Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Whittier College Football team threatened the Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran University Saturday evening in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener but couldn't pull off the upset as they fell 31-7.
After two tough non-conference losses the Purple & Gold found their offensive niche totaling 322 yards of total offense (206 Passing/116 Rushing) running nine more plays than CLU (74-65).
The Poets put up seven points in the first quarter coming on an eight play, 45 yard drive that covered 2:57 capped off with a one yard run by Justin Moore (Folsom, Calif.), while the defensive unit forced three, three and outs that helped give Whittier a 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff the Kingsmen responded with a 49-yard return from Ricky Johnson that gave them great field position at midfield. Then a five play, 44-yard drive would be capped off with a seven-yard touchdown run by Ben Chavez II that leveled that game at 7-7.
On CLU's next series, Adam Friederichsen found tight end Connor Allen down the field for a 40-yard hook-up that put them at the Whittier 16-yard line and two plays later Isaac Seymour would punch it in from eight yards out that gave CLU a 14-7 lead.
Whittier looked like they would get more points on the board with 7:50 on the clock following a 12-play 59 yard series that covered 3:47, which included two big 11-yard completions to Steven Rivera (El Monte, Calif.) but sophomore kicker Eric Voss (Temecula, Calif.) would miss the ensuing 36 yard field attempt that kept the deficit at seven.
After the defensive unit forced another three an out, Whittier would get the ball back with 5:12 to play and moved it 18 yards with an eight yard hook-up to Justin Vlahos (Bakersfield, Calif.) before Moore would throw one of three picks on the day allowing CLU to come down and kick an 18 yard field goal giving them a 17-7 lead at the half.
Whittier threatened on their first series out of the half going 63 yards in eight plays making their way into the redzone thanks to a huge 31 yard pass and catch from Moore to Romell Smothers (Brea, Calif.) and a 14 yard pick-up by Rivera. But on 2nd and 8, Moore would be picked off for the second time ending the threat.
Cal Lutheran then put together a drive going the length of the field in 10 plays that covered 73 yards but on 3rd and 6, Whittier's Joe Castanos (Downey, Calif.) would pick up his first collegiate interception that gave the ball back to the Purple & Gold.
The Poets marched back down the field going 48 yards with a 15 yard rush by Sam Bettencourt (Downey, Calif.) but on the other end Voss would miss wide left a 49 yard field goal that gave CLU good field position, which they would use to go down and add another score from Seymour who rushed it in from two yards out.
In the fourth, Voss had another opportunity this time from 40 yards out but again would miss wide left and CLU would come down later in the quarter and would add one more score from Ushali Ellison who scampered in from seven yards out that moved the score to 31-7.
Moore finished the game 16-for-34 for 206 yards, Bettencourt rushed 24 times for 94 yards and Vlahos led the receiving core with four catches for 64 yards averaging 16.0 yards per catch with a long being of 23.
Smothers had a great day returning grabbing four kickoffs totaling 69 yards averaging 17.3 yards per return.
Timothy Hillman (Calabasas, Calif.) led the defense with 12 tackles (8 solo/4 assisted), while Diego Villasenor (Linda, Calif.) and Kevin Tapia (Pasadena, Calif.) each had nine.
Whittier returns home this Saturday, October 10 as they host Occidental College for "The Shoes" Game beginning at 7:00pm.
