Box Score WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Football Team's defensive unit stood tough Saturday in a 27-12 loss to Pomona-Pitzer.
The Purple & Gold have now lost four of their last five and drop now to 3-4, 1-3 SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer improves to 4-2, 3-1 SCIAC.
It was a slow start for two very strong offenses who ended the 1st quarter scoreless. In the second Pomona-Pitzer used a 14-play drive capped off with a one-yard touchdown run by Karter Odermann to go on top 7-0. The Poets though responded on their next possession going 75-yards in 10-plays as Miguel Avina (Indio, Calif.) would find Moises Gonzalez (Long Beach, Calif.) for a 19-yard hook-up before connecting with him again for an 18-yard touchdown.
With 7:09 to play in the half PP would put together another long drive this time going 57-yards in 9-plays covering 3:36. The Sagehens got down to the WC13 but couldn't punch it in as they were forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal. After a three and out by the Poet offense, a short 26-yard punt by Sean Aldana (Los Angeles, Calif.) would set the Sagehens up with a short field and 1:10 to work with. They would then capitalize using a 39-yard completion that set them up 1st and Goal. Odermann then took it as time expired and stretched it over the goal line for another Sagehen touchdown giving them a 17-6 lead at the break.
Pomona-Pitzer received the opening kick-off in the second half and attempted a 4th and 9 conversion but was stopped by the Poet defense ending their 43-yard drive. But on their next possession they would tack on another seven as Odermann would find Nathan Miles from nine-yards out that completed a 13-play, 70-yard drive. After being held scoreless in the 3rd quarter the Poets got on the scoreboard early in the 4th as Avina led the Purple & Gold 70-yards in 9-plays. Avina connected with Gonzalez for a trio of completions of 24, 16, and 13 yards. He then punched it in from a yard out that moved the score to 24-12.
The final points on the day came from the Sagehens and Winston Li who converted a 32-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 27-12.
Whittier totaled a season low 249 yards of offense (160 Passing/89 Rushing). Avina finished 11-for-25 for 140 yards and a touchdown. He also ran 13 times for 49 yards and another score. Alex Retana (Whittier, Calif.) was the lead back with 10 attempts for 40 yards averaging 4.0 yards per carry. Gonzalez had a big day catching eight passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 14.1 yards per catch with a long being of 24.
Defensively the Poets were tough with Jacob Hayes (Chino Hills, Calif.) finishing with 13 tackles (7 Solo/6 Assisted) and Oscar Aliaga (Las Vegas, NV) adding nine solo tackles. New transfer Dondre Whitmore also had a standout game with 8 tackles, and a sack for a seven yard loss. On the day Whittier added three pass break-ups, two sacks and five tackles for losses.
Whittier wraps up their home games this Saturday, November 2 when they host Claremont-M-S beginning at 1:00pm.
