FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Ty Hargis (Senior/Lebanon, OR) caught the game-winning pass from Kenyon Harris (Senior/Ogden, UT) in the dying seconds of the game to lift the Pacific University football team over Pacific Lutheran, 20-17 inside Hanson Stadium on Senior Day.
 
Pacific concludes the season with a record of 6-3, 5-2 NWC, clinching their best Northwest Conference record since 2014. Both offenses struggled to find rhythm in the low-scoring contest, but a timely score late in the fourth quarter would propel the hosts to victory. 
 
"It was such a great expression of the time and work put in by this group," said Head Coach Ian Falconer about his senior class. "To see them go out with a tough, gritty win, it's extremely gratifying as a coach. At halftime, part of me knew these seniors were going to find a way to win."
 
Hargis had a fantastic day to lead the Boxers' receiving corps, making nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. The senior also broke the school record for receiving yards, finishing with a total of 2,201 receiving yards in his Pacific career.
 
Declan Brown (Senior/Layton, UT) shined on his senior day, snatching two interceptions to lead the Boxer defense. The defensive back also tallied three tackles on the day. Kyle Kern (Junior/Roseville, CA) enjoyed a solid day as well with 79 receiving yards on his six catches 
 
Stepping in for an injured Joshua Harris, Ethan Kameshige (Junior/Ontario, OR) carried majority of the load on the ground for the Boxers. The running back had 25 touches for 105 yards and a touchdown to lead the Pacific running game.
 
 
How It Happened
 
Pacific Lutheran shocked the hosts when Darius Chaffin received the opening kickoff and took it 92 yards for a touchdown to give the Lutes and early 7-0 lead.
 
The Boxers would respond on the ensuing drive with a 14-play, 65-yard drive capped off with a Kameshige one-yard plunge to even the score at 7-7.
 
On the following Pacific drive, Caden Almer (Junior/Pollock Pines, CA) would knock down a 40-yard field goal to extend the lead. The Lutes would answer with a 95-yard drive on their next possession to regain the lead halfway through the second quarter.
 
A Pacific turnover would give the Lutes great field possession but the Boxer defense would hold the visitors to a field goal. Almer would make another field goal just before the halftime whistle, this time from 29-yards, to make the score 17-13 at the break.
 
Both teams would go scoreless in the third period behind some turnovers and solid defensive play, setting up for an exciting fourth quarter.
 
Pacific were marching down the field in the early minutes of the fourth quarter but their drive would be tallied at the 11-yard line. The Boxers were unable to convert on the field goal and would still face a four-point deficit.
 
Declan Brown would immediately get the ball back with his second pick of the day, stepping in front of a pass from PLU's Erik Bainter.
 
Both teams would go three-and-out on their next drive and the Boxers would go to work with 6:14 left in the game. Kenyon Harris would complete three passes and Kameshige would carry the ball four times to get Pacific to the eight-yard line for a fourth-and-goal situation. 
 
With 37 seconds on the clock and the game on the line Kenyon Harris would drop back and fire a strike to Hargis in the end zone to give the Boxers the victory in the final game of their careers.
 
 
By The Numbers
 

• Deshayne Stevens (Junior/Ewa Beach, HI) led the Pacific defense with six total tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and one sack.
• Chase Hoffman (Junior/Half Moon Bay, CA), Jesse Stroede (Freshman/Honolulu, HI), and Cater Atkins (Sophomore/Sherwood, CA) each recorded five tackles with a tackle-for-loss.
• Pacific has won back-to-back contests against PLU.

 
Pacific registers their first winning season since 2015 and finish third in the NWC, finishing an excellent 2021 campaign in Falconer's first year at the helm.
 
For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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