Box Score CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Pomona-Pitzer Football team fell in their season opener to Rhodes College by the score of 23-20 on Saturday night at Merritt Field.
Sophomore quarterback Edward Sias threw for a career-high 276 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss for the Sagehens while junior running back Aseal Birir tallied 151 all-purpose yards and one touchdown.
The Lynx started out the game by recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff to steal the first possession away from the Sagehens. The Pomona-Pitzer defense came out and help the Rhodes' offense to only 19 yards in their first drive as the Lynx converted a 42-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Sagehens came out on their opening drive and marched 56 yards capped off by a freshman Karter Odermann goal line touchdown run to give Pomona-Pitzer a 7-3 lead.
Rhodes responded after the Sagehens turned the ball over on downs and quarterback P.J. Settles took a fumbled snap and ran it in from four yards out to give Rhodes a 10-7 lead.
The Lynx defense forced another Sagehen turnover and converted another 42-yard field goal to push the lead to 13-7 in favor of Rhodes at the end of the first quarter.
Each team found the end zone once in the second quarter. Settles ran in his second rushing touchdown of the game from 34 yards to extend the Lynx lead to 20-7, but the Sagehens responded on the ensuing drive as Odermann capped off a nine play, 84-yard drive with another goal line touchdown run to cut the Rhodes' lead down to 20-13 at the half.
The Sagehens came out in the second half and forced a quick three and out on defense that led to a six play, 55-yard scoring drive capped off with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Sias to Birir to tie the game at 20-20.
Rhodes answered the Sagehens' drive with its third field goal of the night to reclaim the lead at 23-20 with 8:03 left in the third quarter.
The Sagehen defense stepped up in the second half and held the Lynx offense to only three points and 116 total yards.
Pomona-Pitzer had a chance to go on a game-winning drive with 5:09 left in the fourth quarter but their final drive stalled and ended with a fumbled snap on fourth down as the Lynx were able to take over on downs and run the clock out to seal the win.
The Sagehens will continue their non-conference schedule as they next travel to Lewis & Clark on Saturday, September 17th at 12:00 p.m.
