CLAREMONT, Calif. — The Pomona-Pitzer football team rallied to a 25-17 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Saturday night at home in its SCIAC opener.
Season Impact: The win puts the Sagehens at 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference play.
Grady Russo led the Sagehens with 92 yards through the air and 62 on the ground before leaving the game in the first half due to injury. Freshman
Luke Levitt shined in relief, completing 5-of-10 pass attempts for 60 yards and adding 28 rushing yards with a touchdown.
Jackson Irons posted a team-high 53 receiving yards while
Kalani Pickett hauled in a touchdown reception from
Nick Kim.
Alden Kling recovered a CMS fumble on the first play from scrimmage to set the Sagehen offense up with the ball at the Stags' 27-yard line. Eight plays later,
Jack Walker knocked home a field goal to give Pomona-Pitzer a 3-0 lead. CMS answered just before the end of the quarter with a field goal of its own to tie the game at 3-3.
Russo rushed for a 41-yard gain on the Sagehens' second drive of the second quarter, but left the game a few plays later due to injury. Kim then stepped up with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Pickett, giving Pomona-Pitzer a 10-3 advantage. The Stags answered with a field goal, as the Sagehens led 10-6 at the break.
Coming out of the locker room to wet, rainy conditions, Pomona-Pitzer gave up a safety on its first drive of the second half after the snap sailed over Walker's head on an attempted punt. CMS then put together a drive that resulted in a field goal late in the third, taking an 11-10 lead into the fourth.
But the Sagehens refused to go down without a fight, as Levitt led a 13-play, 71-yard drive ending with him rushing for a one-yard score. He then found Pickett for a successful two-point conversion, putting the Sagehens up 18-11. On the ensuing Stag drive, Kling again came up big with a strip sack as
Jacob Whiting picked up the loose ball and returned it 39 yards for a scoop-and-score touchdown to give Pomona-Pitzer a 25-11 lead with 8:53 left.
Teams traded punts until CMS managed to get into the endzone with 1:46 remaining, cutting the Sagehens' lead, 25-17. But the ensuing Stag onside kick try was unsuccessful, as Levitt kneeled three times to run out the clock and secure the 25-17 Pomona-Pitzer win.
Up Next: The Sagehens will travel to La Verne next Saturday, Oct. 4, to take on the Leopards at 4:00 p.m. PT.
