NEWBERG --- The George Fox football team played host for its final opponent in the 2019 season with a tilt against the Lewis & Clark Pioneers on Saturday, Nov. 9. The Bruins used a 28-7 halftime advantage to set the tone and cruised to a 42-7 win on Senior Day.

Recap

The Bruins lost the coin toss and took the ball to start the game, but neither team was able to move the ball well in the early going. Most of the first quarter had ticked away before the Bruins found traction on their third drive of the game, using a 73-yard completion on a screen pass from Jaden Sheffey to Ethan Kassebaum for the first score of the game.

The teams traded punts again after the Bruins' score to wind down the opening quarter. After a brilliant punt from Jason Santoni pinned the Pios at their five, the Bruin defense held firm and forced yet another punt for great field position on the Pios' end. One play later, Sheffey found Justin Trimble II streaking up the left hash for a 25-yard touchdown strike and a 14-0 lead.

Seconds later, the Bruin defense got in on the scoring action after Caleb Harrel snagged a pass attempt on the Pios' 32 and ran it all the way back for a 21-0 lead after a successful Ethan Hoffman PAT.

The Pios put a 9-play, 92-yard scoring drive together in response and got on the board with 5:30 left in the first half to make it 21-7, but the Bruins had another answer minutes later. After the Pios forced a punt, the Bruins' defense came up big again when David Ledesma registered a strip sack at the Pio six yard line. Caleb Dalzell recovered the fumble and Wesley Riddell punched it in to make the Bruins' lead 28-7 after another successful PAT.

The Bruins took their 28-7 lead into the locker room and quickly resumed their dominance in the second half. The Pios' last nine drives ended in either a punt, a fumble, a pick, or a turnover on downs as the Bruins' defense hounded the Lewis & Clark offense throughout the second half.

The Bruins put another long drive together early in the second half to go up 35-7 after a 51-yard toss from Sheffey to Kenny May set up a 20-yard rushing score for Kassebaum.

Harrel came up with another acrobatic pick on the Bruins' sideline in the fourth, and the Bruins capped the afternoon with one final score on a 76-yard pitch and catch from Haiden Schaan to Trimble for a 42-7 final.

Top Performers

Sheffey finished with 174 yards through the air and 9-18 passing for two touchdowns, and Schaan chipped in 92 more yards through the air and a passing TD of his own after going 3-7 in relief. Trimble led the Bruin wideouts with 112 yards and two touchdowns on four catches, while May was just behind with 74 yards on four touches himself. Kassebaum finished with 95 all-purpose yards on nine touches for two touchdowns.

On defense, Daniel Campos recorded a team-best 14 tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, and Austin Shadbolt added 11 from his spot at linebacker. Caleb Dalzell wreaked havoc on the line and added eight tackles, and Harrel patrolled the back end with two picks, a pick-six, and four tackles, including one for a two-yard loss.

What It Means

The Bruins improve to 5-4 overall and are 4-2 against NWC opponents this season with a final game on the slate next weekend.

What Happens Next

The Bruins travel to McMinnville for a matchup with Linfield, the leading team in the NWC, on Saturday, Nov. 16.