Box Score LA VERNE, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Football team fell to SCIAC opponent La Verne 38-37 on Saturday night at Ortmayer Stadium.
Season Impact: With the loss, the Sagehens fall to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in SCIAC play.
The Sagehens were led by Evan Flitz who carried the load for the offense with 328 yards through the air with four touchdowns and 124 yards rushing off of 15 attempts. Quinten Wimmer led the receivers with 85 yards and a score while Will Radice had two touchdowns and 62 yards.
Both offenses came out firing as every possession in the first quarter resulted in a touchdown. The Leopards got the ball to start and went 10 plays to take the first lead of the game at 7-0. The Sagehens responded with an 11 play 75-yard drive capped off by a Cole Barry five-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. La Verne drained the rest of the first quarter out as they stayed one score ahead of the Sagehens with a touchdown to start the second quarter.
Turnovers began to hurt the Sagehens in the second quarter after they ended their first drive of the quarter with an interception that led to big score for La Verne as they took a 21-7 lead midway through the quarter. Pomona-Pitzer the turned the ball over on downs and then after holding La Verne to a three-and-out, threw another interception that set up La Verne for a field goal as the Sagehens saw themselves down 24-7 with 3:38 to play before halftime. Luckily the Sagehens were able to put together a scoring drive at the end of the half as Flitz found Win Hunter for 22 yards after a 75-yard drive as the Sagehens headed into halftime down 24-14.
After some halftime adjustments, the Sagehens found their rhythm on offense and scored touchdowns on their opening two drives of the first half. Flitz and Radice connected for back-to-back touchdown passes to give the Sagehens their first lead of the game at 29-24.
La Verne came back with a touchdown after going 95 yards on their drive to reclaim the lead at 30-29 but the Sagehens scored late and after a two-point conversion, sat in the driver's seat with a 37-30 lead. La Verne had one last dive that the Sagehens needed to stop but the Leopards converted two fourth-down attempts and scored with seconds remaining on the clock with a chance to tie or take the lead. The Leopards decided to go for the win at home and successfully converted the two-point conversion to take a one-point lead over the Sagehens at 38-37 with 19 seconds remaining.
The Sagehens tried to get into field goal position with the little time that they had left but the 48-yard attempt was blocked as La Verne held off the Sagehens to win at home.
Up Next: The Sagehens will next head across the street to face CMS on Saturday, November 13th at 1:00 p.m.
