CLU Sports

The California Lutheran University football team squandered an opportunity to win the SCIAC title outright in its final regular season game on Saturday with a 38-17 loss to Redlands. Despite the loss CLU is still guaranteed a share of the conference championship.

Redlands (8-1, 5-1) opened the game by going 52 yards on 13 plays and capped the drive with a 34 yard field goal by Joe Macmillan. The Bulldogs had what looked to be a 13 yard touchdown pass from Dan Selway to Kenny Romero, but it was negated by a penalty for Selway being across the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass.

Cal Lutheran (5-4, 5-1) answered quickly with a three-play, 67-yard drive, capped by a 20-yard touchdown scamper by quarterback R.J. Benedict.

Turnovers soon haunted the Kingsmen as on their next possession Benedict was intercepted by the Bulldog’s Jordan Moss, who took the interception 37 yards for a touchdown to give Redlands a lead they would never surrender.

Trailing 10-7, running back Louis Montano fumbled and the Moss recovered at the CLU 23 yard line.

On the ensuing play later Selway found Brian Putnam on a 23-yard strike to increase the Redlands lead to 17-7.

Wide receiver Jesse Matlock was a bright spot for the Kingsmen. The junior hauled in 11 catches for 152 yards including a second quarter touchdown that cut the CLU deficit to three points at halftime.

Redlands jumped on the Cal Lutheran offense in the second half and outscored the Kingsmen 21-3.

Mike Nicolini intercepted a Benedict pass with 12 minutes remaining in the game and took it 28 yards for a score.

CLU’s three second-half points came on a 50-yard field goal by senior Connor Pearce in the third quarter. Pearce missed two attempts in the second quarter from 44 and 53 yards out.

Benedict finished 19-for-43 with a touchdown pass and four interceptions. Christian Edwards was the second leading receiver for CLU with four catches for 35 yards. Montano carried the ball 13 times and totaled 36 yards with a long of 13.

Redlands displayed an effective running game behind Zack Schafer and Jeff Stewart. Schafer ran 18 times for 90 yards and a touchdown and Stewart carried the ball 23 times for 88 yards. Selway completed 10 of 26 passes, threw two touchdowns and an interception.

The teams both came out of the contest with a part of the 2007 SCIAC Championship. They now await a result from the Occidental at Whittier game tonight at 7:00 p.m.

With an Occidental win the Kingsmen will clinch an automatic berth into the NCAA playoffs. A loss would put Redlands in position for the automatic berth and leave CLU out of the postseason.