On the cool evening of Saturday, Oct. 25th, Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) football fell 8-26 in an upset loss against the University of La Verne. The game, which was the third straight loss for P-P, saw the Sagehens drop to 3-4 overall on the season and 2-3 in SCIAC play, while La Verne picked up its first program win in nearly two years.
While it was a historic night for the Leopards, it was an unexpected one for P-P. The Sagehens have historically been 13-7 against La Verne, and earlier this season, on Oct. 4, they beat La Verne handily, 34-12.
Head coach John Walsh discussed his feelings about the game, acknowledging that, in his eyes, the Sagehens had underperformed.
“It’s a tough loss,” Walsh said. “We did not play our best throughout the whole game. Every team in [the SCIAC] is good, and La Verne outplayed us tonight.”
For Walsh and the Sagehens, this frustration was understandable given their recent scoring success against La Verne in previous matchups. On Saturday, though, the scoreboard didn’t reflect the Hens’ expectations.
From the onset, the Sagehens struggled to find their offensive rhythm, finally avoiding a shutout in the fourth quarter when quarterback Nick Kim PO ’26 completed a teardrop pass to wide receiver Jack Sobota PO ’27 for a touchdown.
Wide receiver Michael Ryan PO ’26 spoke on the Sagehens’ offense that only came to life towards the end of the game.
“We were clicking too late,” Ryan said. “We started … flat. Our brand is to play on fire, play for each other. It sucks that we didn’t start off firing on all cylinders.”
“We were clicking too late,” Ryan said. “We started … flat. Our brand is to play on fire, play for each other. It sucks that we didn’t start off firing on all cylinders.”
At the beginning of the game, it seemed as though the Sagehens were poised to play their typical brand of fiery football. The defense started things off by forcing a three-and-out on the Leopards’ first drive.
However, the offense’s opportunity to score was quickly halted when, on 2nd and seven at the P-P 14 line, Kim’s pass was intercepted, handing the ball over to La Verne in Sagehen territory. From there, the offensive struggles continued to mount.
According to Walsh, many of the difficulties the Sagehens faced offensively stemmed from their quarterback rotation. Throughout the game, the Sagehens alternated between Kim and newcomer Luke Levitt PO ’29 at quarterback. Grady Russo PO ’27, who leads the Hens in passing yards this season, did not see a snap.
“We’re [figuring it] out,” Walsh said. “We’ve had different circumstances [for] different players [come up]. We’re trying to come up with a formula to get back to [our] championship ways. We have a whole room of unbelievable quarterbacks … [but] we need to find a better rhythm.”
Ryan commented on how Saturday’s game against La Verne was a chance for the Sagehens to continue testing their different options at the critical position.
“We’re trying to play our best guys,” Ryan said. “Each one of our quarterbacks has a very different skillset … so we try to rotate them through to get the best advantage. Sometimes it works, sometimes … we don’t execute fully.”
It was not just the quarterback rotation and the P-P offense, though, that faced problems on Saturday.
The Sagehen defense also had a tough night against La Verne, as they spent substantial amounts of time on the field, struggling to keep up with the Leopards’ quick pace and formidable passing game. The Leopards passed for 292 yards and rushed for 119 yards, compared to their last match against the Hens, in which they were held to 160 yards through the air and 79 on the ground.
Other than three sacks on the night from the P-P defense, as well as a blocked extra-point attempt in the first quarter by Alden Kling PO ’27, the Sagehens were unable to slow down La Verne’s offense, which ended up executing five scoring drives.
Like both Walsh and Ryan, linebacker Jake Sugawara PO ’26 expressed sentiments of disappointment from his side of the ball.
“As a defense, we take pride in our standard,” Sugawara said. “And tonight wasn’t our standard.”
Despite the defensive troubles, as well as the Sagehens’ thwarted quarterback rotation strategies, the team believes that Saturday’s game will provide the necessary motivation.
“I believe our guys are going to come back tomorrow, work hard … [and] get better from this,” Ryan said.
With the Sagehens vying for a winning record and another SCIAC championship, each coming game is vital. Even with the loss, Saturday’s game showed the Sagehens that they still have depth and potential that can help them play their best brand of football leading into next season, now that they are no longer eligible to make the NCAA playoffs this year.
“We have three opportunities left in the season, and my goal is to make the most of it,” Sugawara said.
The Sagehens will visit the Chapman Panthers next on Saturday, Nov. 1, in hopes of starting their fight for a winning record in their penultimate game of the regular season.
Facebook Comments