Laid's 53-Yard Field Goal Lifts Washington Past Los Angeles
Riley Kade — JRSports One
Chase Laid's 53-yard field goal with 14:49 left in the fourth quarter put Washington ahead for good, and the Regiment held on for a 26-23 win over the Los Angeles Heat. Washington had not held the lead since the second quarter, and it had trailed 17-9 early in the third period.
The go-ahead kick was the turning point, lifting Washington to a 19-17 lead. Los Angeles got within three on Ben Gotham's 37-yard field goal with 0:57 left, but the Regiment kept the advantage.
The first half was a field goal exchange. Laid's 45-yard kick opened the scoring at 10:25 of the first quarter, Gotham tied it at 3-3 with a 30-yard field goal at 1:48, and Laid's 31-yard kick at 12:14 of the second quarter put Washington ahead 6-3. Riku Kokawa's 11-yard touchdown pass to Pablo Rurtero at 3:53 gave Los Angeles a 10-6 lead, and Laid's 42-yard field goal at 1:01 cut it to 10-9 at the half.
Los Angeles pulled away in the third quarter. Kokawa hit Rurtero again for a 4-yard touchdown at 12:10, making it 17-9, but Blake Stirlin threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Grant Mosmore at 5:10 to cut the deficit to 17-16. Laid's kick then gave Washington the lead.
Aaron Chooldale's 2-yard touchdown run at 7:09 made it 26-17, and that was the Regiment's biggest lead of the night. Gotham's 23-yard field goal at 2:22 brought the Heat within six. At 1:39, Shota Tsonzaki intercepted a pass by Stirlin and returned it 5 yards. Gotham's 37-yard field goal at 0:57 made it 26-23, but Los Angeles could not get closer.
Kokawa finished 21 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Stirlin was 23 of 30 for 242 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Ramon Serruez ran 16 times for 93 yards and caught four passes for 72 yards for the Heat. Mosmore caught eight passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, and Chooldale ran for 67 yards and a score for Washington. Nate Linmore had four sacks for Los Angeles, and Luke Caistman had three for Washington.
Carson Visham left Washington's lineup with an MCL sprain and is out for four weeks. Scott Sulrick of Los Angeles also has an MCL sprain and is out for two weeks. Serruez is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury.
Both teams are 6-2 after the result.
