TACOMA, Wash.—Saturday afternoon Lewis & Clark College football kicked off a new era in a big way. The Pioneers debuted a new head coach, starting quarterback and 39 new players, in a dominant 56-20 route of host University of Puget Sound in their annual Northwest Scholar Series contest. 
 
THE BASICS
 
Lewis & Clark 56, Puget Sound 20 
(Lewis & Clark 1-0) 
(Puget Sound 0-1) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Lewis & Clark scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters to race out to a 42-6 lead in their 2025 opener. First year head coach Brett Elliott picked up a win in his collegiate coaching debut -  as the Pioneers racked up 679 yards on offense and outgained the host Loggers by 305 yards. 
 
Sophomore quarter Dashiell Weaver made the most of his collegiate debut. The Fresno State University transfer threw five first-half touchdowns and accounted for 448 total yards. He went 24-35 for 359 yards with five passing touchdowns and one interception. Weaver added 89 rushing yards on seven carries to lead the team in rushing as well. 
 
First year wide receiver Sytyn Lasconia was one of seven Pioneers to score touchdowns, including four players who posted their first collegiate scores. The first-year speedster made the most of his four receptions. He posted a team-high 80 receiving yards and two touchdowns and added one rush for 13 yards. Senior Dez Holton added four catches for 72 yards and senior Garrett Lee pulled in a team-high six catches for 71 yards and a score. Junior tight end Julius Walker (two catches for 31 yards) and junior wide receiver Mateo Maehara (one catch for 11 yards) also notched touchdown catches. 
 
Nine different players recorded rushes in the victory as Lewis & Clark piled up 292 rushing yards on 45 carries. Seniors Jordan Lahusky and Isaac Glover led the backfield. Lahusky recorded 11 rushes for 62 yards and Glover tacked on 12 rushes for 52 yards and a score. Sophomores Gio Borea and Neil Hermann each registered their first collegiate rushing touchdowns. Borea totaled seven rushes for 39 yards and Hermann earned his first two collegiate rushes and posted 22 yards. 
 
Lewis & Clark had a strong day on the defensive side of the ball as well. The Pioneers defense held the hosts off the scoreboard until their fourth drive of the day. Puget Sound managed two more touchdowns in the second half when the deficit was already 42-6. 
 
Senior Daryl Scott led Lewis & Clark defensively with six solo tackles. Scott also notched one of the team's three tackles-for-loss. Senior Andrew Baum and sophomore Jaden Mwendapole each tacked on four tackles (three solo). Mwendapole, who was making his collegiate football debut after missing last season due to injury, added an interception and a pass breakup. 
 
Senior Nik Dupont (13 yards) and sophomore Enzo Quartaroli (one yard) each tacked on a tackle-for-loss. Jordan Delgado, Thomas Reagan and Rio Cruz were each credited with one pass break-up. 
 
Lewis & Clark jumped all over the Loggers with touchdowns on each of their first three drives. 
 
The Pioneers opened the season with a 16-play, 70-yard drive to take the lead for good. Lewis & Clark converted on two first downs early in the drive, before getting inside the 10-yard line. Glover carried the ball down to the one-yard line on second down but the Pioneers were stuffed on third down. Weaver connected with Lee for a one-yard touchdown catch on 4^th and Goal to open the scoring. 
 
After the defense forced a three-and-out, Lewis & Clark made it 14-0 just four plays later. Weaver found Holton for a 32-yard pass down to the one and Glover punched it on the next play. 
 
The defense forced a second-consecutive three-and-out and Lewis & Clark would make it 21-0 before the end of the quarter. Weaver and Lasconia connected twice on the drive, with the first year recording a 15-yard grab for his first collegiate catch and then a two-yard touchdown catch for his collegiate score. 
 
Puget Sound finally crossed midfield on their third possession but Scott came up with a big play to force a punt. On third and 11 from the Pioneers 43, Scott blew up the play and forced a nine-yard loss on a rushing play. 
 
After a Lewis & Clark interception and long touchdown pass for the Loggers, the Pioneers responded with three-straight scoring drives to end the half. 
 
Weaver found Walker for a 17-yard touchdown grab to make it 28-6. The visitors made it 35-6 when Lasconia hauled in a 60-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the next drive. After Mwendapole reeled in his first collegiate interception, Weaver found Maehara for his first collegiate touchdown (11 yards) to make it 42-6. 
 
Lewis & Clark tacked on one touchdown in each of the final two quarters. Borea made it 49-13 with a four-yard touchdown run on the Pioneers' first drive of the second half. Hermann made the most of his first two collegiate carries in the fourth. He posted runs of seven and 15 yards (TD), to push the lead to 56-20 on Lewis & Clark's final drive of the contest. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Lewis & Clark's 679 total yards are their third-most in program history and most since the 1989 season. 
• Elliott is the second-straight Pioneers head coach to earn a win in their Lewis & Clark/collegiate head coaching debut. Joe Bushman, who led the Pioneers for the past three seasons, defeated the Loggers 41-15 on September 3, 2022. Elliott took over the Pioneers program in late January after successful coaching stints at Linfield University, Mississippi State University, James Madison State University and Texas State University. 
• The Pioneers outrushed the Loggers 292-22 and averaged 6.5 yards per rush. The Pioneers started a new look offensive line of Iggy Marquez, Joziah Perdido, Cody Wong, Alex Litaea-Sniffen and Ramses Packer. Wong and Packer each made their collegiate debuts in the win. 
• Weaver became the first Lewis & Clark quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in his first collegiate start since Oa Kamakawiwoole on September 21, 2024. 
• Graduate student quarterback Sam Simril made his Pioneers debut in the second half and went 3-5 for 28 yards and added nine rushing yards on two carries. 
• The Pioneers have now won back-to-back season openers. It's the first time the program has accomplished the feat since the 2011-2012 seasons.  
• Sophomore Trevor Koo made his collegiate football debut.. The two-sport athlete finished 8-8 on point after attempts. First year Joseph Yankosky handled kick-off duties and averaged 53.2 yards on nine kickoffs. Sophomore punter Damon Perez posted one punt for 39 yards. 

WHO'S NEXT 
 
Lewis & Clark will host George Fox University on Saturday at 1 p.m. in their 2025 home opener. The contest will help determine who plays in the Championship Game of the Oregon Cup next season.