Football lands 15 on All-SCIAC teams
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University football team ended the 2022 season with 15 All-SCIAC selections, including nine First Team selections. In total, seven All-SCIAC picks came from the Chapman offense and the Panthers special teams swept the First Team kicking awards.
The Panthers ended the season with the top offense in the SCIAC, leading the conference in points and yards during the SCIAC season. Chapman averaged 454.7 yards per game and 36.3 points per game in the six SCIAC contests. With the top offense, the Panthers led SCIAC with five First Team selections.
Nathaniel Espinoza was the First Team quarterback choice of the conference coaches after his record-breaking season. Despite missing a conference game, Espinoza still had the most passing yards and touchdowns during the SCIAC season. He led the SCIAC with 1630 passing yards, 326 yards per game, 20 passing touchdowns, a 199.3 passing efficiency and a 69.3 percent completion percentage.
Record-breaking receivers Spencer Corona and Wyatt Hardin also made the first team with fellow receiver John Krall earning Second Team recognition. The dangerous trio finished 1-2-3 in receiving yardage during SCIAC games. Corona's 111 yards per game was tops in the SCIAC to lead him to his third consecutive All-SCIAC selection while Hardin was tied for the conference lead with seven touchdowns and ranked third with 75.5 yards per game. Krall led the SCIAC with 588 receiving yards and trailed only Corona with 98.0 yards per game. Corona and Krall each hauled in six touchdown passes.
Marcos Reyes earned his third All-SCIAC selection but earned First Team honors for the first time. While splitting time in the backfield, Reyes still ranked fifth in the conference with 43.8 yards per game and led the SCIAC in averaging 7.1 yards per carry during SCIAC games.
Donovan Porter represented the Panther offensive line on the First Team. The O-line allowed just eight sacks in 10 games this season, leading the conference in sacks allowed while protecting Espinoza and clearing the way for the highest scoring offense. Brandon Fleiss was also recognized on the Second Team.
The Panthers' special teams unit swept the First Team kicking awards as Owen Tapia was named the First Team punter for his third career All-SCIAC selection and Ken Baierl was selected as the First Team kicker for the second year in a row. Both broke school records this year. Tapia was called on just 12 times to punt in conference play. Of those 12, he dropped 10 inside the 20 yards line and one more rolled in for a touchback. He unleashed two 70-plus yard punts, including a school record 80-yard punt at Whittier. Baierl was 8-for-8 on field goal attempts in conference play, including hitting a career-best 43-yarder. He led all SCIAC kickers with 51 points.
Alexander Terriquez and Ryan Haith led six selections from the Chapman defense on the First Team. Terriquez ranked second in the SCIAC with 8.2 tackles per game and 49 total tackles in six SCIAC games. He also had three sacks and five tackles for loss. Haith had 16 tackles in SCIAC games to go along with three pass breakups as he started the year at safety before moving to cornerback for the conference season.
Four more Panther defenders were recognized on the Second Team. Isaiah Muñoz and Evan Greve were selections off the defensive line for Chapman. Greve had one ack and 10 tackles in conference play while Muñoz had 1.5 sacks as part of his seven total tackles.
Kade Jordan ranked fifth in the SCIAC with 2.5 sacks during the conference season and made 29 tackles. His six tackles for loss also ranked fifth. Devin Cobb rounded out the Chapman selections on the Second Team as the Panthers' cornerback opposite Haith. He needed to make just four tackles in conference play. He had two tackles for loss and a sack this season in addition to a pair of pass breakups.
The Panthers' 15 selections are the second-most in program history. Chapman concluded the season at 7-3 and 4-2 in the SCIAC.
By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director
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