PORTLAND, Ore. -- Despite a furious comeback from the George Fox football team, an early 24-0 hole to Lewis & Clark proved too much for the Bruins to overcome, as Fox fell to the Pios, 21-24.

How It Happened
The first half was one to forget for Fox as they played without head coach Chris Casey, who was unable to coach the game. The game started promisingly, with Fox forcing a quick punt and picking up a quick first down on an 11-yard pass from DeMontre Thomas II to Taylor Saben — a play that would prove to be the only first down of the half for Fox.

While the Bruin offense struggled to move the ball, Lewis & Clark's Oa Kamakawiwoole proved to be the difference-maker in the opening two quarters; the freshman quarterback threw for 179 yards, passing for one touchdown and running for another. With six seconds left in the half, Kamakawiwoole connected with Julius Walker to give the Pios a commanding 24-0 lead at the break.

Rather than fold over, though, the Bruins came out of the locker room with fire. After just 34 yards of offense in the first half, Fox marched down the field on their opening drive, picking up five first downs on a 15-yard opening drive. Though the Bruins turned the ball over on downs in the red zone, it was clear the momentum had shifted.

The Fox defense quickly forced a punt and the offense was out racing again. Thomas II completed four passes on the drive, including a 14-yard strike to William Moffitt to get on the board, 7-24. After another stop, Thomas II continued to pick apart the Lewis & Clark defense as the fourth quarter began.

The first drive of the fourth featured a ley fourth down conversion in Pio territory, with Thomas II finding Kaelan Frey on 4th & 2 for five yards. Two plays later, Moffitt found the end zone again, this time on the ground as the junior broke through the defense for a 26-yard score. Suddenly, the score was 14-24.

After giving up 24 points in the first half, the Bruin defense allowed just four first downs. Thanks to quarterback hurries from Kiegan Schaan and Kuyper Assink, that lockdown defense gave Fox the ball again, down 10 with nine minutes remaining. After two quick first downs, the Bruins had their most explosive play of the day with Thomas II finding Elias Polanski for a 42-yard gain. Thanks to the explosive passing game, Taylor Saben found gaps in the line, marching into the end zone to cut the lead to three, 21-24.

Once again, Fox got the ball back — but this time, they could taste the lead. The Bruins picked up two first downs, nearing midfield, before a backbreaking illegal motion penalty wiped off a 10-yard completion from Thomas II to Frey. Instead of a first down in Pioneer territory, Fox instead had a 4th & 9. Thomas II's fourth-down pass was incomplete to Frey, leaving Fox with one last gasp.

The Bruins exhausted their timeouts and had one last prayer to complete the comeback in the waning seconds. Thomas II gained 17 yards on a scramble and found Polanski for a 13-yard pickup, but a sack with the clock running slammed the Bruin comeback to a halt; the quarterback's Hail Mary pass fell well short, ending the game in a 21-24 loss. 

Top Performances
DeMontre Thomas II finished the night 19-28 with 177 yards and one touchdown and one interception, rushing for 25 yards as well. Taylor Saben led the team with 77 yards rushing and one touchdown, while William Moffitt totaled 51 yards rushing and two scores — one in through the air and one on the ground. Elias Polanski led the team in both receptions and yards, pulling in six catches for 85 yards.

Nolan Martin led the way on defense with 13 tackles for his second consecutive game. Kiegan Schaan and Dustin Kunze rounded out the top three tacklers with eight and seven, respectively. Blake Mazurowski and Kuyper Assink led the team with two TFLs, while Ty Borde forced a fumble.

Coach's Thoughts
"I loved our toughness and competitiveness in the second half," Bruin defensive coordinator John Bates said, "but I am pretty disappointed in the first half. We shot ourselves in the foot several times with penalties and mistakes. But I truly love our guys and their effort, we just ran out of time for the second week in a row."

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 2-2 (0-1 NWC), while the Pios move to 2-2 (1-0 NWC).

What Happens Next
After two weeks away from home, Fox will return to Stoffer Family Stadium for homecoming against the Puget Sound Loggers (1-3, 0-1 NWC).