CLAREMONT — A year ago, Chapman got out to a big early lead in the SCIAC football championship game against Pomona-Pitzer.
Pomona-Pitzer fought back, got within a touchdown but ultimately ran out of gas and Chapman went to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Saturday afternoon, the teams faced off again with the same stakes.
This time, Pomona-Pitzer completed the comeback.
The Sagehens rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit, and Grady Russo’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Quinten Wimmer with 28 seconds left lifted them to a 37-34 victory at Pomona-Pitzer’s Merritt Field.
Pomona Pitzer (8-2) earned the automatic berth to the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons and will learn its first opponent Sunday.
“This one, the comeback, is historic,” Sagehens coach John Walsh said. “We’ve done it (come back in other games) before, but this is incredible.”
Last year, the Sagehens trailed 24-0 at halftime, got within 27-20, before ultimately falling, 41-20.
“Last year, we played Chapman and I thought a lot of the reason why we didn’t win that game was because of me,” said Russo, a sophomore. “I made a lot of mistakes. I couldn’t seal the deal. It means a lot to be able to take these guys (to the playoffs), these seniors work so hard. In my head, I thought I need to get these guys a championship.”
It was the second meeting of the season between the teams. Pomona-Pizer won the first meeting 21-17 on Oct. 19 despite being outgained on offense, 451 yards to 174.
Pomona-Pitzer trailed 21-0 in the first half Saturday, cut the deficit to 21-7 with just 2:22 left in the first half on Russo’s first touchdown pass to Quinten Wimmer. But Chapman (7-3) seemed to steal the momentum back, extending the lead back to 28-7 when Joey Yellen threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kade Zimmerman with just 3 seconds left in the half.
“We’re a team that knows we’re good in all three phases,” Walsh said. “First half, we got punched in the mouth and didn’t respond. We were a little flat. At halftime, we got calm. We knew we were getting the ball back (to start the second half) and if we had a good return and scored, it was a ballgame. Then we started stopping them defensively.”
Pomona-Pitzer scored 22 unanswered points to start the second half, taking a 29-28 lead when Russo threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sander Wimmer with 8:19 to play. A 2-point conversion failed, keeping it a one-point game.
Chapman, which had no first downs for their first four drives of the second half, suddenly came to life offensively, and a Gio Ursino 8-yard touchdown run gave them the lead back at 34-29 with 3:29 left. Again, the 2-point conversion failed leaving the Sagehens within five.
The Saghens’ game-winning drive took 10 plays and went 75 yards, with Quinten Wimmer making a leaping catch in the end zone. Sander Wimmer caught the 2-point conversion to give Pomona-Pitzer a 37-34 lead.
With only 28 seconds to work with, Chapman drove to the Pomona-Pitzer 34 with two seconds left, but Jax Hudson’s 51-yard field goal attempt on the final play was wide and short.
“We felt like we were doing all the right things. You take your hat off to them,” Chapman coach Bob Owens said. “The game came right down to a play, and time on the clock. If we had maybe 20 (more) seconds on the clock, we may be screaming and yelling.”
Russo, who missed games earlier this season with a lower-body injury, completed 35 of 49 passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Russo also rushed 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. Quinten Wimmer was his top target, catching 10 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s a good chemistry they have,” Walsh said of Russo with his receivers. “Some of the catches, the ball is thrown 10 yards away (from the receiver) and they’re catching it. Those kids (Wimmers) are not only fast, but they’re like 235 (pounds).”
Chapman used multiple quarterbacks. Yellen got the most work, completing 17 of 22 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Ursino rushed 19 times for 89 yards and a touchdown.
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