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La Verne, Calif. - The Whitworth College defense was much better on Saturday, allowing the offense to worry more about controlling the ball as the visiting Pirates pulled away for a 43-23 win at the University of La Verne in a non-conference football game Saturday at Ortmeyer Stadium.

The Pirate improved to 2-0 this season with both wins coming at SCIAC opponents. Whitworth won 52-49 at two-time defending SCIAC champion Redlands last week. La Verne suffered its first loss and the Leopards fell to 1-1.

Whitworth also improved to 5-8 all time in the state of California, including wins in the last four contests.

Redshirt freshman Kyle Havercroft carried 26 times for 115 yards and a touchdown to lead the Whitworth ball control attack on Saturday. The Pirates held on to the ball for 39:49 of the 60 minutes played in the game.

Sophomore QB Joel Clark, who set records last week, completed seven of 17 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown. For the second straight week he did not throw an interception. Clark passed 22 yards to Kyle Snell for a score on Whitworth's first drive.

After David Catchings caught a 53 yard touchdown pass from Brian Guerrero to tie the game, Whitworth took over in the second quarter.

Chris Ahsing ran two yards on fourth down to give Whitworth back the lead, though the extra point was missed. Joel Clark then raced 16 yards for another scored to give the Pirates a 19-7 advantage after the two point pass attempt failed. Clark's touchdown was set up by a Phil Entel interception in La Verne territory.

It looked like the Leopards might take some momentum into half-time when Catchings caught a 20-yard touchdown with only 1:25 left in the second quarter. But as they did last week, the Pirates used the final seconds of the half well, driving down to set up a 34-yard field goal by Cam Collings as time expired. A 36-yard pass from Clark to Mathew Johnson to the La Verne 12-yard line set up the kick.

After Whitworth held La Verne without a first down deep in its own territory to start the second half, the Pirates only had to go 17 yards for their next touchdown after a shanked punt. Jared Thomas carried in an end around run for the final six yards to give Whitworth a 29-14 lead.

A bad snap on a Pirate punt went over Collings' head and through the back of the endzone, briefly pulling La Verne to within 29-16. But Whitworth held on the ensuing free kick and the Pirates only had to go 39 yards for their next score, a two-yard carry by Ahsing with 3:12 left in the third quarter.

The Pirates' put the game out of reach on their next drive when Havercroft carried in from four yards out, giving Whitworth a 43-16 advantage with 13:10 to play.

La Verne scored again, using the same connection from Guerrero to Catchings, this time for 56 yards against the Pirates' second string defense. The scored pulled the Leopards back within 43-23 with 6:42 to play.

But Whitworth used up the rest of the clock on its next series, driving to within the La Verne 20 yard line before time expired.

Whitworth will get next Saturday off before hosting Eastern Oregon on October 2nd in the Pine Bowl. La Verne will play its second straight NWC opponent next Saturday when the Leopards travel to Tacoma to take on University of Puget Sound.

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