La Verne, CA - The University of La Verne football team hosted the Poets of Whittier College for their homecoming game at Ortmayer Stadium. The homecoming stage was a subplot to what the night had in store for the team and their fans Saturday evening.
Overcast throughout the day and early evening, it was seen as perfect football weather. The Leopards drove the field early in the first quarter to score the first points of the game on a 30-yard field goal by kicker Kapena Kamakawiwoole. On the next Leopards possession quarterback Andre Maldonado connected with wide receiver Spencer Pool for a 21-yard touch down giving the Leopards a 9-0 lead. The La Verne defense was stifling, not allowing the Poets to make any plays happen on the field. Chase Yanez had the first Leopards interception of the game, taking it to the house for a 25-yard return and putting more points on the board for the Leopards.
La Verne would be up 23-0 before the Poets finally got on the scoreboard. However, the ultimate control of the game would not be decided by the players; it would be decided by mother nature. As the early evening turned into night, the misting rain would soon begin to deliver multiple lightning strikes that would ultimately delay the game per NCAA protocol for nearly two hours. The delay caused both teams to have to leave the field and return to the locker rooms and the fans to exit the stadium for safety reasons. After the first delay, the teams would return for a couple of possessions before new strikes caused everybody to have to leave the stadium again. The eventual halftime would allow the University of La Verne to honor distinguished alum and the former voice of the Leopards Robert "Bob" Dyer for all of his years of commitment to the university and its athletics program. My Dyer was the public address announcer for La Verne football for thirty-five years.
When the second half of action began, there was continuous play, as the previous delays had consumed much time and gameplay was essential with the weather conditions. Quarterback Mguel Aguero Jr connected with Arturo Herrera-Caballero for a 9-yard touchdown on an 11-yard drive giving La Verne a 30-13 lead. As the fourth quarter began there would be another delay in the game but wide receiver Ethan Medeiros would catch a 13-yard pass for another Leopard touchdown. Cornerback Artist Orange II would seal the homecoming victory with an 87-yard interception return, giving the Leopards a 43-20 victory over Whittier College.
Leopards Abel Cueva and Kyle Bandy moved the Leopards down the field on the ground collectively, combining for 109 yards in the backfield. Ethan Medeiros led La Verne with 6 receptions for 69 yards and Spencer Pool had 3 receptions for 54 yards. Mason Montanez led La Verne with 7 tackles in the game.
Head coach Chris Krich was very pleased with his team's resilience and focus throughout the game with multiple delays. "We talk all the time about the importance of staying positive when faced with adversity. All I can say is how proud I am of our players and coaches for continuing to fight not only during this game but never giving up throughout this season. Our guys come back each and every week excited and focused for the next game. And this game just shows us how much grit and mental toughness this team has. And just like every week, we will go over this film on Monday, and then it's placed on the shelf as we have to move forward and prepare for our next opponent."
The Leopards are back in action next Saturday at Redlands. The game starts at 7:00 PM.
