Football prepares for SCIAC Championship matchup with Pomona-Pitzer
Pictured: Senior wide receiver Nick Tawney, an applied human physiology major, celebrating after picking up a first down against California Lutheran University. Courtesy of Larry Newman
After six wins and only one loss in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) this season, Chapman football is headed back to the championship for the second straight season. They will face off against Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in a rematch of last year’s 41-20 victory in the inaugural SCIAC Championship game. This time, however, the Panthers will have to win away from home since their only loss was suffered to the Sagehens.
The two schools’ rivalry has only intensified these last two years, as both have been the pinnacle of excellence in their respective divisions. Chapman has the chance to prove they are the big brothers in this matchup by becoming the first team in school history to win consecutive conference titles, and retaining the crown as the only team to have ever won the conference championship game. They’d also be the first to repeat since California Lutheran University won four straight SCIAC titles from 2009 to 2012.
But, to do that, Chapman has to fix what went wrong earlier this season. The Panthers had 19 more first downs in their game against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, over 150 more rushing yards, 118 more passing yards and they ran 41 more plays. Somehow, Pomona-Pitzer came away with the only important stat: a 21-17 win.
According to safety Jacob Gaudi, a sophomore business administration major, penalties and turnovers in key areas of the field killed them. To avoid that, he said, they will need to focus on individual assignments. If each player stays disciplined then those big mistakes can be quelled.
Senior business administration major and linebacker Alex Terriquez felt similarly about the loss, and he said that the defense and special teams should have been more effective. Despite the low yardage for Pomona-Pitzer, they still put up 21 points partially thanks to a blocked punt touchdown. For Terriquez, that is what cost Chapman the win.
“We also had a couple of plays on defense where we gave up touchdowns when we should not have,” Terriquez said. “If we take care of those things, I trust our offense to put up enough points to get the job done.”
Chapman had the best offense and defense in the conference this season, scoring 27.3 points per game and allowing only 15.7. Pomona-Pitzer was ranked third in points for and second in points against. Neither team has the upper hand when it comes to momentum, though, as Chapman has won three straight and the Sagehens five.
As for the head-to-head history, the Panthers have the edge. Since joining the SCIAC, they have won eight of their 12 matchups against Pomona-Pitzer with five of those being by over 20 points. They also have another piece of history on their side — Chapman has never lost an away game in six trips to play the Sagehens.
Pictured: Chapman celebrating after beating Pomona-Pitzer in last season’s championship. Courtesy of Larry Newman.
In last year’s championship it was Pomona-Pitzer who made the mistakes, throwing six interceptions and allowing three sacks.
“A tough pass rush along with great coverage gives us the best chance to disrupt the opposing offense,” Gaudi said. “It's never just one individual making the play but it's a collective effort that creates those opportunities for turnovers.”
Each talented individual has made for a strong collective all season. The only difference this week, according to junior business administration major and wide receiver Jason Bruce, has been an even larger level of excitement and energy.
“The stakes are obviously higher,” he said. “We’re not planning (for) it to be our last game.”
Pomona-Pitzer isn’t planning to lose either, and their regular season win won’t be enough for revenge if they drop at the final hurdle once again. Sophomore quarterback Russo Grady will have a chance to put the six interception demons of last season behind him. While the Sagehens have utilized multiple QBs throughout the season, Grady has been the main man in the last two weeks of the season throwing for a combined six touchdowns and 546 yards. He barely played in their win over Chapman, though, and they could look for a by-committee approach if things start to go south.
Both teams’ rosters are very similar to last season, so there aren’t many secrets out there. The big difference for the Panthers is the switch at QB from senior Luke Peterman to second-year graduate student Joey Yellen, who is studying real estate. With a background at multiple Division I programs, Yellen has brought a host of experience to Chapman. He took over for the Homecoming Weekend win against Cal Lutheran and hasn’t lost the starting job since. Peterman, a political science major, led the school to the championship last year and would be a stellar replacement if need be.
The last two seasons have led up to this moment. Both programs have dug deep and found a way to be at an even higher level, but only one will be celebrating when the last whistle blows. Gaudi said that the culture and brotherhood of Chapman football is at its highest, and it can get them over the finish line.
“We’ve established a foundation of trust,” he said. “We know that our teammates have our backs no matter the situation, and that unity drives us to push through any obstacle we face.”
Bruce, Gaudi and Terriquez all echoed the idea that the difference between a win and a loss for the Panthers will all come down to execution. They have proven throughout the season that they are the best team in the conference on both sides of the ball, but one loss is still bugging them. They can fix that.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Merritt Field in Claremont on Saturday.
