THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran football put up a determined fight but ultimately came up short against Chapman, falling 28-18 to the Panthers on Saturday night at William Rolland Stadium. Despite a strong start and fourth-quarter surge, the Kingsmen were unable to overcome a 21-point third quarter from Chapman.
Before the game, the Kingsmen (1-6, 1-4 SCIAC) honored their graduating class of Daniel Burgos, Jaden Casey, Cade Cadam, Diego Serrano, Desmond Thompson, Dayday Jones, Jackson White, Nick Laufenberg, Jonathan Borjas, Jason Heller, John Moore, Chad Ortega, Joshua Christopher, Jayden Monick, Caleb Berry, Kilo Scanlan, Jalen Reynolds, Jaime Lara, Jamil Charles, Jake Baiz, Dom Damato, Anthony Valencia, Aiden Checketts, Neville Richardson, Zack Ninekirk, and Cheyne Caldwell.
The Kingsmen defense delivered an impressive first half against Chapman's high-powered offense, holding them to just one touchdown through the first two quarters. It was just the second time this season the Panthers (5-2, 4-1 SCIAC) were held to under 10 points in a half.
The Kingsmen opened the scoring, with K Daniel Burgos nailing a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter for an early 3-0 lead. Key defensive stops and an interception by CB AJ Townsend kept Chapman off the board through the first quarter. The Panthers found the end zone with a nine-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, bringing the score to 7-3 going into the break.
The third quarter saw the Panthers extend their lead dramatically, scoring three touchdowns in rapid succession. Kingsmen RB Gabe Landless answered with a five-yard rushing touchdown to bring the score to 21-10, but Chapman responded with a 71-yard bomb to the endzone, widening the gap to 28-10.
The Kingsmen cut the deficit to 10 in the fourth quarter. QB Jaden Casey capped off a 10-play 68-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plow via QB sneak. He then converted the two-point conversion, finding WR Desmond Thompson in the back of the end zone to make it 28-18. The Panthers held on the rest of the way, picking up defensive stops and running out the clock to prevent the Kingsmen from scoring any further.
Casey finished 18-34 for 194 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. WR Cade Cadam continued his senior year tear, posting seven catches for 124 yards, his fourth triple-digit receiving game of the season. The Kingsmen spread the wealth on the ground; along with his touchdown Landless ran for 30 yards on 14 attempts, JD Sumlin also posted for 30 rushing yards, and CJ Zackery rushed for 22.
Hunter Hall and Devon Goosby both found their way into the Chapman backfield for sacks while tallying nine and six tackles, respectively. Diego Serrano led the team with 11 tackles, Jake Frey, Agenhart Ellis IV, and Max Juarez all had seven, Arthur Orta had five, and Jackson White had four, including one tackle for a loss. Along with the interception, Townsend added three tackles and a pass breakup.
The Kingsmen have two more games remaining in the regular season. Next, they go on the road to take on Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
