La Verne Tops CMS 31-7 To Earn First Win Of Season
Chris Handy amassed 205 total yards on offense while collecting three TDs against the Stags
The University of La Verne football team earned its first victory of the season with a resounding 31-7 triumph over visiting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in SCIAC action Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.
The Leopards (1-7, 1-5 SCIAC) enjoyed solid productivity on the ground and through the air in gaining 446 total yards on offense. The ULV defense was equally impressive in earning three sacks along with forcing six CMS turnovers.
La Verne running back Chris Handy led the offensive attack with a game-high 161 yards on 14 carries. Handy also scored three touchdowns on the day, including a receiving score to propel the Leopards against the Stags.
After a Taylor Hart 24-yard field goal put La Verne up 3-0, Handy found the end zone on the Leopards' next possession with a 64-yard romp to give ULV a 10-0 lead with 6:04 remaining in the first quarter.
The Leopards would add another score after recovering a CMS fumble on the Stag 36 yard line with 4:47 remaining in the second quarter. Six plays later, Handy hauled in a pass from Troy Doolittle for an 8-yard touchdown to give La Verne a 17-0 advantage heading into intermission.
The Stags (2-6, 1-4 SCIAC) cut the margin to 17-7 on an 18-yard pass from Ryan Larsen to Nick Marineau with 4:02 remaining in the third quarter. But CMS would get no closer as La Verne's defense took control the remainder of the game as Claremont's final four possessions of the contest resulted in two punts, one fumble and one interception.
ULV recovered another CMS fumble at the Stag 19, and three plays later the Leopards would convert on a 20-yard pass from Doolittle to Charles Lacy to increase the margin to 24-7 early in the fourth quarter. Handy would then put the game out of reach with a 37-yard scoring burst with 10:58 remaining to culminate a 9-play, 70-yard drive.
Doolittle finished with 215 yards on 28-of-43 passing. Lacy caught 6 passes for a team-high 73 receiving yards while Handy also had 6 receptions for 43 yards. David Merlos rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries.
CMS running back D.J. Lillard rushed for a team-high 106 yards on 16 attempts with Larsen completing 9 of 21 passes for 126 yards.
The win was La Verne's fourth consecutive in the overall series with the Stags.
La Verne concludes the 2007 campaign at home when it hosts non-league rival Chapman University next Saturday in a 1 pm start.
