La Verne Puts Damper on CLU Homecoming

In at least one respect, homecoming has not been a cordial affair at Cal Lutheran the past few years.

As they have since 1985, CLU football fans Saturday endured a loss--in this case, a 21-14 decision for La Verne in a nonconference game at Mt. Clef Stadium.

Although the 1,476 in attendance probably thought the Kingsmen had picked the right homecoming opponent in La Verne (2-4), which had not beaten Cal Lutheran (1-6) since 1962, they did not count on these factors.

* The 40-m.p.h. Santa Ana winds that helped keep CLU’s punts in Kingsmen territory, giving the Leopards excellent field position most of the game.

* Injuries that forced CLU quarterback Cassidy O’Sullivan (knee strain) and defensive leader Nicko Rising (muscle pull) to leave the game just before halftime. Sullivan was replaced by Craig Fortin, 26, who had not played collegiate football since 1985 at Moorpark College.

* The inspired play of the Leopards, who were trying to give their 73-year-old coach, Roland Ortmayer, his second career victory against CLU in his 44th and final year at La Verne.

Cal Lutheran took a second-quarter lead on a three-yard keeper by O’Sullivan, capping a 12-play, 81-yard drive. La Verne tied the score, 7-7, just before halftime when Jeff Paschal connected on a 50-yard scoring pass to wide-open wide receiver Lamont Landers.

Then O’Sullivan and Rising went down.

“I don’t know what else can happen to us next,” Kingsmen Coach Joe Harper said. “This was a very frustrating loss. They knew we couldn’t throw in the second half and they stopped our running game then, but we made too many mistakes to win the football game.”

Shortly after La Verne started a third-quarter drive at the CLU 46, Paschal lofted a 20-yard pass to Landers, who made a spectacular catch for the go-ahead score.

Running back Chris Nance scored on a one-yard sprint around left end on the third offensive play of the fourth quarter to give La Verne a 21-7 lead.

Tom Leogrande’s 12-yard run with 5:08 left cut the lead to 21-14.