Whitworth football dominates La Verne 53-0

Pirate football moves to 3-0 in non-conference after defeating La Verne by a staggering 53-0 last weekend. The Pirates displayed dominance on both sides of the ball after shutting out the Leopards and executing multiple 20-point quarters. The Pirates benefitted from a stellar performance from senior quarterback Ian Kolste, who threw for 291 yards with an 80% completion rate. Kolste set a Whitworth record for career passing yards during the game. Kolste handled his record breaking accomplishment very humbly.

“The record will be great to look back at 20 or 30 years from now, but for now I’m just happy with the direction the team is headed and happy to be 3-0 headed into Linfield,” Kolste said. He was pleased with his receiver core and can rely on all his starters and receiver off the bench to get the job done, he said. 

The Pirate’s offense also got a boost from sophomore running back Tariq Ellis, who took a handoff 72 yards for a touchdown. Whitworth’s wide receiver corps also showed up in force with Garrett McKay, Kevin Thomas and Nick Kiourkas each contributing more than 50 yards receiving and a collective three touchdowns.Coach Rod Sandberg raved about his offense’s effectiveness saying they were “really patient in what the defense gave them.” 

Coach Sandberg credited offensive architect Alan Stanfield and a great performance from Kolste in today’s win. Sandberg expressed his satisfaction with the run game and how explosive his backs were, he said. Coach Sandberg also stated he was happy with the offenses efficiency as the pirates held the ball for only three minutes longer than La Verne. Coach Sandberg attributed this to great decision making by the quarterback.

The Pirates defense shut out the Leopards and only allowing 224 yards of total offense and 22 fewer plays than Whitworth. Notable defensive performances include seniorlinebacker Patch Kulp who contributed 10 tackles, and defensive back Jarin Manuel who intercepted two passes for a total of 34 yards. 

“[It was] disciplined football…everyone had an assignment and everyone did their job,” defensive coordinator Adam Richbart said. Coach Richbart stressed the strength of La Verne’s run game and that the defense was prepared and executed. The La Verne offense did surprise Whitworth with a few formations, but the Buc’s defensive adjusted well and was able to stop La Verne. The Pirates have a bye week and then head to rival Linfield on Sept. 30 to kick off conference play.