Panthers hold on, end season on high note
LA VERNE, Calif. - Sophomore LB Erick Mueller made the defensive play of the day and the Chapman University football team preserved a three-point lead and defeated a late-charging University of La Verne squad 17-14 at Ortmayer Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Following a quarterback sack from Mueller with 1:45 left in the game - a play that pushed La Verne back 10 yards - the Leopards' 43-yard field goal attempt to tie the game missed short and Chapman held on for its fourth victory to close out the season.
The win the fourth straight victory for Chapman (4-5) against rival La Verne and just the latest in a long history of photo finishes between the two schools since the rivalry began in 1994.
Trailing 17-7 with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, La Verne (0-9) began its comeback bid. The Leos needed just five plays to move the ball 58 yards to score their first offensive touchdown of the day and make the score 17-14. Back-to-back passes from QB Anthony Andre to Erek Brown (for 35 yards) and Cedric Ho (for 11 yards and the score) brought La Verne within three points.
The Leopards then got the ball back with 3:10 left in the game and moved the ball 59 yards in five plays and capitalized on a pass interference penalty against Chapman, advancing to the Panthers' 16 yard line. That's when Mueller sacked Andre - Chapman's fourth QB sack of the day - to push La Verne into long distance field goal range, where it could not convert to tie the game.
The Panthers' defense enjoyed quite a bit of success behind the line of scrimmage on Saturday. Chapman totaled seven tackles for losses of 27 yards and forced two fumbles. Junior DB Jake Fey made nine tackles, three for loss and had two of the Panthers' four sacks. Mueller finished with eight tackles; two for loss.
Chapman's two touchdowns both came on back-to-back drives in the second quarter. Sophomore QB Blake Vanderweil guided Chapman on scoring drives of 41 and 64 yards as the Panthers built a 14-0 lead. Vanderweil connected with junior WR Chris Langstaff for 21 yards and the Panthers' first touchdown of the day with 10:04 remaining in the half. The sophomore then tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Dan Delahoussaye with 5:15 to go.
The game featured six fumbles between the two teams, including one costly one for Chapman as time was expiring in the first half. The Leopards' Wardell Campbell picked up a Chapman fumble and returned it 58 yards with 3 seconds remaining to put La Verne on the scoreboard and trailing just 14-7 at halftime.
The Panthers made it 17-7 with 7:40 in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard field goal by freshman Parker Colborn - his first career field goal - kicking in place of regular K Jimmy Adranly who was in Santa Cruz with Chapman's men's soccer team participating in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Vanderweil set career highs on Saturday, completing 21 of 34 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns - all season-bests. It was his third consecutive game passing for 200 yards or more. Langstaff caught eight of those passes for a season-high 110 yards.
Despite Chapman suffering its first losing season since 2006, the Panthers' have now won at least four games in each of their first four seasons under head coach Bob Owens. Chapman had just one four-win season in the previous six years prior to Owens' arrival.
Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/fball/2009-10/stats/cu-ulv.htm