On a Halloween afternoon, the Pacific University Boxers kept the game close except for one quarter and that quarter buried the Boxers behind the Whitfield Pirates, 50-33. The third quarter was their undoing when Whitfield scored two unanswered touchdowns to grow their small lead to 19 points, 40-21. It was a lead that the Boxers could not overcome.

The Pirates managed the first score of the game with two minutes left in the first quarter. Whitworth drove nearly the entire field (97 yards) with eleven plays. Duke DeGaetano ran the last two plays for a total of five yards to cross the goal line. Quarterback Ian Kolste threw six completions for 69 yards in the series to help his team get within scoring range.

It didn’t take the Boxers long to answer back. In fact, it only took twelve seconds with the most dependable play the Boxers have had all season: quarterback Warner Shaw throwing to receiver Nathan Suyematsu. The two connected on the first play of the series for 70 yards and a touchdown.

One minute and 21 seconds later, the Pirates field goal kicker, Rehn Reiley, kicked three points through the uprights from the 45 yard line regaining the lead for a short time. The first quarter ended 22 seconds later with the two teams close and the Pirates up 10-7.

Six seconds and one play into the second quarter, Pacific took the lead back with a 20 yard completion from Warner Shaw to James Berry. Five minutes later, Shaw would throw another 20 yard pass to Zak Porche for his third touchdown pass of the afternoon and the Boxers had their biggest lead at 21-10. Then, the wheels starting falling off. The flood gates opened as the Pirates scored 33 unanswered points over the next 32 minutes.

Before the first half could end, the Pirates went on a four play possession ending on 59 yard pass from Ian Kolste to Mike McKeown in less than a minute. Whitworth took the lead at the 1:23 mark when Kolste kept the ball and rushed five yards for the go ahead touchdown. The Pirates would not give up the lead the rest of the game. The Pirates added a 19 yard field goal from Rehn Reiley with four seconds before halftime. The locker room score was 26-21, Pirates.

In the third quarter, Whitworth dominated. Their first touchdown came five minutes into the quarter as Ian Kolste scrambled for 23 yards for the score. Ian followed that with another rush from the eight yard line with only a minute and a half left in the quarter. The score was 40-21 and too much for the Boxers to come back though they valiantly tried. The Pirates added another field goal by Rehn Riley from the 32 before the Boxers could get back on the scoreboard for the first time since the second quarter.

Campbell Summerfield took over quarterback duties in the fourth after an injury to Warner Shaw and led the Boxers 80 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Summerfield threw 7 for 8 for all 80 yards. The final pass came from the Whitworth 13 as James Berry took the pass for his second touchdown reception of the game. There was no late word on the Shaw injury status.

While the excitement of the touchdown added to the hope of the Boxer fans, the Pirates took less than four minutes for Whitworth’s Duke DeGaetano to punch it in from the one yard line for the Pirates biggest lead at 50-27.

The Campbell Summerfield/James Berry connection scored one more passing touchdown from the ten yard line but it would be the game’s final score of 50-33 as there was less than two minutes left in the game. The Pirates ran out the clock on three straight rushes by Kyle Brownell and Casey Bond(2).

Both Boxer quarterbacks combined for a respectable offensive showing. Warner Shaw started the ball rolling going 13 for 25 and 194 yards with his three touchdowns but also had two uncharacteristic interceptions for the afternoon. Campbell Summerfield was right behind with 187 yards on 14 for 23 passes. Campbell threw for two touchdowns and had one interception. The Pirates Ian Kolste threw for 386 yards, five more than both Boxers (381) totalled. Ian threw 25 for 46 and had one touchdown with no interceptions Ian also added three rushing touchdowns.

Bronson Barretto had over 100 yards rushing with 109 on 17 attempts. Kamana Pimental had 71 yards rushing on twelve attempts. The Boxers had no rushing touchdowns. For the Pirates, Duke DeGaetano led all rushers with 166 yards on 27 attempts for two touchdowns. With Kolste’s three scoring keepers, the Pirates had five rushing scores.

Both teams had two receivers go over 100 yards. The Boxers were led by league leader Nathan Suyematsu with 130 yards on five receptions and one score. James Berry joined him with 120 yards on nine receptions with two scores. The Pirates were led by Mike McKeown’s 122 yards on seven receptions and the Pirate’s lone touchdown pass. Mike was joined by Garrett McKay who led the game with ten receptions going for 116 yards.

By the end of the afternoon, Bronson Barretto had quietly combined for 291 all purpose yards. Bronson not only had his 109 yards rushing, but he also had 68 yards on six receptions as well as 116 yards returning the football.

The Whitworth Pirates (4-1, 7-1) stayed in a two way tie for second with the Puget Sound Loggers in league play. The Pacific Boxers (3-2, 5-3) fell a game behind the Pirates for fourth place. Pacific will return home on the seventh of November to host the George Fox Bruins at Hansen Stadium for the Boxers’ last home game of the season. The Pirates will travel to Salem to face the Willamette Bearcats. Both games will be at 1pm.

By Greg Stoker
@GDStoker