BOX SCORE
FOREST GROVE, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark football team opened Northwest Conference action with a statement on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Pacific Boxers on the road 61-35.
The Pioneers are now 4-0 on the season, tying the teams best start to a season since 1995. The Pios are also now 1-0 in NWC action. The Boxers are still in search of their first win since bringing back football last season with a 0-4 record this year.
Lewis & Clark was led by sophomore Keith Welch who rushed for 106 yards, while finishing 13-23 (273 yards) from under center. Welch rushed for three touchdowns, while passing for two more. Senior Joevonte Mayes had a strong night for the Pioneers scoring two touchdowns. The Portland native rushed for 89 yards, while collecting 127 receiving yards.
Sophomore Andrew Frisina scored one touchdown for the Pioneers picking up 88 yards on four receptions. Freshman Curtis Shirey made the most of his time rushing the ball five times. Shirey scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run, while also scoring on a 58-yard punt return.
Defensively, Logan Kotzian finished the game with nine tackles for the Pioneers, while Chris Kelly took down eight Boxers. Senior Louis Baltazar finished with five tackles, two and half for a loss of five yards. Baltazar also picked off the Boxers, returning the ball 15-yards.
The Boxers were led by T.C. Campbell who was 22-36-1, throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Fukumoto caught all three of Campbell's touchdown passes. Defensively for the Boxers, Brinkworth finished with eight tackles.
The Pioneer offense continues to roll, as the Pioneers once again scored in every quarter of the game for the fourth consecutive contest. The two sides combined for 14 touchdowns with Lewis & Clark posting nine of them.
The Pios finished with 524 yards of offense, with 281 of those yards coming in the air. The Boxers held the majority of the possession, despite the loss, putting together 452 yards of total offense.
Welch put the Pioneers on the board first with a touchdown with 12:11 remaining. The Boxers managed to block the point after attempt by Simon Monley and return it the length of the field for a two-point conversion.
Shirey increased the Pioneer lead moments later with a five-yard run with 6:37 remaining in the first. The Boxers scored their first touchdown of the contest on their next drive, making the game 12-9.
Lewis & Clark extended its lead to 19-9 before the end of the first quarter on a quick 2:24 drive. Welch once again took the ball across the goal line himself on a 48-yard run. The Pioneer quarterback put another one in in the opening minutes of the second quarter on a four-yard run.
Fukumoto scored the Boxers next points on a 27-yard touchdown pass with a little over a minute remaining in the half. Mayes made quick work of the Boxers on the Pioneers next possession, scoring on the first play of the drive. Mayes took the ball 64-yards to put his team ahead 33-15.
The Boxers fought back within 33-23 right before the half with another Fukumoto score.
Lewis & Clark put the game out of reach for Pacific in the third quarter, holding the Boxers scoreless while scoring two more times. Frisina made it a 40-23 contest on a 28-yard reception. Mayes scored once again for the Pioneers with 6:44 to play in the quarter on a 57-yard run.
The Pioneers continued to control the contest with a 57-yard punt return by Shirey in the fourth quarter.
The Boxers finally got on the board in the second half with a short reception. Lewis & Clark capped things off with two more scores in the final five minutes of the game.
Freshman Bruce Taft scored on a six-yard reception from classmate Dustin Dailey who came in for Welch.
Lewis & Clark has a bye next week, before returning home to host the Whitworth Pirates at Griswold Stadium at 1 p.m.
