Football falls in home finale

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University football team fell 42-34 to visiting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday. The Panthers celebrated 33 seniors in a pre-game ceremony and capped off Chapman University's Homecoming Family Weekend.

The Panthers scored first with a 26-yard field goal from junior Ken Baierl but CMS responded with a five-play touchdown drive and an interception three plays into the next Chapman drive. It took just two plays for CMS to cover the 31 yards it needed for a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.

After gaining the lead in the first, CMS never trailed. The Panthers made it a one score game throughout the contest but the Stags defense always responded with a key takeaway or a forced punt. The Stags led 21-10 after the first quarter but did not score in the second.

Senior Reed Vettel and Wyatt Hardin connected in the first for a 62-yard touchdown and again in the second for a 28-yard score to make it 21-17. After forcing a late punt, Vettel led a one-minute drill down the field. After starting at the Chapman 33 yard line, Vettel hit Hardin for 22 yards, senior Nico Ragas for eight more and senior Zach Shorts for 33 yards to move down to the two with less than 10 seconds left. One last play into the end zone was just out of senior Will Mudie's reach and Baierl chipped in a field goal to make it 21-20 at halftime.

CMS scored on its first two drives of the second half with Zach Fogel hitting Nick Parise for a three-yard TD and running one in himself from 15 yards out.

Chapman eventually responded late in the third with a 20-yard pass to senior John Krall and then forced a punt to get the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Michael Colangelo pulled down CMS' second interception of the game on the next Chapman drive and Justin Edwards scored four plays later to make 42-27.

Chapman responded with a two-yard score from senior Tanner Mendoza to cap an 11-play and nearly four-minute drive to again pull within eight. The Panther defense bent but didn't break to force a field goal attempt, which sailed wide right and gave the Panthers the ball back with three minutes left and a chance to again tie the game.

An 11-yard run from Mendoza and a pair of completions to Ragas moved Chapman near midfield. However, the Stags forced a fumble and jumped on it to seal the game.

CMS ran 51 times for 270 yards, led by 205 yards from Justin Edwards on 37 carries. The Stags also passed for 230 yards. Chapman passed for 342 yards with Vettel going 22-for-39. Hardin caught six passes for 128 yards. Mendoza led the Panthers on the ground with 14 carries for 64 yards.

Senior Dillon Keefe recorded the only sack of the game as part of his five tackles. Junior Blake Siemsen led the Panthers with 10 tackles.

Chapman finishes up the 2021 season next week when the Panthers head to La Verne for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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