Junior quarterback Levi Moore rushed for two touchdowns and threw for three. (Danny Cheifetz | Contributing Photographer)

The WashU football team dominated North Park University in their final home game of the season, 42-14.

The Bears came into the game with a 7-2 record. It was Senior Day, and the team was looking to show out in front of a large home crowd filled with friends and loved ones. Their matchups against the Vikings have been historically favorable, with the Bears leading the all-time series, 8-1. 

However, North Park would put this record to the test early. After WashU won the coin flip and elected to defer, the Vikings immediately stunned the home crowd by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown, giving the Bears an unfamiliar 7-0 deficit. 

Though the Bears did not immediately respond with their first drive, where they punted, the Vikings punted it right back. The Bears didn’t waste any time, with junior running back Matthew Kinoshita starting the drive with rushes for gains of 7 and 9 yards. Junior quarterback Levi Moore then threw a 22-yard pass to junior receiver Makael Carter. After another 7-yard run by Moore, he found Carter in the endzone for a 5-yard touchdown, knotting the score at 7-7. 

The Bears stepped up on defense the next possession. Three plays into North Park’s subsequent drive, senior linebacker Salomon Dessalines intercepted a Vikings pass and returned it 20 yards. However, the Bears would be caught off guard once again and give the ball right back with an interception deep in Vikings territory. 

WashU’s defense came up big on the next drive, forcing a swift three-and-out from North Park. After a short punt by the Vikings set up the Bears on the 50-yard line, Moore wasted no time finding junior receiver Drew Bomar for 20 yards. After consecutive first down receptions by Carter, followed by an 8-yard run from Kinoshita, Moore capped off the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Bears up for the first time in the game, 14-7.

The scoring halted momentarily for both sides, with both teams exchanging three subsequent punts. The drought would end when North Park’s punter shanked another punt, giving the Bears good field position.

Smelling blood in the water, Moore found junior receiver Nathan Bluhm for an 18-yard reception on the second play of the drive. Moore then ran for 10 yards before converting his second 1-yard rushing touchdown of the day, extending the Bears’ lead to 14 with just above two minutes left in the half.

After another quick Viking punt, the Bears received the ball at the 46-yard line with a minute left in the half. On the first play of the drive, Moore launched a rocket downfield to find Carter for a 46-yard receiving touchdown, his second of the day. The Bears went into the locker room at the half up 28-7.

The Bears received the ball to begin the second half, and put together a meticulous, 10-minute scoring drive to open the quarter. The half began with a 12-yard run from senior running back Fred Ware, followed by consecutive gains of four yards from Kinoshita, positioning the Bears at their own 45-yard line. After a 7-yard reception from Carter, a few more quick bursts from Kinoshita, and an offsides penalty against North Park, Moore converted a 3-yard rushing touchdown, his third of the day. The Bears led 35-7 with 4:49 left in the third quarter. 

With such a commanding margin entering the fourth, the Bears were able to showcase some of their second-string talent. On the first play of the fourth, sophomore quarterback Alexander Singh threw the Bears’ second 46-yard touchdown pass of the day, finding first-year receiver Avery Lazard for 6, marking the lead at 42-7.

Despite a touchdown from the Vikings midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears would hold strong and finish the game up four touchdowns, 42-14.

Levi Moore showed out in the final home game of the season, going 19-21 with 238 yards to go along with two passing and three rushing touchdowns. Carter led the receiver room with 103 yards on eight receptions and both of the Bears’ receiving touchdowns. WashU’s defense also performed strongly. North Park finished the game with a loss of 34 rushing yards, setting a program record for the fewest rushing yards allowed by the WashU defense. 

With the win, WashU closed out its home slate in dominant fashion, improving to 8-2 on the season and giving its 19 senior class members a fitting send-off. The victory served as both a celebration of the team’s success and a tribute to the seniors who helped shape the program’s culture over the past four years. 

“We wanted to make sure that [the seniors] took everything in, and enjoyed the day,” head coach Aaron Keen said. “I’m happy for them. They came out, played a good football game, and came out on top.”

This game also marked the Bears’ final home game as a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). WashU has been a consistent force in the league since joining in 2018, and the transition to a new conference, the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), signals a fresh challenge and opportunity for the team moving forward.

“We’re ready for next year,” Carter said, when asked about the prospect of playing in a new conference. “It’s going to be a different play style, with different competition levels and schemes, but we’re ready for it.” 

The Bears close out the season with an away game at Augustana College, on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 12 p.m. With a win against Augustana, which also boasts a 7-2 record, the Bears will likely qualify for the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl the following week, in what would be their third appearance in program history.