Pioneers fall short of Bruins

DESPITE A STRONG start, Lewis & Clark football suffered defeat in their fourth game of the season, falling 52-13 to the George Fox Bruins. It was the Pioneers’ second home game of the year and their first against an NWC opponent. The game resulted in the team’s twenty-seventh consecutive loss.

The Pioneer offense could not have started better, driving sixty-seven yards on their first possession. On the 11th and final play of the drive, Niko Fortino found Demi Kamakana for the five-yard touchdown, putting the Pios up 6-0 as the extra point was blocked. However, the defensive struggles began early. George Fox took the lead less than three minutes later with Bruin Wesely Ridell ’19 punching in a nine-yard touchdown run. Ridell led the Bruins in rushing, finishing with 16 carries for eighty-five yards. The extra point made it 7-6 Bruins, giving them the lead for good.

In the second quarter George Fox went on an incredibly long eighteen-play drive which drained more than seven and a half minutes off the clock. It ended in a five yard TD toss by Bruin Grant Schroeder ’17 to his teammate Trevor Daniels ’18. Schroeder had an efficient day, throwing for 209 yard and a pair of touchdowns. The Pioneers could not re-discover their offensive momentum from the first quarter and failed to score in the second. By halftime, the Bruins had added a field goal to make it a 17-6 game at the break.

In the third quarter, the Bruins began to put the game away. Fortino’s only interception of the game was returned twenty yards for a touchdown by Caleb Dalzell ’19. George Fox’s offense did further damage after an LC fumble gave them a short field. The Bruins drove 30 yards to the touchdown, then scored again after an 11 play, 74 drive again ended in the end zone. The game, unfortunately, was out of reach with George Fox ahead 38-6.

In the final quarter, following two more scores by the Bruins, the Pioneers finally found the end zone again. Mike Machado ’19, who replaced Fortino at quarterback, went deep with 5:01 remaining and found Xavier Tharpe ’20 for a forty-eight yard touchdown. That ended the scoring at 52-13. Machado led the Pioneers in passing, finishing with nine completions on fourteen attempts, 134 yards, and a touchdown. Eric Hawkins ’18 led the rushing attack with five carries for 26 yards. However, the defense struggled to contain a George Fox offense that rushed for 194 yards and outgained LC in total offense 436-238. Third downs were also an issue with LC converting on only three of 11; George Fox went 10 of 18 in the same category. The Pioneers also cost themselves with three turnovers; George Fox did not have any.

With the results, George Fox improves to 1-3 (1-1 in conference) while the Pioneers fall to 0-4 (0-2 in conference). The Pioneers look to end their skid on the road against Pacific University this Saturday. The game is in Forest Grove and begins at 1p.m. and is the first of two consecutive away games for LC before the homecoming game against Willamette on October 29.