LA VERNE, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran football team bounced back in commanding fashion Saturday afternoon, using a dominant ground game and a second-half shutout to defeat La Verne 33-14 at Ortmayer Stadium.
The Kingsmen (4-3, 3-2 SCIAC) piled up 446 yards of total offense, including a season-high 262 rushing yards, while holding the Leopards (2-5, 0-5 SCIAC) to just 47 yards on the ground. Cal Lutheran scored the game's first 16 points and pulled away with 17 unanswered in the second half to secure its third conference victory.
Cal Lutheran wasted little time establishing its rushing attack, marching 76 yards on 13 plays during its opening possession.
Jordan Barbadillo capped the seven-minute drive with a one-yard touchdown run to put the Kingsmen ahead 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The Kingsmen extended their lead early in the second quarter when
Dylan Armendariz connected on a 42-yard field goal. Just minutes later,
Drew Nees intercepted a La Verne pass to give Cal Lutheran possession at the Leopards' 42-yard line. Quarterback
Joe Farley capitalized on the turnover, breaking free for a 36-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-four to push the advantage to 16-0.
La Verne responded with two touchdowns before halftime, scoring on a 10-yard pass from Brian Rudden to Jimmy Rumsey and a two-yard run from Tyson Walter to cut Cal Lutheran's lead to 16-14 heading into the break.
The Kingsmen regained momentum to open the second half, moving 39 yards on seven plays before Armendariz drilled a 43-yard field goal to extend the lead to 19-14. Cal Lutheran's defense held the Leopards scoreless throughout the third quarter, preserving the five-point advantage heading into the final period.
Cal Lutheran put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. After beginning a drive late in the third, the Kingsmen marched 86 yards on nine plays, converting a crucial fourth-and-two before Farley connected with
TeNorris Merkel for a 27-yard touchdown pass.
Matthew Montegna's extra point extended the lead to 26-14 with 10:26 remaining.
The defense delivered another big play late in the fourth when
Max Juarez sacked Rudden for an 11-yard loss, forcing and recovering a fumble at the La Verne 45-yard line. Two plays later,
John Gilbert broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run, sealing the 33-14 victory.
Barbadillo led the Kingsmen's rushing attack with 104 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. Gilbert added 98 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while Farley contributed 49 rushing yards and a score.
Through the air, Farley completed 16 of 29 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown.
Tyler Woodworth led the receiving corps with five catches for 69 yards, while Merkel hauled in four receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.
RJ Edwards added three catches for 41 yards.
Defensively, Nees turned in another standout performance, leading Cal Lutheran with nine tackles, two sacks, an interception and two pass breakups.
Jacob Ramirez added six tackles, while
Blake Hurley contributed five. Juarez finished with a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The Kingsmen controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the contest, outgaining La Verne 446-259 in total offense and averaging 6.6 yards per rushing attempt. Cal Lutheran also held a 36-minute to 24-minute advantage in time of possession and converted all three of its fourth-down attempts.
With the victory, Cal Lutheran improves to 3-2 in SCIAC play and sits fourth in the conference standings with two regular-season games remaining.
The Kingsmen remain on the road next Saturday, October 31, traveling to Whittier for a Halloween matchup with the Poets. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. as Cal Lutheran looks to carry its momentum into the final stretch of the regular season.
