REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Football team entered into Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play Saturday grabbing their first win of 2022 35-14 over California Lutheran University helping keep the Smudge Pot Trophy with the Bulldogs for the ninth straight year.
With the win Redlands improves to 1-4, 1-0 SCIAC, while Cal Lutheran drops to 3-3, 1-1 SCIAC.
It was a breakout game on both sides of the ball for the Maroon and Grey, combining for a season high 441 yards of offense (242 Passing/199 Rushing). They were 4-of-9 on Third Downs and controlled Time of Possession (32:18-27:42). Myles Herrera (Yucaipa, CA) was 16-for-21 for the game throwing for 242 yards and a touchdown. He found eight different receivers led by Evan Aguon (San Diego, CA) who finished with four catches for 50 yards and a 12.5 yards per catch average.
Kaleb Hatten (Modesto, CA) added three catches for 32 yards, Joseph Rosales (Goodyear, AZ) hauled in one for 45 yards and Grant Chaney (Upland, CA) picked up the lone touchdown through the air coming from 29-yards out.
The game-changer was the ground attack where four Bulldogs combined for 199 yards led by Andrew Kellstrom (San Bernardino, CA) who totaled 18 rushes for 143 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per rush and a career high four touchdowns. Calel Olicia-Aramboles (Westfield, IN) added 14 carries for another 71 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per rush.
Redlands put up a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter. They added the first score following a 7-play, 93-yard drive that covered 3:07. Herrera found Graig Padgett (Steilacoom, WA) for a 31-yard hook-up, connected with Michael Mindnich (Bellingham, WA) twice for a combined 18-yards and then capped it off finding Chaney for the 29-yard catch and run.
After a quick three-and-out by the Kingsmen the Bulldogs got the ball back with 3:28 left and needed just 2:52 of it to march down the field putting up another seven points, covering 75-yards in 8-plays. Kellstrom had two early carries for 19-yards, Herrera found Aguon twice for a combined 23-yards and Kellstrom would punch in his first touchdown from three-yards out.
It was a defensive battle in the 2nd Quarter with neither team finding the endzone as the score remained 14-0 in favor of the Maroon and Grey. CLU tried to sustain a drive going for it on 4th and 2 at the 50-yard line, but the UR defensive front stood tough forcing the turnover on downs.
The Bulldogs were the first to strike in the 3rd Quarter again from Kellstrom who capped off an 8-play, 80-yard drive with a 28-yard scamper that moved the score to 21-0. During the drive UR totaled six runs for 70-yards. The very next series for CLU they would answer finding the endzone for the first time as they strung together a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Nick Lasher finding Jadon Cline down the seam for a 20-yard catch and run that made it a two-score game.
There was plenty of offense in the 4th Quarter with both teams combining for 21 points. UR struck first covering 66-yards on seven carries all coming from Kellstrom with the last being a punch-in from the one-yard line moving the score to 28-7.
Cal Lutheran was quick to respond getting those points right back on the very next series as Lasher found Jajuan Thomas in the endzone that ended a 78-yard drive in 11-plays. These would be the final points put up by CLU though as the Bulldog defensive unit would hold tough the rest of the way, while the offense would tack on another score, with Kellstrom again finding the endzone from a yard out. This was the insurance UR would need as they would roll to the conference victory.
Redlands' defensive unit was tough all night allowing just 14 points in the second half and 274 yards of total offense (220 Passing/54 Rushing). Jadin Michaels (Palm Springs, CA) and Scott Tinsley (Capitola, CA) combined for 16 tackles (8 Each). Craig Hunter (Murrieta, CA) added five tackles along with a sack for a seven-yard loss. Jax Lee (Richland, WA) had two tackles with a sack for a nine yard loss and 1.5 TFL (12 Yards Lost).
Brendan Marmion (Aliso Viejo, CA) was outstanding on kick-offs with six kicks for a combined 367 yards and a touchback. He averaged 61.2 yards per kick. Vicente Garcia (Fontana, CA) added four punts totaling 183 yards, averaging 45.8 yards per punt with a long being for 58 and another inside the 20.
Let's not forget about the UR offensive line that put together their best performance of the season, helping in the protection of Herrera and the run-blocking for Kellstrom and Olicia-Aramboles. They are a young group but they came out firing on all cylinders. They included Antonio Gallardo (Fontana, CA), Dominic Perez (Fontana, CA), Elliott Hamilton (Bellevue, WA), Kaleb Gibson (Pomona, CA), Daniel De La Torre (Baldwin Park, CA), and Brady Roy Welch (Wilcox, AZ).
Redlands returns to the field next Saturday, October 15 when they travel down to Orange County for a match-up with Chapman University beginning at 7:05pm.
