(TACOMA OAKS, Calif. — Sept. 14, 2023) In a highly contested battle, a late rally was not enough as Cal Lutheran football was outlasted by Pacific Lutheran 37-27 on Saturday afternoon. 
 
The loss moved the Kingsmen to 1-1 on the year. With non-conference done, the Kingsmen start Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play next week.
 
Quarterback JP Andrade completed 21 of 31 attempts for 216 yards and two scores. He was on the run for most of the game and was sacked eight times. 
 
Jadon Cline caught six of those passes for 52 yards and a score. Cade Cadam caught five balls for a total of 69 yards and Anthony Valencia had a 2-yard receiving touchdown. Caleb Berry and Dante Coxsom split time running the ball. Berry rushed six times for 29 yards and Coxsom had five rushes for 12 yards and a score. 
 
Nolan Jackson led the defense with 11 tackles, six of which were solo, with 2.5 tackles for loss. Arthur Orta was next with 10 tackles and Zacharias Muhammad and Devon Goosby were next with nine each. Hunter Hall added seven and Diego Serrano and Jackson White had six each. 
 
The defense and special teams controlled the first part of the game and the Kingsmen jumped out to a 10-0 lead. 
 
Punter Kyle Howie had the Lutes deep in their territory as his kick went out of bounds at the 5-yard line. After a bad punt, the Kingsmen had the ball at the six, and Coxsom scored the game's first touchdown. He ran it in from two yards out. A fourth down play on the ensuing Lutes' possession had them going backward. It worked in Cal Lutheran's favor as Daniel Burgos drilled a 38-yard field goal. 
 
The Lutes had an answer and responded. They scored 27 points, all in the second quarter, and had a 27-13 lead at the half. Burgos added his second field goal, from 34 yards away, with four seconds left in the half. 
 
PLU would score one touchdown in the third quarter, going up 34-13. The Kingsmen cut the lead to two touchdowns early in the fourth. Andrade found Cline for a 9-yard strike as the Kingsmen trailed 34-20 with 13:51 to play. 
 
After the defense held PLU to a field goal, the Kingsmen pushed the ball quickly down the field. CLU cut the lead to 10 as Andrade found Valencia for a 2-yard receiving touchdown with 4:05 left. 
 
The defense continued to hold PLU and gave the offense a chance. Andrade marched the team into field goal range, but a missed 48-yard field goal to make it a one-possession game was no good. The Lutes took over and ran out the clock. 
 
The Kingsmen are back in action on Saturday but remain on the road. They are at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday at 1 p.m.