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Stags Win a Tough Conference Road Game at La Verne to Improve to 3-1
The Stags know there are no easy victories when it comes to conference play. A conference road tilt at the University of La Verne would prove to be no different. The Stags were coming off a tough conference loss to the defending champions and were looking to get back to its winning ways. The matchup pitted two very stingy defenses against two very different styled offenses, but it was big plays on the special teams that sealed the 17-7 victory for the Stags.
The first quarter started with a big play on special teams when La Verne faked a punt on 4th and 14 to get the first down. They cashed in on the gamble on the next play scoring on a 36 yard touchdown pass to go up on the Stags, 7-0. CMS would respond later in the quarter on seven play, 49 yard drive highlighted by a 25 yard strike from Scott Yingling (JR, Chicago, IL) to Jacob Tobis (JR, Mercer Island, WA). Yingling finished the drive off with a one yard sneak into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7. The defenses would then stiffen up for the rest of the half until the Stag offense took over with 6:16 left to go in the half and put together a 14 play, 65 yard drive that Chet Corcos (FR, Fair Oaks, CA) finished with a 39-yard field goal as time expired. The Stags would enter halftime up 10-7 over the Leopards.
Penalties became the thorn in the Stags' side in the third quarter. Just as the Stag offense looked to get on a roll driving the ball deep into Leopard territory with a couple of big plays, the referee's yellow handkerchief negated each one, resulting in punts rather than points. Fortunately, the Stag defense was able to pick up the load, shutting out the Leopards the entire quarter. Special teams once again came up big for CMS. Mike McNeece (SR, Benicia, CA) converted a fake punt on 4th and 5 to keep a drive alive. Senior captain Brock Olson (SR, Lake Oswego, OR) blocked a Leopards' field goal attempt to tie the game as Kyle Hansen (FR, Issaquah, WA) scooped up the ball to give it back to the Stags. Great defense and big plays are usually a great recipe for a win and nothing could have been truer on this day. The Stag defense kept the Leopard offense at bay and on the final punt of the day, the Leopard returner bobbled the punt and Sae Bin Park (SO, Los Angeles, CA) was there to recover it on the seven yard line. The Stag offense put the finishing touches on the game with a three yard scamper by senior captain DJ Lillard (SR, Phoenix, AZ [pictured-left]) to set the final score at 17-7.
Lillard was hailed as the offensive player of the game with 95 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Rory Baird's (SR, Escondido, CA [pictured-right]) dominating performance with three tackles for loss and a sack earned him defensive player of the game. Ronnie Hirokawa (SO, Aiea, HI) had a spectacular day punting the football and for that he was named special teams player of the game. The Stags now go on the road to face always tough Cal Lutheran. Both teams enter the tilt with a 3-1 record as the Stags bring the number two scoring defense in the conference to face off against Cal Lu's number one ranked scoring offense in what promises to be a full scale battle at 1:00 pm at Cal Lutheran University.
