THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran football team closed out its home schedule Saturday night, hosting Chapman for Senior Night at William Rolland Stadium. Despite a competitive first half, the Kingsmen couldn't keep pace with the Panthers down the stretch, falling 20-9 in their final home game of the season.
Before kickoff, Cal Lutheran honored its senior football players, along with members of the cheer and dance teams and student athletic trainers, recognizing their contributions to the university and its athletic programs.
The Kingsmen (5-4, 4-3 SCIAC) opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal from
Dylan Armendariz midway through the first quarter. The kick capped a 10-play drive that began after Cal Lutheran's defense forced an early interception by
Blake Hurley. Chapman answered with a field goal of its own to even the score at 3-3.
Cal Lutheran regained the lead early in the second quarter. After moving the ball inside the five-yard line, the Kingsmen settled for another field goal, with Armendariz connecting from 17 yards to make it 6-3.
Chapman took its first lead of the night following a costly Cal Lutheran fumble deep in its own territory. The Panthers recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, moving ahead 9-6 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. Chapman added a 26-yard field goal as time expired to take a 12-6 advantage into the break.
The Panthers extended their lead in the third quarter, putting together an eight-play, 36-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Andrew Latu. Chapman converted the ensuing two-point attempt to make it 20-6.
Cal Lutheran responded with a lengthy drive late in the third quarter that carried into the fourth. The Kingsmen moved inside the Chapman 10-yard line, but the Panther defense held firm, forcing another field goal. Armendariz knocked through his third kick of the night, this time from 28 yards, to bring the score to 20-9 with 12:33 remaining.
The Kingsmen continued to battle, but Chapman held on through the final minutes to secure the 20-9 victory.
Joe Farley led the Cal Lutheran offense, completing 20 of 37 passes for 203 yards.
Maddox Bernardino led the receiving corps with seven catches for 59 yards, while
Tyler Woodworth added four receptions for 61 yards.
Nico Caruso contributed three catches for 41 yards.
Armendariz accounted for all nine of the Kingsmen's points, connecting on all three field-goal attempts. Defensively,
Neiman McCoy and Hurley each recorded an interception, while
Drew Nees led the team with 13 tackles.
Gannon Greenan added five tackles.
With the loss, Cal Lutheran finishes the regular season 5-4 overall and 4-3 in SCIAC play, securing fourth place in the conference standings.
The Kingsmen close out the 2026 season next Saturday, November 14, traveling to Pomona-Pitzer for a 1 p.m. matchup in Claremont.
