Kingsmen Hand Stags First SCIAC Loss of Season

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran handed the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team their first SCIAC loss of the season on Saturday afternoon by a 42-20 final. The Stags held a 10-7 lead early in the second-quarter, but the Kingsmen found success through the air with Adam Friederichsen tossing three of his four touchdown passes in the second-quarter and Cal Lutheran took a 28-13 lead at the half.

The Cal Lutheran lead ballooned to 42-13 in the fourth quarter before Jackson Zeledon (CMC) grabbed a 24-yard touchdown pass from Jake Norville (CMC). The late touchdown was not enough and the Stags fell by a 42-20 final.

In the game, CMS was held to 47 rushing yards and hard to turn to the air to move to football. While Norville and Sam Healy (CMC) combined for 293 yards and two touchdowns, the Stags tossed three interceptions.

The game started with the Stags going on a methodical, 12-play, 72-yard drive that took 7:04 off the clock. CMS got down to the Kingsmen six-yard line and faced a first and goal, but the drive stalled and Mitch Allan (CMC) knocked through a 19-yard field goal to give the Stags a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Cal Lutheran quickly responded with a touchdown drive to take a 7-3 lead. Chris Beeson scampered for the 18-yard score to end the seven-play, 65-yard drive.

Early in the second-quarter, CMS was given a short-field after a 13-yard punt by Cal Lutheran. The Stags started on the 36-yard line and Sam Healy started the drive by dumping off a pass to Garrett Cheadle (CMC) out of the backfield for a nine-yard pick-up. On the next play, Healy hooked up with Chris Cziesla for the touchdown to give CMS the lead back at 10-3.

The Kingsmen then put together consecutive, three-play, 75-yard drives on their next two touches to score a pair of touchdowns. The first of those two scoring drives was highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown catch by Aaron Lacombe from Adam Friederichsen. Following a three-and-out by the Stags, Chris Breeson set up another touchdown pass from Friederichsen with a 54-yard run down to the 14-yard line.

Following the touchdown strikes, the Kingsmen held a 21-10 lead.

Later in the quarter, another short punt set the Stags up in plus territory. CMS gained one first down and called on Mitch Allan to attempt a 46-yard field goal. Allan knocked it through for the longest kick of his career and made it a one-score game at 21-13.

On the ensuing drive, Friederichsen tossed his third touchdown of the afternoon, this one from 25 yards out and the Kingsmen took at 28-13 lead into the half.

Cal Lutheran added another touchdown in the third quarter with Friederichsen connecting on his fourth, and final, score of the game on a 57-yard connection with Aaron Lacombe.

Early in the fourth quarter, Cal Lutheran's Breeson broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run to give the Kingsmen their largest lead of the day at 42-13.

Late in the fourth quarter, Jake Norville orchestrated a 10-play, 90-yard drive that ended with Norville finding Jackson Zeledon (CMC) for a 24-yard touchdown. Despite the late touchdown for CMS, the Kingsmen would hold on for the 42-20 victory.

The Stags fall to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the SCIAC. CMS will next take the field next Saturday when they host Redlands at 1:00 p.m.