LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Football team (6-2, 4-2 SCIAC) trailed 14-5 at the half against the University of La Verne, but a 24-0 second half led the Bulldogs to a come from behind 29-14 victory.
Redlands allowed a rushing touchdown before getting their first points on a safety forced by Anthony Hall (Seattle, WA). Then at the 5:05 mark of the second quarter Kadyn Butcher (Vancouver, WA) converted on a 29-yard field goal to cap off a 10-play 45-yard drive.
A late Leopard touchdown, though, with :35 seconds left in the half put the Bulldogs down nine after 30 minutes of action.
Redlands began the second half with possession. Mark Mitchell III (Fontana, CA) started the drive with a 12-yard rush. Two plays later Tobey Schmidt (Tustin, CA) had a quick throw to Kev Markossian (La Verne, CA) that went for 25 yards getting UR to the Leopard 32.
Mitchell and Donovan Maxey-Parler (Sacramento, CA) then combined for 32 yards on five attempts with Maxey-Parler finishing it off with a nine-yard touchdown run that pulled the Bulldogs within two, 14-12.
La Verne held the ball for almost seven minutes on their next possession but on 3rd and 5 at the Redlands 10, Andrew Placido (Hayward, CA) broke up a pass right before the Leopard kicker missed a 27-yard field goal.
The game-winning touchdown came on a seven-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a one-yard rushing touchdown by Schmidt. The big play, however, came on 2nd and 13 when Schmidt found Markossian for a 53-yard reception.
On the final play of the third quarter Skye Taylor (Carson, CA) forced a fumble and Jaeden Thorn (Seattle, WA) picked it up to give Redlands possession to begin the fourth quarter at the La Verne 28.
Maxey-Parler had 19 yards on the ground on the first play after the turnover. Eventually the Bulldogs would settle for a 21-yard field goal by Butcher to go up, 22-14.
In the final six minutes Schmidt made it a two-possession game finding Julian Walker (Fontana, CA) over the middle for a 38-yard touchdown.
After each team punted, Jax Lee (Richland, WA) and Mosese Afemui (Maui, HI) then combined on a sack on 4th and 15 at their own 47 with :24 seconds remaining to get the offense the ball back where they took a knee running out the clock.
Schmidt averaged nearly 10 yards per attempt through the air, finishing with 160 yards. Mitchell had 97 net yards rushing, Markossian had 78 yards receiving and Walker had 44 threw the air and a touchdown.
Taylor and Enrique Ybanez (Ontario, CA) each had seven total tackles on the afternoon. Hall finished with 1.5 tackles for a loss (TFL), Lee had one, and Mosese, Thorn, Placido, Javier Sandoval (San Bernardino, CA), and Tate Keddington (Boise, ID) all had 0.5.
The Bulldogs had a balanced offensive attack combining for 323 yards of total offense with 163 rushing and 160 passing. They also accumulated 17 first downs and scored on all four redzone possessions.
Redlands returns home for senior day next Saturday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m. as they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) in a game that will determine whether or not they play for the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship or third place.
