SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University clinched an outright Northwest Conference football championship with an exhausting 59-31 win over visiting University of Puget Sound on Saturday in the Pine Bowl.
The Pirates (8-2 overall, 7-0 NWC) won their second NWC crown in three years and third under head coach Rod Sandberg. Whitworth will find out when and where it plays in the upcoming NCAA Division III playoffs on Sunday at 2:00 pm (PST).
Quarterback Logan Lacio had a career-best day, completing 20 of 24 passes (83%) for 351 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions.
The visiting Loggers (1-8, 1-6) were determined to spoil the party. Puget Sound took the opening kickoff 77 yards in only six plays to score a touchdown on a 43-yard pass from Hayden Teeter to Joe Gallagher. After forcing the Pirates to punt, Puget Sound was driving again before having to settle for a 53-yard field goal attempt that came up just short.
Whitworth finally tied the game at the end of the first quarter on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Lacio to Dawson Tobeck to complete a 64-yard drive.
The Loggers took the lead back early in the second when Charlie Reisman converted his second field goal attempt, this time from 32 yards away.
The Pirates took their first lead midway through the second when Lacio hit a streaking Deacon Dietz for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Bucs were poised to add a third touchdown when Wyatt Hess blocked a punt at the UPS nine-yard line. But Whitworth had to settle for Iden Bone's 22-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead.
The silver lining was the fact that Bone broke the Pirates' single season record for field goals in a season with his 15th conversion. He is 15-18 this fall.
Puget Sound was driving for a tying touchdown right before halftime when Ryan Borchers forced Teeter to fumble after an 11-yard scramble and Hunter Letteer recovered at the Pirates' five-yard line in the final minute of the half.
After each team punted its first possession of the second half, Whitworth went 79-yards on 11 plays to go ahead by two touchdowns. Lacio hit running back Luis Salgado with a swing pass that Salgado took 10 yards for the 24-10 lead.
Then things got crazy in the fourth quarter with 56 combined points. Early on Lacio found Caleb Northcroft for a short pass in the right flat that Northcroft turned into a 29-yard touchdown pass and a 31-10 lead.
The tit-for-tat had begun as the teams traded scores quickly. Lacio completed touchdown passes of 74 yards and six yards to Drake Matthies. In between he hit Dietz for a 45-yard pass that set up Salgado with a two-yard touchdown run.
The Loggers got a 22-yard TD run from Nick Fernandez and Teeter threw touchdown passes to Dillon Whitfield (75 yards) and Darius Bailey (six yards). The pass to Bailey got UPS within 45-31 with 6:48 left.
Matthies' second touchdown catch completed a 43-yard possession set up by a failed on-sides kick attempt and came with only 2:55 left.
Puget Sound appeared to be driving for a final score when Nate Hummel sacked Teeter and forced a fumble that Drew Cody recovered and returned 87 yards for the game's final score with 1:13 left in the game.
Matthies caught four passes for 133 yards and two scores. Dietz (94 yards) and Tobeck (38 yards) also had four catches each. Salgado ran for 95 yards on 21 carries.
Teeter completed 42 of 63 passes for 551 yards with three touchdowns. He was sacked three times and lost two fumbles. Bailey caught 14 passes for 195 yards, while Isaac Tran also caught 14 for 176 yards.
Omari Williams made a career-high 14 tackles and broke up four passes on a busy day for a corner back. Ryen Borchers made a career-high 12 tackles and Cody finished with 10. Hummel had two of Whitworth's three sacks.
Puget Sound outgained Whitworth 646-489 and had a 29-20 advantage in first downs.