MCMINVILLE, OR. – The Pomona-Pitzer Football team played in their first-ever NCAA tournament game in program history where they fell to No. 4 Linfield 51-24 on Saturday afternoon at Maxwell Field.

The Sagehens end their historic season with a program-best 8-3 overall, their first SCIAC Championship in program history, and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Skylar Noble led the offense with 284 yards and three touchdowns through the air while Quinten Wimmer had two touchdowns for 92 yards and Will Radice had 50 yards and a score in the loss.  Noble also ended the season as the Sagehens' new Single Season All-Purpose Yards earning with 3,377 yards and earned the Single Season Passing Record with 2,587 yards. 

The Sagehens got the ball to start the game and were forced to punt over to the Wildcats on their first drive of the game.  Linfield took advantage of good field position with the ball at the 50-yard line and went in for the score to take a 7-0 lead. 

The Wildcats got good field position again after a blocked punt on the Sagehens' next possession, but the defense stood up Linfield deep in their own territory and held them to a field goal. 

Pomona-Pitzer got its offense going on its next drive as they quickly responded with a five-play, 71-yard drive as Noble found Wimmer for the Sagehens' first-ever touchdown in the NCAA Postseason.

The Wildcats dominated the field possession battle in the first half as they began another drive deep into Sagehen territory.  The defense once again came up big as they held the Wildcats to another field goal to keep the deficit at one score at 13-7.

The Sagehens got the ball back late in the first half and put together another scoring drive of 78 yards led by five completed passes from Noble capped off by a 23-yarder to Wimmer to put the Sagehens up over Linfield, 14-13.  Linfield responded quickly with a touchdown to reclaim the lead just before halftime as the Sagehens went into the locker room within reach at 20-14. 

Linfield got the ball to start the second half, but the Sagehen defense forced a quick three and out to get the ball back to Noble and the offense. Noble got the Sagehens deep into Linfield territory and found Radice for a nine-yard touchdown to give the Sagehens the lead once again at 21-20 early in the third.  

Pomona-Pitzer held the lead for the majority of the third quarter, but Linfield came back with a quick touchdown scoring drive late in the third to reclaim the lead at 27-21. The Sagehens came back with a field goal at the end of the third quarter and headed into the fourth down just three points at 27-24 against the No. 4 team in the nation.

The Wildcats started the fourth with an 11-play drive that ended with a big 50-yard field goal to put Linfield up six at 30-24.  The Sagehens suffered their first turnover of the game on an interception that turned into a six-play scoring drive to extend the lead to 37-24.  The Sagehens had a three-and-out on their next drive and another blocked punt by the Wildcats gave them prime field position and a score two plays later to extend the lead to 44-24. 

Pomona-Pitzer played three-quarters of great football on the road against the No. 4 team in the country, but the Wildcats took their big fourth quarter and survived a tough win against the Sagehens in round one of the NCAA Tournament.