As heavy rain poured down on Merritt Field, turning the turf slick and the sky dark, the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) football team kept its footing in the long-awaited rematch of the annual Sixth Street Rivalry. The Sagehens beat the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Stags 25-17, reclaiming the historical trophy after losses in two consecutive seasons and opening SCIAC play 1-0.
The game kicked off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27. In this year’s iteration of the rivalry, the Sagehens’ fourth-quarter efforts seized the lead and lifted the trophy to narrow the Stags’ historic edge in the matchup 15-12.
Wide receiver Jackson Irons PO ’27 spoke on the significance of the rivalry and the win against CMS.
“One of our preseason goals as a team was to bring the Sixth Street Trophy home this year,” Irons said. “To have all of the off-season preparation and in-season grind pay off is super rewarding.”
Jack Walker PO ’27 opened the scoring on Saturday night with a 28-yard field goal in the 11th minute of the first quarter, but CMS responded quickly with a field goal of their own.
In the second quarter, defensive back Kalani Pickett PO ’26 hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Kim PO ’26, giving the Sagehens a 10-3 lead.
Pickett, who contributed a touchdown and a two-point conversion for P-P, applauded the efforts of his teammates after the game.
“It was a great team win,” Pickett said. “You see the energy, all the boys brought it. Every single guy stepped up.”
Despite this strong start from P-P, CMS responded with a series of unanswered scores, including two field goals and a safety, going into the third quarter. They maintained a slim 11-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Linebacker and defensive captain Gabe Gangi-Saroukhanioff CM ’26 spoke on the Stags’ focus during this stretch, despite the loss.
“You get into these modes where it’s like a flow state … you’re so locked in,” Gangi-Saroukhanioff said. “Defensively, it’s ‘how are we gonna get this next stop?’ And offensively, it’s ‘how are we gonna put points on the board?’”
For the Sagehens, those tense minutes became a test of resilience.
“This game showcases our team’s grit,” Irons said. “There were moments where we weren’t executing, and the momentum seemed to be shifting away from us, but we never once thought we were going to lose.”
The Sagehens responded quickly in the fourth and did not look back. Quarterback Luke Levitt PO ’29 powered into the endzone from a yard out, and Pickett caught the two-point conversion to push the lead to 18-11.
Minutes later, the Sagehen defense delivered its final blow. Alden Kling PO ’27, who recovered a CMS fumble on the first play from scrimmage, came up big again with a strip sack. Jacob Whiting PO ’25 scooped up the loose ball and sprinted 39 yards for a touchdown. Walker’s extra point stretched the margin to 25-11.
CMS closed the gap soon after with a 28-yard touchdown pass at the end of the fourth, but the Sagehens stood firm to finish off the 25-17 win.
Even after the loss, the Stags were able to leave with some valuable lessons.
Gangi-Saroukhanioff called the rivalry loss “a humbling experience,” but one that would fuel CMS going forward.
“We still have control over our fate at this point,” he said. “[The loss] has given us some hunger and now we’re ready to attack … we’re gonna use that to fuel a good week of practice and go into our next game ready, prepared and ready to conquer.”
For Pickett and the Sagehens, the proximity to their rivals made the victory that much sweeter.
“This means the world to me,” Pickett said. “We go to class with [CMS players], we go to dining halls with them. And every time we see them now, we’ll be proud we are Sagehens.”
P-P head coach John Walsh also emphasized the high stakes of a Sixth Street matchup and the reward that comes with securing the victory.
“It’s a great win for our assistant coaches [and] our players,” Walsh said. “We work really hard. This game’s important. It’s the most unique rivalry in the country, so a lot of pride goes into this game. We got our trophy back … it’s a good start to the SCIAC season.”
Irons echoed that the balance of pride and focus is a mindset that the Sagehens will look to implement throughout the rest of the season.
“This is, of course, a big win for the team, but it’s also behind us, so we are now fully looking to keep this momentum rolling to La Verne and how to prepare for that game because the end goal isn’t just beating the school across the street, it’s going back-to-back as SCIAC champions,” Irons said.
Both P-P and CMS continue their SCIAC play this Saturday, Oct. 4, away from Claremont. The Sagehens travel to La Verne while the Stags visit Cal Lutheran.
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