BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark football team snapped its 12 game losing streak to the Whitworth Pirates on Saturday afternoon with a 30-22 victory at Griswold Stadium in a Northwest Conference contest.
The victory improves the Pioneers to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the NWC. The Pioneers have not started a season 5-0 since the 1963 season, when Lewis & Clark finished the year undefeated at 8-0. The Pioneers also improve to 2-0 in conference play for the first time since 1990. Lewis & Clark has officially clinched its first winning season since 1995. The Pirates slip to 1-5 on the season and 0-2 in conference action.
Sophomore kicker Simon Monley had a huge game for the Pios, hitting two field goals from 43-yards. Keith Welch led the Pioneers in rushing with 149 yards on 19 carries, scoring twice. Welch was also 14-of-31 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown pass to Shawn Evans. Evans led the Pioneers in receptions with six for 50 yards, while Andrew Frisina had 78 yards on five catches.
Defensively, senior Louis Baltazar had a strong game, leading Lewis & Clark with 12 tackles (seven unassisted/five assisted) and three sacks for a loss of four yards. Logan Kotzian finished the contest with 11 tackles, while Dan Curtin came up with 10. Curtin also picked off the Pirates once, as did teammate Joe Kopp-Anderson who also finished with a sack. John Berokoff ended the game with two sacks and two tackles for a loss of 12 yards, while also forcing a Pirate fumble.
Ronnie Thomas led the Pirates in rushing with 96 yards on 12 carries, while Jake DeGooyer had 149 yards on 12 receptions. Zac Hill was 11-27-1 passing for Whitworth and Bryan Peterson finished 13-20-1.
Whitworth jumped ahead 7-0 on its opening possession, driving 62-yards on eight plays, resulting in an Austin Ehlo touchdown.
Lewis & Clark responded moments later with a 13-yard touchdown run from Welch. The Pirates took their last lead of the game on their next possession with a 17-yard field goal, handing them a 10-7 advantage.
An 18-yard touchdown reception by Evans in the second quarter put the Pioneers on top for the first time, 14-10. The Pioneer defense would then get its time to shine, forcing a Pirate fumble two possessions later. The fumble was forced by Berokoff and recovered by Curtin.
With great field position, it would only take the Pioneers two plays to find the end zone with Welch taking it in from two-yards out.
Whitworth attempted to put more points on the board in the second quarter, steadily moving down the field before Curtin picked off the Pirate quarterback. The Pios took the ball to the Whitworth 26-yard line with five seconds remaining in the half. With the half coming to a close the Pioneers opted for a field goal, which Monley put through with ease from 43-yards out.
Monley would score the only points of the third quarter with a 24-yard field goal, giving the Pioneers a 27-10 advantage.
The Pirates switched quarterbacks in the fourth quarter and quickly began putting points on the board. Whitworth cut the score to 27-16 on a seven-yard run. Instead of going for the point after, the Pirates decided to attempted a two-point conversion, which was unsuccessful.
Whitworth pulled the score to 27-22 later in the quarter on a 57-yard drive that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown pass. The Pirates once again decided to go for two and were again unsuccessful.
In order to get the ball back, Whitworth tried an on-side kick, which was recovered by the Pioneers. Monley once again attempted a 43-yard field goal, which he sent through the uprights again.
With 33 seconds remaining in the contest, the Pirates were picked off again ending the contest in the Pios favor.
Hill's desperation pass at the end of the game was intercepted.
Lewis & Clark returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. as they host Puget Sound for Homecoming.
