McMINNVILLE, Ore. - It was a businesslike performance for No. 7 Linfield Saturday afternoon at Maxwell Field. The Wildcats scored four times in the first quarter and never looked back, dismantling Lewis & Clark 59-14.

With a showdown at No. 17 Willamette looming, Linfield resisted the temptation to look ahead. The Wildcats improved to 6-0 on the season, moving to 3-0 in Northwest Conference play. Lewis & Clark continues to search for its first win, slipping to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the NWC.

Early on, it was the Aaron Boehme (Jr., Stanwood, Wash.)-to-Trevor Patterson (Sr., Pendleton, Ore.) show. Linfield scored its first touchdown less than two minutes into the game on a 49-yard bomb from Boehme to Patterson. One play after Boehme scrambled for an eight-yard gain to keep the drive alive, Patterson beat his man on a streak down the sideline.

Facing an early 7-0 deficit, Lewis & Clark coughed up the football on the following drive. Pioneers quarterback Tucker Laurence was stripped by tackle Paul Nishizaki (Jr., Portland, Ore.), allowing Kole Kreiger to dive in and recover the loose ball.

Two plays later, Boehme and Patterson hooked up again, this time on an 11-yard fade pattern into the right corner of the end zone.

After another Lewis & Clark three-and-out, it was the Linfield special teams that provided a spark. With 9:04 remaining in the first quarter, return specialist P.J. Sequeira (Jr., Salem, Ore.) picked up a bouncing punt and raced 52 yards for the score. The extra point by Maiki Kunioka made it 21-0 before most of the 2,628 fans had settled into their seats.

Sequeira nearly chalked up his second touchdown return of the day on his second punt return, but he was tripped up inside the 5-yard line. The 46-yard return set up a one-yard touchdown run by Aaron Williams (Soph., Aptos, Calif.) at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, giving the ‘Cats a 28-0 lead.

Lewis & Clark struggled to get anything going on offense in the opening quarter. The Pioneers tallied just 10 yards of total offense in first 15 minutes.

Kevin Abbott (Jr., Morgan Hill, Calif.) rolled into the end zone to add to the Pioneers’ misery, scoring on a 42-yard run at the 10:39 mark of the second quarter. Linfield tallied once more before halftime, with Taylor Avritt (Jr., Portland, Ore.) taking a Cole Bixenman (Jr., Federal Way, Wash.) pass 41 yards to the end zone. Avritt, a reserve running back, finished with three touchdowns on the day.

Lewis & Clark answered by piecing together a nine-play, 57-yard drive that resulted in a Logan Kotzian five-yard touchdown reception with just less than four minutes left in the first half.

The Wildcats went into the locker room with a commanding 42-7 advantage, outgaining the visitors 357-110 through the first two quarters.

Brad Bingham (Sr., Vancouver, Wash.) brought the crowd to their feet with just under and minute left in the third quarter when the defensive lineman picked off a pass and returned it to the Lewis & Clark 16. The interception set up a three-yard touchdown run from Avritt on the first play of the fourth quarter, giving Linfield a 59-7 lead.

Boehme finished the day with 85 yards worth of passing and two touchdowns, before being relieved by Bixenman in the second quarter.

Abbott was the workhorse on the ground, gaining 137 yards and adding a touchdown. The ‘Cats totaled 499 yards of total offense.

Laurence carried much of the load for the Pioneers. He finished 14-of-32 for 115 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Paul Partlow (Sr., Portland, Ore.), Eric Hedin (Jr., Silverdale, Wash.) and Bubby Kukahiko led the Wildcats with seven tackles apiece.

NEXT: Saturday’s game is the big one. Linfield travels to NWC rival Willamette to take on the Bearcats at 1:30 p.m. in a game that could well decide the conference title.

‘CAT SCRATCH: With an unblemished 6-0 record, many might ask what the similarities are between this team and the 2004 National Champions. . . statistically, both defenses give up an average of 19 points per game. On the offensive side, the 2009 edition has a balanced offense that rushes the ball much more than the 2004 team. The Linfield defense has been stingy to start games. . . the ‘Cats have given up just seven first quarter points in six games.