THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran football team battled until the final whistle Saturday night, but came up just short in a 14-13 loss to Pomona-Pitzer on Homecoming at William Rolland Stadium.
The Kingsmen (3-3, 2-2 SCIAC) and Sagehens (4-2, 3-1 SCIAC) traded defensive stops throughout the night in a tightly contested matchup. Cal Lutheran held the lead for much of the game, but Pomona-Pitzer scored twice in the second half to edge ahead and hand the Kingsmen a tough conference loss.
After a scoreless first quarter, Cal Lutheran broke through late in the first half. The Kingsmen put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a one-yard touchdown run from
Joe Farley with 1:52 remaining.
Matthew Montegna's extra point gave Cal Lutheran a 7-0 lead heading into halftime. The Kingsmen defense also came up with a crucial stop before the break, blocking a 41-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
Pomona-Pitzer answered in the third quarter, putting together a 79-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass from Dominick Catalano to Connor Conneely to tie the game at 7-7.
Cal Lutheran regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when
Dylan Armendariz connected on a 31-yard field goal, giving the Kingsmen a 10-7 advantage. However, the Sagehens responded with a 65-yard drive, capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Catalano to Conneely, to take a 14-10 lead with 11:25 remaining.
Armendariz cut the deficit to one with an eight-yard field goal, finishing a short drive after the Kingsmen defense forced a fumble and recovered the ball at the Pomona-Pitzer 26-yard line. Cal Lutheran had another opportunity to take the lead, but a 43-yard field goal attempt with five minutes remaining fell short.
The Kingsmen defense continued to battle, recording four sacks.
Logan Bowers led the way with 12 tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Blake Hurley added 11 tackles and two pass breakups, while
Drew Nees contributed nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
JD Vargas and
Derek Hurley also recovered fumbles for Cal Lutheran.
Offensively, Farley completed 14 of 29 passes for 153 yards and rushed for the Kingsmen's lone touchdown.
Nico Caruso led the receiving corps with three catches for 60 yards, including a long reception of 32 yards.
Jordan Barbadillo paced the ground game with 40 yards on 11 carries.
Cal Lutheran finished with 224 yards of total offense, while the Sagehens recorded 319. The Kingsmen converted both of their fourth-down attempts and went 2-for-2 in the red zone, but were unable to overcome the narrow deficit.
The Kingsmen hit the road for their next two games, beginning Saturday, October 24, at La Verne. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Ortmayer Stadium.
