The No. 23 University of Redlands football team celebrated Homecoming Weekend with a resounding 65-7 win over the Leopards of the University of La Verne on Saturday night in Ted Runner Stadium. On the heels of a 28-point first quarter, the Bulldogs rolled to their third Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) victory of the season.
Overall, Redlands converted 27 first downs for 457 yards of total offense while averaging a gain of 6.6 yards per play in an outstanding effort. While the offense scored six touchdowns, the Bulldogs' defense and special teams directly contributed 24 points.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring on their first drive of the game off of big-gain plays from multiple players. Junior quarterback Nathan Martinez (Redlands, CA) found senior tight end Blake Roy (Camas, CA) on back-to-back completions for a combined 36 yards. First-year running back Mason Carvalho (Menifee, CA) added a 15-yard carry before Martinez connected with junior wide receiver Kai Kang (Sammamish, WA) for 14 yards and the touchdown.
On the Leopards' subsequent drive, junior wide receiver Khory Day (Fresno, CA) returned the three-and-out punt 65 yards to the end zone to quickly make it 14-0 with 11:18 remaining in the first quarter.
Six plays later, the Bulldogs forced La Verne to punt again, thanks in part to senior defensive lineman Elias Hackney's (Santa Monica, CA) sack for a 14-yard loss on third and five.
The momentum stayed with the Bulldogs, who efficiently doubled their lead by the end of the opening quarter. First, Martinez marched the offense downfield for Carvalho's eventual three-yard scoring scamper. This drive also included a 29-yard reception by Day and a 12-yard completion to sophomore running back Kai Thompson (Murrieta, CA). On senior kicker Alex Raya's (Jamul, CA) ensuing kickoff, the Leopards fumbled the ball, which Redlands' first-year defensive back Marwan Philips (Chula Vista, CA) recovered. As a result, the Bulldogs quickly converted another score off junior tight end Isaiah Archuleta's (Palm Springs, CA) two-yard catch.
Late in the second quarter, Carvahlo made his way into the end zone to complete a 12-play, 65-yard drive, with senior quarterback Eric Kump (Huntington Beach, CA) contributing to the offense's success with a 14-yard rush. Kump also threw an eight-year pass to Roy on second and nine to the ULV 21-yard line during this possession.
Redlands continued to pressure the Leopards with big plays, as senior defensive back Jeff Hector (Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA) hauled in his first of two pick-sixes. He amassed more than 100 return yards on these two huge plays.
With a 42-0 halftime advantage, the Bulldogs stayed the course in the second half by out-scoring the Leopards 23-7 while utilizing the depth of their roster. Among the late-game highlights, Raya split the uprights on a career-best 52-yard field goal and sophomore quarterback Bobby Aviña (Modesto, CA) found first-year running back Andrew Kellstrom (San Bernardino, CA) on a 31-yard strike for a touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Joe Bennett (San Diego, CA) led the defense with six tackles, while junior defensive lineman Solomon Iosefa (Riverside, CA), junior linebacker Jacob Harrold (Lake Havasu City, AZ), and Hackney each contributed four.
The Maroon and Gray controlled the time of possession with nearly 35 minutes, compared to ULV's 25. In addition, the Bulldogs converted 4-of-5 fourth downs. Martinez went 7-for-7 for 100 yards, while Kump finished 7-for-11 for 71 yards. Carvahlo carried the ball 13 times for 79 yards and Roy nabbed five catches for 60 yards.
Redlands (6-1, 3-1 SCIAC) heads to Thousand Oaks on Saturday, November 2, for a 7:05 p.m. kickoff against the Cal Lutheran University Kingsmen in the annual Smudge Pot game.
