Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College Football team battled No. 21 the University of Redlands Saturday night but couldn't hold it as they fell 45-10 on the road.
The Purple & Gold have had a tough four-game stretch as they drop to 3-6, 1-5 SCIAC. All ten points came in the first half as Whittier totaled a mere 151 yards of offense (139 Passing/12 Rushing).
The only points that went up in the opening quarter came with 2:29 to play from the Bulldogs who went 12-plays covering 96 yards ending in a Kai Thompson nine-yard touchdown run. Whittier capitalized early in the 2nd Quarter forcing a UR fumble, which set them up 1st and Goal from the UR 8. Miguel Avina (Indio, Calif.) then took over and rushed it three times for the game-tying score. After a UR touchdown from Cole Davis, which capped off a 5-play, 63-yard drive, Whittier would put up another three points coming from Noah Handel (Laguna Beach, Calif.) who connected for a 43-yard field goal, which ended a 14-play drive that covered 49-yards in 8:11.
Right before the half UR would find the endzone one more time with Nathan Martinez finding Mitchell Nickov with :41 seconds to go. This made the deficit 12 heading into the break. Out of the half the Poets offense stalled being held scoreless over the final 30:00 minutes, while Redlands would tack on nine in the 3rd Quarter and another 14 in the 4th.
Avina was 11-for-20 on the game for 129 yards. He also ran it 25 times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Moises Gonzalez (Long Beach, Calif.) led the receiving core with seven catches for 74 yards, averaging 10.5 yards per catch with a long being for 20. Jacob Mateko (Moorpark, Calif.) hauled in five catches for 56 yards, averaging 11.2 yards per catch with a long being of 34.
Defensively, Oscar Aliaga (Las Vegas, NV), Jacob Hayes (Chino Hills, Calif.), Mark Tolmachoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), and Chad Fanning (Yuma, AZ) each had seven tackles for the game. Fanning also added a pair of sacks for a combined 16-yards lost. Sean Hamilton (Henderson, NV) finished with six tackles, had two pass break-ups and an interception, which he returned 17 yards.
Whittier has their final game of 2019 this Saturday, November 16 when they travel up to Thousand Oaks Calif. to take on Cal Lutheran University beginning at 1:00pm.
