo — senior Fred Ware and junior Matthew Kinoshita. On a series of run plays, the Bears advanced to the Wheaton 30-yard line, and Moore connected with junior receiver Makael Carter again to convert a fourth down conversion. However, in the red zone, a holding penalty and a sack stopped the WashU drive in its tracks, with the Bears having to settle for a 28-yard field goal from sophomore kicker Matias Adrogue, making the score 14-10.

The last seven minutes of the half saw offensive flurries from both sides. Wheaton put together a five-minute, 75-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-10. Then, the Bears were able to successfully pull off a two-minute drill. On the first play, Moore ran for a big 30-yard gain. After a 22-yard connection with junior receiver John Benke, Moore found Carter for 17 yards, bringing the Bears to the 1-yard line. Moore punched it in for his second rushing touchdown of the day to make it 21-17.

What had been an offensive showcase in the first half came to an abrupt standstill after the break, with both teams exchanging three punts to begin the third. It was the Bears who took command to score the first points of the half. Powered by long completions of 29 yards to junior Drew Bomar and 17 yards to Carter, the Bears orchestrated a 12-play, six-minute touchdown drive. Moore found Bomar in the end zone for a 3-yard score, giving the team its first lead at 24-21.

At the end of the quarter, Wheaton began a fierce drive down the field. The Thunder converted two consecutive third downs before the start of the fourth quarter. The very first play of the fourth was a 38-yard dagger for a touchdown to make it 28-24 to Wheaton. 

The Bears looked to respond, chipping their way to their 42-yard line before a costly interception from Moore. Despite the great field position the Thunder had from the pick, a second opportunity presented itself as the Bears’ defense held strong, and Wheaton missed a field goal.

The next drive was a gritty, climactic drive consisting of 14 plays over six minutes. Moore converted two fourth downs with runs, and the team drove down all the way to Wheaton’s 21-yard line. Following a pair of incompletions intended for Carter, Moore’s final pass resulted in an interception from a safety lurking in his blind spot, ending what was shaping up to be a storybook comeback and sealing another heartbreaking loss for the Bears.

Despite his two late-game interceptions, Moore was certainly the driving force behind the Bears’ prolific offense, making up 327 of the team’s 412 yards. Receivers Bomar and Carter made good on his efforts, compiling 81 and 74 yards respectively. Junior Joy Chane led the team in tackles for the second week in a row, tallying seven stops throughout the game.

“I thought [the Bears] competed their tails off and played one hell of a football game,” Keen said when reflecting on the Bears’ efforts. “It’s disappointing to not have the result we want, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do some special things to close out the year.”

The loss brings the team to a 5-2 overall record and its first conference defeat, dealing a huge blow to WashU’s postseason aspirations. The Bears have three final CCIW games remaining, their next being an away game at Millikin University on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. There, the Bears will seek a bounceback victory to reignite their momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.