SPOKANE, Wash. – Omari Williams secured Whitworth's 21-13 win over visiting Pomona-Pitzer in the first round of the NCAA Division III football championship with an interception at the Pirates' two-yard line with only six seconds left to play on Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.
The Pirates (10-1) advance to play top-ranked North Central (Ill.) in next week's second round game in Naperville, Illinois. Pomona-Pitzer ends the season 8-3 after making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.
The Sagehens had to weather an early storm as the Pirates jumped to a quick 14-3 lead. After Nathan Owens returned the opening kickoff 40 yards, Whitworth went 59 yards in five plays. Evan Liggett took a short pass from Ryan Blair and turned it into a 42-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
Pomona-Pitzer got a 34-yard field goal from Jack Walker on its first possession, but the Pirates went right back down the field and scored on Blair's 26-yard pass to Dawson Tobeck to cap a six-play, 70-yard drive.
Whitworth appeared on the way to another score but could not complete a pass to Liggett on fourth and two at the P-P 27.
The defenses then took over until the Sagehens took advantage of a short field and scored their only touchdown of the game with five seconds to play in the first half. Sander Wimmer caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Grady Russo to finish off a 39-yard drive and pull within 14-10.
Getting the opening kickoff the second half, Pomona-Pitzer had a chance to take its first lead. The Sagehens had first down at Whitworth's 22-yard line. Two shots at the endzone resulted in incomplete passes before Russo scrambled to set up a fourth and four. Dylan Owen supplied heavy pressure on Russo and forced an incomplete pass.
The Pirates finally got back on the board when JT Muñoz hit Russo in the Pomona-Pitzer backfield and forced a fumble at the Sagehens' six-yard line. Following a punt, Whitworth took over at the visitors' 38 and scored on Blair's four-yard pass to Dawson Tobeck on the second play of the fourth quarter. The Pirates had to covert a fourth-and-one from the five on the previous play.
Whitworth's defense came up big again. After Pomona-Pitzer drove to the Pirates' ten, Micajah Weisner forced a fumble on an option-type play that Nathan Hummel recovered at the nine.
Whitworth only moved backwards and had to punt from its own endzone, allowing the Sagehens to take over at the Pirates' 23. They only got six yards and had to settle for Walker's second field goal (from 34 yards) of the game.
Pomona-Pitzer had a chance to tie when Whitworth fumbled at the 50 on its next possession, but the defense forced three straight incomplete passes and the Sagehens had to punt. The Pirates were able to convert a couple first downs and got to Pomona-Pitzer's 36 before a punt that turned into a touchback.
Taking over at their own 20 with 2:27 to play, the Sagehens converted one fourth down and two third downs to get to Whitworth's 30 with 13 seconds to play. Pomona-Pitzer's final play was a pass over the middle that Williams intercepted at the two. He went down on his own at the five to secure the ball with six seconds left in the game.
Pomona-Pitzer outgained Whitworth 431-341 and had a 24-16 advantage in first downs. But as it has all season, the Pirate defense came up big by taking the ball away three times and sacking Russo four times. The Sagehens ran 81 plays and averaged 5.3 yards per play, while the Pirates ran 57 plays and averaged 6.0 yards per snap.
Blair completed 28 of 37 passes for 303 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It was the 19th touchdown connection with Liggett this season, extending Liggett's single season record and Blair's touchdown pass record to 34. Liggett also broke the single season receiving yardage record and tied Whitworth's career record for touchdown catches with 29 held by Michael Allen. He finished with seven receptions for 130 yards.
The Sagehens clamped down on Whitworth's running game, holding the Pirates to 38 net yards on 20 carries.
Russo completed 33 of 58 passes for 358 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 82 yards on 14 carries but was sacked four times for 25 yards in losses. Quinten Wimmer caught 11 passes for 162 yards.
Weisner led Whitworth's defense with a career-high 13 tackles, including two for losses of seven yards, with the forced fumble. Williams had a career-high ten tackles to go with his interception and two pass breakups. Daniel McKeirnan had eight tackles, his fifth interception of the season and two breakups. Ephaim Watkins and JT Munoz were each in on a pair of sacks.
Whitworth has reached the ten-win plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.