BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. - Despite going into the half tied 21-21, the Lewis & Clark football team could not overcome the Willamette Bearcats on Saturday afternoon in Salem in a Northwest Conference contest. The Bearcats managed to hold the Pioneers to a field goal in the second half to earn a 65-24 victory.
Willamette improved to 7-2 overall, 4-1 in the Northwest Conference. L&C dropped to 4-4 overall, 2-3 in the NWC.
Quarterback Keith Welch finished the day 17-of-27 passing, throwing for 277 yards and one touchdown. Welch led the Pioneers in rushing with 101 yards, while Joevonte Mayes rushed for 49 yards on eight carries which included two touchdowns. Harrison Keller had a receiving touchdown for the Pios, picking up 72 yards on four catches.
Defensively for the Pioneers, Dan Curtin had 12 tackles, while Chris Kelly had 11. Kelly also ended the day with a tackle for loss.
The Pioneers marched 78 yards on nine plays following the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead. Freshman quarterback Keith Welch ran three times for 24 yards and completed a 37-yard pass to Harrison Keller during the drive. Joevonte Mayes scored the touchdown on a 6-yard run.
On Willamette's first possession, the Bearcats earned just one first down -- on a 19-yard pass from Widing to Jose Green -- before being forced to punt.
The kick by Mitchell Rowan was kept in play near the goal line by WU's Chris Santana and was downed by teammate Mikey Lemon at the L&C 1-yard line.
Lewis & Clark responded by driving to the Willamette 24. On 3rd-and-11, Welch was intercepted in the end zone by Arlin Taylor .
WU drove 80 yards on eight plays to tie the score at 7-7. Chad Pollard opened the drive with a 22-yard run and Jake Knecht caught a 17-yard pass two plays later.
Eventually, a 20-yard pass from Widing to Matt Williams brought the ball to the L&C 20. Williams tacked on an 11-yard run on the next play, and Widing followed with a 9-yard scamper for the touchdown with 14:08 left in the second quarter.
L&C surged back in front, 14-7, on a 31-yard run by Mayes with 9:12 remaining in the half. The touchdown completed an 11-play, 79-yard drive by the Pioneers.
Lemon provided Willamette with the game's next two scores. He reached the end zone on a 9-yard run at the 7:38 mark of the second quarter and also crossed the goal line on a 7-yard run with 0:53 to go in the half. Kyle Derby kicked the PATs, giving WU a 21-14 lead.
The Pioneers benefited from a good kick return by Logan Kotzian and a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Willamette to take over at the WU 45 with 46 seconds on the clock. Four plays later, with just 0:07 remaining in the second quarter, Welch hit Keller with a 20-yard touchdown pass.
WU broke the 21-21 tie on the opening drive of the second half, as the Bearcats went 57 yards on 12 plays. It would be all Bearcats after that, with the Pioneers only managing to put up three more points in the game off a field goal by Simon Monley.
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. when they host the Linfield Wildcats at Griswold Stadium.
