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REDLANDS — Up against a number of challenges, the Occidental football team took a big step in rebuilding its program, finishing the 2018 season with a 52-20 loss at Redlands on Saturday.

Josh Greaves threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to Andrew Jack de Avila, Carlton O'Neal and John Isaac Cordova, but the game was already out of reach. 

It isn't a season many would normally consider successful, but given the circumstances, it was about as good as it could have been. One year after canceling all but three games due to a depleted roster, the Tigers played every game on their schedule, beating CETYS in a foreign exhibitio,n and were competitive in three more games against Willamette, Whittier and La Verne. 

Some of the program's biggest accomplishments won't show up in the standings or the stats. The Tigers stepped up in a big way with alumni donations and outstanding recruiting efforts that helped stabilize the program.

Oxy brings back an exciting young core, including 26 first year players that got significant experience and playing time.

Some of Oxy's top underclassmen returners include defensive standouts Jackson Caudle, Raffi Titizian, Sam Meinhard, Garrett Pittman and John Gayden.

Caudle was named the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Week in October, Titizian led the team in tackles and Meinhard, Pittman and Gayden all showed flashes of potential to be very good SCIAC players.

On the offensive side of the ball, Oxy returns leading rushers Brennan Golden and DJ Adams, along with quarterbacks Joshua Greaves and Jake Willemsen. 

The Tigers graduate seniors Carlton O'Neal, Matthew Trusiak and Austin Lee who were all instrumental in making sure the Tigers could field a team with good senior leadership.