BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark football team defeated the Puget Sound Loggers for the third consecutive season on Saturday, taking down the Loggers 31-28 on the Pioneers homecoming.

The Pioneers improve to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Northwest Conference. The victory marks the first time the Pioneers have begun the conference season with a 3-0 record since 1966. Lewis & Clark remains one of two undefeated teams in the Northwest Conference this season, along with Linfield. The Loggers are still in search for their first win of the season with a 0-7 overall record and 0-4 conference standing.

Sophomore Keith Welch led the Pioneers offense, scoring all four of the Pioneers touchdowns, rushing the ball 23 times for a total of 142 yards. Welch ended the game 26-of-36 passing with 322 yards, while throwing his first pick of the season. Senior Shawn Evans was Welch's favorite outlet during the contest, as Evans finished the game with 12 receptions for 171 yards. Senior Joevonte Mayes had five receptions for 52 yards, while classmate Brandis Piper had two catches for 49 yards.

Defensively for the Pioneers, the senior trio of Dan Cutin, Chris Kelly and Louis Baltazar kept the Loggers on edge all game. Curtin finished with 12 tackles, including a sack for a loss of five yards and a forced fumble. Baltazar also forced a Logger fumble, while sacking Braden Foley twice for a loss of 17-yards. Both Baltazar and Kelly ended the game with 10 tackles.

Kupuno Park was the Loggers leading rusher with 12 carries for 55 yards. Foley finished the contest 28-of-52, throwing two touchdowns while running in two more. Adam Kniffin scored the Loggers other two touchdowns, receiving the ball 13 times for 91 yards.

The Pioneers got on the scoreboard first after Curtin sacked Foley who lost control of the ball, allowing Angus Blair to recover the ball for Lewis & Clark. It took Welch just one play to run the ball into the end zone from nine yards out. Simon Monley followed up the score with a successful point after attempt.

It took nearly 15 minutes for either offense to put points on the board, with Puget Sound responding with a nine-play drive to open the second quarter. The Loggers tied the game at 7-7 after Kniffin split the Pio defense for a five-yard reception.

Lewis & Clark then went 89-yards on its next scoring drive to once again take the lead on a Welch rush. Facing 4-1 the Pioneers opted to keep their offense on the field, resulting in a four-yard rush by Joevonte Mayes, setting-up Welch for a seven-yard quarterback keep into the end zone.

With just under two minutes remaining in the half, the Loggers took over at their own 38-yard line and battled their way down the field to once again tie the contest. Three plays into the drive, Baltazar forced another Foley fumble, but this time the Loggers managed to jump on the ball. The recovery breathed new life into the Loggers who completed their next three plays to score on a 10-yard rush from Foley.

The second half began with the Loggers earning good field position on a 31-yard kick-off return by Ryan Rogers. Despite starting the second half on the Pioneers 49-yard line the Logger offense could not overcome the Pioneer pressure and were force to punt the ball away.

Lewis & Clark opened its first drive of the half deep in its own territory, but steadily moved up the field. On the Puget Sound 23-yard line, facing 4-5, the Pioneers attempted a field goal to take a three-point advantage, but were unsuccessful.

The Loggers returned the ball to the Pioneers just two minutes later after a failed offensive effort and this time the Pioneers made sure to put points on the board. It took the Pios just five plays to allow Welch to once again find the end zone.

Welch scored his final touchdown of the day on the Pios very next possession, handing Lewis & Clark a 28-14 advantage.

Down by two scores, the Loggers opened the fourth quarter with a determined 17-play, 69-yard drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The drive eventually resulted in a one-yard quarterback keep that allowed Foley to score his second touchdown of the contest.

Monley increased the Pioneer lead to 31-21 with a field goal from 41-yards out to help the Pioneers continue their scoring streak in every quarter. The Pioneers have now scored at least three points in every quarter of every game this season.

Puget Sound continued to attack the Pioneers, pulling within three points with a Foley pass to Kniffin for a 13-yard touchdown reception.

Taking over with 4:54 remaining in the game, the Pioneers played the clock in their favor, running 10 plays for 58-yards, draining 3:58 seconds off the clock. With just 56 seconds remaining, the Loggers gave it everything they had to move the ball down the field. On the very last play of the game, the Loggers lateraled the ball several times to try and keep their chances alive, but the Pioneer defense would not give up any space to allow them down field.