The Forester football team outscored host Monmouth College 28-24 on Saturday and is now 6-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in Midwest Conference play this season. Lake Forest freshman running back Joey Valdivia had a game-high 136 rushing yards, including 43 to score the winning touchdown with 2:25 to play in the contest.
Valdivia's 15th and final carry of the game was an inside handoff to the right side of the offense on 3rd-and-2 from the Monmouth 43. He side-stepped a Fighting Scot just past the line of scrimmage to break into the open. After cutting back to the middle of the field, he broke a tackle and continued into the end zone (included in highlight video below).
Monmouth drove to the Lake Forest 36-yardline before moving back five yards on a penalty. Forester senior safety Dominick Campagna picked off a 4th-and-7 pass to clinch the victory.
The Fighting Scots scored the game's first points on a 27-yard field goal less than six minutes into the game.
The lead changed hands four times in the game, beginning on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Forester senior quarterback Pete Scaffidi to senior tailback Al Mitchell on the first play of the second quarter.
Monmouth regained the advantage on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds to play in the first half and extended its lead to 17-7 on a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:20 to play in the third quarter.
Lake Forest responded with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard scoring pass from Scaffidi to junior tight end Justin Smith with 16 seconds left in the third. The Forester defense forced a punt and the offense traveled 56 yards in 10 plays, the last one a 1-yard plunge into the end zone by Scaffidi with 9:31 to play in the contest, giving the visitors a 21-17 lead.
Monmouth came back with a 9-play, 70-yard drive and took a 24-21 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run.
After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Lake Forest took over on its own 25-yardline. Scaffidi connected with senior wide receiver Austin Sobey on a 14-yard completion and Valdivia ran for nine and then two yards for another first down. Sophomore tailback Alec Howe ran for four yards and Mitchell for three to set up Valdivia's 43-yard scamper to the end zone.
Sobey led the visitors with six receptions for 58 yards in the contest. He climbed into fourth place in team history with 124 career catches and fifth with 1,640 receiving yards.
Mitchell ran 11 times in the game for 30 yards, tying him with Tom Woodward (1966-69) for fifth place in program history with 1,539 career rushing yards.
Scaffidi completed 14 of 24 passes for 117 yards and his 51st and 52nd careeer touchdown passes. He directed an offense that amassed just 298 yards but committed just one penalty for five yards and did not turn the ball over.
Monmouth had nine penalties for 66 yards and committed three turnovers. Lake Forest junior cornerback Ed Dobernig forced a first quarter fumble that was recovered by Campagna at the Forester 19, junior linebacker Bryce Jones ended the Scots' next drive with his first career interception, and Campagna picked off a pass to clinch the victory in the final minute.
Sophomore linebacker John Preston and junior linebacker Jordan Cruz led the Foresters with 13 tackles apiece while Dobernig and junior linebacker John Dillon each added nine. Dillon also recorded the visitors' only sack of the game.
The loss evened Monmouth's overall record at 3-3 and dropped the Scots to 3-2 in league play.
Lake Forest will host Cornell College, which is also 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the MWC.
