THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — California Lutheran University football picked up a Senior Day win over Whittier to improve to 2-2 in the SCIAC and 5-2 overall.
Cal Lutheran controlled the opening half with solid defense and a strong ground game led by Jackson Taylor's 128 first half rushing yards.
The Kingsmen's first drive resulted in a 14 yard Nick Lasher touchdown to James Holland.
The Poets took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards and decided to make the aggressive choice and go for two. The unexpected early choice was successful and gave the Poets a 8-6 lead.
The Kingsmen would then score on their next three consecutive drives to finish out the half with a 28-8 lead.
The second half saw Cal Lutheran continue the dominant defensive effort. Sophomore defensive back Daylen Wilson came away an interception for the only turnover of the game. The rest of the half, the Kinsgmen defense stymied the Whittier offense.
The Offense continued to move the ball well in the second as Nick Lasher found Ben Anderson for a 27 yard touchdown through the air and Nicholas Acosta completed a 77 yard pass to Johnny Borjas.
Cal Lutheran also added a 31 yard field goal off the foot of Daniel Burgos.
Jackson Taylor finished the game with 136 rushing yards on 13 attempts along with 103 rushing yards from Isaiah Martin. Each managed to find the endzone once in the contest.
Quarterback Nick Lasher finished the game with 11 completions on 16 attempts for 152 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Ben Anderson's 2 receiving touchdowns led the team, while Johnny Borjas had 1 reception for a team leading 77 yards and a score.
Defensively, JD Land and Zion Brown each contributed 6 tackles and Gabriel Hernandez added 5. Pete Mitchell was disruptive in the backfield with 2 tackles for a loss including a sack. Randal Voutt, Jacob Murillo, and Mike Dizon were also able to get to Whittier's quarterback.
The final score of 45-8 marks the Kingsmen's largest margin of victory on the season.
The Kingsmen will head to the University of Redlands on Saturday the 13th at 1pm to compete for the Smudge Pot Trophy.
Box Score: CLU 45, WIT 8
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Release by Steven Lohn, Assistant Sports Information Director
