Leopards steal Tigers' stripes, 41-14
Campus Times
September 26, 1997
photo by Summer Herndon
Sophomore quarterback Gary Tessitore escapes an Occidental pass rusher
in the Leopards' 41-14 victory over the host Tigers. The win evened the
Leopards' record at 1-1.
Defeated in its season opener two weeks ago by the Whittier Poets, the
University of La Verne football team took on Occidental Saturday night and
slayed the Tigers 41-14.
"We were more together as a team. We didn't feel like a team in
the first game, it was more individual. In the second game we were together,"
said junior wide receiver Liron Wilson.
It was a fight that needed to be battled, as the Leopards continued
to lick their wounds after their first loss to Whittier in nine years.
"I think we blocked a little better, tackled a little better. We
ran a little harder, our effort improved 100 percent," said head coach
Don Morel.
"I think as a whole our offensive line did extremely well compared
to the Whittier game and the defense is just getting better. As a whole
we need to play together, error free and with intensity," said sophomore
linebacker Damien Alcarcon.
A 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback sophomore Gary Tessitore
to Wilson began the evening's onslaught. Chris Moreland's kick put the score
at 7-0, with 4:02 on the clock.
With La Verne already on the board, the second score came when Tessitore
tested his running skills on an option play and ran the ball 49 yards for
the touchdown. Tessitore rushed for 64 yards for the night and went 12-for-25
for 162 yards passing.
"I played well and made better decisions than last week, and the
offensive line did a superb job giving me time to throw the ball,"
said Tessitore.
La Verne held its lead through the first quarter, and with 10:32 left
in the second, senior wide receiver Ervie Barnes connected with junior quarterback
Brent Meier on a 44-yard pass for the touchdown. La Verne boosted its score
to 21 points and left Occidental with nothing on the board.
"On offense, Gary Tessitore and Brent Meier continue to improve
as players. We are going to feel good about quarterbacks as long as they
continue to make good decisions," said Morel.
Still in the second quarter, ULV scored one more time on a 14-yard run
by sophomore Derek Smith. With 1:11 left in the quarter, Occidental's freshman
wide receiver Edward Gorton caught a 9-yard pass from quarterback Erik Sorenson
for the score.
After the 28-7 lead into halftime, the Tigers could not catch up to
the huge La Verne lead.
On the first play of the game, Martin scored on a 96-yard kickoff return.
The kick by Moreland failed but the Leopards hung tough 34-7 in their favor.
Later Wilson, on his second touchdown of the game, caught a 31-yard
bullet from Tessitore. The touchdown came at 10:25 in the third quarter,
and pushed ULV up 41-7 with the kick from Moreland.
"I stepped up a level. I had a personal problem the first game
[pulled ham string] but I'm still playing," said Wilson.
The fourth quarter had both offense and defense holding their own as
neither team could score.
It looked as though the Leopards would finish the game six touchdowns
ahead of the Tigers, but Occidental's senior linebacker Moises De Leon picked
off a pass from freshman quarterback Jesus Zuniga with only two seconds
left in the game and returned it 17 yards for the touchdown.
ULV will face Howard Payne from Texas tomorrow at 1 p.m. in what might
be the hardest battle the Leopards will face this season.
"Howard Payne is the best team we will play all year," said
Morel. "Physically they are bigger and stronger than we are. I believe
this is the toughest team since St. John Minnesota in the '94 playoffs."
