Story by Sebastián Abdón Ibarra
LA VERNE, CA – It has been what feels like an eternity since the La Verne community has been able to gather at Ortmayer Stadium to watch their Leos battle it out on the gridiron, but that wait comes to an end this Saturday as the University of La Verne is slated to play Whittier College. This weekend's game marks the first competition for the Leopards since November 16, 2019.
With every new season comes a renewed sense of hope that this year's group has what it takes to earn an automatic or at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The Leopards will look to improve on their 4-6 2019 campaign and hope to compete for their first SCIAC title since 2015.
If there is one advantage the Leos can hang their hat on, it is key starters returning on the offensive side of the ball, specifically on the offensive line. Trevor Goulet, Trent Mondini, Joseph Wittmer are all returning seniors that will anchor the offensive line for the Leos. Nathaniel Sagastume is another name to watch out for on offense as he led all Leos in receiving with 25 receptions for 352 yards and four touchdowns in 2019, including the overtime game-winning reception against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps that earned him SCIAC Athlete of the Week honors. Returning senior tight end Arturo Herrera-Caballero will hope to break out and compliment Sagastume offensively. Herrera-Caballero will also continue to be a difference-maker on special teams where his punting abilities earned him back-to-back SCIAC Specialist of the Week recognitions.
Leading the way in the secondary for La Verne is senior cornerback Raymond Moronez. Moronez had a very strong 2019 season that included back-to-back SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors and a spot on the D3fooball.com Team of the Week while collecting 32 tackles and an impressive six interceptions. Working with him in the secondary is safety Mason Montanez, who hopes to build off his 2019 season when he collected 46 tackles and two interceptions. The pair hope to enforce a no-fly zone policy over La Verne airspace this season.
Headlining the Leo pass rush will be a pair of seniors in the form of Derek Shay and Khary Sanders. Shay is coming off a season where he had 19 tackles and two sacks. Sanders had maybe the most impressive season of any Leo last season after collecting 32 tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses, and one sack, which was enough to earn him Second Team All-SCIAC honors in 2019.
The Leopards face a Whittier team that posted a record of 3-7 in 2019 and is looking to rebound this season.
This is not the only time these two teams will face each other this season. La Verne's first two games against Whittier College and Chapman University will be counted as non-conference games, meaning the Leos will meet these two teams later in the season.
Kickoff time for Saturday's game against the Poets is set for 7:00 pm at Ortmayer Stadium.
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