On Nov. 16 at Merritt Field, the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) football team fought back from a 28-7 halftime deficit against the Chapman University Panthers to secure the program’s second-ever SCIAC championship with a 37-34 comeback victory.
The Sagehens won the coin toss and elected to defer, with Chapman immediately pouncing on the opportunity, stringing together an efficient rushing attack to take a 7-0 lead just four minutes into the first quarter.
Despite P-P’s first offensive drive starting off with a couple of efficient carries from quarterback Grady Russo PZ ’27, the Hens were eventually stopped, unable to convert a fourth-down running play.
After surrendering possession at the 42-yard line, P-P looked for a stop but was met by an efficient quick game from Chapman, who marched the ball down the field as the first quarter came to a close.
The Panthers — led by former four-star recruit Joey Yellen, who previously played at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Arizona State University — scored just a few seconds into the second quarter to make it 14-0 as P-P continued to look for an answer on defense.
The next drive didn’t prove any better for the Sagehens — a punt return left the defense in a difficult situation, and a long pass gave Chapman another opportunity, which they took, transforming the score into a daunting 21-0.
The Sagehens’ first breath of life came on a fumble forced by Eamon Glascott PO ’25, giving the offense an opportunity to put points on the board after a relatively quiet first half. The team’s first score came on a long pass from Russo to Quentin Wimmer PZ ’25, who was able to secure a touchdown through a tight Chapman defensive back.
However, Chapman immediately answered with a drive of their own, scoring another touchdown as the clock expired in the second quarter.
Facing a score of 28-7 heading into halftime, Russo shed some light on the Sagehens’ mentality at this pivotal moment.
“We’ve been down by a lot of points a lot of times, and we’ve come back and won those games because no one on this team gives up,” Russo said.
The Sagehens stepped back onto the field with a vengeance, immediately putting together a touchdown from wide receiver Jackson Walker PO ’28. The score made the game 28-13 after a missed extra point, but the Sagehens were undeterred.
The Hens’ defensive line also came back rejuvenated, with linemen Max Eastman PO ’27 and Omaru Konneh PO ’25 combining for a massive tackle, building the momentum even more.
Russo and the offense took advantage of this momentum, moving the ball down the field and capping off the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run from Russo to put the Sagehens within one possession of Chapman.
Konneh showed up again on the next defensive stand, stuffing an early run and combining for a sack with Alden Kling PO ’27. The Sagehens’ defensive transformation allowed the offense to tack on a field goal from Jack Walker PO ’26.
Konneh, who fought through a first-half injury, reflected on the team’s defensive transformation.
“I never believe it’s over until that clock is zero,” Konneh said. “I feel like everybody played their hearts out. We knew the job we had to get done, and we executed. It’s that simple.”
After another strong defensive stand highlighted by a sack from defensive lineman Ethan Norris PO ’25, the Hens opened possession in the fourth quarter with 16 unanswered points and an opportunity to take the lead for the first time in the game.
A penalty call paired with a couple of incomplete passes forced the P-P defense back, yet, amidst the intense pressure, the Sagehens’ defense didn’t miss a beat. They forced another punt following strong run defense from linebackers Thomas McConnell PO ’25 and George Cutting PO ’25.
The offense delivered, with Russo eventually sealing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sander Wimmer CG ’25. Although the subsequent two-point conversion was unsuccessful, the stadium buzzed as the Sagehens took their first lead of the game 29-28.
Hens’ head coach John Walsh spoke about the team’s halftime adjustments and comeback.
“I thought Chapman did an unbelievable job executing, you know, in all three phases,” Walsh said. “We got punched in the mouth a little bit. And then, you know, halftime, it was time for us to respond.”
With the game entering the home stretch, the Chapman offense reclaimed some rhythm, taking back the lead 34-29 with over three minutes remaining.
But the Sagehens didn’t blink, stringing together a three-minute, 75-yard drive. Running back Mitchell Rodenbaugh PZ ’28 added a couple of receptions to get the offense moving toward the end zone. Russo was then able to march the offense down to the Chapman 18-yard line, where he was again able to find Quinten Wimmer CG ’25 amidst the defense for the go-ahead score.
Russo’s connection with the Wimmers was a problem all day for Chapman, with Russo finding Sander Wimmer for the two-point conversion to put P-P up 37-34 with just 21 seconds remaining.
“I was just happy to get an opportunity,” Wimmer said. “I’m just glad that Grady had confidence in me, the coaches had confidence in me.”
The Wimmers combined for a staggering final stat line, tallying 18 receptions for 250 yards and touchdowns. The two brothers reflected on their time with the Sagehens and their mentality going into the game.
“We’ve played every snap of football together on the same field,” Quinten Wimmer said. “We knew this could be our final game as fifth-year seniors, and we wanted to go out together.”
Chapman did manage to get their offense moving in a last-ditch attempt to spoil the Sagehens’ comeback, making their way down the field on two deep passes. The stands were nothing short of raucous as Chapman lined up to attempt a game-tying 51-yard field goal — there was a moment of silence as the kick sailed through the air, but as the kick hooked right off the goalpost and time expired, P-P rushed the field to celebrate.
The dramatic win crowned the Sagehens SCIAC Champions for the second time in program history. Earning an automatic bid into the NCAA DIII tournament, the Hens will face Whitworth University on Saturday, Nov. 23 in Spokane, WA.
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