Football falls to Stags in Claremont

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Chapman football team (3-1) fell to the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags (3-1) 29-21 on the road in the fourth game of the season. 

The Stags were on the board first with eight minutes left in the first quarter after a 14 play, six minute drive. Justin Edwards ran the ball one yard into the endzone to set the score at 6-0, the two-point conversion pass from Hank Harvego was no good. 

Chapman pushed down to the Stags 28 yard line in their first drive of the game. After a Jonston Maclntyre incomplete pass to Trevor Vill with four yards to go, the third down pass was intercepted by the Stags Jacob O'Connell ending the momentum. 

The Stags struck again in the first with a successful field goal from Alessandro Maiuolo taking an early 9-0 lead. It was a second Edwards one-yard jump into the endzone that put Claremont up 15-0 going into halftime. The extra point kick was no good. 

The Panthers secured a presence on the board in the third quarter after Spencer Corona gripped the two-yard pass from Maclntyre in the endzone, the result of a six minute, 12-play drive. The Ken Baierl PAT was good. 

The Stags answered with another Edwards three-yard run into the endzone followed by their first successful PAT of the game setting the score at 22-7. The Panthers responded again in the third with two minutes left. Caleb Henshaw secured the 13-yard pass from Reed Vettel for their second touchdown of the game, the Baierl kick was good, setting the 22-14 score.

Edwards ran it in five yards for the last time in the fourth finalizing the Stags score at 29 points on the game. The Panthers fought back at the end after Maclntyre ran the ball three yards into the endzone setting the game at its final 29-21. 

The Panthers struggled to put another seven on the board after tallying 11 plays to make it 58 yards towards Stags territory. The drive ended in three incomplete passes that finalized the Panther effort on the night. 

The Panthers out-passed the Stags totaling 252 yards compared to their 164. The Stags tallied 239 total rushing yards compared to the Panthers 117. Marcos Reyes led the pack in rushing yards with 43 while Spencer Corona led Chapman with 102 receiving yards on the day. 

Chris Tsirtsis accumulated 11 total tackles on the game followed closely by Ryan Haith with 10 total and seven solo tackles.  

The Panthers have their bye week next week before returning home to take on Whittier at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9.