SPOKANE, Wash. -- Phil Entel tied a Whitworth University school record by picking off three of the five interceptions by the Pirates, including one he returned 32 yards for a touchdown, in a 10-6 Northwest Conference title-clinching win over visiting Linfield College on Saturday afternoon at the Whitworth Pine Bowl.

Entel's three picks tied a Whitworth record

Entel's (Sr., FS, Clarkston, Wash. - Univ. of Idaho) interception return on the first play of the second quarter gave the Pirates (7-2 overall, 5-0 NWC) a lead they would never relinquish. He then had two of the four second half interceptions that kept the Wildcats (5-3, 3-2) out of scoring range.

For the second straight season turnovers decided the game between NWC title contenders. While Whitworth was intercepting five passes, the Pirates did not turn the ball over, offsetting a total yardage deficit of 323-239.

After Entel's touchdown return, Linfield's Scott Birkhofer kicked a pair of second quarter field goals to pull the Wildcats within 7-6. The first came from 47 yards on the drive immediately following the touchdown. Linfield had taken over at midfield after two straight kickoffs went out of bounds. The second was from 37 yards and culminated a 56 yard drive.

The game may have turned on the first drive of the second half. The Wildcats had an apparent touchdown pass called back because of a holding penalty. Then on fourth and inches at the Whitworth 19 yard line, instead of electing to kick a field goal and take the lead, Linfield went for a first down and did not make it.

The Pirates then had two chances to get another touchdown on the board. Casey Clifton (Sr., LB, Spokane, Wash. - University) intercepted Linfield quarterback Trevor Scharer and returned the ball to the Wildcat ten yard line. After the Bucs got as close as the three, a holding penalty pushed them back and Andy Largent's (So., WR/PK, Spokane, Wash. - WSU field goal from 29 yards was partially blocked.

Late in the third quarter Whitworth drove from its own 40 yard line to the Linfield two yard line. On fourth down Largent kicked a 19 yard field goal with 14:08 to play in the game for the final points of the contest.

Grow had nine tackles, including three for loss

Linfield then drove inside the Whitworth ten yard line one more time, but the Pirate defense held and Birkhofer's attempt from 23 yards was partially blocked with 11:19 to play.

While Whitworth went strictly to its ground game for the rest of the quarter, the Pirates were held without a first down by the Wildcat defense, allowing Linfield to get the ball back five more times. But three of those possessions ended in Whitworth interceptions, one in a punt and the final ended with a batted-down pass on the final play of the game.

First Entel picked off his second pass of the game at the Pirate 24 yard line with 9:13 to go. Then Jay Tully (Sr., SS, Spokane, Wash. - Mead) intercepted a pass at the Whitworth 15 with 6:26 to go. After taking over again on the Pirate 48 yard line after a Whitworth punt, Scharer was sacked by Justin Rundle (Sr., DE, Spokane, Wash. - Mt. Spokane) forcing a Wildcat punt. Finally Entel intercepted his third pass of the game with 2:26 to play at the Whitworth 29 yard line. The Pirates ran out all but the final 16 seconds, allowing Scharer three desperate heaves, which all fell incomplete.

Chris Ahsing (Sr., RB, Ewa Beach, Hawaii - Campbell) ran 23 times for 72 yards to lead a Whitworth ground game that finished with 127 yards gained. Adam Anderson (So., RB, Elk, Wash. - Univ. of Idaho), the NWC's leading rusher, finished with 40 yards on 16 carries. Kory Kemp (Jr., QB, Redmond, Wash. - Eastlake) completed 6 of 17 passes for 112 yards without an interception. Steve Silva (Sr., WR, Goleta, Calif. - Coll. of the Canyons) caught half of the passes for 46 yards.

Scharer finished 20 of 49 for 240 yards with the five interceptions. Josh Vierra was the leading receiver, grabbing nine passes for 99 yards. Pete Cruickshank rank for 48 yards on 22 carries to lead the Linfield ground game, which totaled 83 yards.

Marc Grow (Sr., LB, Warden, Wash. - Warden) finished with nine tackles, including three for losses of 13 yards. Rundle had seven stops, including his sack.

Andrew Bean led Linfield defenders with 10 tackles. Jaymin Jackson added nine stops, including two for losses of three yards. Taylor Summers added a pair of tackles for loss as well, totaling seven yards.

Ahsing ran for a game- high 72 yards

Whitworth reached several milestones on Saturday. The Pirates clinched their second straight outright NWC title, they tied a school record for combined victories in back to back seasons (18, tying the consecutive 9-win seasons in 1960 and 1961), and defeated the Wildcats in back to back seasons for the first time since 1953 and 1954.

Despite the conference title, the Pirates' playoff hopes still rest on winning at University of Puget Sound next Saturday and finishing 8-2 overall and 8-1 in NCAA Division III contests. Whitworth is hoping for one of the Pool B or Pool C bids to the NCAA tournament. UPS (4-4) lost 45-13 at Menlo today.

Entel's interception count ties the school record originally set by Mike Smith in 1987 against Eastern Oregon and tied later by Eric Bird in 1994 against Willamette and Ryan Wilson in 1998 against Montana Tech.

Linfield will conclude its season next Saturday at home against winless Lewis & Clark College.