Linfield toys with Whitworth on way to 35-7 victory and conference title
Difference makers step up, make plays and — well — make a difference. In Saturday’s 34-7 victory over Whitworth, the whole team, in all three phases of the game made a difference, obviously. But there were also several individuals who made differences, too, in a big way.
Whitworth received the opening kickoff and promptly drove 64 yards in seven plays — and made it look easy, scoring on the ‘Cat defense in the first 3:36 of the game — for a 7-0 lead.
Linfield head coach Joseph Smith noted, “Kudos to Whitworth. Like many teams, coaching staff develops a first drive script taking advantage of what they see on film. They come up with good ideas to take advantage of the defense.
“But once the defense figured what they were doing – and credit coach (Jackson) Vaughan – they made adjustments and played a particularly strong game against an offense that has been solid all season.”
That one drive was it for Pirates.
The Wildcats scored 34 straight points, making the 14th-rated Whits look pedestrian. The victory gave Linfield the NWC title for the 45th time and the automatic berth in the NCAA DIII national championship tournament.
Stepping up on the offensive side of the ball was QB Blake Eaton, whose performance was as much a personal statement of redemption after injury kept him out of last year’s loss to the Pirates. Add to that list of players making this contest a statement game for the same reason: Bailey Lee, an all NWC performer at offensive guard, and Colby Kalaukoa, also an all-conference talent at defensive back.
First, Eaton led the ‘Cats on a 68-yard scoring driving after the ensuing kickoff. Eaton led by example, taking the ball into the end zone on a 15-yard scamper up the middle, knotting the score at 7.
The ‘Cats followed up with a Gavin Dalziel 22-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead. But Eaton wasn’t finished by a long shot. On the next possession Eaton drove the ‘Cats 90 yards, tossing an eight-yard scoring pass to Connor Wolfe with 17 seconds left in the first half, giving Linfield a 16-7 lead at the break.
And speaking of ‘Cats who stepped up against the Pirates, Wolfe is another whose star shone brightly, grabbing nine passes for nearly 100 yards and keeping several drives alive in the process.
Eaton took a shot from the Whitworth defense and sat out several plays early in the second half. But the rugged senior from Central Point came back with yet another all-conference-level performance, as the ‘Cats pounded out another scoring drive, this one 81 yards in 10 plays. The drive was capped by a Eaton six-yard scamper to pay dirt. That score pushed Linfield’s lead to 23-7.
Eaton finishes his Northwest Conference career never having lost a conference game in which he started.
After Whitworth’s initial score, Linfield’s defense simply squeezed the life out of the Pirate offense. Quarterback Ryan Blair found himself in the ‘Cat pressure cooker with a posse of defenders keeping him in check. Linfield’s defense also had seven tackles for losses during the game, stifling a running attack that had helped to ignite the Pirate passing game.
About the time Blair and the Whitworth offense appeared to have found their mojo, Blaze Holani applied the coup de grâce, snuffing out any thought the Pirates may have had of mounting a comeback a la 2023 at the Catdome.
Whitworth wriggled off the hook several times in a drive Smith said was perhaps the most unusual in his coaching career.
Whitworth opened the fourth quarter with the ball on their 14-yard line with a third down and 31 yards to go. On the next play Blair was able to get the ball to Cameron Shelley for a 32-yard first down at the Pirate 46.
Two plays later Kenyon Johnson intercepted Blair but the ‘Cats Trey Dieringer was called for pass interference, giving Whitworth a first down at the Linfield 38. Two plays later Blair found his favorite receiver, Evan Liggett, for 24 yards. But the play was called back from the Linfield 10-yard line for offensive pass interference. On the next play Whitworth was whistled for delay of the game. Then Holani sacked Blair for an 11-yard loss but was whistled for a personal foul (horse collar tackle) giving Whitworth new life at the ‘Cat 39.
By this time Holani and the Linfield defense had simply had enough of cat-and-mouse football. The Linfield junior from Hawaii cut in front of the Whitworth receiver for an interception, and raced 62 yards for the score. Luke McNabb came in for the two point conversion (since the ‘Cats botched the PAT on their second score at the end of the first half) and threw a perfect fade pass to who else — Eaton — for a 31-7 back-breaking lead.
Linfield added another Dalziel field goal — a 26-yarder at 2:07 of the final quarter for the final score of the game. Whitworth took the ensuing kickoff, but with time running out and the game out of hand, could only run out the clock in a losing effort.
Smith had words of praise for Linfield defensive back Chance Sparks who drew the assignment of keeping in check Liggett, the Pirates’ leading receiver. Liggett finished the day with six catches for 71 yards and the only score of the game for the home team.
Aaron Martinez was also a major contributor for the Linfield offense, with 65 yards in 10 carries, keeping several drives alive with strong running.
Eaton finished the day with a 19-of-26 effort through the air for 229 yards, with two interceptions.
For its effort, Linfield earned a bye week in the DIII tourney and will host Texas Lutheran Nov. 30 with a noon kickoff. Whitworth will host a play-in game against the SCIAC’s champion, Pomona-Pitzer next weekend.
Comments