Box Score Photo by: Tony
Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LOS ANGELES - Occidental answered Whittier's
fourth quarter, go ahead, touchdown with the game winning score at
the 6:40 mark of the final frame to win the Battle of the Shoes,
25-22, on Saturday evening in Eagle Rock.
The Poets (1-2, 0-1 SCIAC) ran for 215 yards and limited the
Occidental (2-1, 1-0 SCIAC) to just 3.8 yards per rush. Three
players eclipsed 50 yards rushing for the Poets which includes
Kimble Tillman. The sophomore tailback carried the
ball 14 times for 58 yards.
The longest play from scrimmage for either team came from
Josh Ollison who scampered 73 yards for a third
quarter touchdown. It was his only carry of the game.
Ollison also caught a 24-yards scoring strike from quarterback
Alesana Sausau on Whittier's ensuing
possession. Sausau finished the game 9-of-17 for 104 yards and a
touchdown.
The defense was led by John O'Malley who
totaled 11 tackles which includes 1.5 for loss. Shane Sheets and Josh Callanan each recorded a
sack.
The Poets scored on their opening possession, going 36 yards in
12 plays over 7:01. Eric Cejudo capped the drive
with a 37-yard field goal.
Occidental answered with 14 unanswered points over the next two
quarters before Ollison scored on back-to-back Whittier possessions
in the third quarter.
A missed extra point left the door open for Occidental to take a
17-16 lead at 14:34 of the fourth quarter but Rodrigo Muratalla put the purple and gold back on top with a
two-yards touchdown run. The eight-yard drive was set up by
O'Malley's blocked punt. The ball was recovered by
Richard Hoover who returned the ball to the OXY
8.
Two plays later the Poets led 22-17. Whittier's two-point
conversion failed.
The Tigers then drove 65 yards in nine plays to reclaim the lead
with an 8-yard touchdown pass.
Whittier's final chance ended on an incomplete pass on 4th
and 6 from its own 49 yard line. WC's drive started at its
own 31 but a costly penalty turned what would have been a 1st and
10 at the WC 45 into a 1st and 25 and the WC 30.
The Poets will try and rebound next weekend as it hosts Cal
Lutheran at 7 pm.