Whitworth football team improves to 5-0

Bryan Peterson passed for a career-high 354 yards and three scores to guide the Whitworth Pirates (5-0, 1-0) to a 28-25 win over the Pacific Boxers (1-3, 0-1) in a Northwest Conference football opener Saturday in Forest Grove, Ore.

Peterson hit Austin Ehlo for a 13-yard score in the second quarter, connected with Jake DeGooyer from 7 yards out in the third quarter and hooked up with Connor Williams from 15 yards out in the fourth quarter.

Ronnie Thomas scored on a 1-yard dive in the first quarter to put the Pirates up 7-0.

Thomas finished with 140 yards rushing on 35 carries.

Whitworth has already surpassed its win total of last season.

The Pirates host Willamette on Saturday.

Linfield 31, Pacific Lutheran 24: John Shaffer scored on a 32-yard run with 7:03 remaining and Colin Forman snared an interception with less than 2 minutes to play as the third-ranked Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) rallied from a pair of two-touchdown deficits to defeat the Lutes (1-2, 0-1) in NWC play in Puyallup, Wash.

Dalton Ritchey passed for 296 yards and three TDs for PLU, which lost to Linfield for the 11th straight time.

Lewis & Clark 55, Puget Sound 42: Curtis Shirey ran for 212 yards on 21 carries and scored on a 62-yard run to carry the Pioneers (4-0, 1-0) past the host Loggers (0-4, 0-1) in NWC play at Tacoma.

Central Washington 31, Humboldt State 3: Ryan Robertson threw a pair of TD passes and Demetrius Sumler ran for 152 yards and two scores to power the Wildcats (4-1, 4-0) past the NCAA Division II ninth-ranked Lumberjacks (4-1, 3-1) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action in Ellensburg.

Carroll 42, Dickinson State 6: Chance Demarais rushed for 124 yards and two TDs and quarterback Dakota Stonehouse ran for 108 yards and a score to propel the Fighting Saints (4-2, 3-2 Frontier Conference) past the Blue Hawks (1-4, 1-4) in Dickinson, N.D.