Football: Whitworth can’t stop Dalton Ritchey, lose finale to PLU

Quarterback Dalton Ritchey racked up 203 yards rushing on 16 carries and scored three times to help power Pacific Lutheran past Whitworth 41-27 in a Northwest Conference game Saturday at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup, Washington.

It was the Pirates’ final game of the season.

The Lutes (6-2, 4-2) jumped ahead from the get-go, scoring two touchdowns in each of the first two quarters to take a 28-7 lead at the half.

Whitworth (6-4, 4-3) however, charged back in the second half to make things interesting. Bryan Peterson’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Drew Clausen with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter made it a one-possession game, but Ritchey ripped off a 47-yard touchdown run 12 seconds later to eliminate any doubt.

Peterson completed 53 of 64 passes for 428 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Peterson finished the season with a completions-per-game average of 34, breaking the previous Division III record of 32.1.

Linfield 73, Puget Sound 10: Sam Riddle threw for three scores and the Wildcats (7-1, 5-1) scored six rushing touchdowns in an easy win over the Loggers (3-5, 2-4) in a Northwest Conference game in Tacoma.

Linfield racked up 530 yards of total offense, compared to just 98 for Puget Sound.

Central Washington 49, Dixie State 17: Jake Nelson threw three touchdown passes and the Wildcats (6-4, 4-2) routed the Red Storm (1-9, 0-5) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at Hansen Stadium in St. George, Utah.

Central Washington also got non-offensive touchdowns from Jesse Zalk and Isaiah Davis. Zalk returned a kickoff 90 yards for a score and Davis returned an interception 66 yards for another touchdown.

Carroll 27, Rocky Mountain 10: The Saints (8-1, 8-1) topped the Battlin’ Bears (5-5, 4-5) in a Frontier Conference game in Helena, Montana. The win was Carroll’s eighth straight after a season-opening loss.

The Saints wrap up the regular season on Saturday at home against College of Idaho.