Ball control key to victory for Pirates

Redshirt freshman Kyle Havercroft ran 26 times for 115 yards and a score Saturday as Whitworth used a ball-control offense to down La Verne 43-23 in non-conference play at La Verne, Calif.

The Pirates (2-0) held the ball for 39:49 of the 60 minutes in beating the Leopards (1-1), Whitworth’s second consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent.

Last week, the Pirates beat two-time defending SCIAC champion Redlands.

Whitworth is 3-8 all-time in California.

The Pirates took control in the second quarter.

With the score tied at 7, Chris Ahsing ran for a 2-yard TD on fourth down for a 13-7 Whitworth lead. Pirates quarterback Joel Clark soon ran 16 yards for a TD and 19-7 advantage.

The Leopards scored with 1:25 left in the first half, but Whitworth killed the momentum with a field goal in the dying seconds for a 22-14 lead. Whitworth outscored La Verne 21-9 in the second half.

Clark finished 7 of 17 for 136 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.

Western Washington 31, Nebraska-Omaha 21

Steve Nichols threw four TD passes as the Vikings jumped to a 21-0 lead and held on to defeat the Mavericks in Bellingham.

Western (2-1) scored on four of its first five possessions and then survived a second-half comeback by Nebraska-Omaha for the win.

Nichols hit wide receiver Andy Olson twice and tight end Nick Yoney for two scores apiece. He completed 28 of 41 passes for 276 yards with one interception. WWU’s Duncan Sherrard rushed for 113 yards on 21 carries.

Nebraska-Omaha, ranked No. 23 in this week’s American Football Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Coaches Poll, fell to 2-2.

The Vikings had scoring drives of 14, 16, eight and 11 plays in the first half.