REDLANDS, Calif. - The University of Redlands football team celebrated Homecoming with an exciting 36-19 victory over the visiting Leopards of the University of La Verne on Saturday night in Ted Runner Stadium. With a run-heavy offense and a dynamic defense, the Bulldogs put up points in every quarter while holding the visitors scoreless in two stanzas.
Redlands improves to 2-5 and 2-1 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action, while the Leopards fall to 1-6 and 1-3.
After going up 6-3 off a pair of field goals by Vicente Garcia (Fontana, CA), the Bulldogs regained possession with great field position when Scott Tinsley (Capitola, CA) hauled in a 14-yard interception return with 4:54 left in the second quarter.
"Scott turned the momentum of the whole game for us," Head Coach Jim Good commented.
Five plays and 23 yards later, Andrew Kellstrom (San Bernardino, CA) broke into the end zone on a one-yard carry before Garcia converted the extra point to make it 13-3.
On the Leopards' ensuing drive, the defensive savviness of the Bulldog squad continued to shine, as Dre Owens (Pico Rivera, CA) hauled in the second interception of his career, taking this one to the house on a 96-yard pick-six. Although La Verne gained two points off the blocked PAT, Redlands entered the locker room with a 19-5 halftime advantage.
The Bulldogs remained hot in the second half, scoring on their second drive of the third quarter. With Tyler Tremain (Folsom, CA) under center for the first time in his young Redlands career, the home team made the most of its field position and marched the ball 36 yards into the end zone for the 26-5 lead. Tremain carried the ball for a huge 22-yard gain on second and 14 before Kellstrom found room on a nine-yard jaunt for the score.
After the Leopards muffed the subsequent kickoff return, Carter Thompson (Denver, CO) came up with the loose ball on the ULV 33-yard line, providing an excellent offensive opportunity for the Maroon and Grey. Redlands' run game stayed effective, thanks to the stingy offensive line that included Dominic Perez (Fontana, CA), Kaleb Gibson (Pomona, CA), Antonio Gallardo (Fontana, CA), Elliott Hamilton (Bellevue, WA), and Daniel De La Torre (Baldwin Park, CA). Tremain and Kellstrom pounded out the necessary yards, leading to Tremain's four-yard touchdown carry for the Bulldogs' 33-5 lead.
Redlands' relentless defensive line of Jax Lee (Richland, WA), Luke Purcella (University Place, WA), Mikey Duran IV (Ceres, CA), and Dawson Brokman (Martinez, CA) kept the Leopard offense off-balanced throughout the night, leading to three sacks for 17 yards and six tackles for a loss of 22 yards. La Verne was limited to 93 yards rushing, including just 3.0 yards per carry.
Although La Verne mustered two late scores, the Bulldogs worked to develop the depth of the team by rotating numerous players into the game. The excitement from the bench was palpable, as new guys stepped in.
With 5:09 left on the fourth-quarter clock, Garcia split the uprights on another field goal, this one coming from 21-yards out.
Craig Hunter (Murrieta, CA) paced the Bulldog defense with eight tackles, while Tinsley closely followed with seven.
Redlands earned 330 yards of total offense, including 265 yards net rushing, as highlighted by Tremain's 126 in his debut. Kellstrom finished with 81.
"Tremain made some great decisions in the first start of his career and ran the ball well," Good added. "The O-line continues to keep pushing forward and getting better by the week. In addition, Brady Roy Welch (Wilcox, AZ) and Grant Chaney (Upland, CA) made some key plays at tight end."
The Bulldogs look forward to hosting Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday, October 29, for a 1 p.m. kickoff in Ted Runner Stadium.
