Sat., Sept. 29, at 7:05 p.m.
Redlands (2-1) at Pomona-Pitzer (2-1)
Merritt Field in Claremont
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With two weeks to prepare, the University of Redlands football team heads to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in nearby Claremont to square off against the Sagehens in the teams' Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener on Saturday, September 29. Kick-off is slated for 7:05 p.m. on Merritt Field.
Both teams are coming off the bye week after losses to Northwest Conference (NWC) foes, with Pomona-Pitzer falling to George Fox University (OR) by a score of 6-40 and the Bulldogs suffering a 0-13 defeat to No. 11/14 Linfield College (OR).
Redlands showed a lot of grit in the loss and refused to give up.
"We competed really well against a nationally-ranked team in their stadium. I thought we showed up and were ready to play," Head Coach Mike Maynard said. "We weren't intimidated. We came out and played hard."
For the Bulldogs, the bright spots came in the form of a stellar defensive showing that included two red-zone stops. Sophomore defensive back Carl Holmes (Fresno, CA) hauled in the team's first interception of the season early in the game, while senior linebacker Nick Castro (La Verne, CA) forced a fumble that was recovered by senior defensive lineman Tobias Leonardos (Half Moon Bay, CA). Redlands went on to record two more takeaways for an outstanding performance by the defense.
"Defensively, we have great instincts," stated Maynard.
With senior center Tommy Garcia (La Habra, CA) setting the tone, the offensive line has provided consistent effort at a high level of success. This allows senior quarterback Levi Plante (Lake Arrowhead, CA) to play free. He currently ranks third in the SCIAC in passing yards per game but also co-leads all players with three rushing touchdowns. The Bulldogs work to maximize his skill and give him the chance to create successful plays.
This week's opponent also suffered their first loss of the season on September 15. While utilizing their three-headed quarterback system, the Sagehens coughed up four interceptions, which led to 14 of GFU's first-half points.
"The quarterback situation (at Pomona-Pitzer) is interesting," commented Maynard. "Each quarterback is good and brings something different to the table."
Last week, senior quarterback Edward Sias completed 11 passes for 95 yards, while junior Karter Oderman served as the team's top ball-carrier with nine attempts for 65 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Pomona-Pitzer brings a strong core of linebackers to the mix. Their safeties cover a lot of ground and make plays both versus the run or pass. Last week, senior linebacker Jack Storrs posted a game-high 15 tackles against George Fox. This was seven more than anyone else on either team.
"They are a team that plays with a lot of swagger and confidence. We have our hands full and it will be great to see what we can do against this team," added Maynard.
This Saturday, the Bulldogs look forward to returning to competition with an intense desire to open conference competition on a high note.
"We have to come out as fast as we possibly can and try to win the first half so we can take a little bit of steam out of this game."
Maynard's Bulldogs have won the last 13 games against Pomona-Pitzer.
Garcia, senior running back Conner Kennedy (Olympia, WA), senior defensive lineman Joe Munroe (Costa Mesa, CA), and senior linebacker Peter Riccolo (Morris, IL) will serve as the Bulldogs' captains.
