LEWIS & CLARK football scored all 49 of its points before halftime in its Sept. 19 home opener, a 49-28 win over Pomona-Pitzer. It was the team’s seventh straight home-opener victory since 2019 and its most points in a half since 2001. The next week, they defeated the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington with a final score of 74-14, continuing their strong start to the season.
The Otters have since gone 2-0, and players say the reasons are small details, staying in the moment and playing at Griswold Stadium, which quarterback Sam Simril called “the most beautiful home field in the country.”
LC football players attributed much of their recent wins to the team’s continual dedication to self-improvement, noting the coordination and energy of team practice sessions.
“We’re just playing together,” wide receiver Rio Cruz ’27 said. “One of the biggest parts of our success is we’re staying healthy, and throughout the week, we’re focused on small details.”
Graduate student and quarterback Sam Simril ’27, added that the duration of football season — with practices beginning in summer and leading up to the first games in September — allows the team to spend long hours improving while remaining focused on their goals.
“We’ve just tried to stay in the moment and not look to the future to just be present,” Simril said. He believes that this attitude has helped the team to accumulate wins by focusing their attention on the situations in front of them.
“When that happens, I feel like winning becomes the standard. So it’s really rewarding, but we’re always trying to stay where we’re standing,” Simril said.
This sense of awareness, staying grounded in the present moment, also extends to the team’s consistent success on their home turf. Both Cruz and Simril noted that playing in Griswold Stadium instilled the team with a sense of school spirit and a desire to uphold the reputation of the LC athletic program.
Cruz, who posted three punt returns for 68 yards against Pomona-Pitzer, said that he brings a “chip on his shoulder” to every home game. He said this “chip” motivates him to push his limits, putting his all out for the team.
“Playing at home, there’s a certain level of pride that comes into those games,” Cruz said. “You never want an opponent to come in and beat you at your home stadium, especially when you’ve got all your fans watching.”
Simril added that playing in Griswold gives the team a sense of pride and gratitude for the picturesque surroundings of LC’s campus. For Simril, Griswold’s proximity to nature offers clarity and focus.
“We play in the most beautiful home field in the country, in my opinion,” he said. “I mean, we’re just surrounded by nature. It’s pretty magical. I don’t think a lot of schools get to play in a place like that.”
Simril’s theory is well-supported. LC is consistently ranked among the most beautiful college campuses in the U.S., sitting at the seventh-highest spot on the Princeton Review and the 10th-highest spot in the Architectural Digest. Studies indicate that exposure to nature positively influences athletes’ performance by reducing perceived exertion and the release of stress hormones in the brain. Evidently, athletes at LC can benefit
from this advantage.
The testimonies of Cruz and Simril highlight how the LC River Otters benefit from playing home games. However, the success of the LC football program this season extends well beyond the confines of Griswold. So far, the Otters have won four of the five games played this season. Football games are scheduled to continue across Oregon and Washington throughout the semester. The continual success and determination of the LC football team has inspired great confidence and excitement for their future performance. Clearly, LC football is in for a terrific upcoming season.
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