NEWBERG, Ore. – The statistics told one story, but the final score told another as visiting Whitworth escaped with a 17-13 win at George Fox in a Northwest Conference football nailbiter on Saturday afternoon on Homecoming Saturday for the Bruins.
Trailing 13-3 late in the third quarter, the Pirates (3-1 overall, 2-0 NWC) scored the game's final two touchdowns to win their ninth straight NWC contest. After a 3-0 start in non-conference play, GFU falls to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the NWC.
The Bruins outgained Whitworth 449-398. And they were more explosive, averaging nearly 8.5 yards per snap. George Fox also had the advantage in turnovers, 3-2. But the Pirates' defense came up big when it had to, especially in the fourth quarter as Whitworth came up with two interceptions and stopped the Bruins twice on fourth down.
Quarterback Logan Lacio completed 19 of 30 passes for 202 yards, hitting Deacon Dietz with the go-ahead touchdown with 10:37 to play in the game. He used his legs to scramble for first downs as well, picking up 32 yards on the ground. But he also had a career-high three interceptions.
Drake Matthies caught a career-high seven passes for 58 yards, while Keagan Lime had four catches for 61 yards. Kurt Solano ran for a career-high for the second game in a row. Against GFU he rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries and scored the Bucs' first touchdown in the third quarter.
Whitworth had a hard time getting the offense going in the first half, netting only 159 yards and three points on Iden Bone's 30-yard field goal with just under two minutes to play in the opening quarter.
George Fox responded with a 57-yard drive to tie the game with a 27-yard field goal by Ben Rembisz early in the second. After a Pirate punt pinned GFU at its own seven-yard line on the next possession, J.J. Lehman hit running back Brody Snyder on short crossing pattern and Snyder outraced the defense for a 93-yard touchdown to give the Bruins their first lead at 10-3.
GFU turned Lacio's second interception of the game into its second field goal, using 10 plays to go 50 yards. Rembisz hit from 31 yards halfway through the third quarter.
Then Whitworth's offense finally got going, moving 74 yards in 10 plays and scoring on Solano's nine-yard carry up the middle with 3:36 left in the third.
Iosepa Lyman's interception at Whitworth's 31-yard line seconds into the fourth quarter set up the winning drive. The Bucs drove 69 yards in nine plays, scoring on Lacio's 12-yard pass to Dietz in the back-corner of the endzone. Dietz jumped high for the ball and managed to land with one toe in bounds.
Kade Long's over-the-shoulder interception at the Pirates' 20-yard line three plays later allowed Whitworth to burn nearly four minutes of the clock before Lacio's pass was deflected and intercepted by Jonah Tua at the Bruins' 40-yard line.
But the Pirate defense did not allow GFU a first down, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth and two at the 48. The Pirates were able to get two first downs and got to the GFU 16. With fourth and nearly two yards to go, Whitworth went for it on fourth down and Lacio was hit from behind as he rolled right, allowing the Bruins to take over one final time at their 15 with under two minutes to play. After allowing one first down, the Pirates held on fourth down again with 45 seconds left.
Drew Cody led the defense with nine tackles, including one for loss of five yards, and a pass break up. Hayden Throneberry made seven stops and broke up a pass.
Lehman finished 17 of 28 for 330 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for GFU. Karsen Denault, the Bruins' 6-4 big-play receiver, had five catches for 162 yards. In addition to Snyder's big touchdown catch, he ran 12 times for 60 yards.
Whitworth will host Linfield (3-1 overall, 2-0 NWC) next Saturday on One Big Weekend in Spokane, celebrating Homecoming and Family Weekend on campus.
