Home opener goes to Stags; 35-3 over Lewis & Clark

CLAREMONT, Calif. – In the season and home opener, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team beat the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers 35-3. The Stags rushed for 185 yards and scored 14 points off turnovers for the decisive victory in front of the large home crowd.

CMS scored one touchdown in each quarter expect the second, in which they scored two. Freshman Rami Lieberman (CMC) was a perfect 5-for-5 on point after attempts. Senior quarterback Trey Reynolds (CMC) threw for three of the touchdowns while junior Andrew Segre (CMC) and senior Matthew Orehek (CMC) ran in the other two TDs.

Defensively, the Stags limited the Pioneers' rushing game to less than 100 yards with sophomore Mitchell Allan (CMC) and junior Brendan MacDonald (CMC) leading the team's tackling statistics at three solo and five assisted tackles each.

Junior Trey Smith (CMC) got the game going with a 30-yard return on the opening kickoff and then 19-yard reception on the subsequent play. Reynolds would not connect with Smith again until halfway through the third quarter. Segre ran the ball for the final 19 yards of the drive to give CMS the seven point advantage early in the game.

The only points for the Pioneers came on Lewis & Clark's first drive, resulting in a 19-yard field goal by Jordan Hendrickson. For the remaining 49 minutes and 23 seconds of the game, the Stags held the Pios scoreless.

CMS got going again in the second quarter as Segre shared the running duties with freshman Garrett Cheadle (HMC). The Stags charged 72 yards downfield and then scored on the only pass play of the drive. Junior tight end Chris Cziesla (CMC) went up to receive a pass from Reynolds in the end zone, only to have the ball tipped twice before he secured it, laying on his back in the end zone.

In the next drive, Lewis & Clark only managed one rushing play before the Pios' quarterback misfired and CMS' senior defensive back Griffin Lazarus (CMC) recorded his first pick of the season on the visitors' 19 yard line. After one failed attempt at a touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Andrew Scott (HMC) in the end zone, CMS went right back to him, this time successfully, to put the Stags up 21-3 after Lieberman's good PAT.

At the beginning of the second half, the teams traded punts before freshman Jonah Cartwright (HMC) and Cheadle led the Stags down the field, punctuated by three passes to Smith. Reynolds' longest completion of the day was to Smith for the 35-yard touchdown near the end of the third quarter.

Freshman Tyson-Jay Saena (HMC) forced a fumble and recovered it on a crazy play resulting in a CMS recovery at mid-field. On this drive, Orehek and Christian Curcio (CMC) rushed downfield, ultimately with Orehek crossing the goal line.

Three quarterbacks played for the Stags in the home opener: Reynolds, sophomore Brenden Brown (HMC) and freshman Dylan Byrd (CMC). Reynolds was 10-for-17 on the day and threw for 133 yards.

Lewis & Clark's quarterback, Niko Fortino went 14-for-31 and threw for 157 yards in the game. Carl Appleton was his most successful receiver at four receptions and 42 yards.

Next up for the Stags is Washington & Lee who were preseason ranked No. 20 by D3football.com. CMS will travel to Virginia for the 5 p.m. EDT game on Sept. 17.

Box Score

By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director

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