Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Football team saw their Homecoming game spoiled Saturday evening as Pomona-Pitzer would hold on for the 25-13 victory at Memorial Stadium.
Following a lively Homecoming Festival and Parade of Poet Athletes prior to the game, the Purple & Gold were unable to climb out of the 19-0 hole they were in until midway through the fourth.
The Sagehens (2-4, 1-2 SCIAC) combined for 450 yards of total offense en route to their first conference win of the season and their first road win in SCIAC play since the 2013 season.
Pomona-Pitzer opened up the scoring with 7:49 left to play in the second as a 6-yard Aseal Birir rushing touchdown capped off a 12 play 57-yard drive that spanned just under seven minutes. They would then add to their lead right before the half going 98 yards accentuated by Edward Sias' 16 yard TD pass to Ryan McGee that increased the lead to 12-0.
Whittier in the first half totaled 101 yards of total offense and in six drives were unable to cross the opponents 40-yard line. They had a drive going midway through the first going 30 yards in eight plays looking to get points on the board after a big 15-yard reception from Justin Moore (Folsom, Calif.) to Justin Vlahos (Bakersfield, Calif.) but later in the drive on 3rd and 10 at the 50-yard line, Vlahos couldn't haul in the catch forcing an Eric Voss (Temecula, Calif.) punt, one of seven on the evening.
While the teams would only trade drives in the third quarter, which included Whittier stopping Pomona-Pitzer on 4th and goal after Bradford Carter (Westminster, Calif.) chased down Brett Harper for a four yard loss forcing the turnover on downs, the Sagehens got back on the board only seconds into the 4th quarter with Birir collecting his second touchdown of the night on a two yard reception that capped off a 5-play 34-yard drive.
Whittier though would respond with an 11-play 68-yard touchdown drive of their own coming from Moore who rushed it in from two yards out that cut the deficit to 12. During that drive, PP had four penalties that accumulated 49 yards that helped the Purple & Gold move it down the field.
But on the very next drive for the Sagehens, Birir would grab his third touchdown of the night on a 12 yard scamper that increased the lead to 25-7. The Poets wouldn't go away quietly however as they would put together one last drive that went 65 yards in 12 plays covering 3:23 again capped off with a touchdown run from Moore, this time from nine yards out.
But that's as close as Whittier would get as Birir would polish off the game by collecting two first downs and 45 yards that allowed the Sagehens to run out the clock for their second victory of the season.
Whittier finished the game with 245 yards of total offense (129 Passing/116 Rushing). Moore was 14-27 for 111 yards and two rushing touchdowns, Joey Willm (Arcadia, Calif.) who got the nod at running back had 18 carries for 80 yards with a long being of 16, while Bryson Sanders (Brea, Calif.) came up big in the second half with four catches for 54 yards averaging 13.5 yards per catch.
Defensively, Diego Villasenor (Linda, Calif.), Gregorio Verdugo (San Diego, Calif.) and Austin Brasher (El Segundo, Calif.) all totaled 10 tackles, while Tyquion Ballard (Los Angeles, Calif.) registered his first pick of the season, had two break-ups and had a tackle for a loss.
Whittier remains winless on the season as they begin preparations for this Saturday's, October 31 contest with Redlands on the road beginning at 1:00pm.
