Thanks in large part to 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns by sophomore tailback Charlie Quinn, the Lake Forest College football team prevailed 27-6 at Knox College on Saturday. It was the Midwest Conference South Division opener for both teams.
Quinn's career-high rushing total is the eighth-best in recorded team history and the most by a Forester in more than two seasons. He scored on runs of 13, 3, and 16 yards and the longest of his 23 carries went for 49 yards. The last Lake Forest player with three rushing touchdowns in a game was Anthony Gebhart in 2004. Fellow sophomore Sam Mulford scored the visitors' other touchdown on a 2-yard plunge in the second quarter.
Forester junior quarterback Anthoney Prestley added 79 rushing yards on a dozen attempts and completed eight passes for 91 yards without an interception. Sophomore wide receiver Willie McIntyre led the team with four receptions for 54 yards.
Senior linebacker John Preston, defensive lineman Ramel Samuel, and safety Joey Kropp tied for team-high honors with seven tackles apiece. The Foresters forced four fumbles, including two by Kropp, and he had one of the teams three fumble recoveries.
The first turnover of the contest was a fumble forced by freshman Chase Slagboom and recovered by classmate Max Sorby on the opening kickoff. Quinn scored on the next play.
Kropp forced another fumble on the next possession and freshman cornerback Trevor Bain recovered. A 31-yard run by Prestly took the ball to the Knox 3-yardline and Quinn scored from there just 3:15 into the contest.
The Prairie Fire scored a field goal on their next drive and the score remained 13-3 until the second quarter. A Knox punt on the first play of the period pinned the Foresters back at their own nine but they traveled 91 yards in 16 plays, the last two on a run by Mulford. The drive took nearly 10-and-a-half minutes off the clock.
Samuel recorded Lake Forest's only sack of the day late in the first half and forced a fumble on the play that was recovered by junior linebacker Austin Van Meter. The Foresters went into the locker room at halftime leading 20-3.
Knox put another three points on the scoreboard early in the third quarter but were unable to get past midfield the rest of the way.
A 49-yard run by Quinn started the Foresters' final scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Prestly ran twice for 10 yards and Quinn scored from 16 yards out to cap off the 6-play, 77-yard drive.
Both teams are now 2-3 overall this season.
Lake Forest will host Monmouth College next Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
