Justin Edwards Breaks CMS Touchdown Record as Stags Football Defeats Redlands 31-17

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Justin Edwards ran for three touchdowns to break the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps touchdown record as only a junior as the Stags defeated Redlands 31-17 in a battle between the two SCIAC division leaders on Saturday at Zinda Field.

With the win, CMS now stands at 6-1 on the season and 4-1 in the SCIAC, while Redlands slips to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the SCIAC. 

Edwards came into the day with 37 rushing touchdowns in his career, and 38 overall touchdowns. Chris Dabrow held the old school record of 38, all of which came on the ground, during his career from 1984-87. 

Edwards broke the single-season rushing touchdown record of 16 as a first-year in 2021, and then added 13 more on the ground (and one receiving) a year ago to give him 29 in his career. He ran for three touchdowns last weekend at La Verne to give him 37 on the ground and 38 total, and then he added three more this week to become the first Stag with 40 rushing touchdowns in a career. 

CMS trailed 7-3 in the first quarter after a Redlands 42-yard touchdown pass, and nearly got it right back on a 95-yard kickoff return from Kirby Baynes, but a penalty was flagged for an illegal block on the return at the Redlands 25-yard line, which still gave CMS a short field to work with. Two plays later, Edwards ran in from seven yards for his first touchdown of the day, tying Dabrow's rushing TD record and moving into first on the all-purpose TD list with 39. 

Redlands tied it up 10-10 at the end of the first quarter, but Edwards gave CMS the lead for good when he plunged in from a yard out with 11:32 left in the half. The Stags went ahead 24-10 at the half when Bryce DesJardins had a 35-yard touchdown reception from Walter Kuhlenkamp with 2:22 before the break. 

CMS then opened the second half with a 12-play, 77-yard touchdown drive to take a 31-10 lead, as Edwards ran it in from 13 yards out to extend the lead, and his CMS touchdown record. The Bulldogs had a 13-play, 95-yard drive to get back to within 31-17 with 13:00 to go, but could come no closer. 

CMS was led defensively by Emmett Thomas King III who had eight tackles, while Thanio Bright had seven and Joey Asta had six. Jacob O'Connell had an interception and nearly had his third pick-six of the season, but he was tackled at the Redlands 15-yard line by quarterback Jack Wilson after a 38-yard return. 

The Stags will have their final regular season home game next weekend when they host Chapman for a 1 p.m. contest, when they will try to avenge their only loss of the season, a 20-7 defeat at Chapman two weeks ago.