Photo by Shira Oneal-Abend

Story by Joe Perrino, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

WHITTIER, CA –  The University of La Verne football team bounced back Saturday night and routed Whittier College 50-26 at Memorial Stadium.

While senior Tyrone Williams Jr. started at quarterback and led La Verne to its first two touchdowns of the evening, backup sophomore Miguel Aguero Jr. stole the show. 

Aguero found the end zone three times through the air — twice in the second quarter and once in the third. His final touchdown pass, a 28 yard shot to senior wideout Nathaniel Sagastume, extended the Leopard lead to a commanding 42-17 lead. He finished with 150 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.

After giving up a field goal to the Poets on the first drive, La Verne came right back and scored 21 unanswered. A 46-yard Williams to Jonathon Torres connection left running back Abel Cueva with a one-yard touchdown run. 

Following Williams' 55-yard touchdown run on the second drive, freshman Kyle Bandy wanted a big play of his own. He took a handoff at midfield and took it all the way to the endzone for yet another 50-yard touchdown run.

Daushin Wright, another freshman back, collected the most carries at the end of the game and led the Leos in yards. He finished with 67 yards on the ground and a touchdown himself. The Leo ground attack finished with a combined 295 rushing yards. Bandy leads the team in rushing this season with 295 yards. Cueva has 250 and Wright has 170.

Defensively, La Verne forced two turnovers, both interceptions, caught by Vitale Afoa and Oscar Montenegro. KJ Macatiag had a big game, finishing with six tackles including three for losses.

Mason Montanez led the Leopards with seven tackles and linebacker Tyler Le added six. Derek Shay and Khary Sanders each added a sack. Shay finished with two tackles for losses and Sanders added two and a half tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

La Verne held the Poets to less than 300 yards of total offense.

The Leopards now sit at 2-4 and 1-3 in SCIAC play, while Whittier falls to 0-7, 0-4, both teams are at the bottom of the SCIAC standings.

Next week La Verne will travel to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to play the Stags at 1 p.m.