Lutes ride Ritchey to win over Bearcats

Quarterback Dalton Ritchey rushed for 65 yards and three touchdowns and passed for another score to power the Pacific Lutheran Lutes (4-2, 3-1) to a 41-27 victory over the Willamette Bearcats (6-1, 2-1) in Northwest Conference football on Saturday in Puyallup, Wash.

Ritchey scored three times in the second quarter – on runs of 2 and 5 yards and a 17-yard pass to Kyle Warner – as the Lutes moved out to a 19-7 lead.

The Bearcats cut the lead to 19-13 and had possession of the ball, but Angevine Taylor picked off a pass from Josh Dean and raced 80 yards to the end zone. Ritchey’s 2-point conversion run gave PLU a 27-13 lead.

Dean finished with 335 yards passing, connecting on 26 of 40 attempts with two TDs and two picks.

Azusa Pacific 24, Central Washington 17: Nick Owens connected with Kyle Davis for a 53-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining in the game and the Cougars (1-7, 1-6) stunned the Wildcats (5-3, 5-2) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in Glendora, Calif.

Carroll College 35, Montana State Northern 14: The NAIA seventh-ranked Fighting Saints (6-2, 6-1) cruised to their fifth straight victory, beating the Lights (2-5, 2-5) in Frontier Conference action in Helena.