Pomona-Pitzer Stumbles Over the Feat of Occidental’s Little

A couple of feet proved to be the difference Saturday in Occidental College’s 24-14 victory over Pomona-Pitzer.

First there was Pomona’s failure to cash in one foot from the goal line in the fourth quarter, which would have given the Sagehens the lead and momentum.

Next came Pomona kicker Robert Perez’s failure to convert two fourth-quarter field-goal attempts that were well within his range. And, in the end, there were the ultra-quick feet of Occidental running back Gary Little, who rushed for 215 yards in 24 carries in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at Pomona.

The win, Occidental’s first after season-opening defeats to Menlo and Azusa Pacific, gave the Tigers their 10th consecutive victory over Pomona, which had been looking to avenge last season’s 70-16 wipeout.

“If we had lost, there would have been some real, real concern in Eagle Rock,” Occidental Coach Dale Widolff said. “I still don’t think we’re playing well . . . but it’s nice to get this first win.”

Trailing, 14-10, at halftime, Occidental scored the winning touchdown on a 40-yard pass from Tony Werbelow to Rob Leinbach with 6:36 left in the third quarter.

That touchdown set the stage for the game’s turning point, which occurred after Pomona took the ensuing kickoff and drove 80 yards to the Occidental one-foot line.

On first and goal, Pomona quarterback Gregg Silver fumbled while attempting a sneak into the end zone.

“They were going in for the score,” said Occidental defensive lineman Brady Dargan, who recovered the fumble at the one-yard line. “That really changed the momentum.”

Pomona had two more chances to at least tie the score, but Perez missed field-goal tries from 36 and 21 yards on the Sagehens’ next possessions. In last week’s 13-0 opening victory over Colorado College, Perez made kicks from almost the same distances.

“We thought it would come right down to the special teams and that’s what happened,” Pomona Coach Clarence Thomas said.

Little, a 5-foot-9, 171-pound freshman from San Francisco, went a long way toward sealing the victory with a 49-yard touchdown run with 2:17 left. Little also scored the first touchdown on a 28-yard run in the first quarter.

Little’s performance overshadowed that of Pomona running back Chris Smith, a freshman who followed last week’s 142-yard effort with 191 yards in 29 carries against Occidental. Smith’s touchdown at the end of the first half came on a spectacular 68-yard run during which he traversed from sideline to sideline.