Box Score Photos by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, CALIF. – The Whittier College Football team had their Senior Day spoiled Saturday afternoon as they fell 49-3 to the Stags of Claremont-M-S remaining winless on the season at 0-8, 0-6 SCIAC.
Prior to the game, Head Coach Todd Stratton recognized his 16 seniors leaving the program with the four year letter-winners earning letterman jackets and the others receiving plaques. These seniors included Joseph Anderson (Cypress, Calif.), Tyquion Ballard (South Central, Calif.), Sam Bettencourt (Downey, Calif.), James Bettencourt (Downey, Calif.), Bradford Carter (Westminster, Calif.), Chris Chiarmonte (Montebello, Calif.), David Lantow (Long Beach, Calif.), Ruben Iosefa (Los Angeles, Calif.), Steven Rivera (El Monte, Calif.), Romell Smothers (Brea, Calif.), Kevin Tapia (Pasadena, Calif.), Josh Thomas (Compton, Calif.), Diego Villasenor (Linda, Calif.), Justin Vlahos (Bakersfield, Calif.), Benton Bray (Kingsburg, Calif.), and Sal Chavarin (El Monte, Calif.).
On Whittier's first possession, they moved it down the field on nine plays covering 47 yards. Anderson found Bray and Brandon Takata (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) with 11 and 12 yard hook-ups early before finding Vlahos over the middle for a 26 yard completion capped off with his own 14 yard scamper, which brought the Poets down to the CMS 27. But two plays later the drive stalled as Drew Lewis (Turlock, Calif.) would fumble turning the ball over to the Stags.
Despite giving up a huge 45 yard play on the very next series down the sideline, Whittier's defensive unit was able to force a turnover on downs, which kept the game scoreless. But it wouldn't be long for CMS to find the endzone as Trey Reynolds would find Chris Cziesla from 21 yards capping off a 5-play, 69-yard drive that put the Stags in front 7-0.
At the end of the first quarter, Whittier started a nice drive as Anderson scrambled to find Vlahos for a 47 yard reception that brought the Poets into the redzone with a 1st and Goal but that's as close as they would get as a penalty and a loss would push them back to attempt a 31-yard field goal, which Whittier's Eric Voss (Temecula, Calif.) would miss right. Later, CMS would add to their lead at the 8:33 mark when Reynolds tossed his second touchdown of the day this time finding Matthew Orehek over the middle from 13 yards out.
Whittier would eventually get points on the board with :53 seconds left on the scoreboard when Voss converted on a 21-yard field goal, which capped off a 10-play, 71-yard drive that covered 5:23. But in the final :38 seconds, CMS would add their third score on the day going 80 yards in four plays, which included a 12-yard rush from Reynolds, a 37-yard completion to Lucas Owen and a 12 yard completion to Tyler Stanek capped off with Orehek's second touchdown grab of the day from nine yards out.
In the second half, CMS would add to their lead as Geno Quaid would pick off an errant Anderson pass at the Whittier 24-yard line and ran it back for a pick-six. The Stags continued to roll as Cziesla would pick up his second touchdown of the day with a seven-yard slant route from Reynolds and Patrick Dixon and Orehek would cap off the scoring for CMS with touchdowns of 17 yards and 13 yards in the fourth that put the game out of reach.
Whittier amassed 230 yards of total offense (180 Passing/50 Rushing) with Anderson going 11-for-27. Joey Willm (Arcadia, Calif.) led the rushing attack with 11 attempts for 21 yards and Vlahos got close to the 100-yard mark with three catches for 87 yards averaging 29.0 yards per catch.
Defensively, Austin Brasher (El Segundo, Calif.) was the lone Poet in double digits with 10 tackles (4 solo/6 assisted) and had a tackle for a loss. Villasenor (2 solo/6 assisted) and Nicholas Markarian (Chino Hills, Calif.) (4 solo/4 assisted) each had eight tackles.
Whittier rounds out their 2015 campaign this Saturday, November 14 as they travel to Orange, Calif. to take on Chapman University beginning at 1:00pm.
