Chris Forrer – For the Review. The Linfield Wildcats defense harassed, sacked and intercepted the California Lutheran Kingsmen for 60 minutes of play Nov. 21 at Maxwell Field. To put it simply, CLU couldn’t find an answer for the suffocating Linfield defense, and it paid for it to the tune of a 38-17 Linfield victory.
Cal Lutheran quarterback Jericho Toilolo was sacked eight times and intercepted four times as the Linfield defense put on a clinic of how to shut down a top-ranked team.
“It was a complete defensive team effort,” senior linebacker Paul Partlow said. “Our defensive backs had great coverage on the receivers, and our linebackers had time to blitz the quarterback to pick up sacks.”
On the first play of the game, senior quarterback Aaron Boehme had a rare miscue with sophomore running back Aaron Williams that led to a fumble on the Wildcat 15-yard line, which the Kingsmen recovered.
“Basically, I tried to pull the ball out and thought he was going to keep it, and he thought I was,” Boehme said. “It was both of our fault. There is nothing to do but move on and make sure it never happens again.”
From then on, the game belonged to the Wildcats. The defensive unit held the Kingsmen on three consecutive plays from the Linfield 5-yard line to limit CLU to a field goal.
Trailing 3-0, the offense took the field and lit up its opponent. The running tandem of Boehme and Williams plugged down the field with Williams bulling into the end zone from one yard out to take the lead to 7-3.
For the first time this season, the Wildcats gained more yards on the ground than in the air, rolling up 249 yards rushing against only 114 passing.
“I don’t think it was that we couldn’t pass the ball,” Boehme said. “But what they were giving us in the running game was too good to pass up. We knew our offensive line could push their defensive line around, so we took advantage of that.”
On the next Linfield drive, following a three-and-out by the Kingsmen, Williams found a hole and slashed ahead for a 22-yard gain to the CLU 49-yard line. Shortly after, Boehme drilled a 22-yard throw to junior receiver Ryan Henderson to push the Wildcats’ lead to 14-3. Cal Lutheran would get one play after the score before senior linebacker Paul Partlow snatched a Toilolo pass out of the air just before the end of the first quarter.
“After watching film, we could tell that [Toilolo] was better passing while scrambling,” Partlow said. “So we forced him to stay bottled up in the pocket, which isn’t his strength.”
Eight seconds after the second quarter began, Boehme took off from the 21-yard line and shot into the end zone to raise the score to 21-3.
The defense continued to run all over Toilolo and the Cal Lutheran offense on the ensuing Kingsmen drive. On first down from his own 15-yard line, Toilolo was leveled by senior linebacker Jaymin Jackson and then intercepted on the next play by sophomore safety Drew Fisher.
“Sticking with our game plan paid off,” Partlow said. “Players started making plays, and once Cal Lutheran had to pass, we found it had a lot of trouble picking up our blitzes.”
Three plays later, freshman kicker Maika Kunioka booted a 38-yard field goal to raise the lead to 24-3. The distance was a career best for Kunioka.
The Wildcat defense forced yet another Kingsmen punt that was returned deep into CLU territory by sophomore cornerback Taylor Skore. Williams barrelled ahead for 15 yards on the next play, and Boehme dumped a 4-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Trevor Patterson, running the score up to 31-3.
Despite finding his receivers in the end zone, Boehme had an off-day passing, completing only 11 of 22 passes.
“It’s always tough throwing into the wind,” Patterson said. “But what it really came down to was [Cal Lutheran’s] talented defensive backs. They are a mix of athleticism and discipline, which is a combination we didn’t see much of during the regular season.”
Cal Lutheran showed it still had life left as it tried to claw back into the game. A Kingsmen returner brought a kickoff back 59 yards to set up a touchdown three plays later, making the score 31-10. On Linfield’s next two drives, CLU forced a fumble and intercepted Boehme, leading to another touchdown on a 15-yard run by senior running back Brian Stuart to close the half at 31-17. That was the last time the Kingsmen would see the end zone in the contest.
“The competition definitely improves each week in the playoffs,” Patterson said. “This was the most talented team we’ve seen so far.”
Midway through the third quarter, the defense put an exclamation point on its stifling performance by stuffing Toilolo on consecutive plays for a combined loss of 18 yards. Boehme and the offense wound their way down the field yet again and scored the final points of the game on a 14-yard pass to senior receiver Gunnar Cederberg, leaving the final score 38-17.
“Our team takes pride in preparation each week,” Patterson said. “That will be the difference between playing another week or having the season come to an end.” After falling behind early with a 14-3 deficit, the Wildcats put together one of the most titanic third quarters in program history and ran away from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders 53-21 Nov. 28.
The game was a defensive showcase, as the Wildcats forced seven turnovers on three fumbles and four interceptions.
“These are pretty high numbers, especially for playoffs,” senior linebacker Paul Partlow said. “But seeing as we’ve done it two games in a row, I’d say our defense has hit its stride.”
The Cru brought its hard-hitting run game from the start of the contest.
UMHB junior running back Quincy Daniels tore through the Linfield defensive line and rushed ahead 25 yards to score less than two minutes into the game to lead 7-0.
The ’Cats retaliated quickly, driving down the field to the Cru 3-yard line, but were forced to settle for a 22-yard field goal by freshman kicker Maika Kunioka.
“Our team never dwells on that sort of thing,” senior wide receiver Trevor Patterson said. “It’s always about the next play and making the most of our next opportunity.”
UMHB continued to punish Linfield’s defensive line on their next series. Daniels picked up 24 yards on several successive plays to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Kyle Noack.
The Wildcat offense couldn’t muster a successful drive, as senior quarterback Aaron Boehme was sacked on third down. The sack was only the sixth the ’Cats allowed on the season.
After that drive, however, the defense came alive.
“When everyone was in their assigned gap, they struggled to get even two or three yards,” Partlow said.
On UMHB’s first drive of the second quarter, junior defensive end Eric Hedin stripped the ball from Cru quarterback LiDarral Bailey, and the Wildcats recovered the ball. The turnover set up Kunioka’s second field goal, this one from 33 yards.
The ’Cats’ defense pressured the Cru’s next two drives, forcing a punt and then turning away senior running back Desmond Mays on fourth down with one yard to go.
Boehme and the Wildcat offense found their rhythm on the following drive by storming 65 yards down the field. Boehme hit Patterson, and the receiver was nearly into the end zone when the ball popped loose and was recovered by sophomore wide receiver Buddy Saxon for a Linfield touchdown.
Heading into the locker rooms, the score was 14-13 in favor of the Cru, but the momentum had swung in the ’Cats’ favor.
The third quarter began with a Linfield three-and-out and a punt to the Cru, but on the second play of the next series, sophomore cornerback Taylor Skore stepped in front of a pass by Noack and returned it to the UMHB 10-yard line. Boehme then took off after being pressured and dove into the end zone, giving Linfield its first lead at 20-14.
“We knew as an offense we didn’t have our best game in the first round,” Boehme said. “So we definitely wanted to come out and show our stuff against a talented opponent.”
The defensive avalanche by the Wildcats continued on the next Mary Hardin-Baylor drive. Hedin forced a fumble by Noack, picked it up and returned it 37 yards to make the score 27-14. After that, UMHB failed to mount another drive, and the offense added to its opponent’s woes by pounding up the field on a 79-yard, 4:24 drive topped off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Boehme to Saxon.
“Our offensive line protected Boehme especially well and gave him plenty of time for his reads,” Patterson said.
With UMHB deep in Linfield territory, sophomore defensive back Christian Hanna scooped up a fumble forced by Hedin, his third forced fumble of the day, and raced downfield 84 yards to score again.
As the final quarter of play got underway, UMHB scored on a quick 14-yard pass by Bailey.
Boehme added the final offensive score midway through the period by drilling a 70-yard bomb to Patterson. Boehme had a solid day, completing 20 of 32 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns as well as a rushing score. Patterson had the game of a lifetime, finishing with 207 receiving yards and a touchdown.
“I was excited to hear I had gotten to 200 yards, but I was more excited that we won,” Patterson said. “My success was a reflection of our whole offense coming together.”
Despite holding a 47-14 lead, the Wildcat defense was still hungry for more.
On three consecutive Mary Hardin-Baylor drives, Linfield came up with interceptions, starting with sophomore cornerback Nate Dixon picking off Bailey. On the next Cru drive, freshman linebacker Bryce Hayunga intercepted Noack and roared 37 yards to score and make the final margin 53-21. On the final UMHB drive of the day, Dixon added another pick and ran it back to the UMHB 28-yard line.
“This is why most of us came to Linfield,” Patterson said. “Being a part of this team is truly amazing.”
Linfield will host the No. 10-ranked University of St. Thomas in the quarterfinals Dec. 5. A win would secure a semifinal game against the winner of the North Region’s quarterfinal game.
“It feels amazing,” Boehme said. “All the work that we have put in the last three years is finally showing itself, and we are firing on all cylinders. It feels great to be recognized as one of the top teams in the nation, a title Linfield should have.”