Chapman Football Game Notes (11/12)

Last Week
Chapman not only lost for the third straight week, but saw its six-game home winning streak snapped in the process. Losing 61-31 to now-No.8-ranked Cal Lutheran, the Panthers surrendered the most points in a game since Menlo College scored 63 in a game against Chapman in 2003.

Winning Season in the Balance
After the team’s best start (4-1) since 1996, the Panthers’ current three-game slide now has them in danger of suffering their third consecutive losing season. A fourth straight loss on Saturday would give Chapman three 4-5 seasons in a row.

Sun at Chapman Stadium
Day games in Orange haven’t happened very often. In fact, Ernie Chapman Stadium will host its first day football game since 1999 on Saturday with the 1:05 p.m. kickoff against Redlands. Chapman lost 42-21 to Azusa Pacific in its season finale that year. The Panthers also played a day home game at Fred Kelly Stadium in 2005.

Leaning on the Run Game
In seven games this season, the Panthers have totaled 1,296 yards rushing for an average of 162 yards per game, the highest rushing total for the team since Coach Owens took over in 2006. The Panthers have rushed for over 200 yards four times this year. The Chapman single-season team rushing record was 2,639 yards in 1995, the year that the team finished 8-1.

Minshew vs. Minshew
For the second and last time, Redlands vs. Chapman means brother vs. brother. Panthers’ sophomore LB Wade Minshew ranks second on the team with 56 tackles. His brother, Bulldogs’ senior DE Spencer Minshew, has 22 tackles including six for a loss and one interception this season. Last year, as afreshman Wade spent some time at fullback for Chapman and the two went head-to-head.

Lahey Runs Wild
Chapman’s sophomore backup QB Michael Lahey had a big day on Saturday, but if you blinked you may have missed it. Lahey ran for a game-high 126 yards - his first career 100-yard rushing performance - but he did so on just three carries. One a 61-yard touchdown, another one for 64 yards and a third one for a 1-yard TD. He becomes the first quarterback to run for over 100 yards since Patrick Josten in 2004 (he did it five times in his career).

A Day in the Life of...
Every fall weekend has been an adventure for senior P Jimmy Adranly and junior K Mauricio Alfonso, who have taken planes, trains and automobiles to bounce back and forth between their duties on the football and soccer teams. But Saturday will be the first time they play in two games in the same day. Following the Panthers 1:05 p.m. football game, the duo will catch a 4:30 p.m. bus with Chapman’s soccer team for its first round NCAA playoff match against Claremont in Redlands at 7 p.m.

Adranly’s Bid for National Rankings
The Chapman punter’s 41.9 average should rank No. 6 in the nation. However, he is only averaging 3.4 punts per game and the NCAA requires a minimum of 3.6 to qualify. Adranly needs five punts on Saturday to fulfill that requirement and should immediately move into the national top-10.

Extra, Extra (Points)
Thanks to the footwork of Alfonso and Adranly, the Panthers have successfully kicked 42 consecutive PATs dating back to last season. In fact, Alfonso has been perfect in his career going 46 for 46 over the past two seasons. They are getting closer to the school record set between 2007-09 when Chapman kicked 54 extra points consecutively.

One Eye on the Record Books
In the final game of the season, the following Panthers are within striking distance of these Chapman records and milestones:

Capital One Academic All-District VIII
Adranly and junior LB Mike Mehlhaff were named to the Capital One Academic All-District VIII team this week. It’s the second award for Adranly who has been a nationally-ranked punter the past three seasons and has a 3.31 GPA in business. Mehlhaff is Chapman’s top tackler (64) with a 3.93 GPA in business and earned the award for the first time.

Chapman vs. Redlands
The Panthers’ current four-game losing streak to Redlands is a bit deceiving. In the past five meetings between the two schools the average margin of victory has been just more than a touchdown - and even closer in the past two games with Redlands winning by four in 2010 and a field goal in 2009. Last year, the Bulldogs won 21-17 in Redlands on a touchdown with 1:37 left in the game.

Redlands in 2011
After Chapman gave up 61 points last week, there is no rest for the weary against Redlands which ranks 20th in Division III in scoring with an average of 38.6 points. The Bulldogs rank No. 13 in the nation by D3Football.com thanks to a balanced attack on the ground (215.8 yards rushing) and in the air (219.1 yards passing). Senior QB Chad Hurst ranks 13th in Division III with 292.4 yards of total offense each week and the offensive line leads the nation in sacks allowed (just three all season) with 0.4 per game.

Chapman Football on Air
For the fifth-straight year, Chapman has partnered with the school’s on-campus radio station, Chapman Radio, to broadcast all nine Panthers’ football games in 2011 streaming live on the internet at http:www.chapmanradio.com/sports. A rotation of on-air student talent will provide play-by-play and commentary for every down of Chapman football.

by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director

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