SPOKANE, Wash. – Ryan Blair and Evan Liggett broke significant single-season records and #10/#14 Whitworth rolled to a 48-9 win over visiting Lewis & Clark in a Northwest Conference football game on Saturday afternoon at the Pine Bowl.
Blair established a new career high for passing yards in a game (465) and threw three touchdowns to set a new Pirate record for touchdown passes in a season (30), breaking the old record of 29 shared by Joel Clark (2005) and Ian Kolste (2016). Liggett caught two of those touchdowns and now holds the school record for touchdown receptions in one season with 16, breaking the old mark of 15 set by Michael Allen (2005).
Yet those two records were not on the mind of head coach Rod Sandberg after the game.
"Our entire team showed so much energy today and it was our most complete game in weeks," he said. "We will talk about any records once the season is over, but right now we just have to focus on running our offense, running our defense and getting better every play."
Whitworth (8-0 overall, 5-0 NWC) started the game on fire. On the Pirate's first play of the game Blair connected with Liggett for a 62-yard completion to the L&C six-yard line. Four plays later the pair connected again for a one-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.
The lead grew through the first quarter, but not as much as Sandberg might have hoped. After getting first downs deep in Pioneer territory, Whitworth settled for a pair of short field goals by Iden Bone to end the first quarter up 13-0.
Blair threw his second touchdown of the game to Taylor Wells, who hauled in the 31-yard score on the second play of the second quarter for a 20-0 lead.
The defense continued to stymie the high-powered L&C attack when Omari Williams forced a fumble that Daniel McKeirnan recovered at Whitworth's 35. On the next play Blair and Liggett hooked up for a 65-yard touchdown pass that broke both season records.
L&C (3-5 overall, 2-3 NWC) got on the board when Thien Hong made a short field goal midway through the second quarter. After the Pioneers stopped Whitworth for the first time in the game on fourth down, L&C drove 83 yards to score on a seven-yard pass from Oa Kamakawiwoole to tight end Julius Walker with only five seconds left in the half. The margin was 27-9 after the Pioneers could not convert the two-point try.
L&C would get the ball to start the second half and a touchdown could have turned the tide of the game. The Pioneers drove to Whitworth's eight-yard line before McKeirnan made a fourth down stop at the 10.
Whitworth extended the lead late in the third to 34-9 on a one-yard run by Luis Salgado that finished off a 43-yard drive. Joshua Lawson set up the drive with an interception near midfield.
The Pirates got the only points of the final quarter on a pair of touchdown runs by third-string tailback Kurt Solano.
"My favorite play of the game came in the fourth quarter when our QB was 15 yards downfield throwing a block so our third string running back could score a touchdown," Sandberg said.
Whitworth rolled up a season-high 631 yards as Blair completed 25 of 34 passes for his 465 yards. Liggett also set a career-high with 225 receiving yards on seven receptions. Salgado ran for 90 yards on 17 carries and became the first Pirate since 2016 to surpass 1,000 yards in a season. Salgado, who now has 1,014 rushing yards, also caught four passes for 59 yards. Cameron Sheley and Caelin Johnson had for receptions apiece as well.
Zach Brooks led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and forced a fumble. Micajah Weisner added nine tackles and a diving pass breakup. Williams picked off a pass to go along with his forced fumble. The defense took the ball away three times in the game and Williams was part of two of those.
L&C finished with 362 yards as Kamakawiwoole completed 22 of 33 for 187 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He had only thrown one all season prior to the game. Devon Guest caught seven passes for 86 yards.
Whitworth will put its winning streak on the line next week at George Fox.