Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – On an afternoon full of tailgating parties, a parade of Poet athletes, homecoming events, and Brigadier General Pete Dawkins being named the Honorary Coach for the Purple and Gold, Whittier was unable to come away with the victory as they fell 31-30 to Claremont-M-S in front of over 2,500 Poet faithful.
Before the start of the game, Brigadier General Pete Dawkins was the honorary coach during the coin flip and was there donned in his Purple and Gold rooting on the Poets.
Sophomore Chris Lopez led the Poet attack as he threw for 325 yards on 17-26 passing and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a touchdown.
On Claremont-M-S first series Bickler took the ball on the first play from scrimmage and rushed down to Whittier's one yard line, but on the same play senior Travis Driskell forced a fumble and it was recovered by Whittier in the endzone for a touchback.
Early in the quarter Lopez then drove the Poets down the field in six plays for 78 yards and capped it off with a 17 yard scoring run that put Whittier up 7-0.
On the afternoon Lopez threw to nine different receivers and his longest pass was for 58 yards to Oklahoma State transfer Dameron Fooks who brought the Poets down within the ten yard line late in the first quarter as he hauled in a 58 yard pass. On the next play from scrimmage, Donell Griffin Jr. rushed in for the score from eight yards out that put the Poets up 14-7.
But the Purple and Gold wouldn't stop there as they continued to pour on the points as Douglas Soriano tacked on a field goal at the end of the second quarter to put Whittier up 17-4 heading into the half.
At halftime, Whittier recognized all 21 collegiate sports during their Parade of Poet Athletes honoring past and present athletes and the accolades them and their respective teams have obtained in past years.
Coming out of the break, Whittier received the ball first and marched down the field in 11 plays for 65 yards capped off by a nine yard touchdown reception from Cardell Turner who finished the game with two receptions for 66 yards. With this scoring strike Whittier took an astounding lead 24-7.
Claremont-M-S then began chipping into the lead as they tacked on a field goal and recovered an onside kick that led to ten points and that brought them within three 24-21. But Whittier then answered back as Lopez connected with Kimble Tillman for a 45 yard touchdown, but after a missed extra point Whittier only held onto a 30-21 lead with just under thirteen minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
On the next Claremont-M-S series the Poet defense made a strong stand with two sacks and a forced third down incompletion but on 4th down, Whittier's Alex Mitchell fumbled the punt and the Stags recovered on Whittier's 41 yard line. They then gained 28 yards and two first downs and then tacked on a field goal that brought them within six.
After an onside kick recovery, the Stags then came down the field and Kimmey ran it in from seven yards out to help Claremont take a one point lead and a lead they would not relinquish.
Whittier made a final push to add a field in the final two minutes of the contest but back to back sacks moved Whittier out of field goal range and they were unable to convert on fourth down.
On the defensive side of the ball, Charles Scicli led the defensive stand with 15 tackles, a forced fumble and two broken up passes, while Driskell had 10 tackles and a forced fumble.
Whittier on the day collected two sacks both coming from freshman Scott Dinov for a combined 11 yard loss, but also collected six tackles.
The Purple and Gold return to action Saturday, October 29 as they host the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer in their final home game of the season.
