Wilson’S Thefts Help Pirates Win Interception Leads To Key Td As Whitworth Beats Menlo

Ryan Wilson’s Saturday began by giving his parents a long, emotional hug during the Whitworth College football team’s “senior day” pregame ceremony.

It ended with his teammates mobbing him deep in the visitors’ end zone after the senior defensive back picked off his second pass, turned on the burners from 38 yards out, and scored to seal the Pirates’ 28-12 non-conference win over Menlo College.

“I was so excited I didn’t know what to do,” said Wilson, a starter, who has seen playing time since his freshman year. “I cut right in front of the guy.”

The win assured Whitworth its first .500 season since 1990. At 5-4, the Pirates have a chance for a winning record if they beat Willamette in the season finale Saturday at Salem, Ore.

Menlo, a Division III independent from Atherton, Calif., with an enrollment of about 450, was a first-time opponent. The game was close until the final 3-1/2 minutes when the Pirates scored two touchdowns in less than 30 seconds.

Tailback Ben Vaday scored his second touchdown with 3:27 left. After Wilson picked off his first of two interceptions, Vaday ran for 54 yards on the next play that put the ball on the 4. Three plays later, he muscled in from 1 yard out. Vaday finished with 121 yards on 21 carries and touchdown runs of 20 and 1 yards.

On the Oaks’ first possession after Vaday’s 1-yard touchdown, Wilson made another pick and bolted into the end zone to give Whitworth a 28-12 lead with 3:10 remaining.

Menlo had a chance to tie the score at 14 with 8:18 left, but Mitch Ellerd picked off a two-point conversion pass to preserve Whitworth’s 14-12 lead.

“Our defensive line got them to scramble and he (quarterback Jon DeVille) threw it right at me,” said Ellerd, a junior linebacker.

The Oaks (2-7) had to rely on the two-point play after both touchdowns because the team’s placekicker quit early in the season.

On the second conversion attempt, DeVille connected with his receiver, but the play was called back on off-setting penalties. Menlo had 12 men on the field and Whitworth’s Wilson was flagged for pass interference. The next time, Ellerd did in the visitors with an interception.

The game was loaded with penalties, especially in the first half when Menlo racked up nine for 94 yards. The Oaks finished with 14 flags for 136 yards to Whitworth’s five for 80 yards.

Earlier in the second half, Menlo’s Greg Smart was ejected for a late hit on Andy Clark after Clark picked off one of three interceptions.

“It was a good college game. I wish it could have been played a little cleaner,” Menlo coach Ken Margerum said.

Whitworth quarterback Josh Parbon, averaging 199 yards passing in eight games, completed 5 of 18 passes for 74 yards and one interception. He threw his 14th touchdown pass of the season, a 15-yarder to Ivan Gustafson that gave Whitworth a 14-6 lead.

Menlo started with freshman quarterback Kahekili Hugo and switched to DeVille in the second half. DeVille had been out for two weeks with a left ankle injury and visibly had trouble planting his foot. The two combined for 12 receptions on 33 passes for 247 yards.

Menlo scored its first touchdown at 10:24 in the first quarter when Athens Arquette passed to Gabe Amey on a 67-yard flea-flicker that made the score 6-0.

Whitworth 28, Menlo 12

Menlo 6 0 0 6 - 12

Whitworth 0 7 7 14 - 28

Men-Arquette 67 pass from Amey (pass failed) Whit-Vaday 20 run (Stueckle kick) Whit-Gustafson 15 pass from Parbon (Stueckle kick) Men-Delaney 37 pass from DeVille (pass failed) Whit-Vaday 1 run (Stueckle kick) Whit-Wilson 38 interception return (Stueckle kick) A-650.

Men Whit First downs 17 14 Rushes-yards 41-153 37-175 Passing 247 74 Comp-Att-Int 12-33-3 5-18-1 Return Yards 42 52 Punts-Avg. 7-28.6 8-38.4 Fumbles-Lost 2-0 1-1 Penalties-Yards 14-136 5-80 Time of Possession 33:33 26:27 RUSHING-Menlo, Brown 13-74, Branch 13-69, Flowers 4-12, Nguyen 9-1, Hugo 2-(minus 3). Whitworth, Vaday 21-121, Putney 10-54, Parbon 6-0.

PASSING-Menlo, DeVille 5-14-3-116, Hugo 3-10-0-35, Albert 3-7-0-29, Ovard 0-1-0-0, Amey 1-1-0-67. Whitworth, Parbon 5-18-1-74.

RECEIVING-Menlo, Amey 6-103, Delaney 2-57, Arquette 1-67, August 1-19, Brown 1-2, Nguyen 1-(minus 1). Whitworth, Ramirez 3-59, Gustafson 1-15, Putney 1-0.

ELSEWHERE … … in small-college action: Pacific Lutheran (7-1, 4-0) rode its defense to a 21-19 victory over visiting Willamette (6-3, 2-2) to wrap up the Northwest Conference title. Willamette had the ball 13 minutes more than PLU. Linfield quarterback Brian Higgins hit Nick Forsey in the left corner of the end zone with 5:40 to play to lift the Wildcats (7-1, 4-1) over Puget Sound (2-7, 1-3) 7-6 in the mud in McMinnville, Ore. Dan Murphy ran for 208 yards on 32 carries and scored twice in Central Washington’s 33-26 victory at Western Washington (5-4). CWU is 5-3. -Staff and wire reports