Cal Lutheran Starts Fast but Fades Quickly : College football: La Verne overcomes 6-0 deficit to post 28-6 victory and spoil debut of quarterback David Harris.

Cal Lutheran took an early lead but surrendered the next 28 points in a 28-6 nonconference football loss to host La Verne on Saturday.

“We are extremely frustrated,” said Cal Lutheran Coach Joe Harper, whose team fell to 1-5. “I am extremely frustrated. The only thing that cures frustration is success, but it seems to elude us.”

Cal Lutheran first-string quarterback Adam Hacker, who sustained a shoulder injury last week against Sonoma State, stood on the sidelines in street clothes and watched his team come unglued.

Freshman David Harris, Hacker’s replacement, made his first start and completed 12 of 32 passes for 120 yards. He threw one interception. Harper termed Harris’ performance as “OK.”

Harris tried to maintain his composure through two scuffles. One erupted on the Cal Lutheran sideline after La Verne linebacker Robert Hill followed Harris out of bounds on a quarterback option.

Cal Lutheran’s touchdown was set up when linebacker Chris Sestito intercepted La Verne quarterback Willie Reyna’s second pass and returned the ball 24 yards to the La Verne 25.

Tailback Cassidy O’Sullivan covered the final 25 yards by himself, scoring from 16 yards after runs of five and four yards. Tom Montague’s failed PAT attempt foreshadowed the Kingsmen’s doom.

La Verne then scored the next four touchdowns.

La Verne (4-1) took a 7-6 lead late in the first quarter on a 45-yard pass from Reyna to Bill Battin on a play in which cornerback John Wilson fell. The drive was kept alive by an eight-yard run by Dennis Houlihan on a fake punt.

Phelan Piestrup scored La Verne’s next touchdown on a one-yard run with six seconds left in the half to give La Verne a 14-6 lead.

Early in the third quarter, Reyna combined with David Morales on a 56-yard pass play to give La Verne a 21-6 lead.

La Verne’s Albert Andrade blocked a Pete Pistone punt with 3 minutes 48 seconds left in the quarter and ran 25 yards for the final touchdown.