Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Whittier College Football team ended their 2019 season Saturday facing tough conditions in a 59-20 loss to Cal Lutheran University.
The Purple & Gold end the year dropping five straight and finish at 3-7, 1-6 SCIAC. Whittier combined for 282 yards of offense (169 Passing/113 Rushing) and was just 3-of-11 on 3rd Down Efficiency.
It was a rough start for Whittier seeing CLU score on their first three possessions moving the score to 24-0 after the first quarter of play. The Kingsmen started the scoring off forcing a Miguel Avina (Indio, Calif.) fumble on the Poets opening series. They then took it in from 35-yards out for the games first points. After a short punt of 26-yards on Whittier's next series, the Kingsmen were set-up at midfield and they again would use the field position finding the endzone in six-plays that covered 2:07. The final points of the quarter came following a botched snap on 4th and 7 by the Purple & Gold. This would give CLU great starting field position again and they would convert going 31-yards in four plays.
The Kingsmen would tack on a quick score to start off the second with Cameron Jones taking it to the house on an 89-yard punt return touchdown. Things got worse after that for Whittier with CLU knocking down a 20-yard field goal and then adding another touchdown at the 2:34 mark, this time from Reid Huseman from 10-yards out.
Right before the half the Poets finally got on the scoreboard using the 2:34 to cover 75-yards in six plays, which included a 16-yard rush from Avina, a Daniel Garlick (Lodi, Calif.) 10-yard hook-up with Moises Gonzalez (Long Beach, Calif.), capped off with a 5-yard score from Avina. But the scoring wasn't done for the half. With :48 seconds to go before intermission the Kingsmen would also cover 75-yards in six plays, using a 36-yard reception to James Holland, a rush by Morris Jackson for 18-yards and a Jones 15-yard touchdown catch from Cesar De Leon that pushed the score to 45-7.
CLU got the ball to start the third quarter and they would add more points onto the scoreboard this time with De Leon finding Joc Smith from nine-yards out that ended a 9-play, 75-yard drive. Trailing 52-7 the Purple & Gold made one final push. They converted a 4th and 13 from the CLU 34 as Avina would find Hakim Williams Jr. (Riverside, Calif.) for a 34-yard touchdown. Then with 8:48 to play the Poets tacked on more points this time covering 96-yards in just five-plays that spanned just 1:35. Avina started the drive off with a 41-yard scamper, then found Daniel Cruz (La Mirada, Calif.) for 18-yards down the middle before connecting with Jacob Mateko (Moorpark, Calif.) for a 25-yard score.
Avina was 10-for-23 on the day for 159 yards and two touchdowns threw the air. On the ground he rushed 16 times for 93 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per rush along with another score on the ground.
Noah Handel (Laguna Beach, Calif.) handled the punting and totaled 147 yards on four kicks averaging 36.8 yards per punt. He also took over kickoff duties and added 258 yards on four kicks, averaging 64.5 yards with three touchbacks.
Defensively, freshman Mark Tolmachoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) finished with 12 tackles. Jacob Hayes (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Cameron Smith (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) added nine tackles apiece and five other Poets added five tackles. Nicholas Hanamaikai (West Covina, Calif.) added 1.5 tackles for a loss and Sean Hamilton (Henderson, NV) registered a pass break-up.
