TACOMA, Wash. -- The George Fox football team had their four-game winning streak snapped, losing to Pacific Lutheran in its season finale, 55-21.

How It Happened
The Bruins forced a punt on the first drive of the game, but from that moment on, it was all PLU. Following a Taylor Saben nine-yard rush, quarterback JJ Leman fumbled the exchange — and the Lutes' Kawika Bacos picked up the ball, taking it down to the one-yard line. One play later, PLU pushed it in to make the score 7-0. After another Bruin punt, the Lutes were on a roll again, with running back Jacob Schuh taking the ball 83 yards to the house. Quickly, George Fox was trailing, 14-0.

While Fox had to punt once again, it was Sam Astor who had the first highlight play of the day. The junior cornerback jumped a screen pass, intercepted the ball, and raced 50 yards into the Lutes' red zone. Suddenly, the Bruins were in business. Saben quickly took advantage, racing down the sideline and tip-toeing into the end zone to make the score 14-7 on a 13-yard rushing TD.

From there, though, the Lutes wrangled back control of the game in a big way. Three touchdowns — two rushing, one passing — made the score 35-7 before the Bruins could put together a drive. Fox managed to end the half strong, using several strong runs from Brody Snyder, three catches from Sheyden Iokia, and a timely unnecessary roughness penalty to score. This time, it was Leman, who totaled his eighth rushing touchdown of the season with a one-yard QB power. At halftime, the Bruins trailed, 35-14.

Fox opened up with a strong drive out of the half, working their way down the field with rushes from Saben and receptions by Kaelan Frey and Karsen Denault. The Bruins advanced into PLU territory, but a chop block penalty negated a 16-yard completion and put Fox behind the sticks. Following a punt, the Lutes quickly scored again thanks to a 75-yard rush to make the score 42-14 heading to the fourth.

Once again, GFU started the quarter strong. Already driving to end the third, Leman found Denault for a 15-yard completion to get the Bruins in the red zone. Two plays later, the Bruin QB hit his tight end Iokia for an eight-yard score to get Fox on the board, 42-21. The Lutes countered with two touchdowns to close the game, giving PLU a 55-21 win — the most points allowed by the Bruins since a 59-0 loss to Linfield in Fox's inaugural season.

Top Performances
JJ Leman ended his season 19-39 with 158 yards and a touchdown, rushing for an additional TD as well. Taylor Saben led the team in rushing yards with 79 on the ground and a score of his own. Karsen Denault led the way with 78 yards on five receptions, while Sheyden Iokia had five catches of his own for 31 yards and a TD.

Defensively, Kaikoa Iokia totaled nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss, the most for the Bruins in either category. Zak Holsey and Silas Kincaid were next up with eight tackles apiece, while Sam Astor totaled seven to go alongside his 50-yard interception return. Jacob Erickson concluded his Fox career with one solo sack, bringing his program record to 12 on the season. 

On special teams, Matthew Williams handled the kicking duties for the Bruins after Ben Rembisz went down with an injury on the first play of the game. Williams went 3-3 on PATs, while kicking one touchback as well. Riley Rutledge had seven punts for 267 yards, including two within the 20-yard line.

Coach's Thoughts
"I'm so proud of this group of seniors," Bruin head coach Spencer Crace, who concluded his first season with the Bruins on Saturday, said, "They have laid a foundation for a very bright future! This team is resilient and tough and is going to be a force to reckon with for many years to come. We showed so much growth this season. This wasn't the way we wanted to end, but it's safe to say we moved this program in the right direction, and I'm looking forward to many more years to come here in Newberg."

What It Means
While the loss moved Fox to 4-6 (4-3 NWC) on the season, the Bruins still finished the season 4-1 in their final five games. Pacific Lutheran moves to 6-4 (5-2 NWC) with the win.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will look to build off their strong finish to the season by gearing up for the 2026 season.