Panthers come home to victory
Photo by Larry Newman.
Homecoming at Chapman means a weekend of familiar faces, alumni returning to campus and students coming together to celebrate the university and all they have accomplished. On Oct. 3, the Panthers had one more reason to celebrate, as the men’s football team took down Whittier 57-10 at Ernie Chapman Stadium.
The Panthers, currently sitting with an overall record of 3-1 and a conference record of 2-0, put together a dominant offensive performance, scoring 57 points, while the defense came up with key stops to keep Whittier from building any momentum.
For the players, Homecoming was about more than just the final score.
Photo by Larry Newman.
For senior Emilio Pucci, this year's game was another chance to take the field with his teammates as he gets closer to finishing his Chapman football career. With family in the stands to watch him play, this game felt a little more meaningful. “It was my last one, with the coaches, this place and these people,” Pucci said. “ After the game, I just saw my family; we took pictures, now I felt that special deal of my last homecoming game.”
Pucci made a big impact on offense, catching a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brady McKelheer and hauling in a 33-yard completion on a double-pass play.
While Pucci looks back on his time at Chapman, freshman Viggo Anderson is just getting started. Coming to Chapman from Oregon, Anderson experienced his first Homecoming as a Panther this weekend.
On the field, Anderson continued to make his mark, scoring a five-yard rushing touchdown in the second half. Making it his second straight game scoring a touchdown.
At halftime, he was told he would get playing time in the third quarter. That was when he realized he needed to give it his all.
“I remember that feeling getting ready to go, standing next to the quarterback,” Viggo said. “You know we’ve got to lock in now.”
Photo by Larry Newman.
The Panthers' offense kept finding ways to score throughout the night. Chapman opened with a 52-yard punt return from Brendon Manzano, followed by rushing touchdowns from Andrew Latu and Fischer Huss. Quarterback Eli Brandt added two rushing touchdowns of his own before halftime.
The Panthers continued to score after the halftime break.
Freshman quarterback Sean Helgeson left his mark late in the game, throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Lucca Edwards to help Chapman reach its final score of 57 points. As a freshman, Helgeson had the support of the older quarterbacks leading up to his homecoming debut. He said the group made sure he was ready before taking the field.
“All the other quarterbacks came up to me and tried to get me ready, making sure I was taking a deep breath,” Sean said.
After the touchdown, the sidelines were electric and completely transformed. “Coming off the field, all the guys were smacking my helmet and super hyped,” he said.
Chapman's performance gave the Panthers their second SCIAC win of the season and a strong start to the Homecoming festivities. The team will look to keep its conference record clean after a 36-14 win over Redlands; the Panthers will look to keep their momentum going when they host Azusa Pacific on Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.
Photo by Larry Newman.