CLU Passing Game on Display in 49-21 Win Over La Verne
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – After racing out to score four
unanswered touchdowns the Cal Lutheran football team turned on
cruise control en route to a 49-21 victory over La Verne at home on
Saturday. The Kingsmen passing attack netted a season-high 283
yards all from junior quarterback Jake Laudenslayer, who also threw
four touchdown passes.
Laudenslayer finished 17-for-24 to set a season-high in
completions as well as yards and touchdown passes. He came out of
the game with more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter
and CLU leading by 42.
CLU led 21-0 before the game would see three touchdowns scored in
1:16 seconds elapsed time late in the second quarter.
Facing a fourth-and-eight Laudenslayer hooked up with sophomore
Eric Rogers for a 30-yard strike with 1:46 remaining in the first
half. La Verne took the ensuing kickoff and drove 63 yards on six
plays with Thomas Arguello finding Matt Griffin for a 15-yard
touchdown with 44 seconds left. The Leopards followed with an
onside kick that was recovered by CLU with still 42 ticks
remaining. Laudenslayer would eventually hit freshman Max Eller for
an 18-yard touchdown and gave the Kingsmen a 35-7 advantage at the
half.
Rogers hauled in a team-high five receptions for 77 yards and a
score. Sophomore Matt O'Brien led CLU with 83 receiving
yards, coming on four catches. Along with Rogers and Eller, junior
Deme'Trek Chambers and senior Carlton Richard pulled in the
other two receiving touchdowns.
Chambers added two touchdowns on the ground, giving him three on
the day. He finished with 89 all-purpose yards, gaining 41 rushing,
22 receiving and 26 on his only kick return. The transfer from
Cerritos College extended his team lead to eight touchdowns, all
coming in the last three games.
After La Verne fumbled the ball on its opening possession, the
Kingsmen took over in Leopard territory at the 12 yard line and
Chambers would put CLU up 7-0 on a two-yard rush.
The Kingsmen forced a three-and-out on the ensuing La Verne drive
and despite having a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rogers called back
for an ineligible man downfield the Kingsmen still found the end
zone as Laudenslayer hit Chambers for an 8-yard touchdown.
Laudenslayer entered the game with three touchdown passes through
four games and doubled that amount with the four against the
Leopards.
Midway through the second quarter the CLU quarterback found
Richard slanting over the middle and the senior wide out made the
grab and exploded up the middle of the field for a 47-yard
touchdown.
Chambers picked up his third score on the team's first drive
on the third quarter, a three-yard touchdown run.
Sophomore running back Matt Hamlett took his turn on CLU's
next drive as he eluded a couple La Verne tackles and scampered up
the middle for a 29-yard touchdown run, the first of his collegiate
career.
At that point the Kingsmen had gone ahead 49-7 with five minutes
still left to play in the third.
The Leopards really turned on their aerial attack as Arguello
would finish with 300 yards passing and three touchdowns on the
day. All three of the scoring passes had the junior Griffin on the
other end. The La Verne junior caught nine passes for 98 yards.
Fellow junior wide receiver Allen Daniels led all players with 131
receiving yards as he was on the receiving end of eight Arguello
passes.
CLU junior linebacker Michael Azhocar finished with a team-high
six tackles. The Kingsmen defense notched two sacks on the day with
one from junior James Krausse and another by junior Sean Post.
It was the first game this season that CLU has not intercepted the
opposing quarterback. They entered play on Saturday with nine picks
over four games.
However it did get its takeaways as sophomore Patrick Knox made a
big hit to force a fumble that was recovered by freshman Steven
Keezer and junior Loren Powers picked up the fumble on La
Verne's opening drive.
La Verne senior defensive end Jorge Villagomez made three sacks to
lead all players.
The Kingsmen have now won their last 10 matchups with La Verne
with the last victory for the Leopards in the series coming on Oct.
21, 2000.
Cal Lutheran (4-1, 3-0 SCIAC) will now prepare for its Homecoming
game on Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. as it hosts Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. It
will mark the final Homecoming at Mt. Clef Stadium with William
Rolland Stadium being built for the 2011 season.
