Oxy 39 – Pomona/Pitzer 26
While the Redlands and Cal Lu weeks of each season feel as if we are preparing for the conference championship game, for me, Pomona-Pitzer week carries close to the same degree of anxious anticipation. Sure, I know it’s going to be a battle on the field, and a loss to the Sagehens probably knocks us out of playoff contention, but the prospect of staring across the line and seeing my closest friend glaring back at me remains on the forefront of my mind.
After playing next to each other for our first eight years of football, we met as adversaries for one final skirmish on Saturday. Charles Sander III rocks the #3 jersey and starts at Linebacker for the Sagehens.
Saturday night’s rivalry started ideally as the Tiger offense drove 60 yards in five plays for the first score of the game. Although I’d like to report our initial touchdown as being my first in a Tiger uniform, RB Wes McDaniel received credit for the goal line score, one play after I got tackled on the 1 yard-line to cap a 40 yard Luke Collis completion. Later in the first half, I was running down on our kickoff unit and failed to see a blocker flying across the field to deliver a knockout shot. Team doctors held me out of the second half as a precaution for a possible head injury.
Although the rest of the game was a bit of a blur, I distinctly remember hearing multiple onlookers nicknaming the contest “The Dillon Tucker Show.” As the spearhead of our strongest Special Teams performance of the season, the senior captain was in on multiple tackles, and returned a blocked Pomona-Pitzer extra point for Oxy’s third defensive two-point conversion in as many years (Watch the video here). Dillon didn’t stop with Special Teams however, as he registered at least six defensive tackles from the Safety position and one huge interception return for touchdown (See additional DT43 Highlight). He now owns the lead over me in career touchdowns scored. For more on Saturday’s game, read Tracy Maple’s article. Also, check out Freshman Safety, Jordan Lance’s sweet Punt Block.
Here, Dillon proves to many skeptical Pomona-Pitzer players that the legendary “Drum” does indeed exist, even though not a single player on their roster has ever touched it.
As I mentioned before, the Redlands game is one of two that may as well be regarded a SCIAC Championship game for both teams. Although we do not look to win an ancient war drum or a golden pair of cleats, this week’s rivalry has a lot more at stake than a mere void in the trophy case…
