Booster Shot at Half Lifts Cal Lutheran

Halftime for Cal Lutheran was as needy as an aspirin for a man with a headache.

After a lobotomy of a first half, the Kingsmen recovered to defeat Pomona-Pitzer, 26-13, in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football game Saturday. The victory was the 200th in school history.

The Kingsmen (4-2, 2-1 in conference play) gained only 94 yards and trailed, 6-0, after two quarters against the Sagehens (1-5, 0-4), who gave up 51 points the previous week against Occidental.

After halftime, the Kingsmen returned to the field. Same players, same uniforms.

And in the third quarter, they scored 19 points, gained 174 yards and did not allow a first down.

“Halftime is a good time to come together, to look around and see what we did wrong,” said Cal Lutheran running back Steve Roussell, who rushed for 101 yards, 75 in the second half. “Most importantly, we get pumped up.”

The Kingsmen drove 66 yards in six plays to start the third quarter, tying the game on Adam Hacker’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Tim Hilton, but Dan Leffler’s extra-point attempt missed wide right.

On their next possession, the Kingsmen lost the ball at the Sagehen 20-yard-line when Hacker fumbled a snap from center. But on the next play, Pomona quarterback Josh Spitzen made the same mistake, and Jeff Cahill recovered for Cal Lutheran. Roussell scored on a 10-yard run to give the Kingsmen a 13-6 lead.

Terrence Thomas spelled Roussell on Cal Lutheran’s next possession and eventually rushed five yards for a touchdown with 1:16 left in the third quarter and it was 19-6. Pomona largely kept the ball out of the hands of Pete Marine, the SCIAC’s leading receiver. After two consecutive 11-reception games, Marine caught three passes for 41 yards.

“That was the whole idea,” Sagehen Coach Clarence Thomas said. “If they were going to beat us, we weren’t going to let Marine beat us.”

Sagehen running back Tony Fadulu rushed for 150 yards and one touchdown in 26 carries. Pomona gained 252 yards rushing but only 18 passing.