Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

LA VERNE, Calif.  (Sept. 5, 2021) – Playing their first game in almost two years, the Whittier College Football Team battled but came up short at the University of La Verne on Saturday evening.

The Poets threatened the Leopards at points over all four quarters, first by putting together a 50-yard drive late towards the starting point of the second quarter that led to an attempted field goal. Senior Aaron Golmitz (Placerville, Calif. / Mid-American Nazarene) gained the Poets a first down by drawing a pass-interference call, then by coming down with a 16-yard pass from sophomore signal-caller Andrew Henriquez (Whittier, Calif. / La Serna) in his first game in the Purple & Gold. Henriquez had a busy night, maneuvering inside and outside the pocket to complete 25 passes for 195 yards. The receiving duo of freshman Tyson Tapley (Scottsdale, Ariz. Desert Mountain) and senior Hakim Williams Jr. (Covina, Calif. / Covina) proved to be the sophomore's favorite targets totaling five catches apiece for a combined 84 yards. The freshman totaled the largest gain of the night for the Poets, a 23-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

Another prime opportunity for the visitors came in the fourth when the offense moved the ball 53 yards down the field to incur another attempted field goal. Whittier did all its damage through the air on the drive, which included highlights such as Tapley's 23-yard grab and a 12-yard reception from Williams. On the defensive side of the ball, the Poets totaled two sacks from senior defensive lineman Hussayn Al-Qawi (Fontana, Calif. / Pomona) and classmate/linemate Cameron Kimball (Fort Sill, Okla. / Silver Valley). Kimball added an additional tackle for loss to his resume, while junior linebacker Enrique Santana (Inglewood, Calif. / Salesian) paced the Poets in the tackles department. Meanwhile, the collective defense had its best moments on third downs, holding the Leopards to a 25-percent conversion rate. The special teams unit also had its share of moments, including a blocked punt in the second quarter from junior linebacker Aaron Martinez (Oak Harbor, Wash. / Oak Harbor).

Head Coach Mike Neale and the Poets will make their 2021 debut at Memorial Stadium when they host Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.