CLAREMONT, Calif.—Lewis & Clark College football's defense put together their best performance since 2010, to help the Pioneers move to 3-0 for the first time since the 2011 season.
THE BASICS
Lewis & Clark 21, Pomona-Pitzer 3
(Lewis & Clark 3-0)
(Pomona-Pitzer 1-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The defense allowed three points or fewer for the first time in 15 years and they totaled eight sacks and nine tackles-for-loss, to defeat the defending Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions Pomona-Pitzer.
Sophomore quarterback Dashiell Weaver posted two touchdown passes and ran for another. With the win, the Pioneers close out non-conference play with a perfect 3-0 record.
Lewis & Clark dominated in all phases of the game on Saturday. In addition to their strong play on offense and defense, junior Rio Cruz and senior Jordan Lahusky posted big returns on special teams.
Junior JT Chavez led the defense with a career-high four sacks and five total tackles. Fellow junior Charlie Murrin tied Chavez for the team lead with five tackles and all five were given as solo stops. Senior Thomas Reagan added four solo tackles and made a key break-up on a pass into the end zone late in the first half.
Seniors Mitchell Sarmento (three tackles), Nik Dupont, Josh Arcayena and Andrew Baum and sophomore Cory Altomare (two tackles) all registered a sack in the win.
Senior Daryl Scott added two solo tackles and his first interception of the season to help Lewis & Clark hold the hosts to three points.
Weaver finished an efficient 15-17 for 151 yards and two passing touchdowns. The sophomore tacked on four rushes for 18 yards and his second rushing touchdown of the season.
Senior Desmon Holton racked up four catches for 65 yards to lead the team's receivers. Senior Garrett Lee posted three catches for 41 yards. First year Sytyn Lasconia (two catches for 19 yards) and sophomore Logan March (one catch for one yard) added touchdown catches.
Lahusky got the game off to a strong start for Lewis & Clark when he returned the opening kickoff for 53 yards. The Pioneers drive would eventually stall out and Pomona-Pitzer would put together a big first drive. The Sagehens moved the ball inside the Pioneers five-yard line on their first possession. On third and goal, a Pomona-Pitzer wide receivers was judged to have stepped out of bounds at the two-yard line begore he could make into the end zone. Lewis & Clark would force a fourth-down incompletion at the goal line to force their first turnover on downs.
Lewis & Clark broke the scoring deadlock on their third drive of the game. Cruz gave Lewis & Clark momentum with a big punt returns and the hosts compounded their poor field position with a penalty after the play. With the ball at the Sagehens 29-yard line to start, Lewis & Clark needed just three plays to take the lead for good. Weaver found Lee for a 15-yard gain and then Lahusky rushed for five yards. Weaver scampered in for a nine-yard rushing touchdown to make it 7-0 with 6:14 left in the second quarter.
The Pioneers used a seven-play, 70-yard drive on their next possession to make it 14-0 with under 75 seconds left in the half. Holton posted a big 28-yard play to set the Pioneers up with a first and goal from the one after the two-minute stoppage. On the first play after the break, Weaver found March wide-open in the back of the end zone for a one-yard touchdown catch.
The Sagehens managed to get their offense going on their final drive of the half. They drove the ball to the two-yard line with five second left before halftime. On the next play, Reagan broke up a pass for Nicholas Buchenau to force a Sagehens field goal.
Pomona-Pitzer tried to cut the deficit to a single score to start the second half, but Lewis & Clark posted a pair of tackles-for-loss and forced an incompletion after Pomona-Pitzer had faced a second and 10 from the Lewis & Clark 30-yard line.
Scott picked off Sagehens quarterback Grady Russo on their next possession and Lewis & Clark forced a three-and-out to start the fourth quarter.
The Pioneers added a key insurance touchdown on their next drive. Weaver and Holton connected for a 42-yard drive to set up first-and-goal. Weaver floated a pass to Lasconia in the end zone from four yards out to make it 21-3 with 10:16 to play.
Pomona-Pitzer turned the ball over on downs on each of their final two drives of the half – with Chavez picking up a three-yard sack on the first of the two failed drives.
BY THE NUMBERS
- The Pioneers are 3-0 for the first time since the 2011 team started the season 7-0. The 2011 team defeated Pomona-Pitzer by a 48-39 score in California.
- Lewis & Clark's defense allowed just three points on Saturday. It's the first time the team allowed three points or fewer since they shutout Pacific University 48-0 on October 2, 2010.
- The Pioneers eight sacks are their most in a single-game since they posted nine against the University of Puget Sound on October 6, 2018.
- A week after securing his first collegiate catch, March posted his first collegiate touchdown.
- Lewis & Clark's defense posted one interception and forced four turnover on downs. The Pioneers defense has now stopped their opponents on all nine of their fourth-down conversion attempts.
- Lasconia has scored in every game this season and leads the Pioneers with his four receiving touchdowns. He is the first Lewis & Clark receiver to catch at least one touchdown in three straight-games since assistant coach Devon Guest ('25) accomplished the feat from October 12-26 of 2024.
- Lewis & Clark earned their first win over Pomona-Pitzer since 2017 and improved to 6-6 against the Sagehens since 2006.
WHAT'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark will enjoy their bye week, before opening Northwest Conference play on Saturday, October 4. They will host the University of Puget Sound at 1 p.m. in a rematch of their week one road contest (Lewis & Clark 56-20).