L.A. Baptist Belts Out a 21-14 Victory in Bible Bowl

Good things certainly came in threes for L.A. Baptist.

The Knights (5-5, 5-0 in league play), who started the season by losing five consecutive games, won their fifth in a row, the Bible Bowl trophy and the Alpha League Championship Saturday night by downing Village Christian, 21-14, at Kennedy High.

Sophomore quarterback Peter Dirksen scored on a two-yard sneak with 2:48 remaining to break a 14-14 tie. The touchdown capped a seven-play, 83-yard drive highlighted by a 48-yard pass play from Dirksen to Brian Anderson.

The Crusaders (7-3, 4-1) had a 13-play drive to tie or win the game stall at the L.A. Baptist 26-yard line when quarterback Chris Coleman threw four consecutive incomplete passes with under a minute remaining.

“We’ve been a second-half team all season,” L.A. Baptist Coach Mark Bates said after the Knights moved the ball 147 yards in the second half as opposed to 84 in the first.

Chris Ross carried the load for the Knights, grinding out 95 yards in 16 carries and scoring a third-quarter touchdown to even the score at 14.

Chris Coleman, who earlier threw his first interception of the season, put the Crusaders ahead, 14-7, when he ran in a sneak of his own midway through the third quarter.

But the Knights controlled the game from that point with a stingy defense, allowing the Crusaders just 60 yards in the fourth quarter.

“It was just one of those things,” Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance said. “We played hard, they played hard, and the better team out there tonight won.”

Aaron Funk had 84 yards in 19 carries for the Crusaders.

By winning on the road, the Knights kept with eight years of Bible Bowl tradition, in which neither team has won on its home field.