Program-best seven selected to D3football.com All-Region teams

ORANGE, Calif. – A program record seven Panthers earned spots on the D3football.com All-West Region teams. Head coach Bob Owens headlined the selections as the Coach of the Year with junior Dillon Keefe being selected to the First Team.

The Panthers' seven selections more than doubles the program's previous high of three selections in 2017. Chapman's previous program-high for any All-Region team was four selections to the AFCA's All-Region teams in 1994 and 1995.

Owens' coaching honor is the first honor for a Chapman coach from D3football.com. He was also voted as the Regional Coach of the Year by his peers in the AFCA, which was announced earlier today, and won his fourth coaching honor from the SCIAC earlier this year.

Keefe became just the third Panther to earn a spot on D3football.com's All-Region First Team, joining former teammate Elias Deeb and current teammate Nico Ragas. The All-Region nod adds to his list of awards as the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year and an AFCA Second Team All-American. He led the team in tackles, sacks and tackles for loss while also ranking second on the team in pass breakups this year. His tackles for loss set opponents back more than the length of the field, totaling 102 lost yards. He ranked 22nd in Division III in sacks per game, 44th in TFLs per game and fourth in the nation with four blocked kicks.

Junior Nico Ragas became the first Panther to earn All-Region honors in back-to-back years and just the second to earn All-Region twice in his career when he was announced as the Second Team kick returner. Deeb was selected as an All-Region punter in 2016 and 2018. Ragas returned two more kicks for touchdowns in 2019, making Division III's active career leader in kick return TDs with four. His two TD returns this year are tied for the national lead while his average return of 29.2 yards ranks fifth in Division III.

Chapman's offensive line was well represented on the Second Team with senior Ryan Moles and sophomore Alex Waddell both earning spots for their first career All-Region honors. Moles was a four-year starter and three-time All-SCIAC selection for the Panthers at right tackle. He cleared the way for a pair of SCIAC titles in his four years and was the anchor on the line for the first class in Chapman history to post a winning record in all four seasons.

Waddell joined Moles on the Second Team for his first career All-Region honor. The sophomore took the left guard spot for an offensive line that cleared the way for an offense that ranked 14th in Division III in total offense per game and 25th in scoring. The Panthers' offense also held the ball for over 34 minutes per game to rank 10th in DIII.

Seniors Ricky Medeiros and Nathan Parkin both earned spots on the All-West Region Third Team. Keefe, Medeiros and Parkin broke ground for the Chapman defense. Prior to Chapman's three All-Region selections in 2019, former teammate Austin Pyka's 2017 selection was the only defensive accolade for the Panthers on D3football.com's All-Region teams.

Medeiros had a career-best eight sacks this season and ended his career with 12 total sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. He also forced three fumbles in 2019. Parkin ranked in the top-10 in the nation and second in Chapman history with seven interceptions – six of which came in November. He had a three interception game against Pomona-Pitzer and forced two fumbles, which he also recovered.

The Panthers historic season ran all the way into the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship and included an undefeated regular season as well as the SCIAC championship.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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