Oct 02, 2021
SPOKANE, Wash. – Solomon Hines scored two touchdowns and Caleb Christensen threw for two scores and more than 400 yards to lead Whitworth to a 35-17 win over visiting Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at the Pine Bowl.
The 18th-ranked Pirates (4-0 overall, 1-0 NWC) posted season highs for points and yards in the win, overcoming a 14-10 deficit to the Pioneers (1-2, 0-1) in the third quarter.
Hines ran for 79 yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He also caught four passes for 137 yards, including an 88-yard touchdown from Christensen. The Pirates' first-year signal caller came on in the second quarter and completed 28 of 42 passes for 407 yards with one interception.
Bryce Hornbeck led the defense by intercepting two passes and forcing a fumble that Whitworth recovered with his first sack of the season.
Neither team scored in a mistake-filled first quarter. Whitworth fumbled on its first two possessions, including one at the L&C 15 yard line. L&C also fumbled on its first drive. The Pioneers sacked Whitworth starting quarterback Jaedyn Prewitt three times in the first period.
Hines scored the first points of the game midway through the second period with a four-yard run that capped an 83-yard drive. L&C tied the game with 26 seconds left in the second when Cruz Montana threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Elijah McGee.
Whitworth was still able to take a lead into halftime, however. Jarvis Natividad returned the kickoff to the Pirates' 41. Completed passes to Ethan Peloquin and Dylan Ashbeck moved the ball 27 yards and Nate RaPue drilled a 49-yard field goal, his career-best distance, as time expired.
The Pioneers took the opening drive of the second half 73 yards for a touchdown when Dyontae Navarette ran in from two yards. Whitworth trailed in the second half of a game for the first time this season.
RaPue answered with a 22-yard field goal to get the Pirates within a point. After forcing a quick three-and-out, Christensen connected with Hines streaking open over the middle for the 88-yard touchdown pass that put the Pirates back in front 21-14 after a successful two-point conversion.
The Pioneers got back within 21-17 when Alex Koga kicked a 35-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Christensen directed a 61-yard drive to answer, and set up his 16-yard touchdown pass to Peloquin by scrambling out of trouble.
Matthew Fiesta scored the final touchdown with a 16-yard run that culminated a 60-yard drive.
Whitworth finished with 576 yards of offense, 477 through the air and 99 on the ground. The running game was off-set by five L&C sacks for 30 yards. Peloquin caught nine passes for 88 yards to lead the receivers.
L&C had 402 yards of offense, but gave up three fumbles and two interceptions. Navarete ran for 164 yards on 24 carries. Montana completed 15 of 25 passes for 207 yards, while McGee caught four passes for 115 yards.
Jacob Hogger led Whitworth with nine tackles. RudyJay Keopuhiwa had eight, including 3.5 sacks for 12 yards. Whitworth sacked Montana six times.
The Pirates head to McMinnville for a meeting of unbeaten and nationally-ranked teams next Saturday at Linfield College.