Chris Forrer – For the Review. For the first time this season, senior quarterback Aaron Boehme didn’t need to stay in the game in order to lead the Linfield football team to victory.
After one quarter of play, Boehme and most of the offensive and defensive starters had a rare reprieve that allowed reserve players to shine as the ’Cats rolled over Lewis & Clark College 59-14 Oct. 17. Linfield tallied season highs with 59 points and 499 yards of total offense against the Pioneers, who haven’t won a conference game since 2003.
“It felt great finally getting to play in front of our home crowd,” junior running back Taylor Avritt said. “I believe the four-game road trip was great for our team chemistry.”
The game was in Linfield’s favor from the beginning. On the fourth play of the first Wildcat drive, Boehme found senior wide receiver Trevor Patterson 49 yards down the field for a touchdown to lead 7-0. On Lewis & Clark’s next drive, junior tackle Paul Nishizaki stripped Pioneer quarterback Tucker Laurence, and sophomore safety Kole Krieger recovered the loose ball. Boehme hit Patterson shortly after on an 11-yard pass. The score was 14-0 fewer than five minutes into the game.
“Our offensive line had its way with Lewis & Clark’s defensive line,” Avritt said. “It opened up a lot of opportunities.”
After Lewis & Clark failed to mount a drive on its next possession, the Wildcat special teams got the chance to flex their muscles. Junior return specialist P.J. Sequeira returned a punt 52 yards for another Linfield touchdown to make the score 21-0.
“It felt very gratifying,” Sequeira said. “I’ve always been told to make the most out of every opportunity you have.”
Sequeira went to work again on the next punt by the Pioneers, this time racing 46 yards to the Lewis & Clark 5-yard line. Sophomore running back Aaron Williams pounded into the end zone on fourth down of the ensuing series, and — just like that — he extended the ’Cats’ lead to 28-0. At that point, the starters left the field, and reserve junior quarterback Cole Bixenman took control of the offense, leading Linfield down the field for two more touchdowns before the end of the half. Bixenman’s latter score came on a 41-yard pass to Avritt, his first of the season. Lewis & Clark scored near the end of the second quarter, leaving the score 42-7 at halftime.
“I enjoy catching the ball as well as running the ball,” Avritt said. “It felt great to contribute to the team’s success.”
In the second half, Linfield continued to rotate through several quarterbacks, including freshman Mickey Inns. It was Inns’ first playing time at Linfield.
“It was a great experience and feeling,” Inns said. “It makes all the hours of practice worth it and motivates me to keep playing.”
Inns led the ’Cats on two drives, the first resulting in a touchdown by Avritt and the second a field goal by freshman kicker Maika Kunioka.
“Mickey showed great potential both running the ball and passing the ball,” head coach Joe Smith said. “We have a lot of depth at quarterback for the future.”
To open the fourth quarter, Avritt rolled into the end zone for Linfield’s final score of the game. Lewis & Clark scored once more with six minutes left in the contest, leaving the final score at 59-14. Avritt finished with 83 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns. The only blemish on an otherwise fantastic game by the ’Cats was turnovers; Linfield finished with five total touchdowns, a season high.
“Taking the Pioneers for granted ended in turnovers,” Avritt said. “Regardless of our opponent, we must remain vigilant with ball security.”
Next, Linfield will travel to Salem, Ore., on Oct. 24 to take on the No. 17 nationally ranked Willamette University Bearcats in a game that will likely determine the champion of the Northwest Conference.
“Everyone is focused and energized at practice,” Inns said. “We are all doing whatever we can to help the team achieve victory.”
Willamette is defending its NWC crown and is 6-1 on the season. Linfield aims to improve its record to 7-0 and currently sits at No. 6 in the d3football.com Top 25 poll, one spot higher than last week.
Boehme leads the ’Cats’ offensive attack with 1,375 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Williams has run for 392 yards and seven touchdowns, as he averages nearly 79 rushing yards per game.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Jaymin Jackson and sophomore safety Drew Fisher are tied for first in the NWC with three interceptions. Senior linebacker Alex Tkachuk leads the team with 17 solo tackles and 14 assisted takedowns.
Linfield has an opportunity to redeem itself against Willamette after the Bearcats beat up on the Wildcats 52-28 last season.
The game is shaping up to be a classic; the Wildcats and Bearcats are ranked first and second, respectively, in each offensive and defensive category in the NWC.
“We’re trying to familiarize ourselves with their style; they’re a tough team,” Avritt said. “But, they aren’t Linfield.”