NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox football team faced one of their toughest challenges of the season in No. 10 Whitworth, falling on Senior Day, 0-31.

How It Happened
The Bruin defense would spend most of the time on the field in the first half but locked in to keep the game close. Blake Mazurowski got the home crowd on their feet, stuffing Whitworth running back Luis Salgado three yards behind the backfield on a 4th & 1. After a Bruin punt, it was the same story — though the Pirates drove down the field, they failed to convert on another 4th & 1; this time, it was Silas Kincaid who stopped Whitworth, breaking up a pass.

Fox's offense struggled to get going the entire first half, not recording a first down — however, the team was painstakingly close deep into the first quarter. DeMontre Thomas II found Elias Polanski for a 33-yard gain down the right side. When Polanski went to cradle the ball, though, it squeaked free, dropping into the hands of the Pirates. 

Whitworth took advantage of the play, driving down the field and scoring a touchdown to take a 7-0 second-quarter lead. The Bruins defense closed strong and looked to be headed into halftime down by just those seven points thanks to a Kiegan Schaan interception until a backbreaking play in the final moments. With 22 seconds left, deep in their own territory, a screen pass was jumped by Pirate safety Chris Knutson and returned four yards for a TD to increase the Whitworth lead to 14-0.

The Pirates scored a touchdown early in the quarter before the Bruins put together their best drive of the game. Thomas McMillan took a screen and broke through two tackles, scampering down the sideline for a 47-yard gain. Thanks to a pass to River Osen and a pass interference penalty, the Bruins had a 1st & Goal on the two-yard line. Unfortunately for Fox, the offense couldn't punch it through for the touchdown, leaving the score 0-21 at the end of the third.

A 31-yard run touchdown on the first play of the fourth by the Pirates put the game out of reach. Fox would pick up two of their five fourth downs in the quarter as No. 10 Whitworth would win 31-0. The loss was the first shutout for the Bruin offense since a 0-14 loss against No. 24 Linfield. Following the game, the team honored seniors Ethan Bullock, Gabe Foster, Dustin Kunze, Thomas McMillan, Kyle Osowski, and Tanner Park for their hard work over the years.

Top Performances
Thomas McMillan led the team with two catches for a career-high 56 yards, while Vincent Cabezudo recorded his first career catches with two for 26 yards. On defense, Kiegan Schaan was just one tackle short of the program record, finishing the game with 18, also recording an interception. Noah Tack and Nolan Martin each finished with double-digit tackles, with 15 and 11, respectively. Blake Mazurowski had two tackles for loss. On special teams, Riley Rutledge had six punts for an average of 38.7 yards.

Coach's Thoughts
"On behalf of the entire staff, I want to thank and congratulate the fourth and fifth-year seniors," Bruin head coach Chris Casey said, "Your contributions to the football program will always be remembered because you have truly lived our identity of T.A.P.E (Togetherness, Attitudes, Perseverance, Effort) on and off the field. Our football program and our campus are better because you made a positive impact on both."

What It Means
The Bruins drop below .500 at 4-5 (2-4 NWC) on the season, while the Pirates improve to 9-0 (6-0 NWC) ahead of a de facto NWC Championship game next week against Linfield. 

What Happens Next
The final game of the George Fox football season will be on the road in Forest Grove, Ore. against Pacific. Kick-off is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.