Poets Prevail Over Leopards
Whittier College used the big play to its advantage against the University of La Verne as it scored three times from 50 yards or more in defeating the Leopards 34-21 in SCIAC action Saturday at Ortmayer Stadium.
The Leopards recorded 21 first downs and totaled 366 passing yards for the game but were slowed by three turnovers.
A 53-yard run by Garrett Carr on a fake punt in the second quarter along with an 80-yard pass reception by Josh Ollison early in the third quarter helped Whittier (3-4, 1-3 SCIAC) earn its first conference win of the season.
The Poets got on the board first when they intercepted a pass deep into Leopard territory resulting in a 14-yard touchdown run from quarterback Kelly Maguire to grab a 7-0 lead at 12:13 in the first quarter.
The Leos struck back late in the period when Anthony Andre connected with Allen Daniels for a 66-yard touchdown to tie the contest at 7-7 heading into the second quarter.
Whittier would take a 14-7 lead after completing a 8-play, 63-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard run from Rodrigo Muratalla with 12:38 remaining in the first half.
Both teams were held scoreless for much of the quarter until the final minute before intermission. With the Poets lined up in punt formation on fourth down, Carr took the snap and proceeded down the right sideline for a 53-yard TD to give Whittier a 21-7 advantage at the half.
After the break, the Poets added another score when Ollison took a short pass from Maguire, eluded one Leopard tackler and raced 80 yards to the end zone and a 28-7 lead.
The Leopards (0-7, 0-5 SCIAC) continued to fight and would score on the ensuing possession. Andre found Daniels for a score, this time from 12 yards out to cap a 6 play, 69-yard drive to cut the gap to 28-14.
The Poets extended its advantage later in the third quarter on a pair of 45-yard field goals from placekicker Roman Ferreira on successive drives to give the visitors a 34-14 cushion.
La Verne tried to mount a comeback as it drove 63 yards on 11 plays, culminating on an 18-yard touchdown from Andre to Cedric Ho to narrow the gap to 34-21 with 11:30 left in the contest.
The Leopards got the ball back and drove into Poet territory, reaching the Whittier 29-yard line before surrenduring possession on downs with 6:32 remaining. Whittier however didn't relinquish the ball it maintained possession with a 10-play drive to end the game.
Andre finished the day completing 31 of 48 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns for the Leopards.
Daniels had 10 receptions for a game-high 162 yards with a pair of touchdowns while Ho caught 10 balls for 112 yards and a touchdown. Ho has amassed over 100 receiving yards and a score in five straight games.
For Whittier, Muratalla led the ground attack with 94 yards on 17 carries while Maguire rushed for 90 yards also on 17 attempts. The Poets would conclude the game with 295 rushing yards en route to 417 yards of total offense.
The road team in the Whittier-La Verne series has now won four straight games. The last home win by either team occurred in 2005 when the Leopards topped the Poets 44-30 in La Verne. All three of Whittier's wins this season have come on the road.
The Leos continue action at Ortmayer Stadium next week for Homecoming as it entertains Cal Lutheran for a 1 pm kickoff.
