BOX SCORE
PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis & Clark football team came out of the gates strong against the Claremont Stags on Saturday afternoon in the teams 2011 season opener. The Pioneers never trailed in the contest, taking down the Stags with a convincing 36-14 victory.
The victory marks the first time that Lewis & Clark has opened the season at home with a win since 2001 when they defeated Pomona-Pitzer 49-27.
Senior running back Joevonte Mayes made the Stags suffer, finishing the game with two rushing touchdowns and a total of 157 yards on the ground. Mayes scored another Pioneer touchdown on a reception from sophomore quarterback Keith Welch.
Welch finished the game 13 of 24 for 133 passing yards, while senior Tucker Laurence was 9 of 14 for 78 yards. Welch rushed 10 times for a total of 96 yards and a 62-yard touchdown. Senior Shawn Evans caught six passes for a total of 52 yards, including a three-yard touchdown pass from Laurence with no time remaining on the clock in the third quarter.
Defensively, the Pioneers were led by seniors Louis Baltazar, Chris Kelly and Dan Curtin. Baltazar finished the game with 10 tackles, including two that resulted in Stag losses. Kelly finished his day with 12 tackles, while assisting Baltazar in a tackle for a loss.
Trevor Beltz led the way for the Stags with 84 yards rushing and a touchdown. Peter Kimmey scored the other Claremont touchdown, rushing eight times for 47 yards. Patrick Rooney finished the contest seven of 21 with an interception, while being sacked three times.
Claremont opened the contest with the ball at its own 20-yard line and steadily moved down the field before Ronney found himself picked off by junior Logan Kotzian at the Pioneers 44-yard line.
The Pioneers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard following the interception, with Mayes rushing for a 56-yard touchdown on the second play of the possession. The Stags responded with a very quick touchdown of their own just 17 seconds later with Beltz rushing 62-yards for the score.
Mayes found his way into the end zone once again in the first half to put the Pioneers back on top 14-7. It took the Pios just four plays and 1:52 to score their second touchdown of the day.
Just two plays into the Stags next possession, senior Riley Mitchell forced Beltz to fumble, allowing junior John Berokoff to recover the loose ball. The fumble recovery set up the Pioneers next scoring drive that saw Welch take the ball 62 yards for his first touchdown of the day.
The Lewis & Clark offense held most of the possession in the second quarter, while the defense continued to put pressure on the Stags. The defense allowed the Stags just four plays in their first two possessions of the quarter, before Mitchell sacked Rooney creating another Claremont fumble.
The Pios put up the only score of the quarter, with Mayes reaching the end zone for the third time on a one-yard carry.
Claremont began to find its rhythm a bit in the third quarter, slowing things down and eventually scoring its second touchdown. Kimmey kept the ball for the Stags with 3:28 to play in the quarter for a seven-yard touchdown.
Not to be outdone, the Pioneers responded minutes later with a long scoring drive that began on the Pios own 33-yard line. They continued to move the ball down the field with Laurence in as quarterback. Laurence put together five consecutive passes that eventually ended with an Evans touchdown with no time remaining in the period. Sophomore Simon Monley was unable to convert the point after attempt, sending the Pios into the fourth quarter with a 34-14 advantage.
Baltazar ended the scoring for the Pioneers with hard-nosed tackle on Kimmey in the Claremont end zone, resulting in a safety.
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, Sept. 17 when they travel to Pomona for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
