George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. -- For the second straight night, the George Fox football team put on a show under the lights.

Thanks to key special teams play in the second quarter and a strong finish in the fourth, the Bruins improved to 2-0 for the second time in three seasons with a victory in the Oregon Cup Championship over the Lewis & Clark River Otters, 28-20.

How It Happened
The Bruins recorded their first shutout in eight seasons in the week prior against Redlands, but it would not be the same against the River Otters. Lewis & Clark, who did not announce a starting QB until 10 minutes before the game, went with Dashiell Weaver under center the whole game — and it paid off early. Weaver capped off a penalty-riddled drive (four across a six-play drive) with a 33-yard passing touchdown to Sytyn Lasconia to put L&C up, 7-0.

While the River Otter offense impressed in the first, Fox's offense struggled to get started. The Bruins totaled just 23 yards and a single first down in the opening quarter, while Lewis & Clark put up 123 in the first. A 44-yard completion put the River Otters in scoring range, and the drive ended in a field goal. A JJ Leman 15-yard completion to Kaelan Frey ended things on a positive note, but Lewis & Clark took a 10-0 lead into the second.

With 10:10 remaining in the half, the momentum was squarely in favor of the Otts. 12 seconds later, the Bruins had scored. What happened in that time? Special teams. The snap on a River Otter punt sailed well over punter Damon Perez's head. Perez kicked the ball out of the end zone, but an illegal kicking penalty gave the Bruins the ball at the three. Tucker Land punched the ball in on a rushing score, cutting the deficit to three, 10-7.

Just three minutes later, it was déjà vu all over again. Another snap sailed far over Perez's head. In just two plays, the River Otters had not only lost 81 yards, but set up Fox at the two-yard line again. This time, Leman found freshman Bupe Chisanga Jr. for his first career touchdown, giving Fox the 14-10 advantage.

Fox forced another punt and was yet again off to the races. Leman, who had benefited from goal-line opportunities in the prior two drives, helped lead the first real drive of the game. The Bruin QB completed passes to Karsen Denault and Frey, rushing for an additional 10 yards to move into opponent territory. Running back Brody Snyder capped off the 12-play, 88-yard drive with a 16-yard rushing touchdown to extend Fox's lead to 11.

The Bruins had one more highlight to end the half, this one coming on the defensive end. With 18 seconds left, it seemed that the Otts would find the end zone, as L&C had driven to the one-yard line. For two consecutive plays, the Fox defense held. First, Kuyper Assink and Tyven Self-Gomes-Kealakai stonewalled Weaver's quarterback sneak. Then, on the final play of the half, Assink and Jacob Erickson sacked Weaver to end the half on a high note; Fox outscored the Otts, 21-0, in the second quarter to take an 11-point, 21-10 lead into halftime.

GFU's defense started right where they left off in the third quarter — after an Erickson strip sack was recovered by an Ott offensive lineman, Ty Borde made sure GFU got the ball, recording his second interception of the season two plays later to end a promising drive for the River Otters. The next L&C drive, though, would be fruitful; an 11-play, 61-yard drive ate up over six minutes of clock and cut the lead to four, 21-17. That would be the score at the end of three with the Bruin offense driving.

Bupe Chisanga Jr., who had earned the first start of his career on Saturday, made his biggest play of his young career on a third and nine to start the fourth. Leman found the streaking wideout on the far side of the field and hit the freshman between the numbers on a diving grab. Chisanga Jr.'s TD was his second of the day, and gave Fox a 28-17 lead. 

Try as they might, the Lewis & Clark offense would not be able to find the back of the end zone on their next drive. The Otts drove down to the goal line, but Elijah Franco, Erickson, and Makana Paikuli left L&C with a third-and-goal from the three. Then, Austin Harrison stepped up, stonewalling running back Gio Borea for a two-yard loss and forcing a field goal.

Up by eight, 28-20, the Bruins flexed their muscles to end the game. Fox ran the ball on all 11 plays, but the River Otters weren't able to get through the line of Toby Esqueda, Rylan McGraw, Kyle Martin, Miky Amare, and Sean Brewster and stop the Bruin running backs. Damien Ehlers clinched the game for the Bruins, breaking tackles for a four-yard run to not only earn a first down, but give the Bruins the Oregon Cup Championship with a 28-20 victory.

Top Performances
JJ Leman finished his day 14-24 from the field for 151 yards and two TDs, rushing for 17 yards as well. Bupe Chisanga Jr. had the first two touchdown receptions of his career, ending with three catches for 26 yards and two TDs. Karsen Denault ended with a team-high seven receptions for 75 yards, while Brody Snyder led the team with 56 yards rushing and one score. Tucker Land had the other touchdown for the Bruins, ending his day with 10 rushing yards.

Defensively, Mika Petaia led the team with nine tackles in just his second collegiate game. Ben Nuss, Jacob Erickson, and Kuyper Assink were right behind Petaia with eight tackles — Erickson recording 2.5 sacks and Assink totaling 1.0 — while Austin Harrison had two TFLs. Duke Alderete-Labuguen had two QB hurries, while Ty Borde had an interception.

For special teams, Riley Rutledge averaged 39.8 yards per punt on his four punts, landing one inside the 20. Ben Rembisz was 4-for-4 on his PATs, with Jacob Hundven recording two touchbacks on kickoffs. On a day where long snapping was under a microscope, all nine of Noah Bjornstedt's snaps were perfect.

Coach's Thoughts
"Football is a funny game." Bruin head coach Spencer Crace said, "The ball bounced in our favor tonight. Sometimes that's just how it goes. Lots to learn from, but our guys showed relentless effort tonight. I couldn't be more proud."

What It Means
The Bruins improve to 2-0 on the season and earn the Oregon Cup Championship thanks to a 3-1 record over their past four Oregon Cup games dating back to 2023. Lewis & Clark falls to 1-1.

What Happens Next
Fox will travel for the first time in 2026, taking the road down to California to wrap up their nonconference schedule against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1-0). Kickoff in Claremont, Calif., is scheduled for noon.