Whitworth prevails in Northwest Conference shootout with Lewis & Clark

The Northwest Conference shootout between Whitworth and Lewis & Clark featured nearly 1,000 yards of offense, 132 plays and plenty of touchdowns traded during a wild, back-and-forth second half.

In the end, it was a defensive highlight that sealed the win for the visiting Pirates.

Whitworth defensive back Trey Rose picked off a pass at the Pirates’ 5-yard line in the game’s final seconds, sending his team to a 42-35 NWC victory over the Pioneers on Saturday afternoon at Griswold Stadium in Portland.

The Pirates (5-2, 4-0 NWC) now sit alone in first place in the conference standings – Pacific Lutheran (4-3, 3-1) entered the day in a tie with Whitworth, but the Lutes lost to Linfield on Saturday.

Whitworth led Lewis & Clark 14-0 early and never trailed. But the Pioneers (5-2, 2-2) rallied to tie the game on four occasions, answering each Pirate touchdown with a score of their own. Whitworth finally took the lead for good with an 11-play, 97-yard drive that spanned nearly six minutes in the fourth quarter. Tailback Luis Salgado’s 34-yard touchdown run put Whitworth up 42-35 with 1:56 remaining.

Lewis & Clark advanced past midfield on its final possession. Its quarterback, Sam Simril, left the lineup late in the drive and was replaced by emergency QB Mateo Maehara, usually a receiver. With 11 seconds remaining and with Lewis & Clark on the Whitworth 44, Maehara heaved a pass toward the goal line, but Rose cut it off for the pick.

Whitworth QB Logan Lacio went 17 of 25 for 254 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. Salgado had a season-high 175 rushing yards and two scores, and receiver Tyson Hoke tallied two TD catches.

Simril, filling in for injured starter Dashiell Weaver, went 27 of 40 for 319 yards and five TDs. The Pioneers outgained Whitworth 497-471, but the Pirates averaged a staggering 7.8 yards per play.