By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Joseph Castillo (Fy., RB, Alta Loma, CA/Northview HS) rushed for 127 yards and scored two touchdowns on 27 carries for Willamette University on Saturday, Oct. 16 during Family Weekend at McCulloch Stadium, but the Bearcats were unable to complete a rally against Lewis & Clark College. The Pioneers led 40-27 with 9:25 left in the game and held a slim 40-34 lead with 3:57 to go, before holding off Willamette for a 43-41 win. L&C improved to 2-3 overall, 1-2 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette fell to 1-5 on the season, 0-3 in the NWC.
Lewis & Clark led 24-14 at halftime and went up 34-14 early in the second half. The Bearcats clawed back within 37-27 on a 6-yard pass from Dante Chaney (So., QB, Arlington, TX/Mansfield Legacy HS) to Sam Adams (Sr., WR/P, Sacramento, CA/Rio Americano HS) with 12:24 remaining in the game. L&C increased its lead to 13 points when Alex Koga tacked on a 29-yard field goal with 9:25 left.
Willamette responded with a 12-play, 58-yard drive that lasted 5:21 and ended with Castillo scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. Camdin Dirnberger (Fy., PK, Missoula, MT/Sentinel HS) kicked the extra point to pull WU within 40-34.
The Bearcats got the ball back with 3:08 left after AJ Conrad (So., DL, Temecula, CA/Murrieta Valley HS) forced L&C running back Tony Rangel to fumble at the Willamette 34. Christian Tovar (Sr., LB, Covina, CA/South Hills HS) of Willamette recovered the ball. On the second play after the turnover, Chaney scrambled and gained two yards before Cameron Chang of Lewis & Clark caused him to fumble at the WU 30. Makana LaBoy recovered the ball for the Pioneers and advanced it to the WU 22.
Koga kicked his fifth field goal of the game, a 37-yarder, for L&C with 1:24 remaining, as the Pioneers grabbed a 43-34 lead. Koga's field goals were from 37, 26, 29, 29, and 37 yards. The last three kicks were during the fourth quarter.
Willamette kept battling and drove the ball 78 yards on eight plays to score a touchdown with 21 seconds left. Noah Niblett (Fy., TE/WR, Coos Bay, OR/Marshfield HS) recorded the touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Aidan Kuykendall (Sr., QB, San Pedro, CA/Palos Verdes Peninsula HS/L.A. Harbor College).
Key plays earlier in the drive were a 31-yard pass from Kuykendall to Justin Genovia (Jr., WR, Aiea, HI/Iolani School) to the L&C 25-yard line and a 12-yard pass from Kuykendall to Max Andersen (Sr., WR, Chico, CA/Pleasant Valley HS/Butte College) on the next play. Kuykendall spiked the ball to stop the clock after Anderson's catch. When play resumed, Kuykendall hit Niblett for the touchdown. Dirnberger's PAT kick was good, reducing the Pioneers' lead to 43-41.
Alex Hensley of Lewis & Clark recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Willamette 46. The Pioneers ran out the clock.
The Pioneers scored on the game's first possession after driving 60 yards on eight plays. Quarterback Cruz Montana finished the drive with a 1-yard run. Willamette tied the score at 7-7 on a 4-yard touchdown run by Chaney with 7:49 left in the first quarter. The Bearcats gained a 14-7 lead at the 4:00 mark when Chaney scored again on a 2-yard run.
On the kickoff after Chaney's second touchdown, Evan Powers of Lewis & Clark returned the ball 12 yards before Michael Herington (Grad., DB, Tucson, AZ/Salpointe Catholic HS) forced him to fumble at the L&C 21 yard line. Landon Waters (Fy., DB, Martinez, CA/Alhambra HS) recovered the ball. The next play ended with a quarterback sack and a fumble when Justin Hope caught Chaney at the L&C 35. Hope picked up the ball and returned it 55 yards to the Willamette 10.
Three plays later, Montana threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Marcelo Lopez. Koga kicked the extra point for a 14-14 tie with 2:57 left in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Koga added a 37-yard field goal and Aidan Verba-Hamilton scored on a 20-yard pass from Montana as the Pioneers moved out to a 10-point halftime lead.
For the game, Chaney was 9 of 12 passing for 100 yards and one touchdown. Kuykendall completed 3 of 3 passes for 56 yards and one score. Castillo's 127 yards and two touchdowns led all runners.
Andersen hauled in four passes for 33 yards for WU. He moved past the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving. He has caught 67 passes for 1,030 yards in 15 games with the Bearcats. Genovia caught two passes for 66 yards and Adams grabbed three passes for 53 yards, including a 40-yard wide receiver pass from Niblett.
Montana connected on 12 of 22 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns for L&C. Verba-Hamilton brought down four catches for 54 yards and one score, while Noah Hobbs caught four passes for 35 yards. Montana rushed 16 times for 48 yards despite being sacked three times. Koga scored 20 points, as he went 5 for 5 on field goals and 5 for 5 on extra points.
Willamette accumulated 23 first downs, while L&C recorded 17 first downs. The Bearcats gained one more yard of total offense than the Pioneers, finishing with a 300-299 edge.
Dylan Hall (So., LB, Erie, CO/Peak to Peak Charter School) topped the Willamette defense with seven total tackles, including six solo stops. Keaton Adams (Sr., DE, Colorado Springs, CO/Doherty HS) provided the Bearcats with five tackles (4 unassisted), including one sack for six yards lost. He also recovered a fumble. Michael Wong (Fy., LB, Apple Valley, CA/Apple Valley HS) and Albert Ramon Jr. (Sr., S, Hesperia, CA/Northview HS) matched Adams with five tackles. Dom Torres (Sr., DT, North Salt Lake, UT/Woods Cross HS) was credited with four tackles, including three tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble.
Anakin Mares earned eight tackles for L&C. Sam Meinhard also finished with eight tackles for the Pioneers. Meinhard achieved one tackle for loss, forced a fumble, and returned an interception 28 yards.
Willamette will take on Whitworth University on Saturday, Oct. 23 in Spokane, Washington. Game time at the Pine Bowl is set for 1 p.m. (PDT).
