As the sun set and the lights came on, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men’s football team successfully staved off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt from Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) to retain their Sixth Street crown on Saturday, Oct. 5. Amidst jeers and cheers at Merritt Field from competing Claremont sides, the Stags held steady against the Hens to close out a 20-14 rivalry victory.
The Stags received the game’s opening kickoff and their offense immediately answered the call. Quarterback Walter Kuhlenkamp CM ’25 capped off an efficient drive with a 39-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mason Cotton CM ’25 to give CMS their first six points of the night.
The touchdown was just the beginning of a decisive first-quarter showing for the Stags. The CMS defense forced multiple incomplete passes before defensive back Thanio Bright CM ’25 intercepted a pass from P-P quarterback Nick Kim PO ’26.
Starting the drive at their own 35-yard line, CMS offense immediately jumped into action again, converting a long third-down try with a 25-yard pass from Kuhlenkamp to Cotton. Running back Justin Edwards CM ’25 received the ball on a handoff, rushing one yard for the Stags’ second touchdown of the quarter.
After falling into an early 14-point deficit, the Sagehens came back onto the field for the kickoff in hopes of getting their offense rolling. However, despite a couple of quick completions in the drive, P-P’s momentum was stifled by another interception. On third-and-four, under heavy pressure from the CMS defensive line, Kim threw to the waiting hands of defensive back Jacob O’Connell CM ’25.
Bright and O’Connell notched interceptions in last year’s Sixth Street game, proving trouble for the Sagehen offense in back-to-back seasons. According to Head Coach Kyle Sweeney, this consistency is a key part of CMS’ defensive performance.
“I have a ton of confidence in our defense,” he said. “You can count on them to make big plays and get turnovers and make sacks and all that stuff because they’re hungry.”
Just as the quarter was winding down, Sagehen receiver Quinten Wimmer PZ ’25 received a direct snap and launched a pass to the sideline. He found fellow receiver Matthias Olson PO ’26 in traffic over two CMS defenders, advancing the ball to the 20-yard line to end the quarter.
As the second quarter began, the Sagehens immediately struck back. After Wimmer took a few snaps in a wildcat formation, Kim re-entered the game and immediately found Olson for a short touchdown pass after a scramble to make the score 14-7.
A couple of drives later, the Stags’ defense forced another punt from the Hens to put their offense back on the field, opening up with strong runs from Edwards. Capitalizing, Kuhlenkamp launched an 85-yard touchdown pass to receiver Anderson Cynkar CM ’25.
Despite missing an extra point due to a missed field goal, the Stags headed into the locker room with a commanding 20-7 lead over P-P.
Kuhlenkamp credited the offensive line for their role in keeping the Stags on top of the scoreboard.
“It seems like there’s a tremendous challenge in front of them and they just go out there, execute, open craters up front,” Kuhlenkamp said. “So I got all the time in the world. I love those guys more than anything.”
After a halftime performance by the 5C Dance Company, both teams came charging back onto the field. At the start of the second half, the Hens turned the ball over on downs but forced a punt from CMS to get their offense rolling again halfway through the third quarter.
A 90-yard scoring drive with a 43-yard reception by Olson put P-P in scoring position. Kim fired a five-yard touchdown pass to wide-open receiver Joaquin Valdez PZ ’26 to close the gap to six points and finish out the quarter.
As both teams entered the fourth quarter, the P-P and CMS crowds grew louder, leading chants and providing a raucous backdrop to the last minutes of the game.
Jogging onto the field with nine minutes remaining in the game, the Hens’ offense attempted a last-minute comeback to shock the Stags. P-P running back Brennan Dragomer PZ ’27 took the team down the field with 23 rushing yards over the possession, and a 19-yard reception by Sander Wimmer PZ ’25 helped put the Hens at CMS’ 25-yard line.
Despite the strong start to the drive from the Sagehen’s offense, an illegal snap penalty put the P-P offense into a first and long where they were met by a reorganized Stags defense. Linebacker Joey Asta CM ’25 was able to stop a run for a short gain before a holding call the very next play put the Hens 10 yards further from the end zone.
The Stags defense immediately capitalized after the penalty as defensive end Michael Houk CM ’26 sacked Kim for a five-yard loss. With only one play to go 27 yards, Kim threw up a pass towards Olson in a last-ditch bid to continue the Hens’ comeback but Bright was able to knock down the pass and seal the victory for the Stags.
Despite the outcome of the game, Olson reflected on the positives for the Sagehens.
“I think the key is looking at what we did wrong and then capitalizing and figuring out how we can adjust better next week and really using this loss as motivation as we continue the season,” he said.
Kuhlenkamp said the rivalry victory meant something special for him as he is now in his last season with the Stags.
“It really gets your heart going, makes you feel alive. Not many people get to experience this,” Kuhlenkamp said. “I’m honestly lucky to be a part of this team. I’m honored that they let me play quarterback for them.”
After claiming the Sixth Street Trophy yet again, the Stags now sit at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in SCIAC and will continue their quest for the SCIAC Championship on Saturday, Oct. 12 when they face Chapman University. P-P, whose record is now 2-2 overall and 1-1 in SCIAC, will look to right the ship against Redlands University also on Saturday, Oct 12.
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